The gays will take anything, add some spice to it, and make it culturally relevant. Whether it’s lingo, fashion, or struggling pop divas, we can make anything a something.
One of the things that is glaringly obvious about the game show, is that mean girl (gay) behavior is very much in still en vogue.
The latest example would be the viral Balloon Dating Game that’s changing the rules for same-gender-loving men who are looking for love (allegedly). If your For You Page is inundated with post election content, you might be missing out on being in the know of this wildly entertaining yet cringe game.
Let’s break it down how it works for the folks in the back. An eligible bachelor is selected to have his pick of available men, some of whom claim to be looking for “the one”. Each potential love match is provided with a balloon and a pin. The men are then assembled in a line like drugstore Valentine chocolates waiting to be selected. Once a bachelor is introduced, the men, based on first impressions, speech and overall presence, will determine if they will pop their ballon should any interest be superficially diminished.
I have to be honest, the game is often humorous at times. The bachelors are a hodgepodge of representation ranging from the very charming to the ridiculous. The host, will move through the line of eager men and ask probing questions to those who have popped their balloons in Cher Horowitz “As if” fashion or have held onto them hoping for romantic bliss.
One of the things that is glaringly obvious about the game show, is that mean girl (gay) behavior is very much in still en vogue. It was always my hope that one day, we SGL men would move past superficial tropes of how we relate to one another. I wanted a day to exist where using shade and or flippant comments as a flex to minimize someone’s appearance or how they present would be a thing of the past. Sadly, we aren’t quite there.
I can’t decide whether I love it or hate it but either way I’m here for the mess and shenanigans.
There are few different versions of this game, but the one I feel is the most fun to watch is hosted by social media “it” guy Sincerely Lufty. He is a media personality, actor, and comedian who is the real star of the game, keeping the energy jovial and light. He knows his part to play and holds the men accountable for saying off color remarks steeped in ageism, body discrimination, or anti feminine exchanges. Lufty’s unique way of asking a question is gift wrapped in humor while hinting on a serious tone of are you serious man? His facial expressions and side-eye looks into the camera could easily be a scene stealing moment on Abbott Elementary. It lightens the mood for viewers like myself who are often saddened by the way some men in the game childishly reject a guy for some of the dumbest reasons.
The participants whether they are the dater or available suitors, are subject to having their balloons popped for being overweight, too thuggish, not masculine enough, or having undesirable fashion to name a few. The latter is ironic given Lufty is often the best dressed person on each episode.
I want folks to check out this show. It is after all, representation that’s needed. If nothing else, the comment section is truly the after party. Viewers are offering unsolicited dating advice, thirsting over participants or the host, and lamenting on the state of gay community being overwhelmingly single based on unrealistic expectations.
The game reminds me of Tyler Perry’s latest Netflix series Beauty in Black. I can’t decide whether I love it or hate it but either way, I’m here for the mess and shenanigans. I do, however, want to point out what’s not often being discussed when it comes to dating while black and same-gender-loving.
There is a huge audience celebrating love and relationships in the community and that is fine. I’m concerned that in an effort to do so, we are putting our own needs and healing aside in the hopes that some Hollywood idea of love is going to complete us. That we soely exist on the planet to be in an unrealistic idea of romantic love. In a quest to be boo’ed up, are we projecting what we are not while rejecting what, and whom may be possible when it comes to true connection? Are we seeking compatibility that can potentially last when the pretty fades and youth is no longer a dating card to play? Lastly, is kindness not a quality to be sought after when looking for love and or a relationship?
Tough questions that I’m not sure even I have the answer to. I just know that some of the antics in the Balloon Dating game doesn’t always paint us in the best light. We all have preferences whether we admit it or not. Those preferences, however, will not guarantee anyone finding happiness let alone reclaiming it when the at core of who we are isn’t – preferable.
I’m not here be a downer. The Ballon Dating game isn’t a bad thing and I don’t believe our version of it is intended to be serious. It is escapism at its best. One viewer commented on an episode stating this game and its participants are the reason why so many SGL men are single. That may be true but being in a romantic relationship should not be anyone’s sole purpose in life. It’s ok to want to date, have a little fun, or be single. Another viewer requested to see men of a certain age play the game and to that, I say hell no! Let Gen Z have fun with it. I may be naive in saying this but Millenials and Gen X’ers have lived long enough to know that youth fades, and beauty is forever evolving as we mature.
As a community, I don’t think we will ever rid ourselves of the horrible way we sometimes treat each other and I’m a self-proclaimed optimist. It does make me wonder that in the age of social media, will this game be evidence to future generations of who we are that those who came before were able to hide? Grab some wine and popcorn and check out the game for yourself. You decide if it’s entertainment, or if some of these young men are capable of giving Regina George a complex.
