Squid Game and the Subversion of Marxist Ideologies
With the recent release of the second season of Squid Game, one of the things that has fascinated me about its world and much of the discussion around the show is how subversive it is in many different facets. When thinking about the show in the context of the content of our class, a message that sticks out in my mind is how well it subverts the typical expectations that come from a show about rich vs. poor classes of society.
I'll do my best to not give out any spoilers for Season 2 (it's so good, by the way), but throughout the entire series, one of the dominant themes is how the rich and wealthy use the poor as pawns in their own twisted games. In most other shows, this would automatically paint the rich as the bad guys and the poor as the good guys, but one of the things Squid Game does well is show how it isn't always that simple. Back in the first season, many of the players in the game were not just those who fell on hard times but gang members, rapists, and generally very bad people.
On the flip side, a theme that we see develop throughout both seasons is that the games' staff isn't among the elite and that many of them are there for the same reason as the contestants: to try and dig themselves out of a bad situation. Even Gi-Hun, our main character, isn't a perfect human being. While he has a good heart, he gets into the games because he's a gambler and an emotionally distant husband, a far cry from the classic hero trope.
While there have been many examples of 'morally grey' stories in pop culture over the last decade or so, Squid Game is one of the best examples of this trend. It goes beyond the idea of bad things happening to good people, it's even posed the question of whether people deserve it.
What are some other examples of pop culture that subverts expectations in this way?
I agree that Squid Game is an excellent example of a television show with Marxist ideologies. Especially in how the show shares different ideologies without explaining them word-for-word. Ideas, thoughts, and opinions on social class, structure, and fairness are often focused on through the actions of the players or watchers of the games. In doing so, subtly sharing new information to format a character or the story's overall theme. So, this television show does subvert the user's experience and thoughts on the overall story and the identities and intentions of some of the main characters.
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