Have you been watching Netflix’s new game show adaptation of the hit Korean dystopian drama? Apparently it has been breaking all records in every Netflix region. I am usually someone who avoids such annoying publicity seeking self obsessed contestants on television screens but this one caught my attention. Yes, the irritating repeated exclaims of “oh wow”, even “wowwwww” and “oh my god” are ever present from the mouths of the self conscious contestants in front of the cameras and that is enough to actually switch off. However, there was something more intriguing that kept me watching. It was interesting to observe, for example, the alliance building, back stabbing, ruthless actions, scheming behaviour, gossiping, scapegoating, cult of the leader, show off behaviour, stubbornness and who collaborates and who rebels. So, I actually enjoyed watching it.
Squid Game: The Challenge is a 10 episode British/American reality competition TV series that is based on Squid Game, the South Korean TV drama. It was filmed in Cardington Studios in Bedford, UK, a huge aircraft hangar where Inception and various Star Wars movies were filmed. One of the main differences with the series is that it is not drama. It features 456 players, which apparently is the largest that has ever been cast in so-called reality TV history, who are all competing for a winning payout of US$4.56 million. The only bigger TV payment for a reality show was American X Factor which had a prize fund of $5 million. Through a series of games, each player is pushed to their limits and forced to ask themselves how far they will go to win the prize. This competition begs a number of moral questions. Is it okay, for instance, to openly display a lack of empathy and care for others in pursuit of winning the prize?
I am quoted in the attached article in the Independent by Inga Perkel on whether Squid Games: The Challenge is immoral or not. Happy viewing.
Noel Bell is a UKCP accredited psychotherapist based in London and can be contacted on 07852407140 or noel@noelbell.net
Winner 55-year-old Mai was born in Vietnam before moving to the US where she spent two decades in the navy, changing jobs to work as an immigration adjudicator before retiring.
In the end, the victor was decided by a game of rock, paper, scissors.
“All that Netflix money and they couldn’t think of anything better?,” quips runner-up Phill.