- 3 months ago
In this exclusive Girls United interview, Jordyn Brown sits down with Arlette and BM Amuli, the dynamic hosts of the viral show 'Pop the Balloon or Find Love.' They discuss the show's origins, handling awkward on-screen moments, and navigating mixed reviews. The trio also explores modern dating culture, the shift to unconventional methods for finding love, and the challenges Black singles face in today's world. Plus, insights on their latest spinoff Blind Date Love, behind-the-scenes stories, and advice for those looking for romance!
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00:00From your last relationship, name one thing that you did wrong and one thing that he did wrong.
00:09I'm not answering that.
00:10Okay.
00:11What's up?
00:12It's Jordan here with a lovely team, Arlette and BM, to talk generational dating, balloons,
00:19and to get to know the team who started it all.
00:30Welcome to the Essence to You studio.
00:33My name is Jordan, and today we have Arlette and BM from the famous, the viral show, Pop the Balloon.
00:40So I have a couple of questions prepared today because I do want to discuss your opinions
00:45and what you think of today's dating culture.
00:48Okay, let's do it.
00:51All right.
00:51So my first question is the obvious.
00:54How did the idea of Pop the Balloon come about and what is the backstory?
01:00Yeah, so Pop the Balloon is a viral trend.
01:03It was around the pandemic, it started happening.
01:06Everybody was doing their own versions on YouTube, and I just wanted to create a version that,
01:10you know, kind of I had a vision for.
01:12So I wanted my wife to host, just how you see it with the set of the studio.
01:16And I wanted it to be more, you know, mature as well.
01:19So trying to get people that are working class people that, you know, have good jobs and stuff
01:23like that.
01:24And yeah, it just kicked off.
01:26My wife has been absolutely amazing at presenting the show.
01:29And all the production as well is run by me and our team is growing.
01:34And yeah, we're just taking it day by day.
01:36I just want to, I want to say congratulations on your three-year anniversary.
01:41I just saw.
01:42It's grand close.
01:43That's amazing.
01:44We love a duo, right?
01:45It's so close to it with you guys.
01:47Yeah.
01:47Yeah.
01:48And I think that's what helps with, you know, us working together is we kind of know how
01:52one another flows and all that.
01:54So it makes things a lot easier.
01:57Can you share any success stories from the show?
02:00Just being in a successful and tight-knit relationship.
02:03Do you guys see that with the content that's produced and the relationships that are hopefully
02:08kept strong after the show?
02:10Yeah.
02:11Yeah.
02:11I mean, our, our most recent, oh, actually I'll say our most popular success story was the
02:18engagement that we had.
02:19Um, we did a follow-up after the couple's match on pop the balloon.
02:23Um, we bring them back for a follow-up just to see how they're doing and get a quick little
02:27update.
02:28And during one of our, um, follow-up catch-up videos, um, Mike, that's the guy's name.
02:33He actually ended up proposing to K and it was so beautiful.
02:38I think it's just so unexpected.
02:39And honestly, I'm just so happy for them.
02:41And I'm, I'm so happy that they were able to meet on our platform.
02:44Um, it just makes things like that much greater.
02:46Yeah, I love a good success story because nowadays, like, you know, the saying there's
02:52piss in the dating pool and it's hard, especially me as a single Gen Z-er, um, sometimes I find
02:58myself thinking, okay, should I take an untraditional approach to dating?
03:02And I just feel like your show shows that there's, you know, let's delete the dating apps.
03:07Like let's actually, you know, find different ways to find love.
03:11So yeah, you feel that your community is taking on untraditional ways.
03:15Have you heard of like inspirational stories from your fans on their, the ways that they're
03:21going about dating?
03:21Oh yeah.
03:22Yeah.
03:23I actually feel like more and more people love the fact that we are traditional and people
03:27want to get back to the traditional ways for our show.
03:30It's like people will say a man needs to be, a woman needs to try to be submissive to the
03:37man.
03:38The man needs to provide, you know, and it's like people want the old school traditional
03:42way.
03:43It's like what marriage was back in the 1950s.
03:45That's what people are actually, they're wanting right now, which is amazing to see.
03:48Yeah.
03:49So you have a new spinoff show called blind date love.
03:53Um, and my best friend actually sent me the link.
03:56She's part of your fan, your community.
