Netflix’s mini-series Squid Game exploded into public consciousness in the past month like a cultural tsunami. Whether it was genuine intrigue or a sense of F.O.M.O that drove 111 million people to watch it around the world, its ubiquitous nature made it an inescapable conversation starter.
The show is officially Netflix’s most watched show ever, which beckons the question – what has made Squid Game so wildly successful? Does it really deserve the level of acclaim and attention it has received?
Whatever your thoughts on the show, this phenomenon of wildfire popularity is worth examining. Here are our 3 key takeaways from the Squid Game sensation.
A) Netflix IS monoculture.
It has been claimed, for a while now, that in the era of streaming services, the long tail of content has caused such a fragmentation of viewing interests and behaviour that there is no longer a show that unites audiences and sparks cultural conversation, or what we used to call “water cooler talk.”
Such water cooler talk used to follow after weekly broadcasts/webcasts of The Sopranos, Seinfeld, Friends, The Office, Breaking Bad — all from the ‘‘90s to early 2010s. This golden era of “prestige TV” seemingly rode out into the sunset with the 2019 conclusion of HBO’s Game Of Thrones, the last of the titans.
While perhaps no one single show will continually dominate the landscape, we can be quite certain that Netflix has a major say in dictating the conversation when it comes to such content. From Stranger Things to The Queen’s Gambit to Money Heist and now Squid Game, Netflix has had an exemplary record of delivering at least one smash hit a year, each of which in turn creates a tidal wave of memes, TikToks and reactions videos.
Yes, there is competition looming in the form of Disney+, but In the words of Walter White, “Netflix is not in danger…Netflix is the danger.”
B) Hello, Hallyu.
We’ve seen BTS completely dominate the music charts as the world’s biggest band.
We’ve seen Bong Joon-ho pick up an Academy Award for Best Picture – the first ever for a foreign film.
Squid Game simply puts the stamp on what has been clear for some time now – the Korean wave – the Hallyu wave which began when K dramas started broadcasting on Chinese TV in 1997 – is here to stay.
Encompassing everything from music, movies, drama serials to online games and Korean cuisine, this phenomenon has become intuitively and increasingly acceptable over the decades, and yet remains somehow inexplicable. Just over 50 years ago, Korea’s GDP per capita was 0.5 percent that of the United States. It was just a decade removed from a bitter civil war, and finding its way as a nation. Fast forward to today and it is improbable you can get through a day without being exposed to a piece of Korean culture, whether by sight, sound or taste. The change has gained speed in recent times, and has seismic consequences.
Having seen Hollywood rule the roost for the past century or so, it’s certainly a matter of Asian pride to see that this phenomenon has been largely welcomed in not just Asia but by much of the Western world today.
C) If content is the engine, social media is the driver.
To say that social media has an impact on amplifying conversations around pop culture and making even a few seconds of a scene iconic overnight, is a gross understatement. Netflix understands social media is its lifeblood—it creates anticipation, offers a proliferation of outtakes and behind-the-scenes content, and makes sure you can TikTok the h*ll out of whatever it puts out. It is the expert at creating a community built around IYKYK references, to the point that other brands have to respond in kind to leverage on the buzz created.
In ad industry terms, that is considered “earned media” which basically means free media coverage for Netflix. Quite clearly, this strategy has paid off handsomely to date. Even those who have called social media evil find themselves scrolling multiple times a day through Netflix content—whether on the app, on TV, on Facebook, on TikTok. You just can’t escape it.
Netflix has hit paydirt (cue wads of money falling into the giant piggy bank) with Squid Game, but as the game goes, the 111 million will soon be looking for the next Squid Game. As much as Netflix has us in its hooks, we, the audience, has it in our greedy, tight-fisted grip.
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Whether you view Squid Game as a passing fad or an on-the-nose commentary on capitalism masquerading as entertainment,, we can all agree that the landscape of television—can we even call it that anymore?—has been irrevocably transformed and Netflix is calling the shots now. So, do you want to play?
