The stars of the controversial new HBO drama The idol are championing the show which makes its premiere on Sunday night.
The series, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month, stars Lily Rose-Depp as Jocelyn, a pop star trying to come back after a nervous breakdown, and Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd ) as a nightclub manager and self-help. guru working with her to achieve said return. It was created by Sam Levinson (Euphoria), Tesfaye and Reza Fahim.
At first, the show’s promotional materials leaned toward its edginess, calling Levinson and Tesfaye “the sick, twisted minds” behind “the seediest love story in all of Hollywood” in a sneak peek. But then the show became the subject of unfavorable attention when Rolling Stone published an exposé calling the show a “rape fantasy” and alleging that it went “wildly and disgustingly off the rails” after cast changes and the departure of original director Amy Seimetz.
In his review of the program, the hollywood reporter Critic Lovia Gyarkye noted that in one scene, a record company executive is arguing with Jocelyn’s creative director, who is against her baring her chest for the album cover photo shoot: “She tells him that ‘ stop blocking America’s dick.’ That brief moment she announces the show’s intent and she raises a metaphorical hand to the haters: sex sells, and The idol he delights in it.
In an interview published by The New York Times over the weekend and held in Cannes last month, Tesfaye, Depp and Levinson defended the series and urged people to watch it with an open mind, but noted they never intended to make it a family-friendly show.
“We always knew we were going to do something that would be provocative and maybe not for everyone. That was a draw for all of us,” said Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. “I don’t think any of us were interested in doing something that was, you know, fun for the whole family.”
Tesfaye agreed with that sentiment.
“When I started making music, it was exactly the same,” he said. “It was provocative and I knew it was going to be difficult for people. And a lot of people didn’t like it. It’s not to compare it, but I feel like this is something like that again. This is not going to be for everyone, and that’s okay. We are not politicians.”
The idol it also features a lot of nudity, as well as a black man (Tesfaye) as a villain. Levinson, Depp and Tesfaye also defended those options.
“There are a lot of women who have felt exploited by the nudity they’ve done and they’ve thought, I don’t feel good about it,” Depp said. “But I feel comfortable acting that way, I enjoy it. He informed the character. In the talk of daring looks, there’s the implication that it’s something that’s constantly pushed on women. Obviously, that’s been true on many occasions historically.”
Levinson added that the nudity adds to the audience’s perception that Jocelyn is a victim.
“I think people will underestimate Jocelyn as a character because of how exposed she is,” she added.
As for the stereotypes around race, Levinson said that viewers should watch to see how the story unfolds.
“Playing into those stereotypes in the first two episodes is important to the journey, the arc, and the emotional experience,” Levinson said. “It has a way of disorienting us because of our knowledge of who we are and what has happened in the world. I think the audience will gradually begin to see who the real villain of the play is.”
Added Tesfaye: “They just need to see the whole show.”
The idol airs Sundays on HBO and streams on Max.