Atlanta’s Hakeem Kiser found Hulu virgin dating show ‘a good opportunity’

The show blends earnest efforts to find love and jokey wordplay. When special instructions are given to the contestants, they are written on “V cards.” When participants who fail to connect with anybody are cut from the show, it’s called a “virgin sacrifice.” They test the men’s knowledge of women’s body parts and when they get an answer wrong, a cherry prop is busted.

The show is complicated by the fact there is no way to prove if the cast members are telling the truth.

Hakeem said he was not lying when he applied for the show. He was — and still is — a virgin.

“I feel like sex has a lot of energy that surrounds it,” Hakeem, a Collins Hill High School graduate, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s deep-rooted in a spiritual aspect. I don’t necessarily want to approach that level of energy exchange lightly.”

Credit: HULU

Credit: HULU

Hakeem, a former professional gamer who is now doing voice-over work, also noted the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and the potential for pregnancy as deterrents. “You can’t be too reckless,” he said.

In his life, Hakeem said he has had two legitimate girlfriends. His first one in high school he described as “very innocent.”

His one-year collegiate relationship was “more intimate and more impactful but we did not have sex.”

She was “devoutly Christian and was willing to wait for marriage,” he said. At that point in his life, he was not close to that level of commitment and broke it off.

Since college, Hakeem has not had a serious girlfriend. “On one hand, I was working a lot,” he said. “On the other hand, the fact I had less structure after school, there wasn’t an environment compatible girls were around me to choose from. I would have had to actively seek it or get lucky.”

Hakeem has tried the dating apps and while he found plenty of ladies he could be friends with, he has yet to find a longtime mate — with nothing lasting longer than three months.

His virginity, he noted, “was a point of contention for a lot of people. I feel there are a lot of expectations that men can perform in sex. That is a major factor for a lot of girls. They want someone who can get the job done.”

That’s where the show came into play. Hakeem had hopes it would help him cut through the awkwardness of his virginity and find the right person.

“I considered this a good opportunity,” Hakeem said. “I hope people see someone who is authentic and grounded and a point of inspiration. You don’t have to conform to what everyone expects if it’s not congruent to what you want in yourself.”

So how did Hakeem fare on the show? Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for him. There were only nine women to choose from and he found zero love connections.

As a result, Hakeem received minimal airtime. During the third episode, he was one of three people who were voted out during the first “virgin sacrifice.”

The show was shot last year. While the season created a few romantic sparks, it has generated no reported public long-term relationships to date.

If you watch

“Are You My First?” is on Hulu