What Is an "FBoy" on 'FBOY Island' and Why Don't They Say Fuckboy?
When I first saw the trailer for HBO Max’s new dating show FBoy Island, I thought to myself, A dating show that specifically targets and explores the idea of being a fuckboy? Isn’t that...every single dating show in the year 2021?" Even so, I am a sucker for a show that calls people on their bullshit, and this immediately felt like the perfect addition to the tropical-island-dating-show canon.
But I made a crucial mistake. I assumed the term FBOY (pronounced “eff-boy”) would only be used in the show’s title as a way to get around TV censors, and during the actual show, contestants would say the word “fuckboy” like grown adults. Alas, I was wrong. The way they say it in the trailer? That’s how they say it throughout the ENTIRE show. Brace yourselves:
There are multiple things to say about this odd decision. First, no one talks this way in real life. We are all adults here, and dancing around the word “fuck” feels more noticeable than saying it outright. Every time one of these buff-as-hell man-bunned contestants calls themselves an “eff-boy”—I have to be honest—I giggle. Imagine talking to your friend about the guy she’s currently dating and actually speaking the words, “I don’t know—he sounds like an eff-boy to me.” She would laugh at you, and she’d be right to, because you’d sound ridiculous.
It’s not like this show is for kids. These women are on reality TV debating which half of the contestants are only around for sex and money. It’s a PG-13 concept at best, so why draw the line at language? Especially on HBO, the network known for embracing sexual content. These are the people who brought us Sex and the City! Whose ears are we really saving by not saying this word?
Here is a handy guide to clarify any confusion:
- A fuckboy: actually the worst. A fuckboy is a guy who strings you along to keep your thirst for them going...but also blows you off and doesn’t treat you with respect. We’ve all been there.
- An FBOY: something a grade schooler would whisper as an insult.
In all fairness, FBOY Island’s creator Elan Gale explained the real reason for all of this in an interview with Vanity Fair earlier this month. “I can tell you that I initially went out [to pitches] with the show called Fuckboy Island, not FBoy Island,” Gale said. “I think dating shows and reality shows that feature young people should try their best to be reflective of the actual dating culture...But having the word fuck in your title…you’re not going to get that billboard you want.”
Okay, sure. This may be true. But why not call the show FBoy Island for the sake of the billboards and then have them speak normally during the show and bleep it? Or use “FBoy” for promotional materials and then make it a wink-wink nudge-nudge moment during the actual series? There were so many options! Instead, they chose the road least traveled most cheesy, and that, unfortunately, makes a difference.
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