“We Love Her Because She’s Not Like the Others” Conditional Acceptance and the Regulation of Trans Identity in Audience Responses to Squid Game 2
(2026) MKVM13 20261Department of Communication and Media
Media and Communication Studies
- Abstract (Swedish)
- This thesis examines how audience responses to the trans character Player 120 in Squid Game Season 2 are constructed within mainstream celebratory online spaces in a Mexican context. Following the release of the series, the character generated an unusually positive reaction across social media platforms, where she was widely praised and described as an example of “good” inclusion. In a context where trans identities continue to face significant marginalization and violence, this response raises an important question: what kind of acceptance is taking place?
This study aims to understand how this acceptance is constructed and what it reveals about the recognition of trans identity. More specifically, it explores how audiences articulate... (More) - This thesis examines how audience responses to the trans character Player 120 in Squid Game Season 2 are constructed within mainstream celebratory online spaces in a Mexican context. Following the release of the series, the character generated an unusually positive reaction across social media platforms, where she was widely praised and described as an example of “good” inclusion. In a context where trans identities continue to face significant marginalization and violence, this response raises an important question: what kind of acceptance is taking place?
This study aims to understand how this acceptance is constructed and what it reveals about the recognition of trans identity. More specifically, it explores how audiences articulate support toward the character within what this thesis defines as mainstream celebratory spaces: online spaces centered on discussions of entertainment rather than queer activism where the dominant reaction toward Player 120 is supportive. Through these spaces, the study examines how audience responses reflect broader dynamics of power and discipline.
This research is based on a qualitative thematic analysis of comments collected from Facebook and YouTube. Rather than interpreting these reactions as simply progressive or inclusive, the thesis approaches them critically, examining how audiences participate in defining which forms of trans identity become recognizable and socially valued. In this sense, even celebratory spaces are understood as sites where power operates, not through explicit rejection, but through subtler forms of discipline that define what is considered acceptable.
The findings show that the positive reception of Player 120 is structured through a set of implicit expectations, conceptualized as conditions of acceptance, which regulate how trans identity must be performed in order to be recognized. These conditions require both restraint; such as avoiding victimhood, sexuality, and political expression; and excellence, expressed through competence, strength, and the ability to embody both masculine and feminine traits.
At the same time, the study finds that audience responses function as a form of reward once these expectations are met. These include gender recognition, emotional attachment, and expressions of admiration, as well as moments of surprise at one’s own acceptance. However, these responses are accompanied by comparisons that reinforce distinctions between “acceptable” and “unacceptable” trans identities, revealing that inclusion remains selective and hierarchical. Overall, the thesis argues that what appears as acceptance is not unconditional, but shaped by disciplinary mechanisms that operate even within supportive environments. By focusing on mainstream celebratory spaces, this study contributes to media and communication research by showing how power is exercised not only through exclusion, but also through the regulation of inclusion itself. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9243625
- author
- Berrocal Torres, Jazmin Alexandra LU
- supervisor
-
- Freja Morris LU
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Trans representation, trans identity, audience reception, conditions of acceptance, disciplinary power, celebratory spaces, punishment & reward, Mexico
- language
- English
- id
- 9243625
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-24 13:57:07
- date last changed
- 2026-06-24 13:57:07
@misc{9243625,
abstract = {{This thesis examines how audience responses to the trans character Player 120 in Squid Game Season 2 are constructed within mainstream celebratory online spaces in a Mexican context. Following the release of the series, the character generated an unusually positive reaction across social media platforms, where she was widely praised and described as an example of “good” inclusion. In a context where trans identities continue to face significant marginalization and violence, this response raises an important question: what kind of acceptance is taking place?
This study aims to understand how this acceptance is constructed and what it reveals about the recognition of trans identity. More specifically, it explores how audiences articulate support toward the character within what this thesis defines as mainstream celebratory spaces: online spaces centered on discussions of entertainment rather than queer activism where the dominant reaction toward Player 120 is supportive. Through these spaces, the study examines how audience responses reflect broader dynamics of power and discipline.
This research is based on a qualitative thematic analysis of comments collected from Facebook and YouTube. Rather than interpreting these reactions as simply progressive or inclusive, the thesis approaches them critically, examining how audiences participate in defining which forms of trans identity become recognizable and socially valued. In this sense, even celebratory spaces are understood as sites where power operates, not through explicit rejection, but through subtler forms of discipline that define what is considered acceptable.
The findings show that the positive reception of Player 120 is structured through a set of implicit expectations, conceptualized as conditions of acceptance, which regulate how trans identity must be performed in order to be recognized. These conditions require both restraint; such as avoiding victimhood, sexuality, and political expression; and excellence, expressed through competence, strength, and the ability to embody both masculine and feminine traits.
At the same time, the study finds that audience responses function as a form of reward once these expectations are met. These include gender recognition, emotional attachment, and expressions of admiration, as well as moments of surprise at one’s own acceptance. However, these responses are accompanied by comparisons that reinforce distinctions between “acceptable” and “unacceptable” trans identities, revealing that inclusion remains selective and hierarchical. Overall, the thesis argues that what appears as acceptance is not unconditional, but shaped by disciplinary mechanisms that operate even within supportive environments. By focusing on mainstream celebratory spaces, this study contributes to media and communication research by showing how power is exercised not only through exclusion, but also through the regulation of inclusion itself.}},
author = {{Berrocal Torres, Jazmin Alexandra}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{“We Love Her Because She’s Not Like the Others” Conditional Acceptance and the Regulation of Trans Identity in Audience Responses to Squid Game 2}},
year = {{2026}},
}