There have been many different dating shows over the years, beginning with “The Dating Game” in 1965. Producers have tried to pique our interest in the most unique ways possible. Unsurprisingly, another dating show premiered on YouTube in January 2024.
“Pop the Balloon or Find Love” was created by married couple Arlette Amuli and Bolia Matundu to redefine how love is found. Amuli is the host of the show; however, the rest of the show is completely digital and unscripted.
The idea is contestants pop a balloon to signal their disinterest in the other contestant. About 5,000 single people have flown from California, Louisiana, Rhode Island and New York to Phoenix to participate in this game. Each episode runs for 90 minutes.
Instead of a fake and staged show such as “Love is Blind,” the concept is based on speed dating. If one person does not like one thing the other has said, the first contestant can pop their red balloon and let the other know they are uninterested.
This show focuses on people who are in their late 20s, 30s or 40s. Some of these contestants already have kids from previous relationships. The goal is to prioritize people with full-time jobs who are just looking for committed relationships.
As a result of the show, one couple announced their engagement. Mike Braswell and Nicole “Khe” Okeke met on an episode in June. Braswell said, “Once you find the person, you kind of know.”
The series gained a big reaction on TikTok as their top video has gained 5.7 million views. Many people have made reaction videos and gained millions of views as well. TikTok user itstrinontwitch has over 23,500 followers and has reviewed the show a few times, gaining thousands of views on each video. Another TikTok user, _cchub, also reacted and received half a million views for his reaction video about the show.
Unfortunately, the show has also gained negative press due to the comments some contestants have made about each other. One notable negative comment occurred in the eleventh episode when Kayla, a contestant, called fellow competitor Aaron a “Ninja Turtle” in reference to his alleged arrogance. Before Kayla clapped back, Aaron commented on the hair on her arms and disrespected her voice.
Many people have reposted other clips of the show on TikTok and reviewed it on their own, commenting on the negative things these contestants will say to each other. Regarding Episode 11, people commented, “Napoleon complex,” “Ninja turtles got me dropping my phone,” and “He’s like mini Mike Tyson.”
Some social media users have made content discussing the colorism on the show. TikTok user Datura Jonez made a video complaining about the men popping their balloons because of a scar a woman had. Jonez said, “Whenever there’s a dark-skinned woman, they pick out the tiniest of tiniest things” and then went on to talk about the comparison between men’s ideas of black and white women. In Episode 15, a candidate named Talisha had many contestants pop their balloons because she was “too light.” With the show focusing primarily on African-Americans, this is a big issue.
TikTok is not the only social media that has bashed this show. Twitter users have made comments such as “pop the balloon or find love is a threat to society.”
Another issue with the show is that many of the women on the show are popping their balloons immediately after seeing the men. In some instances, when one woman pops the balloon, the rest follow. Everyone is attracted to different people, so following the majority of the group will not get the intended result of the show.
Amuli and Matundu are not the only people who are trying to experiment with new ideas for dating shows. While most of them are not speed dating, many dating shows are about figuring out if you like the other contestants very quickly after seeing them for the first time.
While there are some differing opinions and outcomes of the show, it has gained millions of subscribers, indicating they are doing something right. Even if just one couple got married from the show, the creators have helped some and given entertainment to many others.
