Culture | Red light, green light
What “Squid Game: The Challenge” reveals about the state of TV
Reality television is more important than you might think
CONTESTANT 299 sobs and retches; his face turns crimson as he focuses on the fiendish task at hand. Using a needle, he and his fellow players must try to extricate an umbrella shape stamped into a circular piece of honeycomb. If it snaps, they are eliminated from the contest.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Red light, green light”
Culture November 25th 2023
- Why non-white voters are abandoning the Democratic Party
- Claude Monet is celebrated in a colourful new biography
- The likelihood of living on Mars soon is as remote as Pluto
- What “Squid Game: The Challenge” reveals about the state of TV
- Euphemism and exaggeration are both dangers to language
- The Economist’s pick of the best television shows of 2023
More from Culture
Want to spend time with a different American president?
Five presidential biographies to distract you from the news
Los Angeles has lost some of its trailblazing architecture
How will it rebuild?
What firms are for
The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book
Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves
The left gave him his perch
Astrology is booming, thanks to technology and younger enthusiasts
Gen Z is full of stargazing users
Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment
Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it