Did parts of Squid Game make you think of Donald Trump?
If so, it's no coincidence. The creator of Squid Game has confirmed that the disgraced former US President influenced the series in more ways than one — both in the themes of the show and in some specific characters.
Squid Game: Donald Trump inspired "VIP" characters
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently told IndieWire that Trump's presidency was part of a series of events related to technology, power, and disparity of wealth that drove him to make the hit Netflix series.
The writer-director found inspiration in the rise of Trump, but he also connected the divisive leader to certain characters who appear in the show.
"I think [Trump] kind of resembles one of the VIPs in the Squid Game," Hwang said. "It's almost like he's running a game show, not a country, like giving people horror."
Trump? The Squid Game "VIPs" ending explained
These "VIPs" are a key plot twist in Squid Game. In the final episodes, it's revealed that a set of wealthy men — referred to only as "VIPs" — are secretly funding and gambling on the deadly competition.
These masked men, it's revealed, are so rich that they find life to be devoid of meaning, so they devise the brutal competition for their own entertainment.
They inform others that the games are a well-intentioned experiment for the underprivileged in society, but it reads rather as exploitation of the poor and desperate.
Most of the "VIPs" are loud, vulgar, big-bodied Americans who run in corrupt, elite circles — sound like anyone else you might know?
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