I watched the first two episodes last night and found both disturbing. What are the producers thinking? Episode 2 (the subject of this thread) was a train wreck.
I’m struggling to understand why “intent vs. impact” is only being examined through one lens; one where Meg is held responsible for her behavior but no one else contributed to the disaster.
At the episode’s opening, Meg’s intent seems awkwardly sincere (not an excuse) but the impact was infantilizing. This was a perfect moment to elevate the discourse and the resulting dialogue could have been edited into the episode.
During the episode, Prajjé said his parents would see the episode and think he was too self-righteous. He was the only person allowed to express intense emotions (and they were way too elevated for any productive outcome). He was hostile — and his mockery of Meg to her face was inappropriate and needlessly confrontational.
Kenneth was passive aggressive and disingenuous. His “Crazy Rich Asians” theme didn’t manifest itself. The design was weak and incoherent. His vest of many colors/scraps design response was manipulative - among other things.
Unfortunately, by the end of the episode, Meg was also passive aggressive, frustrated and sarcastic. Consequently, she’s been criticized for performative allyship — and that’s where popular culture packaged and explained PR’s ineptitude.
Long story short, I have no confidence that the producers know what they’re doing. I don’t think the contestants are safe. And after enjoying this guilty pleasure for years, I won’t be watching this season.
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