Why The Idol's Nod to Basic Instinct in E1 Feels Like a Bad Joke
A "nice Easter egg" is nothing more than a cheap exploitation of a real-life tragedy.
HBO's brand new TV series The Idol was highly anticipated by fans after the network recently wrapped two of its best shows, Succession and Barry, and the second season of House of the Dragon is still a long way from release.
However, the show got off to a bad start, with the first episode being criticized for its poor acting, lack of substance, and reliance on shock content.
For a show that claims to be a meaningful drama with social commentary, this is undoubtedly a disaster. And in light of all this, one particular nod that the creators probably think is clever seems especially tasteless.
More than half of the debut episode revolves around a leaked selfie of our heroine, Jocelyn, portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp, looking into the camera covered in male bodily fluids.
Her managers and assistants are running around in panic, as this could completely destroy the young star's reputation.
Later, near the end of the episode, Jocelyn sits on a couch with her best friend and assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott), discussing her new "rapey" love interest Tedros, played by Canadian musician The Weeknd.
And throughout the scene, the 1992 movie Basic Instinct is playing on the TV.
Sharon Stone, who portrayed one of the main characters Catherine Tramell in the film, found herself in the middle of a controversy during a single infamous scene from the neo-noir erotic thriller in which her private parts were visible for a brief moment.
Not only did it cause outrage among more conservative critics and viewers, but it later ruined her personal life.
According to the actress, the scene was used against her in court during her 2004 divorce case over custody of her son. Stone said the judge used it as evidence that she was a bad parent, which ultimately led to her losing the case.
The parallels between these events and the HBO series are clear, as it already seems that Jocelyn will face the grim consequences of the leaked photo.
And while the creators may have thought it was a nice "Easter egg" for the "sophisticated audience," in reality it is just being thrown in the viewer's face.
Whatever it was supposed to mean, it doesn't look particularly appropriate, coming off as cheap exploitation with little to no sympathy for Theron's actual tragedy.
Source: Table for Two podcast