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I'm in your camp. Media like Squid Game annoy me to no end because they perpetuate the idea that any severe debt someone might be in is always the fault of the
by 0xEF 2y ago
I'm in your camp. Media like Squid Game annoy me to no end because they perpetuate the idea that any severe debt someone might be in is always the fault of the individual, rather than circumstance. And this, the system that continues to create student loans debt, housing debt, etc, goes relatively unacknowledged for another day.
As a result, I have trouble having any sympathy for characters portrayed in stuff like Squid Game. They brought it on themselves through their own greed, right? That is what we are supposed to think, I suppose. The show touches only mildly on why Player 456 needs to gamble on horses, showing that his mother is sick and that he is rather destitute after a failed marriage and being laid off, presumably unable to find different work. We're supposed to empathize with that position, but it certainly does not reflect my own debt struggle, nor that of anyone who is suffering the same fate I am which is driven by a lending system that turns us into indentured servants. I don't gamble or take any real financial risks. I just made the mistake of being born with a lifelong medical condition, trying to buy a house and a decent car, and put my kid through college, and I suddenly find myself in a very deep hole with zero chance of escaping before I die. Of course, on screen, that's not as sexy as debt from crime and gambling.
- bongodongobob 2y agoYou're annoyed that a Korean show isn't about your American problems? Good grief.
- nunez 2y agoOne of the contestants in Squid Game fell into debt because of a failed business venture, and several of them are there because of medical debt caused by others in their families.
- butlike 2y agoIn the script it could look like: One of the contestants in Squid Game fell into [AFFLICTION] because of a [FAILED ACTION], and several of them are there because of [AFFLICTION2] caused by [FAILED ACTION2]. Then you just find/replace for internationalization
- kiba 2y agoI don't see it that way. Squid Game is taking advantage of indebted people. It is an evil organization taking advantage of circumstances and human flaws. That is why gambling should be heavily regulated, and that slot machines shouldn't be appearing in convenience stores. Just because someone self inflict a wound on themselves doesn't make it OK for an organization to make the wound worse.
- mrguyorama 2y ago>Just because someone self inflict a wound on themselves doesn't make it OK for an organization to make the wound worse. Unfortunately this does not seem to be a belief held by everyone. In the US, it seems there are millions who believe being born dumb or poor or getting addicted to gambling is a valid reason to suck the life out of your for profit.
- wavemode 2y ago> Media like Squid Game annoy me to no end because they perpetuate the idea that any severe debt someone might be in is always the fault of the individual, rather than circumstance You didn't watch the show then? This simply isn't the case.
- ttoinou 2y agoStudent loan is usually your fault. You had the choice to not believe what society told you about education Except for highly regulated jobs where there are no alternative
- anigbrowl 2y agothey perpetuate the idea that any severe debt someone might be in is always the fault of the individual Irresponsibility -> debt is just one of the multiple motivations for the fictional contestants. Others include medical costs for family members, being impoverished by someone else's bad actions, being threatened for a debt incurred by someone else, and so on. You're arguing against a simplistic and inaccurate summary of the story by generalizing from the main character.