[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] An analysis has emerged that the reason Americans are enthusiastic about the Netflix original drama 'Squid Game' is because the 'American Dream' is breaking down. The American Dream refers to the ideal society that Americans aspire to.
On the 23rd (local time), CNN in the United States published an editorial titled "Why Are Americans Fascinated by Squid Game?"
CNN stated, "Squid Game is violent, moving, and sometimes funny, but beyond that, there is something that particularly attracts Americans."
CNN emphasized that Squid Game focuses on hundreds of vulnerable people who are poor or in poverty. It analyzed, "Because this drama offers value beyond mere entertainment, it is gaining tremendous popularity among Americans."
Ultimately, the analysis is that the desperate situations of the drama's characters are not very different from the lives of current Americans.
CNN said, "Although the plot can be understood as an exaggeration of a dystopian future, it awakens the essence of the unequal and unfair lives many have experienced," adding, "We can see that the participants' lives are similar to our own. This drama is, in many ways, a mirror reflecting our reality."
It continued, "In the United States, we play our own Squid Game every day. Some play more than others," and "Whether it is better wages or basic workers' rights, Americans are playing the game of opportunity and success."
It added, "The biggest difference is that the rules for success are much clearer for the participants in the drama."
CNN mentioned the case of the protagonist Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who participated in the game to pay for his mother's hospital bills, saying, "For many Americans, this is not science fiction but real life."
The media reported, "According to one study, Americans owed at least $140 billion (about 164 trillion won) in unpaid medical debt, and people living in poor areas had on average five times more debt than those in wealthy areas."
It also analyzed that the exploitation of Ali, an immigrant worker from Pakistan in the drama, is not unusual, stating, "The same applies to the exploitation of immigrants and undocumented workers in the United States."
Furthermore, the media said, "Viewers may not imagine themselves actually participating in Squid Game, but they can empathize with the participants' desperation to improve their situations."
It added, "Americans literally do not just 'compete,' but under the ideal of the American Dream?that 'you too can have a chance to become rich'?they fight for better welfare, wages, and living conditions."
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