After all, it is 2019, right?

Fans of Love Island have been screaming out for drama and last night, in the final 20 minutes of the ninth episode of the series, the villa welcomed two new contestants ready and waiting to stir the pot. Maura Higgins from Longford was one of two women to join the competition. Choosing three Islanders to bring on a date, we got introduced to Maura on screen by seeing her on a date with Tommy Fury. The 28-year-old came across as extremely excited to lay eyes on the hunky boxer, revealing that he gave her "fanny flutters" and that she could hear herself "screaming his name" when jokingly discussing her interest with fellow new Islander, Elma Pazar. Clearly aware that Tommy was already coupled up, Maura wanted to make sure he knew she was keen and told him that he was her type and much better looking in real life. And although Tommy fully reciprocated the comments telling one of the male Islanders that he was about to "climax" when he saw her and that she was his type, the public still zoned in on Maura's comments calling her "easy" and "uncomfortable to watch".

Maura made me vomit ? in my mouth the way she was looking and talking about Tommy after a 5min date! it was uncomfortable to watch #loveisland

— Jasmine-Leigh ? (@prettymisssim) June 13, 2019

Now, whether we agree that Maura seemed quite forward or not, that's not the issue here. The problem lies in the fact that we seem to breeze over comments of the same nature made by men. Why is it that we're "shook" when Maura suggests she wants Tommy to eat her out yet when Tommy says he was on the cusp of climaxing, we don't feel the same urge to call him out over a strongly worded tweet? Is it that we hold the women of the villa to a higher standard? Because if so, calling them a "slut" isn't really how we should be rallying around them to do better, don't you think? It's also quite startling how most of the comments negatively bashing Maura are left by women on social media. Can we not praise this sexually confident being for coming in and feeling empowered enough to make comments similar to her male counterparts? Is this not grounds for "yas queen" praises rather that "cringe" and "slut" digs? We might disagree with the derogatory language used in the show but it should be an overall disgust rather than a sexist attack. After all, it is 2019, right?