Tv & Film

Controversial Scene in ''The Idol'' Leads to Backlash

Controversial Scene in ''The Idol'' Leads to Backlash
Published 1 years ago on Jun 20, 2023

Co-created by The Weeknd, Sam Levinson of "Euphoria" fame, and Reza Fahim, the series has faced ongoing scrutiny, and its third episode has only intensified the controversy. 

In the episode titled "Daybreak," Depp's character, Jocelyn, and The Weeknd's character, Tedros, a disturbing club owner, engage in a sexual encounter inside a Valentino dressing room. However, in a surprising twist, Depp abruptly leaves, leaving Tedros to finish the act on his own. 

The explicit scene caught many viewers off-guard, provoking a strong reaction on social media platforms. Users took to Twitter to express their discomfort with the scene, labeling it as cringeworthy and questioning its purpose. One user tweeted, "The dressing room sex scene is supposed to be funny, I think, but it's the cringiest scene so far. Then Tedros loudly jacking off alone? WTF is this episode?" 



Another user expressed their frustration, stating, "Why am I watching 'The Idol'? It's so bad ughhhhh. Why are they f -ing in the Valentino store?" A third chimed in, asking, "Has The Weeknd ever had sex? Has ANYONE on the set of 'The Idol' had sex? WTF was that scene in the dressing room in episode 3? It looked like two muppets banging it out." 

The controversial dressing room scene wasn't the only element of the episode that caused uproar on Twitter. Eli Roth's character, Andrew Finkelstein, made an "appalling" joke about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Finkelstein's reference to Epstein's island, where he allegedly engaged in heinous acts, received significant backlash, with users criticizing the insensitivity of making child sex abuse victims the subject of a joke. 



The combination of crude jokes, Depp's constant nudity, and The Weeknd's perceived subpar acting has resulted in a decline in viewership for the show. "The Idol" has been plagued by accusations of promoting rape fantasies, and according to Variety, it lost over 100,000 viewers between its premiere and the second episode. 

While insiders have suggested that "The Idol" was not intended to be a long-running series, HBO sources have stated that the door remains open for a potential second season. Despite the controversy, the show continues to air on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

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