Le sigh. That’s the current sentiment of fans of the OG YouTube dating show “Pop The Balloon Or Find Love,” after watching the first episode of Netflix’s take on the matchmaking show that quickly became a pop culture phenomenon.
When it was initially announced just a few weeks ago, the reaction was mixed, with many rolling their eyes at the thought of the viral show being watered down and gentrified — while others appeared to hold out hope that the massive exposure of Netflix could be a good thing.
Unfortunately, the skeptical fans were correct. The premiere episode, which aired live on the streaming platform on April 10, was everything that fans feared it would be. The seasoning has been stripped away for a spice-free version filled with micro-aggressions, blatant racism, and flat-out foolishness.
Netflix ‘Pop The Balloon’
Sure, the original “Pop The Balloon” definitely has its flaws, but it’s ours, and per the popular Black sentiment, we can critique it and still appreciate its place in the culture. Netflix, in contrast, clearly saw the huge success of the show and decided to jump on the bandwagon without knowing what to do with it.
Social media was lit up like a Christmas tree with with commentary on the show, largely slamming it’s new format — and everyone involved caught strays, including new host Yvonne Oriji, the new polished contestants and the Z-list reality stars who were clearly only on the show to keep their names trending.
Once such reality personality was Johnny Bananas, who fans of MTV’s The Challenge know all too well, as he has spent close to 20 years on the show.
However, it was his comment towards a Black woman’s appearance that had social media in an outrage. While laughing, Johnny, a white man, told a Black contestant that her feet looked like she had been hanging upside down in a tree…WHAT?!
(@thekempire)Even worse than his racist remark was that it went totally unchecked, despite Oriji being right next to him when he said it.
Then there was the white woman, who bragged about Black men being the only type of men she liked, while another decided to show off her rapping skills and let the panel know she grew up listening to rap music.
Before Netflix got ahold of it, “Pop The Balloon” was something fans could add to their guilty pleasure playlist on YouTube and have a laugh at the current state of the dating world.
However, this version is another in a tiresome and long list of examples of what happens when Black culture is restructured for the mainstream.
There has only been one episode, so perhaps things could turn around in the coming episodes — one thing’s for sure, social media will render its verdict immediately.