Pop the Ballon or Find Love ?
Student Submission – Current Event VCU FA24
My current event is a tweet sharing a clip from a YouTube ‘dating show’, in which a
woman enters a room with 20, or so, men with balloons, which they pop if they would not date
her. These videos have recently become popular with many creators making their own versions.
The premise of these videos is problematic, upholding transactional views of, particularly
romantic, relationships. The specific clip, posted to Twitter (X) by user Raye
(@sweetbabyrayes), shows a Black man explaining why he popped his balloon, stating that he
isn’t a fan of weave and implying that her application reveals her natural hair braids underneath.
The woman removes her wig to show her bleached shaved head. This interaction displays
misogynoir by employing respectability politics to dictate how Black women present and express
themselves. The willing removal of her wig reforms the humiliation and violence in which a
Black woman’s wig would be removed forcefully, as seen in many viral videos. Her short dyed
hair continues to defy white femininity and respectability, expanding on Black womanhood.
