Squid Game By The Numbers

Like pretty much everybody else, we’ve been obsessed with Squid Game. No, not just the show (and don’t get us wrong we LOVED its Tarantino-meets-Teletubbies aesthetic and vibe); we’re obsessed with the reaction to the show.

There’s been plenty of other shows and movies that have dealt with Squid Game’s exploration of desperation, poverty, capitalism, and violence (duh), but none seem to have sparked the same kind of fervor as the South Korean streaming hit. (Let alone one with subtitles and an essential need for a currency converter bookmarked on your phone.)

Whether you’ve seen the series, or are just curious as to what everyone’s talking about, we’ve put together a little cheat sheet of how Squid Game has shaped pop culture, as well as a little exploration as to what may be driving people to actually pick up their phones and call to enter.

Sources: Netflix Viewership Data: Link | Link | Link | Link; Impact Value: Link • Phone Calls: Link; Vans/Korean Candy Sales: Link; Duolingo: Link; Red Boiler Suit: Link • Income Inequality: Link | Link; Billionaires: Link | Link; Inflation: Link | Link • Jobs: Link | Link | Link • Powerball: Link | Link | Link; GME: Link; Bitcoin: Link; Vegas: Link