South Korean “Squid Game” is a phenomenal series. It gained incredible popularity, an Emmy and a Golden Globe, but it was also very controversial due to its brutality. In the production, hundreds of broke people accept an invitation to play a game in which the prize is extremely high, but – as it turns out – their lives are also at stake.
Allegations against the Netflix reality show. “The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.”
In “Squid Game: Challenge”, which was created on the wave of the success of the Netflix production, it has a script of tasks, but it is a reality show with the highest prize in the history of this type of programs – $4.56 million. No wonder there was great interest in participating, although no remuneration was provided for the participation itself. Now it turns out that for some it was such a bad experience that they even want to sue the producers. After spending hours on set in a huge, cold aircraft hangar in Bedford (UK), they came to the conclusion that they were entitled to compensation for their injuries.
According to Variety, at one point the contestants had to spend about 30 minutes in a statue-like pose in the intense cold. Participants who talked to the author of the text claim that the production announced, among other things, that the game would last about two hours, and some spent almost seven hours in the cold hall. There were even words: “The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.”
The site’s sources described that on the first day, participants were woken up at 3:30 a.m. and given strict instructions not to interact with other players. Unable to take their phones, they were bussed from their hotel to Bedford’s Cardington Studios, a former Royal Air Force hangar two hours’ drive north of London. There, they were gathered in tents and microphones were connected to tracksuits identical to those worn by the characters in the series. The game was supposed to start around 2-2 p.m. (they had no access to the clock), and although it was announced that they would have to hold still for about two minutes during the game resembling the game “One, two, three, Baba Yaga is watching” for about two minutes, the next rounds were 10, 15, or even 26 minutes long. Then, in response to requests, participants were allowed to bend their knees and slightly move their arms. They were also allowed to take short breaks between shots, but – according to another woman – they couldn’t drink or use the toilet. Sources close to the production indicate that a ban on breaks during the filming of the program is standard. Netflix has not provided any official comment on how long players were asked to go without bathroom and water breaks.
“Squid Game: Challenge”. $4.56 million and zero degrees
In addition, as the participants say anonymously, at a temperature of around zero degrees they had to stay only in tracksuits with unbuttoned sweatshirts so that the numbers and artificial blood appearing when a specific competitor was eliminated were visible. Marlene (name changed) estimates in an interview with Variety that four people fainted (Netflix reported that three people required medical attention, without details). The service’s interlocutors talk about at least 11 medical interventions.
According to the website’s interlocutors, medics were called to the set many times (mainly for fainting), and one of the participants described the set as a “war zone”. The return to the hotel was supposed to take place between 7 and 10 p.m. Some people apparently did not get dinner.
One may ask whether, knowing the premise of the series, the contestants did not expect extreme difficulties while filming the program. However, there are voices that reality shows should be filmed in accordance with the law and at the same time ensure the safety and health of people participating in the program.
Back in January, when the first leaks about the conditions on the set of “Squid Game: The Challenge” appeared, Netflix denied, among other things, reports that one of the people was carried out on a stretcher. A Jan. 25 statement said he cares “deeply” about the health and safety of the cast and crew. He admitted that it was very cold on the set, but added that “the participants were prepared for it.” Also after the text, Variety emphasized that he cares very much about the health of the cast and crew and the quality of this series. “Any suggestion that the competition is rigged, or claims that serious harm has been caused to players, is simply untrue. We have taken all appropriate precautions, including the care of competitors, and an independent referee oversees each competition to ensure it is played fairly “- we read in a statement from Netflix and the producer.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
