By Joanna Maria George
In the latter half of 2021, while the world was still reeling from the effects of a global pandemic, the South Korean series Squid Game ignited a worldwide frenzy. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series explores the dark and revolting nature of human greed through the elements of thriller, drama and dystopia. Squid Game effectively portrays existing capitalism and class disparity through a dystopian society. However, it is interesting to note that the success of Squid Game itself illustrates a picture of irony.
According to sources, the show garnered more than 142-million-member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks, becoming Netflix's most watched series— creating a paradoxical situation where a critique of capitalism achieved unprecedented commercial success. The iconic red suits and black masks also became recognisable merchandise and are bought by millions of adoring fans. A symbol of the wealthy oppressor has thus transformed into a fashion statement. Squid Game has also gained immense impact through social media platforms; BlackPink’s Lisa’s song “Money” which flaunts luxury, amusingly trending alongside.
The show's popularity and the outcomes it has brought heavily contradicts the notion behind the show. An example worth mentioning is the growth of “Squid Game reality shows” which foolishly misses the whole point of the series. MrBeast, the popular YouTube personality, spent millions to replicate the challenge and earns money through his and the show's popularity.
Humorously enough, most of MrBeast's content reflects Squid Game. In his videos, he gives out mind-boggling amounts of money to ordinary people, and while entertaining millions under the pretext of philanthropy, reaps the monetary benefits of their attention.
The 2023 Netflix reality show, Squid Game: The Challenge also presents a horrifying anomaly. The competition is an exact replica of the original show – without the murder. It is almost as if the creators watched the show and thought, “the rich were onto something.” The reality show continued to be embroiled in controversy as complaints were raised by the participants about the inhumane shooting conditions. Consequently, by profiting off the desperation of the poor, Netflix has made the dystopian fantasy a reality. Everything that has come out of Squid Game paradoxically goes against everything that Squid Game stood for.
However, one cannot completely disregard how Hwang Dong-hyuk tried to open our eyes to the venomous hold of capitalism on human society. It just so happened that the capitalist organisations who were the intended target audience failed to realise their position. And so ironically, a critique of capitalist society in turn benefited from the same capitalist society. By watching the show and its subsequent spin-offs, we the audience have literally become the rich men who were entertained by the despair of the poor and lower-class to lead a comfortable life. With the announcement for the new season out on December 26, 2024, one can only hope for a renewed exploration of the criticism presented in the show, and not a fanatical worship that would further diverge from the true essence of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s genius.
By Joanna Maria George
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