Updated April 11, 2025 at 12:12 PM ET
Anyone who's dabbled in dating apps probably knows how harsh online dating can feel. But the hit YouTube series Pop the Balloon or Find Love takes the ruthlessness to a new level.
On the viral dating show – which launched last year – host Arlette Amuli interviews a single contestant in front of a panel of other single people lined up in a row. Each panelist holds a red balloon. If a panelist hears or sees anything they don't like – pop! The contestant is rejected.
Amuli then asks each panelist to explain why they popped their balloon, and that's when the real, cringey entertainment begins. Guests on the show can be brutally honest, rejecting potential matches based on their weight, skintone, age, perceived sexual history, height or fashion sense. In one viral clip, a man responds to rejection by telling a woman she has hairy arms. Another woman on the panel comes to her defense by telling the man he looks like a Ninja Turtle.
It can get a little vicious, but some contestants find love. According to executive producers Amuli and her husband Bolia Matundu – who goes by BM – roughly 10 people who have appeared on "Pop the Balloon or Find Love" are still dating. At least one couple is engaged.
The series' success caught the attention of Netflix, with the streaming network spinning the show into a live version that debuted April 10. Pop The Balloon Live is hosted by actress Yvonne Orji and expected to air weekly on Netflix, and the original show will continue to upload to YouTube. NPR Morning Edition co-host A Martinez recently chatted with Amuli and Matundu about the origins of Pop the Balloon, why they think it's gotten so popular and how they respond to criticism that the show amplifies nasty stereotypes.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
A Martinez: How did the idea for the show start?
Arlette Amuli: Pop the Balloon was already something that was trending. We're not too sure when it started, or who started it, but my husband just brought this idea to me. He was like, "I can produce this and really make it polished." And he's like, "I want you to host it." I was like, "Wait, hold on. I've never hosted anything before. What do you mean you want me to host it?" And he's like, "No, trust me. It's going to work."
Martinez: BM, what made you think, "This is gold?"
Bolia Matundu: I like the idea of people standing in a line. It's kind of like speed dating where you can pick somebody fast and pop a balloon if you don't like them enough. And I felt like there's probably two things that people most speak about in this world – which is one, relationships and two, sports.
Martinez: Why do you think the series has resonated with so many people? I mean, I saw episodes with more than 4 million views.
Amuli: I think because this is what people are really experiencing. They're like, "Oh my God, this is our dating pool."
Martinez: So how does this show compare to online dating?
Amuli: We always say that "Pop the Balloon" is kind of like Tinder or Hinge in real life because instead of swiping on someone when you see them, you're now just popping a balloon. [But] what differs it from online dating is these thoughts that you would have in your head when you're online dating, you're now forced to say it to the person.
Martinez: And how do people handle that? It's not easy to look someone eye-to-eye and explain to them why you don't like them.
Amuli: It gives you a glimpse of the person's character. Some people can answer a difficult question with a little bit more decorum, whereas others will just be completely blunt and tell you the honest truth.
Martinez: And sometimes that blunt, honest truth can venture into mean territory. There have been criticisms of the show that it thrives on these viral moments where participants say some pretty nasty things about each other. How do you respond to criticism that your show trades in mean, superficial discourse?
Amuli: I think when people see those specific clips that end up going viral, they take that and they run with it. If someone were to sit down and actually watch a full episode, they would see that there's a lot more positivity. There's people finding love. They're getting matches, they're exchanging jokes, they're laughing. We just tell our contestants, "You don't know these people. Take what they're saying with a grain of salt." So a lot of times, the people on the show are not even offended. A lot of them actually become friends after the show.
Martinez: I've got to admit – it's those viral clips that drew me in. [Laughs] But the show isn't all about rejection. How many people do you think have actually wound up dating long term-ish after meeting on your show?
Amuli: Oh gosh, that's a hard question. Off the top of my head, there are three couples. One's engaged. And one of them is already thinking of moving to a state together because they're long distance.
BM: Actually, we have about eight to 10 couples [who are still dating].
Martinez: So why do you think people sign themselves up for this?
BM: Because some people need help. They need something new, something different. And some people see results. So they're like, "You know what? This person found love. Let me go and try it. It might work for me."
Martinez: And I guess if they wind up being together for the rest of their lives, they have a funny story to tell about how they met.
Amuli and Matundu: [Laughing] Right.
Milton Guevara produced the radio version of this story.
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