Why People Are Not Happy With Sam Levinson’s New Series The Idol
Upon its release, viewers speculate that Sam Levinson’s newest hit series, The Idol, will solidify the awaited downfall of the infamous Euphoria director.
The drama was marketed as a product of Levinson and The Weeknd’s “twisted minds.” Starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd himself, the first episode was heavily criticized, and the series was dismissed as another one of Levinson’s “torture p*rn.”
In The Idol, Jocelyn (Depp) is a rising pop star portrayed as a sexual goddess through a male-gaze lens. Jocelyn is struggling with her mother’s death and the pressures of the music industry when she meets Tedros (The Weeknd), the owner of a popular LA nightclub. The two immediately engage in a sexual relationship. It is clear from the series’ first episode that Tedros will guide Jocelyn through her music career.
Finding a positive perspective on The Idol is rather challenging within the vast sea of reactions to the series. For the most part, negative reviews condemn Levinson’s exploitation of female characters. The series meant to critique the hyper-sexualization of female performers by the music and film industries become precisely that. They got so carried away with its critique that it eventually mimicked the behavior it so dramatically tried to reject.
Sam Levinson, criminal. I refuse to believe he cried at the Cannes premiere of #TheIdol. I watched and waited for something to happen, and it never did. I think it’s about exploitation in the music industry and misogynistic control, but then I remember it’s just Sam liking breast pic.twitter.com/uWg0HDLYiz— Henry’s Reviews (@HenrysReviews23) June 5, 2023
The series revealed a nude Depp within the first five minutes of episode one. One could argue that the scene’s nudity is simply an artistic choice by the directors to emphasize the exploitative nature of the music industry. However, Levinson appears to have a pattern. In the past, Euphoria cast members Sydney Sweeney, Minka Kelly, and Martha Kelly expressed discomfort with Levinson’s excessive need for on-screen nakedness. The public seems fed up with the director’s poor handling of sexual content and pointless nudity.
According to Vanity Fair, when the actresses brought this concern to the director’s attention, Levinson heard them out. Still, he dismissed the critiques and argued that the excessive nudity is part of a greater commentary on women in the industry. “The public will underestimate Jocelyn as a character because of how exposed she is,” Levinson told The New York Times.
On the rare occasion, BLACKPINK’S Jennie is to thank for some positivity surrounding the series. In the K-pop dancer’s acting debut, Jennie stole the spotlight, specifically in the scene where Jocelyn’s dancers are practicing for an upcoming performance. Dyanne (Jennie) takes the lead to show Jocelyn how it is done. More people viewed that scene rather than the whole episode itself.
JENNIE's dance scene (1.2M) got more views than The Idol (913K). pic.twitter.com/QO6zMNttRK— JENSETTERS (@Jennierubietwts) June 6, 2023
Will Sam Levinson redeem himself in the remaining episodes of The Idol? Or will the hit series be the end of the line for Levinson’s directing career?
