Hate watching is still watching: Can you really watch The Idol guilt-free?
Trigger Warning: The following paragraphs mention information pertaining to sexual assault and rape culture that may trigger the readers. Please proceed with caution.
Have you ever seen a TV Show that had numerous controversies even before its release that its target demographic argue that it should be boycotted?
Well, The Idol is one of the rare occasions that this happened. In this cancel culture meets typical Hollywood scenario, it is inevitable to question what went wrong and whether it is enough to solicit its viewers to stop watching.
Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we? Months before the show’s release, Rolling Stone published a tell-all article with various cast and crew members that revealed how this supposed feminist show turned into a twisted “torture porn.” Its initial director, Amy Seimatz, envisioned a show that criticizes the exploitation of women in the music industry and the detriments of fame. But, everything went downhill, according to an interviewee, when “it went from satire to the thing it was satirising.” The Rolling Stone article expounded on disturbing details about the fetishization of rape and sexual assault.
Another Rolling Stone source alleges that The Weeknd had requested re-shoots that apparently had eradicated the show’s feminist lens. Despite HBO’s statement and the cast’s insistence that all of these were untrue, fans still believed that the show be boycotted, especially the creative changes made by Sam Levinson and Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd).
Their concerns increased when the pilot episode was released, depicting an intimacy coordinator being locked in a bathroom for doing their job. It can be recalled that in 2018 HBO made history by hiring its first intimacy coordinator, Alicia Rodis, which prompted major networks and streaming companies to hire intimacy coordinators. In an interview with Variety, Marci Liroff, an intimacy coordinator who is not involved with the production of The Idol, expressed their disappointment with HBO. Although fans were concerned with the possible exploitation of Lily-Rose Depp, Liroff expressed that Depp might be on board with this, seeing as how she responds to interviews about the show.
Does “hate watching” still count?
Because of the issues presented, Twitter users and critics urge viewers not to watch The Idol, regardless if they will only “hate watch”, because, at the end of the day, this will still count as views thereby generating profit for the show. However, because of its star-studded cast, especially because fans were enthusiastic that Jennie from Blackpink was in the show, there are still a lot of viewers to the point that the choreography became viral on TikTok.
@chaeyopaa_ JENNIE IN THR IDOL #theidol #theidoljennie #theidoledit #theidolhbo #jennie #jenniekim #charlidamelio #lilyag #chaeyopa__ #goviral #fyp #fypage #foryou #tiktokdontletthisflop #up ♬ original sound – maxx – махх
However, the number of views is relatively low, which even started a rumor that the show will not be renewed for a second season. HBO’s PR confirmed that this is not true and there has been no decision yet about the show’s renewal. Because of the admiration of the cast, inevitably, there will still be tons of viewers. This prompts the question: can we blame these viewers for deciding to watch the show? Not necessarily.
If your favorite artists have been canceled in the recent past, you would be familiar with the concept of “separating the art from the artist.” This concept was initially introduced by French literary critic, Roland Barthes in his essay, Death of the Author, which posits the idea that an author’s objective, identity, and beliefs should not be considered when criticizing and interpreting their work. In this day and age where cancel culture plagues us, this concept is often used to excuse the author’s behavior so its consumers can feel guilt-free consuming their work. However, in an article with Michigan Daily, Sierra Èlise Hansen argues:
“The death of the author concept does not at all mean separating an artist’s bad behavior from their art, as if to erect a partition and cut reality away from fiction — each of which inevitably informs the other. The death of the author is about the death of the creator’s authority over their art. The death of the author does not preclude the author from being a scoundrel and still a brilliant artist — it implores us to ask more of the artwork while leaving its creator firmly in the past tense.”
While Hansen’s point perfectly encapsulates what the Death of the Author is about, it is important now to assess if fans should stop watching The Idol even if it’s just for hate watching. To resolve this concern, we must understand what would happen if we continued to watch the show. While it is possible to separate the art from the artist, the economic implications of this (i.e., an increase in viewership will affect profit thus the possibility of a second season) should discourage viewers from watching.
If we continue to support shows that promote the exploitation of women, we are giving them the power to continue creating types of work that exhibit the same prejudice. Through the fame and resources they receive through these shows, we are also providing them a platform (i.e., social media) to perpetuate their bigotries. With that, it is also important to reassess and evaluate which artists we support.
banner by: @stfuoliver_ and @lumpiangtoguely
The post <b>Hate watching is still watching: Can you really watch ‘The Idol’ guilt-free?</b> appeared first on WE THE PVBLIC.
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