5-minute listening: Netflix’s ‘wholesome’ South Korean reality TV show, Physical: 100, proves a global hit
- Practise your English with our short listening exercises: play the audio linked below; answer the questions; and check the answers at the bottom of the page
- Competition features 100 men and women who are all very fit as they try to outdo each other in a variety of difficult physical challenges
Netflix’s reality competition series Physical: 100 is the first unscripted series to top the streaming giant’s non-English chart. Photo: AFPQuestions
1. What does the “challenge” at the beginning of the podcast refer to?
A. pulling a boulder up a slope
B. holding a boulder up in the air
C. running while holding a boulder
D. swimming across a river with a boulder
2. If something is “captivating”, it is ...
A. taking all of someone’s attention.
B. making someone feel anxious.
C. a waste of someone’s time.
D. causing a feeling of strong disgust.
3. What genre is Physical: 100?
A. reality show
B. psychological thriller
C. dating show
D. crime fiction
4. What does the number “100” in the title of the show, Physical: 100, most likely refer to?
A. number of days it took to complete the competition
B. number of obstacles participants faced
C. number of contestants on the show
D. none of the above
5. What does the phrase “prime physical condition” imply about the contestants?
A. They are all below the age of 30.
B. They are extremely fit.
C. They are all men.
D. They had previously been featured in other Netflix shows.
6. According to the podcast, what sorts of people took part in Physical: 100?
A. former special forces soldiers and celebrities
B. professional athletes and celebrities
C. social media fashion influencers and ex-Olympians
D. ex-Olympians and former special forces soldiers
7. Which of the following phrases can replace “hold his own” in the podcast?
A. successfully compete
B. do reasonably well
C. stand his ground
D. all of the above
8. How long did the winner of the “Punishment of Atlas” challenge lift and hold a boulder for?
A. close to 30 minutes
B. one hour and 10 minutes
C. a little over two hours
D. more than three hours
9. According to the podcast, who won the “Punishment of Atlas” challenge?
A. Jo Jin-hyeong
B. Regina Kim
C. Kim Kang-min
D. Jang Eun-sil
10. Why were some people upset about the show?
A. because the obstacles were too difficult
B. because some of the contestants were too old
C. because amateurs had to compete against professional athletes
D. none of the above
11. How many women took part in the show?
A. 11
B. 18
C. 23
D. 32
12. What does Jang’s “beloved sport” refer to?
A. weightlifting
B. wrestling
C. diving
D. parasailing
13. What event did Jang win, according to the podcast?
A. The Wings of Icarus
B. The Punishment of Sisyphus
C. The Fire of Prometheus
D. information not given
14. If something has “taken the world by storm”, it is ...
A. very successful and popular.
B. blown out of proportion.
C. being criticised by everyone.
D. only well-liked by a certain group of people.
15. According to Regina Kim, why do shows such as Physical: 100 appeal to foreign audiences?
A. because they lack drama
B. because of the competitiveness
C. because they feature unscripted real-life situations
D. because of the prize money
Answers
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. D
7. D
8. C
9. A
10. D
11. C
12. B
13. D
14. A
15. A
Script
Voice 1: The challenge is straight from Greek mythology: hold a boulder aloft for as long as possible. Korean car dealer Jo Jin-hyeong lasted over two hours, captivating global audiences in a reality show that could signal a new K-culture export success.
Voice 2: Films such as Oscar-winning Parasite and television series including Golden Globe-bedecked Squid Game have helped popularise Korean content overseas. So industry figures have said that South Korea’s high-quality reality shows may be next in line for domination.
Voice 1: Physical: 100 is the new Netflix show that gym buff Jo competed in. It featured 100 men and women in prime physical condition, including South Korea’s ex-Olympians and former special forces soldiers, performing absurdly difficult challenges.
Voice 2: It is the first unscripted series to top the streaming giant’s non-English chart, building on the popularity of Singles Inferno, a Korean dating show that became a sleeper hit worldwide last year.
Voice 1: The contestants are part of the charm of such shows: Jo, who started hitting the gym as a frail teenager and has never been a professional athlete, found he could hold his own against some of South Korea’s strongest people.
Voice 2: The 41-year-old won one of the show’s most brutal contests, called “Punishment of Atlas”. For the Greek myth-inspired challenge, contestants had to lift and hold a boulder that bodybuilder contestant Kim Kang-min estimated was at least 50 kilograms. Jo managed two hours and 14 minutes. He came fourth overall in the show – an achievement he said was once unthinkable.
Voice 1: However, Physical: 100 caused some controversy by pitting contestants of different genders against each other, prompting questions about whether it was fair. Ultimately, the top five contestants were men.
Voice 2: But Jang Eun-sil, one of 23 women competing in the show, said she found the format “original and fresh”, and that it helped to motivate her throughout the challenges. The 32-year-old wrestler was also widely praised for the leadership she demonstrated on the show. Although Jang didn’t win, she said competing allowed her to bring her beloved sport to a broader audience and that more South Koreans had become aware that women wrestlers existed.
Voice 1: Over the last few years, South Korean content has taken the world by storm. Data from Netflix showed that more than 60 per cent of viewers watched a show from the East Asian country in 2022.
Voice 2: According to Regina Kim, an entertainment writer and expert on K-content based in New York City, the “relative wholesomeness” of South Korean reality shows is a core part of their appeal to foreign audiences who might be tired of watching reality stars hook up or fight all the time.