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#tvreview

contains spoilers

the idol is one of the weirdest shows i have seen this year.

well, mid show i was irritated because the story was going nowhere. in the last episode i realise, the story went nowhere because there was no story.

the protagonist (?) of the show is a talentless pop star learning to write her own lyrics for the first time. the worst thing that happened to her in her posh life was her mother beat her to motivate.

pain or the lack thereof has a significant effect on our learning curve. this is a philosophical concept inspiring a lot of research. the method her mom took is in use in the beauty industry, hospitality industry, the royal etiquette trainers, and also in abu ghraib. i guess that was the intention. it’s open to interpretation for the audience to imagine the level.

anyway, after her mother’s death, she learns to write her first lyrics by engaging in SnM with this shady club dude called tedros played by the weeknd. and the story follows what is essentially a version of funeral fling for a pop star.

tbh i do feel tedros and jocelyn deserve each other. the music industry is not just the music industry, it’s also the media. a volatile relationship like that sells more songs, more papers, more blog and youtube ad space. i mean they literally said the misogyny sold out theatres. so by that logic the management being angry about it defeats the whole purpose.

however, the worst part of the show is not that, not the lack of a story, tbh i like that. it’s mindless show with lots of known faces without any character arc. but they’re famous so the callback happens anyway. it’s also not the lack of a relatable protagonist. lily rose depp neither looks good, nor acts good. she doesn’t fit the role of a popstar at all, rather it seems like she’s cosplaying. but the worst part is still not her. it’s sam levinson.

from euphoria s01e01 when sam levinson did an extended unnecessary shot of hunter schaffer in her undies lying down on the bed face up, and the camera focuses on her bulge to foreshadow that she is trans. this shot was not necessary. we would know she is trans anyway. but this shot stayed with me, because it’s uncomfortable to watch. since then i have been wary of sam levinson, i guess he was toning down because he was working with younger people. but idol is where he gets to be his self. he has this voyeuristic gaze that makes almost anything sleazy or dirty. makes you uncomfortable and creeped out. that gaze is in every frame of the show. it is overtly sexualised and not in an aesthetic way. i mean most boudoir photographers struggle to keep frames around the subject or even maintain a horizon. so i guess why it looks aesthetic, but trust me, it’s not a lot. but yeah, each nudity is uncomfortable to watch. for a show that has no content value, uncomfortable is not the experience the viewers are looking for.

idol however has amazing entertainment value courtesy to the weeknd. i havent seen a single post about his acting. only how creepy he is. that is literally testament to his acting prowess. and he is very creepy.

some woman was supposed to direct. but weeknd and sam levinson complained that it was too much jocelyn centric. that’s when sam levinson took over, firing the woman. it’s still jocelyn centric in a way the a lot of engineers in society are billionaire fanboys. justifying all crimes they commit.

anyway, otherwise pretty fun show. pretty accurate about lives of rich people. even though you have to wait till the last episode. i understand why big media hate it. but tbh, i have met people like jocelyn/finkelstein/nikki. it’s only rich people who create fake metoos. it doesn’t mean metoo is bad, it just means people in power use these processes like metoo to silent their opponent. it’s like a sexualised musical of keeping up with the kardashians. should be an uncomfortable but begrudgingly entertaining weekend binge, no pun intended.

people to look out for: davine joy randolph delivering one of her best performances. hank azaria didnt have a lot. Troye Sivan and Jennie has more non singing dialogues in their band live shows than here, but they’re nice when it comes to it. rachel sennot from shiva baby continues the same personality. and i wish there were more hari nef.