SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you�ve seen the first five episodes of
Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix.

Anyone who�s tuned into Netflix�s exhilarating reality show version of Squid
Game was no doubt moved by the plight of Spencer Hawkins, aka Player 299 �
the poor dude whose team got stuck with having to extricate umbrellas in the
Dalgona cookie challenge.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hawkins said his decision to join
Squid Game: The Challenge was actually based on how he was a cancer
survivor, not that he was obsessed with the South Korean thriller that
dropped on Netflix in 2021.

Saoirse-Monica Jackson
�I wasn�t a diehard fan,� he admitted. �The biggest reason I signed up for
the show was a few years ago I recovered from cancer, and with that I became
much more intentional about the things I wanted in my life, meaning deep
human connections and unique experiences. This show provided me the
opportunity to be able to meet new people and to be able to hopefully win
money to be able to take care of the people I care about.�

But when he became leader of a team that had to embark on the cookie
challenge � in which players must extract a circle, triangle, star or
umbrella from a honeycomb cookie without breaking the whole dang thing �
Hawkins was racked with anxiety and nausea.

�It was a demanding day,� he said. �After the decision being made for which
cookie shape we each get, it took a few hours for different groups to be
able to compete, and so I had to be separated from my line for a time before
I was even able to come back to them. In that time I was trying to get into
the mental headspace to be able to prepare for the game, drinking lots of
water while trying to save up spit in my mouth, so I was getting physically
exhausted while also feeling all the emotions of everything. And then
finally, it�s time to come into the room, and there�s not much energy left.�

Hawkins admits he became ill when he saw the pain in the faces of his
teammates. �Difficulty for myself, that�s one thing I can handle. But when
you�re talking about difficulty for others, that�s my responsibility,� he
said. �That�s a weight that doesn�t really go away. It was like seeing
friends who are hurting, because that�s how I ultimately viewed everyone
else there, as a friend. I did feel physically sick.�

Hawkins was ultimately eliminated from the competition when he broke his
cookie. �I was extremely close. I mentioned that I rushed it a little bit,
and that�s an understatement. At about five minutes left, I had the little
hook inside the umbrella left. And I held it up and I could see how close I
was, but the nerves I had at that point, I just couldn�t handle it anymore.
My hands shook a little too much and I cracked it. You have to prepare
yourself to win and now you realize, �I haven�t won. And not only have I not
won, but other people haven�t won because of me.� I was sad, but I got to
meet people and I had the pleasure of speaking to some of them when we rode
back to our hotel afterwards, and I�m grateful for the experience.�

Hawkins also talked about participating in the Red Light, Green Light
challenge, which is now at the root of threats by two participants to file a
lawsuit over injury claims. The players claimed they suffered hypothermia
and nerve damage while shooting in cold conditions in the UK.

Similar to the old schoolyard game, Red Light, Green Light requires players
to evade the attention of a menacing robotic doll.

�My first pose, I stopped in mid-lunge, and so I was expecting to be able to
hold it for just a little bit and then to start running again. But no, I was
definitely holding that for many minutes and my legs were shaking when I
finally had the chance to move. From then on, I tried to just stand straight
every time we got to a red light. One of my best friends in the game would
just run as fast as he could and then he�d dive and fall on his face and
that was his strategy. I could see a few people who were doing that as their
strategy. They wouldn�t have to worry about moving if they�re just laying
down on the ground.�

--
Let's go Brandon!

In article <ukq3ss$qho7$2@dont-email.me>,
Ubiquitous <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:

> SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you�ve seen the first five episodes of
> Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix.

> Hawkins also talked about participating in the Red Light, Green Light
> challenge, which is now at the root of threats by two participants to file a
> lawsuit over injury claims. The players claimed they suffered hypothermia
> and nerve damage while shooting in cold conditions in the UK.

They act like they were being held at gunpoint or something. If you're
too cold or suffering 'nerve damage', just leave, for cripes sake. Take
some responsibility for yourself instead of expecting the world to do it
for you.

Ubiquitous <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:
> SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you’ve seen the first five episodes of
> Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix.

That means you, Ian!

> --
> Let's go Brandon!
>
>

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

atropos@mac.com wrote:
> Ubiquitous <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:

>> SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you�ve seen the first five episodes of
>> Squid Game: The Challenge on Netflix.
>>
>> Hawkins also talked about participating in the Red Light, Green Light
>> challenge, which is now at the root of threats by two participants to file
>> a lawsuit over injury claims. The players claimed they suffered
>> hypothermia and nerve damage while shooting in cold conditions in the UK.
>
>They act like they were being held at gunpoint or something. If you're
>too cold or suffering 'nerve damage', just leave, for cripes sake. Take
>some responsibility for yourself instead of expecting the world to do it
>for you.

Don't they know there are people in Japan who are willing and eager to suffer
in exchnage for being on a reality TV show?

--
Let's go Brandon!