by Unsurprisingly, a reality show inspired by a series depicting a sadistic game in which the rich exploit people in dire need of help was a complete disaster.
Netflix’s reality show inspired by its hit series Squid Game was intended to replicate the Korean drama’s many attempts at play, with 456 participating players and a cash prize of $4.56 million. The games one Squid Game: The Challenge should be staged replicas without serious consequences. However, despite Netflix Denies Any “Serious Injury”(Opens in a new window) As it happened on the set, the reality show’s contestants have begun to share the grueling conditions in which they worked.
The show is currently being filmed at a former military base in Bedfordshire, with the production ill-prepared for the cold weather in England. In multiple testimonies, participants have said that the filming location was “freezing as hell” and that no hand warmers or overcoats were allowed during filming. Multiple participants collapsed during the first game of the Red Light, Green Light reality show, likely due to fatigue and the extreme cold(Opens in a new window). Testimonies also showed that the random nature of the organization made it difficult to provide immediate medical attention to these participants.
Squid Game: The Challengealso the hostile working conditions trickled to the hotel where the contestants were eliminated(Opens in a new window) remained: “All [was] hungry and asking for water, [but] none of them [was] there,” said one participant. When the food was distributed, they said, it was done randomly, with some participants getting off-putting burgers, some cookies, and still others nothing at all. Participants also had their phones and laptops locked away, hence it impossible to order something needed or communicate with a third party about the situation.
Additionally, testimonies revealed a lack of transparency between producers and contestants (who were not allowed to speak to each other), leading many to think the game was rigged. In a specific testimony shared with Vice(Opens in a new window), one attendee revealed that some players had working microphones, some didn’t, some were paid and some weren’t, and they all seemed to have different audition processes. Some contestants were also wrongly eliminated, leading one contestant to believe, “This was never a game I could win. I’m not a contestant, I’m an extra.”
Since his announcement, Squid Game: The Challenge has received much criticism for being completely absent the point of the show it’s based on. Mashable’s Belen Edwards writes: “The announcement that Netflix is ​​now spending money on content like this instead of supporting employees or the many scripted shows they’re shutting down is a horrifying sight – especially to remember Squid Game pits indebted people against each other for the amusement of rich elites.”