03:58Um, and yes, shout out Jackie.
04:01Um, but she sent me the video when it was 13 minutes old.
04:05So that just shows that you guys have like people ready.
04:09So I watched the video.
04:10I saw the comments.
04:11People were like, Oh my gosh, I'll let you look amazing.
04:13You know, so like with that being said, do you feel like this new show blind date love
04:19brings back the more traditional, um, aspects of dating just with the questions you're not
04:24seeing, it's not like a visual, um, you know, I'm popping my balloon because I don't like
04:28the way this person dresses or the way this person speaks.
04:31Um, but you're actually listening to their answers, you know, um, do you feel that that
04:37is, um, you know, just bringing back the traditional side of things.
04:41I think it does help, um, because it takes away like a lot of like the superficial stuff
04:46that we deal with nowadays.
04:49Like you said, a lot of people now are so focused on what someone's wearing or, you know, what
04:53shoes they have on, what haircut they have.
04:55Um, and with blind date love, like you don't see that you're fully focused just on what
05:00the person is saying, what their voice sounds like, you know, how they speak, how they articulate
05:05all that and it's just like, it, yeah, I think it does kind of help us kind of go back to
05:09the traditional way a little bit, just because you're not so focused on all the superficial
05:14things that people are focusing so much on.
05:16Okay.
05:17So I have a burning question for you and, and for you BM, I know you guys see the memes,
05:24right?
05:25I know you guys see the memes and just social media, the stitches and all of that.
05:28Yeah.
05:29How do you, how do you feel about being crowned the messiest person?
05:33I know you saw that.
05:35I know you saw it.
05:36I think honestly, I think it's, you know, I have a PR background, all publicity is good
05:40publicity.
05:41But how do you feel about that?
05:42What's your opinion?
05:43Honestly, the first time I saw it, I was cracking up, but I showed my husband, I was
05:48like, Oh my God, why do people think I'm messy?
05:50Like, and we were just laughing about it.
05:52Um, and it's like, some people are in the comments, like she's not messy.
05:56She's asking the questions we want to know.
05:58And I'm like, that's what I felt I was doing.
06:00You know, I didn't think it was messy.
06:01I was like, because if I don't ask these questions, y'all will be in the comments, like, Oh my gosh,
06:07like, we want to know why that person pop or, Oh, this is boring.
06:11You know what I mean?
06:12Yeah.
06:13Go ahead.
06:14In real life.
06:15A lot of people don't give people enough answers.
06:16They just leave.
06:17Yeah.
06:18Yeah.
06:19Right.
06:20You want to put people in the sport.
06:21If you come on the platform, know that you're going to be asked to ask you.
06:24So yeah, but I don't think I'm messy.
06:26Okay.
06:27I just write questions.
06:28Y'all want to know.
06:29Right.
06:30And that's that.
06:31That leads me to my next question about messiness or disrespectfulness.
06:35So we saw sometimes people get defensive and people's feelings get a little bit hurt.
06:41How do you draw the line or is there boundaries that you have beforehand that you discussed
06:46with your lineup, the cast on, you know, just when things start leaning into being disrespectful,
06:52how do you make sure it's still entertaining while still like knitting it or still, I know
06:57you would probably edit, but like, how does that work?
07:00It's all about production and vision.
07:02You know, when I'm producing the show on set, I give outlet signals when to move on, when
07:06to do certain things.
07:07If I feel like it's getting too heated, I will, you know, we all cut the segment.
07:12Well, also beforehand, you tell people like, don't get offended by what somebody says.
07:17You always tell them that.
07:18Yeah.
07:19And you can see our show.
07:20People are respectful about the way they go about it.
07:22Yeah.
07:23Somebody can say, oh, your forehead's too big.
07:24And they say, oh, thank you.
07:25I appreciate you.
07:26Yeah.
07:27So it's, I feel like that's the thing.
07:28When people see our show, they know that, okay, if you go out of character, people will
07:33go come after you on the internet.
07:34So that's why it's like, if I were going to show like this, I'm not going to try and show
07:38any bad side to me.
07:40I'll just be like, okay, thank you for your, your opinion.
07:42And I think also like, they don't really know each other.
07:45So what a person who doesn't know you is saying about you doesn't really affect you
07:49that much.
07:50You know what I mean?
