We are so back: Netflix finally drops Squid Game S2
Watching Netflix 👀 + best of the Golden Globes lewks + Babygirl + Bad Bunny + the rise of vision boarding
Kaley goes back for more Squid Game
ICYMI, Netflix's biggest show Squid Game is back for season 2! For such a hyped show with such a looooong lag between seasons (39 months!), Netflix had a lot to live up to. To be honest, I didn’t personally have high expectations. Season one wrapped the story up satisfyingly and I was weary of potential directions they might decide to take for season 2. But for me, it delivered!
I kind of forgot that at the heart of the cultural phenomenon was a really strong and entertaining show! The characters are compelling, the stakes are clear (and quite high 😵), the brutal realism is tempered by childlike surreality and freaky fun music. This season, the novelty of the violent games is traded for deeper exploration of the psychology and motivations of hundreds of indebted people fighting for a second chance, knowing exactly what the risks are (again, it’s death. No coming back from that!)
The show remains max level violent - the most violent show I've ever watched. It’s also, of course, subtitled in Korean. Both of these are barriers that might hold some viewers back from trying the show or returning for more. But for me, the demand of subtitles is also a benefit, forcing me to put down my phone and immerse myself in the narrative.
Like many non-Korean Americans, Squid Game was my first foray into K-dramas, acting as a gateway to consuming more than a dozen in the 3+ years since. My faves: Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Crash Landing on You for lighter romance and Flower of Evil and The Glory for fans of darker, grittier stories. All of these, notably, are also on Netflix.
It was clear among winners at the Golden Globes and it’s clear when watching the roll out of Squid Game: Netflix remains in the driver’s seat in setting the cultural agenda for TV.
More on Netflix’s marketing machine below. Then go watch season two so I don’t spoil it for you next week when I talk about how Squid Game explains how we got Trump (for real)!
Marketing we gotta tip our hat to:
Netflix’s marketing for Squid Game has been the gold standard for a modern marketing campaign.
Yes, at the root of the show is the idea that capitalism is bad and drives people to extreme lengths of violence and desperation. But we got subscriptions to sell, baby!
Despite our morally mixed feelings about the capitalism of it all, we do want to give props to the marketers - and schedulers! - over at Netflix for driving awareness and breaking through. Some especially savvy moves: the decision to drop season two immediately after the Beyoncé Bowl on Christmas Day and their placement of the super identifiable “Pink Guard” characters in the stands.
And as has become the industry norm for big tentpole releases (think Barbie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Bridgerton and Wicked), Netflix pursued a slew of partnerships, with brands like Call of Duty, KFC, McDonald’s and Puma. Their partnership with Duo Lingo is especially Gen Z-friendly, playing into the infamously vaguely threatening vibe of Duo Lingo’s notifications with a campaign telling fans to “learn Korean or else.” Netflix and Duo Lingo also released a TikTok filter and k-pop remix on Spotify to reach peak Zoomer catnip.
The cultural and marketing behemoth that is Squid Games even has *direct competitors* trying to ride their coattails, with Amazon Prime choosing the same date to drop episode 3 of Beast Games, their new Squid Games-inspired reality competition with MrBeast. 🥴
This week in Cool Shiny Culture:
🖼️ Kaley’s Cool: New Philomena Cunk just dropped? I'm in. Netflix released Cunk on Life, a new installment of the mockumentary series that follows Diane Morgan playing TV reporter Philomena Cunk as she asks a bevy of heavy hitting intellectuals existential questions like what is the meaning of life, how did life begin, and how many ten commandments were there? If you like silly, absurdist British comedy and an extremely high jokes per minute ratio, check it out. (Brb giggling again at this bit). I’ll also be on the lookout to see if any jokes become a TikTok trend (a line about Iraq from 2022’s Cunk on Earth trended). My vote’s on this.
🥛 Megan’s Cool: Isaw the Nicole Kidman film Babygirl as my first go-to-theater movie of 2025 and couldn’t have made a better choice. While it’s billed as an “erotic thriller,” I found it to be funnier and more lighthearted than I was expecting. In a culture where everything is starting to feel the same, it's truly original. More under 2 hour woman-directed films starring actresses over 40 in 2025 please!
💃🏼 Kaley’s Shiny: There's no better example of a shiny cultural artifact than award show red carpet looks, especially for the Golden Globes. Somewhat uniquely, the Globes bring together the biggest stars from movies and TV and has the distinction of kicking off award season, meaning celebs want to start strong but hold their biggest fire for later (ie The Oscars). Here’s a roundup of my fave looks. Everyone say “oooh shiny!”
🎤 Megan’s Shiny: While I enjoyed going back & forth in the group chat with Kaley on the best looks of the night, I didn’t actually tune into the ceremony. However, I keep getting clips of host Nikki Glaser absolutely crushing the notoriously tough job in my feeds. It’s been fun watching Nikki’s fame rise to new heights after she won over a broader audience at the Tom Brady roast. Further proof of Netflix’s star-making power? 👀
Must See YT: Bad Bunny’s Short Film for “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos”
Bad Bunny is back and taking his signature cinematic approach to tease his sixth studio album Debi Tirar Mas Fotos (which translates to “I should have taken more pictures”). The singer co-wrote & -directed a short film starring fellow Puerto Rican filmmaker, the legendary Jacobo Morales. The 12-minute video served double duty both drumming up anticipation for the singer’s album (that dropped Sunday) and spotlighting an issue near & dear to the singer: the gentrification taking place in Puerto Rico. This isn’t the first time Bad Bunny has tackled social issues in his visuals, with 2022’s El Apagón tackling energy privatization and blackouts.
The Opposite of Cynical: Everybody’s vision boarding
At first I thought it was just my own internet echo chamber tuning in for our annual “new year new me” January vision boarding. But, turns out, interest in vision boarding is at a high:
For those who aren’t steeped in woo-woo LA-culture: vision boarding is the practice of creating a collage (IRL or digitally) of your hopes, goals, and dreams. The idea is that if you can visualize it, you can make it happen in real life (aka “manifesting”). I’ve seen the practice taking all sorts of forms, including hosting vision boarding parties, creating bingo cards, and even investing in framing to keep goals in sight all year long.
Manifesting a beachfront vacation in 2025,
Megan & Kaley
P.S. Comment what’s at the top of your vision board for good luck 🍀
Squid Game even had a little cameo moment in the first episode of this season of Drag Race!