One thing a Black woman will never hold back on is speaking her mind, especially when it comes to her hair. On a recent episode of “Pop The Balloon or Find Love,” a male contestant learned the hard way after making some tone-deaf remarks about hair preference for his future partner. What started as an awkward moment turned into a teachable one, all thanks to a sharp response from one of the panel members. Don’t worry, we’ll break down what happened.
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The hit YouTube dating show, "Pop The Balloon or Find Love," features a single person facing a panel of potential partners, who are all ready to pop a balloon to show rejection. In this viral clip, host Arlette Amuli approached a female panelist to ask why she popped her balloon.
The panelist said to the man, “You’re attractive, you got it going on,” adding, “but that comment about hair…I know your mama got short hair too; she’s Black. At the end of the day, you don’t know what to expect with our hair.” She went on to explain the versatility of Black women’s hair, stating, “We can wear it straight, we can wear it curly,” while emphasizing his comments were “too much." While other contestants nodded in agreement, the female panelist concluded, “If you can’t grow up from your roots, you can’t grow up with me.”
The male contestant seemed taken aback. He corrected her remark about his mother, stating, “Interesting, I mean my mom is actually on my necklace, and she doesn’t have short hair.” The female panelist interrupted him, replying, “It doesn’t matter; it’s about who you are as a brother. Hair doesn’t make your personality, you dig me? It’s about who you are.”
Passionately, she explained that hair confidence comes in all forms, noting that many women with “long hair” often have thin hair. “I have a salon. When I was 16, I bought my mother a salon with the business I do, so I’ve dealt with many types of hair,” she explained while acknowledging her mother and shouting out her hometown of Philadelphia. “But what you said, it’s just not for me. You really need to check your ends before you talk about long or short hair.” Oop.
“Sounds triggered,” the male contestant responded, causing Amuli to look awkward as the debate deepened. “First of all, I never said the hairstyle she had was not good,” he explained before the female panelist jumped in midsentence.
“You said you only like girls with long hair,” she interjected, “that’s not right. You should have never said that at all.” She continued, asserting that as a Black man, he should have simply said “you just weren’t my type,” rather than dismissing her because of her hair length. She reaffirmed that she wasn’t triggered, reminding him that his hair texture is a representation of his Black origin.
“Can I talk, or are you going to ignore me again?” the constant sarcastically asked. “Her hairstyle, it’s nothing wrong with it, so it’s my preference, right? So, if I'm here to date, I’m here to find someone for me.”
He concluded that his comments about another woman have nothing to do with her. He further asks, “Are you here to find a man or are you here..,” he said before the panelist clapped back, “I’m not here to find you! I’m here to find someone who is going to accept me, flaws and all.” Not backing down, she ended the conversation, stating, “Know what you say before you speak to Black women.”
TikTok users rallied to her defense in the comment section of the heated debate. One commenter said, “Your “preference” is anti-black. She’s not triggered, she's standing on business.” Comments poured in, showing Black women uniting against the male contestant's remarks. One TikTok user posted, “Was she triggered? Yes. Was it valid? Yes. Was her message important? Absolutely.” Another user said, “You want Becky, just get Becky. It’s simple.”
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