07:51Like if these types of comments came from someone who you hold near and dear to your
07:54heart, it might hit a little different, but it's like, I literally don't know you.
07:58So what you're saying is going to just like, I'm going to move on with my life.
08:01So I think that's how a lot of people just like, okay.
08:04And they move on.
08:05Right.
08:06It's controlled.
08:07You know, it's controlled.
08:08Like I make sure that there's no noise.
08:11There's no nonsense.
08:12And that's why people, people have to abide by the rules.
08:16And that's how we get the show to look like that.
08:18You know, if somebody is speaking over there, when I was talking to someone there, I will
08:21look at them and I will tell them, you know, you have to be quiet, respect the people speaking.
08:25Otherwise it becomes just a professional.
08:27It's funny how you said that no one knows each other on set.
08:30Right.
08:31So I know you guys are based in Phoenix, Arizona.
08:34Right.
08:35I'm not sure how, you know, does everyone know everybody?
08:38Like, how do you find so many singles?
08:40Do you fly people out?
08:41You know, I know you guys put your application, um, in the description box.
08:46Are you open to casting people who live in different States?
08:50Um, how does the application process work for both shows?
08:53Pop the balloon and blind date love.
08:55Yeah.
08:56It's all over the States.
08:57Um, it started with just Phoenix episode one and two, and then everybody's wanted to
09:01come on the show.
09:02So I opened it up for the whole of the U S people buy their own flies accommodation.
09:06They make their own arrangements.
09:07Yeah.
09:08And you know, cause they're serious.
09:10Exactly.
09:11Yeah.
09:12And people want the opportunity to find love on this platform because they see the
09:14quality of people that we put on the show.
09:16They feel like they can match with them.
09:18Yeah.
09:19Right.
09:20Um, I feel like there's a little bit of a stigma, at least right now.
09:22In reality TV, how people are not going on there with the right intentions and they
09:28want social media.
09:29They want the clout, you know, um, right now we're coming off of a high with the love
09:34islands and the bachelorette.
09:36Um, and recently on the bachelorette, it was shown that the person that she picked did
09:41not have the right intentions.
09:42The fact that you did say that they sometimes fly themselves out that shows their intentions
09:47are pure.
09:48Um, when it comes to choosing people that apply, um, besides the fact that they might
09:53be, um, providing their own transportation, what do you look for?
09:57We focus on, you know, the age range, how many kids they have, if they don't have kids.
10:02Um, what else do we really look for?
10:04Like.
10:05Yeah.
10:06Check their Instagrams too.
10:07Yeah.
10:08Yeah.
10:09Yeah.
10:10We're just like clout.
10:11We're like trying to avoid that.
10:12Yeah.
10:13And I also look for what they do, what work they do as well.
10:15Cause that kind of tells us where they are, where they're at.
10:18Um, and yeah, so it's mostly kids.
10:20That's the most, the biggest deal breakers is kids.
10:22Also religion.
10:23Right.
10:24Yes.
10:25Religion is another deal breaker.
10:26And, um, yeah.
10:27Age range.
10:28What's the lowest age or date?
10:29The highest age and stuff like that.
10:31So we try to like match.
10:32Well, we try to put people on each episode, women, women and men who we believe would have
10:37like the highest chance of matching.
10:38Yeah.
10:39Based off of the information they put on their, um, applications.
10:42And also when you speak to them, you get more information as well.
10:45And also height as well.
10:46Height is very important.
10:47Yeah.
10:48Height's a big one.
10:49Most of the time.
10:50Sorry.
10:51Most of the time I actually call them and I have a conversation with them.
10:53It could be from 10 to 20 minutes to really try to get to know them a little bit.
10:57Yeah.
10:58Because it's very important to kind of understand someone's character over the phone.
11:02You hear how they speak.
11:03Some people might call them and they sound like their, their tone, you know, they're just,
11:07they're just not well spoken.
11:08They don't care.
11:09They don't care enough to come up.
11:10Then I'll just be like, yeah, nah, you know.
11:12Mm-hmm.
11:13Yeah.
11:14Yeah.
11:15Um, at the end of the day, it is entertainment.
11:18You have to pick people who people want to watch.
11:21What would be some advice that you would give to Gen Z or just anybody who is looking
11:27to find love just to have a success story like you guys?
11:30Yeah.
