The Real Love Boat: Aussie man sparks debate by calling women ‘birds’

Aussie bloke sparks outrage by using a popular ’90s slang term for women on dating show The Real Love Boat… so do YOU find it offensive?

A male singleton on Channel 10 dating show The Real Love Boat was scolded by one of the hosts for referring to women as ‘birds’.

Keanu Moore used the slang term, which was popular in the ’90s but is rarely used today, after being told he could choose from any of the female contestants.

‘Are you allowed one, two, three birds?’ he asked with a cheeky grin on his face.

A male singleton on Channel 10 dating show The Real Love Boat was scolded by one of the hosts for referring to women as ‘birds’. (Pictured: Keanu Moore)

Host Hannah Ferrier looked unimpressed as several of the women shook their head.

The term ‘bird’ peaked in popularity in Australia in the 1990s. While it can be offensive, many consider it a harmless equivalent to ‘bloke’ or ‘fella’. 

‘Firstly, we don’t call them “birds”. It’s 2022,’ Hannah said. 

Keanu Moore (left) used the slang term, which was popular in the '90s but is rarely used today, after being told he could choose from any of the female contestants

Keanu Moore (left) used the slang term, which was popular in the ’90s but is rarely used today, after being told he could choose from any of the female contestants 

‘Secondly, you guys are allowed to choose one lovely lady each. So I’d like you to let me know which one of these ladies you’d like to go on a date with.’

The Real Love Boat, based on the American format of the same name, has been a flop for Channel 10 this year.

The network bumped The Bachelor to make way for the new series in the fourth quarter, but it sank in the ratings.

'Bird' is slang for a women and was a popular term in the 1990s. Although it can be used offensively, it's similar to male terms like 'bloke' or 'fella'

‘Bird’ is slang for a women and was a popular term in the 1990s. Although it can be used offensively, it’s similar to male terms like ‘bloke’ or ‘fella’

Its October premiere drew just 215,000 metro viewers.   

Things got worse later that month when its five-city audience plunged to just 141,000 viewers, according to industry website TV Blackbox. 

After starting off in the coveted 7:30pm time slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the show was bumped back an hour to 8:30pm.

'Are you allowed one, two, three birds?' he asked with a cheeky grin on his face

‘Are you allowed one, two, three birds?’ he asked with a cheeky grin on his face 

It has also been savaged by viewers, with many taking to social media to criticise the format and the participants.

‘Ten minutes in and I’m seeing an iceberg. Terrible,’ one tweeted.

‘Love Boat? More like the Bogan Titanic,’ added another.

A third quipped, ‘More fake plastic people falling in love with themselves!’, while another perplexed critic asked themselves: ‘Why am I watching this s**t?’

Host Hannah Ferrier (pictured) looked unimpressed as several of women shook their head. 'Firstly, we don't call them "birds". It's 2022,' she said

Host Hannah Ferrier (pictured) looked unimpressed as several of women shook their head. ‘Firstly, we don’t call them “birds”. It’s 2022,’ she said

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk