American drama series, “The Idol,” follows the story of aspiring idol Jocelyn played by Lily-Rose Depp, and her relationship with self-help guru and cult leader character of Abel Tesfaye, properly known as The Weeknd, named Tedros. Jocelyn tries to reclaim her title as the sexiest pop star in the United States after her nervous breakdown that caused her last tour to be canceled. “The Idol” is directed by Sam Levinson, the same director of the popular show, “Euphoria.”
Following the huge success of “Euphoria,” HBO had presumably high hopes for the show, especially after its premiere. When the series premiered out-of-competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May, the show received a five-minute-plus standing ovation. However, a number of negative reviews from critics were received after its release in June. In fact, the considered most trusted measurement of quality for movies and television shows, Rotten Tomatoes, rated the show at only 19%. Critics pointed out that the show was trying so hard to be edgy and there is so much cringe in the show. The show was even branded as, “one of the worst programs ever made.”
Given all the controversies that the show has been into and the amount of disapproval it is receiving, from the script, direction, and sexual content, the supposedly six-episode show abruptly ending after the fifth was not a surprise to all.
However, The Weeknd is reportedly furious about the show’s early ending. This may be expected especially as the actor, only received criticisms. Many describe his performance as “terrible.” Stephen Rodrick of Variety even said that his acting skills are non-existent.
YouTuber D’Angelo Wallace, who is known for his videos on controversies involving other personalities, dedicated a 40-minute video discussing the show’s early ending and some proof that The Weeknd is unhappy about it. There were screenshots of interactions between The Weeknd and some Twitter users wherein the user said that The Weeknd being in the show would ruin his music, to which The Weeknd tweets back, “good don’t listen.”
https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1671918644731813888
This sarcastic tweet, among several others, from The Weeknd showcases that he is the kind of artist who does not care about the audience, whether people like it or not, that is no longer his problem. Here s another tweet from him.
https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1672299459227598857
Looking at several threads, it is as if The Weeknd just keeps on going through Twitter to look for those who hate him for being in the show.
“So, let’s get one thing straight. I decided to hate the show because you decided to make a bad show. This is very much a ‘you’ problem,” says D’ Angelo Wallace.
Moreover, Wallace points out that watching shows, though you may not like them, are also good. Critiquing such things can actually lead to some valuable insights that can be used for having productive conversations, especially for serious issues that impact not only the quality of a certain thing but also the lives of the people who watch and listen to him. But it seems like The Weeknd does not see the point of those comments.
Given that this is The Weeknd’s first acting debut, we can only assume that he wanted to do more of it. Receiving such comments is not helpful to boost his self-esteem. But it may seem like he is not fit for it, well at least for many critics and viewers.
As of writing, there is no second season in sight for the series.
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