11:31I would say definitely put yourself out there.
11:34Um, I think a lot of people think that their future husband or the future wife isn't come
11:39knocking on the door out of nowhere.
11:41It's not going to happen.
11:42You have to go out there.
11:43You have to try different things.
11:44Like if you're always just going to the same, I don't know, same gym or same brunch places,
11:50whatever it is, like try to go somewhere else and see, you know, who else you can meet there.
11:54Travel the world.
11:55You know, your person may not be where you live.
11:58He came all the way from London.
12:00Right.
12:01And we had a long distance relationship for, you know, a few years.
12:04So yeah, just go out and do things you don't usually do.
12:07That's how you're going to, you know, put yourself out there and meet someone who could be your, your future.
12:12Yeah.
12:13Yeah.
12:14Yeah.
12:15Just like she said, yeah, put yourself out there.
12:16And also I think people need to have discipline in their lives and take life seriously because all these superficial things and pickiness.
12:25Come on, let's, let's just grow up.
12:27You know, one, when you get to an age where you're not, you don't have a family and you're, you see other people happy and you're not happy.
12:32You're going to regret it.
12:33So let's take it seriously.
12:34I actually try to make something happen.
12:37Yeah.
12:38Good point about the superficial stuff because clothes change, styles change.
12:41The things we wear today are not the things we were like a few years ago.
12:45So that kind of stuff, if that's really what you're focused on, you're going to have a hard time.
12:50Yeah.
12:51I'll go.
12:52We're trying to make it to heaven.
12:53We're not trying to watch all these worldly things and things.
12:55Right.
12:56The worldly things matter.
12:57It doesn't matter.
12:58I think as a generation, we just got to come back, right?
13:00Come back to the basics.
13:02Arlette, you always seem so composed when it comes to just the messiness.
13:07I know there are some, you do laugh.
13:09I've seen it.
13:10I definitely laugh.
13:11Are there moments where you're just like, okay, cut the cameras.
13:14Like what's going on?
13:16Like make it look like you're always so composed and have everything together all the time.
13:21Yeah.
13:22No, honestly, for the most part, like people can read the room.
13:26They can tell like, it's okay.
13:27It's time for me to stop because first of all, he's very, he's a very serious person.
13:31So if people start, you know, doing too much or talking like off on the side when they're not supposed to and things like that.
13:37Or if we notice the conversation is getting a little too heated, he'll be like, okay, like, let's move on.
13:42Let's move on.
13:43Um, and as far as like, for me, um, I think it helps when I stay neutral and stay calm, it helps the people know as well.
13:50Like, Hey, like, you know, you don't have to, I think it helps them feel comfortable.
13:54I guess that's the word I'm looking for.
13:55It helps them feel comfortable to the point where like, if anything is getting too.
14:00Uncomfy, like they're like, okay, are let's going to move on when it's time.
14:04And I can also feel like, okay, it's time for us to move on to the next thing.
14:08So that, that kind of helps me just like keep my calm composure.
14:11But if someone says something funny, I'm going to laugh.
14:14Right.
14:15Right. And it's important that she, she does.
14:17She holds it so well.
14:18She surprises me sometimes, but the way the amount of composure that she has, so many people cannot do what she does.
14:24And, um, it takes a lot to present the show the way she does.
14:28You know, some people just watch the show and think, oh yeah, this is, uh, they want, they want to show every week.
14:33They want to show every day.
14:34But it's like, we plan, like it's, it's a super plan that we put together to put this content out there.
14:39What can we expect from the first season of Blind Date Love?
14:42Expect a lot of familiar faces.
14:44I'll say that.
14:45I think I might, um, I want to start using the people that actually come on Pop the Balloon.
14:52Favorite people to come back on Blind Date Love because people already have, have already seen them.
14:57That's what I'm trying to work on right now.
14:59But yeah, of course, celebrities.
15:01Um, there's a lot of celebrities as well that actually reach out to us as well.
15:04But it's just about how serious are they?
15:06Are they actually trying to find love or are they trying to promote their new song or I don't know, whatever it is.
15:11Who knows?
15:12We get many applications of people saying like crazy things like, oh yeah, put me on the show.
15:18What it is now is not probably not what it's going to be in a couple of episodes.
15:22So we just got to stay tuned and see what we're going to bring.
