UNITED STATES: HBO’s The Idol has always been entangled in controversy since its inception. The show, which followed a teenage pop singer as she navigated the perils of the music industry, had already come under fire for being exploitative and chauvinistic before the first episode ever aired.
Fans and media portals called out the many sex scenes in the drama as unnecessary, writing off the series as showrunner Sam Levinson’s rape fantasy come to life.
BLACKPINK’s Jennie was not exempt from the criticism either. Multiple fans in Korea responded in bafflement and expressed regret over the K-pop star’s decision to feature in the series.
The show’s second episode, regrettably, garnered a similar reception. Jennie revealed a side of herself that K-Pop fans had never seen before in the few sequences in which the idol did appear in the show.
In Korea, one scene, in particular, went viral. Dyanne, represented by Jennie in the opening scene, starts a conversation with Tedros, portrayed by The Weeknd. Dyanne brings up Tedros’ relationship with Lily Rose-Depp’s character, Jocelyn. In the process, Jennie questions Tedros as to whether “She was a better f*ck than me.”
While the actress’ performance received plaudits from fans throughout the world, Korean viewers weren’t overly impressed. Korean viewers criticised The Weeknd and Jennie and called out their acting skills. The audience highlighted the disappointing work on the script. Keeping aside it, they added that the lead stars’ performance turned The Idol in an unwatchable series.
The Idol is created by Reza Fahim, The Weeknd, and Sam Levinson of Euphoria. The Reasonable Bunch, Little Lamb, Manic Phase, People Pleaser, A24, Bron, and HBO Entertainment are producing the drama, with Sam Levinson in charge of directing it.
Double Fantasy, the second episode, is now accessible. Abel Tesfaye and Sam Levinson wrote the script. The runtime of the episode is 49 minutes.
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