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The controversial ‘Squid Game’ reality show is here & it’s loaded with gays to root/thirst for

By · Updated on November 28, 2023
Image Credit: ‘Squid Game: The Challenge,’ Netflix

This past weekend, while many Americans filled themselves with Thanksgiving leftovers, Netflix users binged a different kind of reheated stuffing: Squid Game: The Challenge.

Okay, we’re being a little harsh. But the thing is, when the streamer announced it was making a reality competition show based off the global smash hit series from South Korea, nobody expected much of it.

After all, the original Squid Game was a highly entertaining and wickedly clever takedown of the evils of capitalism, and yet here was Netflix cashing in by pitting 456 real people against each other for a $4.56 million cash prize just because they could. Talk about empty calories! (And that’s to say nothing of the reported on-set conditions, which sounded less than ideal.)

The thing is, Squid Game: The Challenge is actually a pretty fun time—or at least one that’s no more soulless or shameless than countless other “reality” TV offerings these days—as track-suited contestants try to outwit, outplay, and outlast the others through challenges pulled from the drama series with a few other twists in store.

(Don’t worry: the fierce “Red Light, Green Light” robo-doll is back—and she’s a serving!)

In a savvy move, the streamer premiered the first five episodes of the competition just in time for the long holiday weekend, and it quickly became the #1 trending show on the platform. That also gave folks at home plenty of time to get caught up so they could fire up their hottest of takes for the internet…

And, yes, with 456 players on Squid Game: The Challenge, a few of them were bound to be gay. In fact, an impressive number of contestants on the show are part of the LGBTQ+ community—some of whom are doing quite well in the competition thus far.

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They obviously can’t dedicate time to fleshing out who all of these people are, but we do get to learn more about some of the players—their backgrounds and motivations. The gag of the show, however, is that you can never get too attached: Just because viewers learn about how one contestant hopes to spend their multi-million-dollar prize, that doesn’t mean they won’t be eliminated seconds later. It’s pretty cutthroat!

But some stick around just long enough to make you want to root for them… or against them. And, go figure: Gay Twitter™ has all sorts of feelings about Squid Game: The Challenge‘s queer contestants:

As the above tweet highlights, a few of the gays have really managed to stand out from the pack—whether or not they stuck around for much of the competition. *Minor spoilers ahead for the first five episodes*

Player #141 is Squid Game: The Challenge‘s self-proclaimed “ginger spice,” Dash, who seems to be relishing the attention the competition has afforded him, but is no stranger to the spotlight as a multi-hyphenate actor-singer-model who has even walked the runway at New York Fashion Week.

Honestly, Dash was robbed—give him his own show where we watch him kill it on a different game: The game of life.

Similarly, #176, a.k.a. Darius, was unfairly eliminated from the competition by the “jack-in-the-box” twist. But it seems like the charming player’s not going to let that get to him—when he’s not competing in the Squid Game, he’s a musician who goes by the stage name of Darius The Barbarian, and ti sounds like he’s got big plans ahead.

His hilarious social media presence alone means Darius is one player we’ll be happy to keep tabs on well after the competition’s over:

Then there’s #436, Dominick Wissel, who was done a disservice by the show… because the green track suit covers up his muscles!

Still, leave it to Gay Twitter™ to clock a hottie no matter what. Like Dash and Darius, Domenick is at least thrilled by the recognition—and we’re delighted to say his Insta page is quite the flex, if you know what we mean.

Though #436 got sniped by the “Red Light, Green Light” doll, there’s another ripped gay contestant who just might have what it takes to win the whole thing, even if just by a beard hair.

#016, Sam, has been dubbed “long beard gay” by fans, some of whom instantly recognized his rather impressive beard from Instagram. A married man, Sam keeps busy with his facial hair care brand, Beard Giant, and makes pop art under his Uncle Studio banner—and sometimes still manages to stay in amazing shape.

One of 63 remaining players, #016 has already outlasted nearly 400 fellow contestants and has his eyes on the prize. We know who we’ll be rooting for!

The next four episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge will hit Netflix on November 29, with the season finale dropping the following Wednesday, December 6.

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