New report says 'The Idol' featuring BLACKPINK's Jennie has 'more disturbing sexual content' than 'Euphoria'
What could possibly have more "disturbing sexual content and nudity" than Euphoria? Apparently, it's The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd, which also features BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim.
For context, Rolling Stone reported that HBO gave the directing opportunity to Euphoria creator Sam Levinson after previous director Amy Seimetz backed out with roughly 80% of the six-episode series already finished. For The Idol's major creative overhaul, Levinson's choice was "dialing up the disturbing sexual content and nudity to match—and even surpass—that of his most successful show, Euphoria."
The Emmy-winning Euphoria (with back-to-back Best Actress Zendaya) is already known for its explicit sex scenes and nudity.
Its IMDB Parents Guide has warnings like "strong male and female nudity in the first and second seasons, in almost every episode" and "suggestions of inappropriately intimate relationships between family members, nudity, and simulated sex acts."
It is unclear yet whether Jennie will appear in any scene of such nature on The Idol, but her association with it and the claims that she will only have "limited exposure" on the show have been a hot topic online. Some of her supporters said she's only being used for "clout," while others found that it actually "makes sense" as it would mark her first acting gig.
"So basically, Jennie gave The Idol all the hype and this is how they decided to treat her?" a netizen wrote on Twitter.
"The story does not sound interesting. I will only watch a compilation of Jennie's scenes," someone said.
A social media user, meanwhile, pointed out that the show "seems very sexual" and that "if she had a larger role, she'd 100% face backlash in Korea."
Weighing in on the matter, Billboard K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin wrote: "My take: Don't screw up and disrespect Jennie with her The Idol role. Not only does she literally live the idol world more than any cast member as a K-pop idol, but the representation she brings is important and can create significant opportunities for more diversity in Hollywood."
The Weeknd has since uploaded a snippet of the show dissing Rolling Stone. He tagged the magazine on social media, asking, "Did we upset you?"
.@RollingStone did we upset you? pic.twitter.com/Uyx06lyRgx
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) March 1, 2023
The Idol is a story of how a rising pop idol enters a "complicated relationship" with a self-help guru and modern-day cult leader. Pending an official release date, the series is expected to premiere sometime in 2023.
HBO announced in July 2022 that Jennie was cast for the show. "It's just too perfect that she's in a show called The Idol," HBO maxPOP said.