Next month, a big-budget HBO production directed by Euphoria's Sam Levinson will debut.  

It's called “The Idol,” and it's an HBO series that centers on the life of Jocelyn, a superstar who must deal with fame, the music business, and, to put it bluntly, a lot of sex. She falls in love with a cult leader and nightclub owner, resulting in a romance that has been categorized as promoting rape culture and torture porn by critics. 

“The Idol” has reached massive audiences, generating world headlines for the wrong reasons. 

The series is produced by Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) and director Sam Levinson, known chiefly for his work in “Euphoria.” Tesfaye is followed by a star-studded lineup of cast members, starting with Lily-Rose Depp, Jennie of Blackpink, Troye Sivan, and Rachel Sennott. The budding popularity of the show was primarily initiated by the A-list line-up and Jennie’s following. 

Aside from the show’s overwhelming controversies, “The Idol” premiered for critics at the Cannes Film Festival. However, the critics were not thrilled by Levinson’s thematic ambitions. As of now, the show has only a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, initially being only 9%. 

The show is scheduled to air on June 4, so let’s just talk about its controversies. 

The negative light surrounding the show began in March after Rolling Stone published a report on its production, citing sources who claimed the show was “wildly, disgustingly off the rails.” 

According to their report, in April, the show’s primary writer Amy Seimetz left after having already filmed 80% of the series. The show was set to air at the end of 2022, but Tesfaye swiftly replaced the writer, with Levinson taking over production. According to Rolling Stone, Levinson restructured the entire show, changing the course of its plot. 

In the report, it is stated that Seimez had a sentimental approach in trying to uncover Depp’s character and make it a sleazing piece on fame and the rapacious industry. However, Levinson neglected this approach, turning it into a toxic romance filled with sex, and more sex, and more sex. 

The unnamed staff members in the report stated that production was too chaotic. 

Even through the massive backlash, Tesafaye has remained defensive, posting a clip on Twitter of his show, in which the characters call the Rolling Stone magazine irrelevant. He captioned the post with, “Did we upset you.” 

Most of the cast members have defended the show even after amassing harsh reviews from critics. 

The Hollywood Reporter states, “Levinson applies his efficient and stylish direction to every scene. Some of them have momentum, others are contradictory and most of them are confusing. Rarely does a scene go by without the camera showing flashes of her breasts or ass. You start to wonder if this is building to anything, and by episode two it seems likely that it’s probably not.” 

Variety claimed that the show was a “sordid male fantasy,” calling out the bluff of Levinson’s creative approach. “Levinson’s whole deal is not for everyone - and often not for me - but The Idol offers up enough regular old entertainment to balance out his aggressive flourish and the bluster of his thematic ambitions.” 

“The show’s sleaze (intentional and not) would be one thing, but it’s the hideous, self-excusing presentation of rape culture that rankles,” The Daily Beast commented. 

This is not Levinson's first criticism of his creative choice for nudity. Even in Euphoria, Levinson was accused of presenting obscene sex scenes. Actresses including Sydney Sweeney, Minka Kelly, Chloe Cherry, and Martha Kelley had to defy his requests for excessive nudity. 

With so much controversy surrounding its name, HBO is better off not promoting the show. 

By Emilie Chi