One of the more heated exchanges from the original Pop the Balloon or Find Love—a wildly popular YouTube show through which eligible Black singles ruthlessly assess each other’s attractiveness face-to-face—should have culminated with a lesson in humility.
Aaron, a 29-year-old plumber whose deal breakers included “being promiscuous” and “non-cleanly” had just finished insulting a woman for having too much hair on her arms when fellow contestant Kailah cut him down to size.
“You kinda look like a Ninja Turtle, you’re not that cute, you need to relax, and you’re stocky as hell,” Kailah said as the other women erupted in applause and cheers. Rather than backing down, though, Aaron shot back, “you’re not even qualified to be dealing with me,” before bragging that he had more money than her.
The moment, like many of the exchanges on the show, brings its appeal into sharp focus: Pop the Balloon doesn’t hold back. Set in a no-frills, stark white studio, with many slow-motion fit checks, the show is candid and vulnerable, often ridiculous, and sometimes problematic. It is the anti-thesis of a highly produced dating franchise like The Bachelor—but people have come to love that lack of polish; the show averages around 2 million viewers per episode and was recently parodied on Saturday Night Live.
But much of the authenticity that fans loved was absent from Netflix’s reboot, a live version called Pop the Balloon Live, which debuted last week hosted by comedian Yvonne Orji of Insecure, and featuring reality stars and contestants of all races. That episode is already dealing with accusations that it’s “watered down” and amounts to “a paper bag test.” Which begs the question, what does a show lose, especially one that is anchored in Black culture, when it widens its scope to include everyone?
“Of course Netflix added DEIs,” @camsimply joked on Bluesky, upon hearing about the new version.
“We can’t have NOTHING!” @princey5ive responded.
“They gentrified Pop the Balloon … UGH,” @richgirlenergy_ posted on X.
It’s “a tragedy,” one Netflix executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, tells WIRED of the premiere, saying it wouldn’t be surprising if the team that works on the show makes several adjustments given the overwhelming negative response.
Netflix did not respond to requests for comment.
Launched in December 2023 by Bolia Matundu and Arlette Amuli, who also acts as host, Pop the Balloon has followed the same bare bones approach to finding love across its 51 episodes. A group of single women or men stand shoulder to shoulder in a line, each holding a red balloon and toothpick. They are introduced to a prospective suitor who must ask and answer questions (“What’s your love language?”; “Do you have kids?”). Although the show features people of all backgrounds—entrepreneurs, doctors, educators, engineers, even alleged scammers—the contestants are predominantly Black, straight, and Christian.
