Squid Game: Bih, Let's Talk About It

Every now and then, a cultural phenomenon comes around. For quarter-four 2021 that phenomenon is Squid Game. This dark action thriller enthralled many including myself, and I have thoughts.

What did I just watch?

After seeing that larger-than-life Asian doll on my timeline one too many times, I decided to see what all the hype was about, and I had no idea what I was in for. After adjusting to the bad voiceovers (which I kinda like,) and over-the-top goofy antics of our protagonist, I thought I was in for a cute series, that taught me about elements of Korean culture I was ignorant to. Like most, I was shocked and horrified to see the contestants mowed down by a gigantic sniper doll. Though I loved the themes the series was tackling like discrimination towards women, immigrants, greed culture, and the sick lifestyles of the super-rich. I was highly disturbed by all the violence, (and there is a lot of it.) It makes me examine where we are in society, where we can stomach all this violence without batting an eye. I guess it’s not much worse than the news.

People’s prejudice always comes out when faced with adversity.

If you haven’t watched the show, spoiler alert, women and people of color are discriminated against heavily. Though equality is something we like to think we champion, when it comes down to it, prejudice always comes out. There were multiple games in which the female players were discriminated against, picked over, and degraded. But what really grinds my gears was the sad fate of the show’s Pakistani player Ali. The good-hearted character was constantly mistreated by those around him—whether that be his snake of a boss, who refused to pay him after he suffered a serious injury on the job, or San Woo, his ex-partner who conned him out of a win, and ultimately his life. What bothered me most about Ali’s last interaction was San Woo’s inability to believe Ali could win on his own merit. Once he realized he had lost to Ali, he berated him, insinuating that he must have cheated to beat him. As a Black woman, I was triggered, as I know the prejudice that lives just behind the eyes of many; a Freudian slip away.

Morality over money.

One thing that this dark series did illustrate is the high price of life. We’ve all heard the term selling your soul, and what that means to me is trading in your morals to obtain whatever your goal is. For some, that’s a career in music, or tv or politics. For the players of the Squid Games, they exchanged their morals for a shot at the big grand prize. But we see how this affected the protagonist. He did all he could to win, and when he actually did, he couldn’t fathom what he did to get there. What good is it to gain the world, and lose yourself? As someone who works in the film industry, I can tell you firsthand that nothing is really as it seems. Everything that glitters, ain’t gold, and it’s all a little more dazzling in our fantasies. No matter how much money, beauty, and fame you have, none of it matters if you are empty inside. Everything comes at a price, and you don’t want to pay with your soul.

If I had to describe the Squid Game series in two words, I’d say, disturbed and genius. Though there were a few times I thought I would have to walk away from the show altogether, I, like many was utterly captivated. I was not only entertained I was stimulated to think deeper and examine this show and the world we live in. If art imitates life, we’ve got some reflecting to do.

XoXo,

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