The Idol has proven to be yet another immensely viral, and deeply controversial, show for HBO. The show follows recovering Jocelyn (Lily Rose-Depp) as she embarks on a torrid romance with self-help influencer and cult leader Tedros (The Weeknd). From the mind of Sam Levinson (creator of Euphoria), the show has refused to shy away from controversial material. Self-harm, revenge porn, drug use, masturbation, and sexual scenes of dubious consent all feature in the show's first three episodes.
However, the boundary-pushing show has been problematic for many viewers. Critics have argued that the show, despite being from Jocelyn's central viewpoint, is nothing more than a toxic male power fantasy. Furthermore, others simply take issue with the show's poor acting and writing. Early viewing figures report that Episode 3 saw another decline, though not as sharp as the drop between Episodes 1 and 2. Despite this, it means that the show is still struggling to retain the viewers it did manage to keep hold of.
Lily Rose-Depp Loved Shooting "The Idol" Nude Scenes
However, Rose-Depp embraced the nude demands of the role. “It’s all me. I love doing that kind of work," the actress told The Sun. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying that kind of work. I also think it really speaks to who the character is and who she wants to tell you that she is. She’s a performer through and through, even when she’s alone and just looking in the mirror. Every outfit and every interaction and every piece of nudity and all those things are very intentional and were really important to me.”
She continued. “Maybe this makes me, like, a little twisted. But I feel really good after doing scenes like that because there’s something that feels very therapeutic about it to me — and maybe that’s why I like doing this job. Maybe there’s something wrong with me but it feels very cathartic and I feel very drained of anything that I maybe needed to let go of. Obviously when you go that far emotionally, you have to find it within yourself, it has to come from some place real. Some place inside of you. Even if you’re performing a scene that is completely fictionalised, and you’ve never actually gone through any of that stuff, you have to find it within yourself. But I find that kind of work to be really healing, actually."
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