Despite Backlash, The Idol Outshines HBO's Biggest Hits Euphoria & White Lotus
Apparently, the wave of negative publicity the show has been bombarded with has only fueled viewers' interest.
With HBO's The Idol taking hits from almost every direction, from an underwhelming debut episode that immediately disappointed viewers for many reasons, to the second episode featuring what some have called "the worst sex scene in history" that comically does not show actual intercourse, you might have expected the show to be a disaster.
But apparently that's not the case, as the first episode now has more than 3.6 million views after only one week, eclipsing such HBO hits as Euphoria ( 3.3 million), which incidentally had the same creator, Sam Levinson, behind it, and The White Lotus (3 million).
With all this in mind, it is clear that the negative publicity the show has accumulated has only strengthened its viewership, which is also supported by the fact that the premiere audience for the second episode was slightly lower than that of the debut (800,000 vs. 913,000).
It certainly looks like a lot of viewers got hooked on the show, which has been described as "vulgar borderline porn," and decided to check out what all the fuss is about.
It is also quite possible that the show has managed to attract audiences with big names attached to it, from the aforementioned Sam Levinson, who created a hugely successful Euphoria, to The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, the former being a hit musician and the latter being the daughter of none other than Johnny Depp himself.
While some fans can't wrap their heads around the fact that this "trash" has managed to be successful, others seem to have fun with it, claiming that people are taking it too seriously.
They say that it is supposed to be over the top and comical (to an extent), obviously using stereotypes and satirizing the entertainment industry.
While they may be partially right, that doesn't explain the mediocre acting at best from the leads and the fact that even the supposedly "over the top" moments (like the aforementioned sex scene) look ridiculous and in reality barely push the envelope.
The Idol episode 3 will premiere on June 18, 2023.
Source: Deadline