Netflix’s Beef has been garnering the internet’s attention for its realistic approach all the while criticizing the hypocrisy of the society. It very cunningly showcases how far people can go when in ‘rage’ and how their actions lead to disastrous consequences for others and themselves.
A brainchild of the Korean writer and director, Lee Sung Jin, the show is loosely based on his own experience of ‘road rage’. While receiving his Visionary Award in Television at the 2023 IndieWire Honors, the showrunner thanked the anonymous man who inspired him to write and direct the show.
Lee Sung Jin Thanks Anonymous Man Who Inspired Him To Create Beef
It is often said that creativity can strike anywhere, anytime, often leading to something great. And it could not have been any truer for Lee Sung Jin, for whom a ‘rage road’ incident on the road of Los Angeles led to the creation of the hit Netflix series Beef. Inspired by the incident, the show is currently in line for the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Primetime Emmy Award.
So while winning the Visionary Award in Television at the recently held 2023 IndieWide Honors, Sung Jin took the moment to thank the anonymous man who helped inspire him to create the show (via IndieWire),
“‘Beef’ was loosely based on a road rage incident that I got into. This dude in a white SUV honked and yelled at me. And for some reason, on this day, I was like, ‘Eh, I’m gonna follow you.’ It was very anticlimactic and very stupid on my part, but it did lead to this award. So I would be remiss to not thank this man; I hope he honks and yells, inspiring others for years to come.”
The talented writer remarked as he thanked everyone who helped him create the show, including his therapist, without whom he claims he would not have been here.
Beef Was Inspired By Lee Sung Jin’s Mental Struggles
Even though the show might have gone a bit too far to showcase what people do in their ‘rage’, it was nonetheless all true and reflective of our today’s society. The show is instrumental in showing what events unfold in the absence of mental health, the effects of suppressed anger, and what leads to actions of self-destruction.
Many of the incidents in the show and the darker themes were actually inspired by the creator Lee Sung Jin’s struggles (via IndieWire).
“The show is basically about how we’re all the same thing experiencing itself, and I’m very thankful for the other same things I got to collaborate with on the show. A lot of the darker elements of the show, the suicidal ideation and things like that, that was just mine from my personal life.”
However, these darker themes and the show’s depiction of mental health have been impactful upon the audience, a fact that Sung Jin is grateful for.
Beef can be streamed on Netflix.
