'Pop the Balloon' Was a Viral Hit for Black Daters. Then Netflix Gentrified It

One of the much heated exchanges from the archetypal Pop the Balloon oregon Find Love—a wildly fashionable YouTube amusement done which eligible Black singles ruthlessly measure each other’s attractiveness face-to-face—should person culminated with a acquisition successful humility.

Aaron, a 29-year-old plumber whose woody breakers included “being promiscuous” and “non-cleanly” had conscionable finished insulting a pistillate for having excessively overmuch hairsbreadth connected her arms erstwhile chap contestant Kailah chopped him down to size.

“You kinda look similar a Ninja Turtle, you’re not that cute, you request to relax, and you're stocky arsenic hell,” Kailah said arsenic the different women erupted successful applause and cheers. Rather than backing down, though, Aaron changeable back, “you’re not adjacent qualified to beryllium dealing with me,” earlier bragging that helium had much wealth than her.

The moment, similar galore of the exchanges connected the show, brings its entreaty into crisp focus: Pop the Balloon doesn’t clasp back. Set successful a no-frills, stark achromatic studio, with galore slow-motion acceptable checks, the amusement is candid and vulnerable, often ridiculous, and sometimes problematic. It is the anti-thesis of a highly produced dating franchise similar The Bachelor—but radical person travel to emotion that deficiency of polish; the amusement averages astir 2 cardinal viewers per occurrence and was precocious parodied connected Saturday Night Live.

But overmuch of the authenticity that fans loved was absent from Netflix's reboot, a unrecorded mentation called Pop the Balloon Live, which debuted past week hosted by comedian Yvonne Orji of Insecure, and featuring world stars and contestants of each races. That occurrence is already dealing with accusations that it’s “watered down” and amounts to “a insubstantial container test.” Which begs the question, what does a amusement lose, particularly 1 that is anchored successful Black culture, erstwhile it widens its scope to see everyone?

“Of people Netflix added DEIs,” @camsimply joked connected Bluesky, upon proceeding astir the caller version.

“We can’t person NOTHING!” @princey5ive responded.

“They gentrified Pop the Balloon … UGH,” @richgirlenergy_ posted connected X.

It’s “a tragedy,” 1 Netflix executive, who spoke connected the information of anonymity, tells WIRED of the premiere, saying it wouldn’t beryllium astonishing if the squad that works connected the amusement makes respective adjustments fixed the overwhelming antagonistic response.

Netflix did not respond to requests for comment.

Launched successful December 2023 by Bolia Matundu and Arlette Amuli, who besides acts arsenic host, Pop the Balloon has followed the aforesaid bare bones attack to uncovering emotion crossed its 51 episodes. A radical of azygous women oregon men basal enarthrosis to enarthrosis successful a line, each holding a reddish balloon and toothpick. They are introduced to a prospective suitor who indispensable inquire and reply questions (“What’s your emotion language?”; “Do you person kids?”). Although the amusement features radical of each backgrounds—entrepreneurs, doctors, educators, engineers, adjacent alleged scammers—the contestants are predominantly Black, straight, and Christian.