15:26What are your thoughts on the mixed reviews around your series, Pop the Balloon?
15:31We talked a little bit about the types of people that go in there or just the stigma that's behind it.
15:37But what is your opinion?
15:39Do you want to, you know, squash some of the opinions or give your own explanation?
15:43So I think, um, we've seen in the comments, people are like, why do you guys keep bringing people back?
15:48We don't want to see the same faces.
15:50And it's like the reason we bring certain people back is because they were actually interested in really finding someone.
15:56And unfortunately the first time they were there, they weren't able to find someone.
15:59So, you know, I understand people always want to see new people and all this stuff, but our goal is to help people find a match.
16:06Like that's our main goal.
16:07So if someone who's already been there before wants to come back and get another chance at love, of course, we're definitely going to allow them back, you know, depending on how, you know, how they interacted with people beforehand.
16:17But for the most part, like everyone does really well.
16:20And of course, like we would have no problem bringing someone back to give them that chance.
16:25Yeah, we get more love than hate.
16:28We probably get about 97% love, probably 3% hate.
16:32But it's like, if you focus on the hate and you will never move on in life.
16:36So that's how I look at it.
16:38I'm a musician.
16:39My first job is a musician.
16:41And I've never really cared for people that hate.
16:44If anyone says anything about myself or my wife, it's like they're entitled to their opinion, but I'm focusing on the positivity.
16:50A lot of people before they like something, they have to hate on it first.
16:54You know, it's almost like, oh, you got new shoes.
16:57Instead of just saying, oh, where'd you get them shoes from?
16:59Most people would be like, oh, look at them shoes.
17:00Those shoes are ugly.
17:01But at least they like the shoes.
17:03But they just, we just, so many people are programmed to hate before loving.
17:08It takes them a while.
17:09Yeah, I think also a lot of things grow on people.
17:12Exactly.
17:13Yeah.
17:14It grows on them.
17:15Pop the balloon grew on a lot of people.
17:16Yeah.
17:17So.
17:18First they hate, then they copy.
17:20Right.
17:21Exactly.
17:22Exactly.
17:23And you know, if people are talking about it, then there must be a reason why they're talking
17:27about it.
17:28So they're doing something right.
17:30Oh, I think another thing is people are like, oh, they only casted this person for clout
17:35and this and the third.
17:37Um, yeah, we definitely do not do that ever.
17:40Some people will apply one way and they come another way on the show.
17:43Yeah.
17:44So, you know, some things are out of our control, you know?
17:47Right.
17:48Where do you see your two shows in the future?
17:51Do you think that you're going to stick with social work?
17:53Can we expect reality TV?
17:56Can we expect a tour?
17:58Definitely.
17:59I love the way it's going right now.
18:00I'm just focusing on the YouTube series because I think we're just building YouTube.
18:03You know, we just came up with a new podcast, Band-Aid Love and so many different things
18:08are coming out.
18:09But TV, um, yeah, we, we are looking into that as well to see what we can do for TV.
18:14Exactly.
18:15Um, people, everybody wants us to get TV deals.
18:17And I've been in this industry, like the music industry for a while.
18:20So for me, it's like what we're doing right now is TV as well.
18:24Internet, YouTube is the new TV these days.
18:27Right.
18:28Um, yeah, in terms of taking it to the next level.
18:30Yeah.
18:31Whatever comes, if it makes sense.
18:32Yeah, definitely.
18:33Yeah.
18:34We're definitely open to the idea of TV.
18:37Um, but like you said, YouTube is just, it's really, it's working for us.
18:41You know, they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
18:43So, so that's what we're, we're rolling with right now.
18:46But yeah, if the TV deal comes and it's, it's a great deal.
18:49And we love the idea.
18:50We love whatever they're bringing to us.
18:53We'll definitely be open to that as well.
18:55Well, thank you guys both for sitting down and talking to me.
18:58I really appreciate it.
19:00And make sure you guys check out their hit series, Blind Date Love and Pop the Balloon.
19:06And we're all tuned in, you know, for your success.
19:09So congratulations.
19:12We appreciate your time.
19:13Thank you for having us.
19:14Thank you so much.
19:15Of course.
19:17Bye.
19:18Bye.
19:19Bye.
19:20Bye.
19:21Bye.
19:22Bye.
19:23Bye.
19:24Bye.
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