Squid Game has taken over almost every facet of the world.
It’s the added detour on every conversational trip. The fashion influencer sending the world into a green retro-tracksuit frenzy, and what will arguably be a defining pop-culture classic of the 2020s. If Pokémon ruled the streets back in 2016, then Squid Game laughs at its ancestor of the frenzy family in success.
In recent news, it’s been announced that the sensational Korean thriller has officially become the most-watched Netflix TV series in history, claiming the title from Bridgerton.
What this means, as per LadBible, is that 111 million accounts have indulged in the torturous thrill. Bridgerton’s views sat at 82 million.
People’s reactions have made headlines.
But here’s the thing. Is it actually worth the hype? Or is it just another hop on the bandwagon because everybody’s talking about it?
I’ll reveal my position. I haven’t watched the series, and yes I say this ready to face the bullets of ‘you really haven’t watched it?’
I’m battling the urge to do so because I want to ascertain whether it’s actually worth the buzz.
If there are others like me out there who are sitting in the minority domain of television leper’s on an island of uncertainty, here are some points that may convince us to watch the show – based on plot and buzz. We can pick our poison in terms of our reasoning to watch or not to watch.
The buzz.
1. People’s reactions have been wild, and we might be curious as to how we’d react too.
@breezytytyHow I would cheat if I was In The Squid Game ? (Credit: @officialkingsmitty ) #thesquidgame #breezytyty #redlightgreenlight♬ How I Would Cheat In The Squid Game – Ty Dior
From memes to TikToks, people from all over the world have showcased their reactions. You can find a tasty list of these reactions below.
More on this: These responses to Netflix’s Squid Game series are as wild as the show
If anything, I think an argument for me to watch the show might just be based on a curious desire to see my own reactions.
2. It took over the fashion world because people wanted to recreate the character’s uniform looks.
People love cosplay, but a show that got people so hooked that it actually skyrocketed Vans’ earnings substantially? This point piques my interest into why others would want to recreate a look that, from what I understand, symbolises survival.
More on this: Squid Game stole the fashion show and here’s where to get the look
3. People loved Squid Game so much that an actual recreation of the games (albeit without the twisted bloodshed) happened this week in the United Arab Emirates.
If people would go to these realistic lengths to bring dark fantasy into our world, then maybe there is something to be said about the hype’s worth.
More on this: Squid Game came to life in an event in the United Arab Emirates
The Plot and other accolades.
In an attempt not to ruin the show for you, or myself, I’ll try to navigate a mysterious, yet informative, plot summary as best I can.
On a horror-thriller basis, the South Korean born story explores the dark undertones of childhood games and magnifies them exponentially. That is: elimination in these games mean death. The show is really all about playing children’s games with lethal ramifications — all in the name of winning cold, hard cash. It’s dog-eat-dog savagery, and touches on a range of spheres from immorality, late capitalism and the question of human nature, as per Robyn Simpson.
Based on these points, what inspires me to watch the show is the human nature aspect. Why continue the game in the first place, and how far will humans really go in the name of victory? Is it even about the money at all, or a deep desire to be a champion? I think I just sold the series to myself in that last thought progression.
All in all, whether we plunge into the underworld of series, or not my fellow Squid Game virgins, is up to us. However, if we take at least one thing away from the show, its concepts and hype culture, let it potentially be this: Why are we as humans so intrigued by a world we already live in, in the basis of immorality and lethal competitiveness? And further, why do we seem to be sugar-coating these notions by glorifying them – instead of attempting to change them?
Picture: Netflix
