Squid Game: The Challenge has yet to release an air date, and it's already causing controversy due to claims of inhumane conditions on set. Squid Game took the world by storm when it premiered on Netflix on September 17th, 2021. The South Korean series follows contestants as they partake in a children's game for a large cash prize. The catch is that the stakes are deadly. A major message in the series is people in society are willing to do detrimental things for money. In June, Netflix announced they'd be premiering a reality tv version of Squid Game featuring real contestants.
The Squid Game: The Challenge announcement received a lot of backlash because the streaming platform seemed to be missing the message of the series. Luckily, Netflix also announced Squid Game season 2, which received a lot of praise. Obviously, there will be some differences between the scripted series and the reality show. Squid Game: The Challenge will simply eliminate contestants instead of making them give up their lives. However, the winner will receive a massive cash prize of $4.56 million. Unfortunately, it seems the conditions of Squid Game: The Challenge weren't as safe as contestants believed they would be.
Squid Game: The Challenge Contestants Were Passing Out
Several Squid Game: The Challenge contestants spoke to Variety to tell their experiences on set of the show. According to Squid Game contestants John, Marlene, and Jenny, all using fake names to conceal their identities, participants had to compete in freezing temperatures for hours longer than they were initially told. "I’ve never been that cold for that long a period in my life. We couldn’t feel our feet or our toes. It was ridiculous," Jenny said. John admitted that he experiences dizziness and an extreme headache while playing the game, and some contestants even passed out. Contestants were originally allowed to wear coats and use hand warmers, but these were taken away once the game started. Marlene says she witnessed around four people fainting, and paramedics were called around eleven times.
Squid Game: The Challenge Contestants Weren't Properly Fed
Squid Games: The Challenge certainly doesn't sound like much fun, and the contestants' safety was not producers' first priority, especially since they report they returned to their hotel from 7 pm to 12 am and were not fed. Marlene reported, "In the morning, I woke up, and there was a cold hamburger from McDonald’s, and a side salad in front of my door that had been there for God knows how long." While contestants may not lose their lives like they do on the scripted show, the reality series was not the safe experience contestants expected it to be. Contestants also say they were playing the Red Light Green Light game for around 6 hours instead of 2 like they were promised.
Squid Game: The Challenge producers have a lot of explaining to do. Reality TV show contestants have put up with a lot on shows like Survivor and even Fox's new series Special Forces, but nothing has been as extreme as what the Squid Game contestants described. Netflix previously denied that the show had dangerous conditions, but the stories the contestants told say otherwise. There's no way to know who is telling the truth, but fans might start boycotting the series if Netflix doesn't tell them what really happened.
Source: Variety