The Idol's Controversy, Explained
All the Controversy Surrounding New TV Show "The Idol," Explained
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Levinson and "The Idol" cast hit the 2023 Cannes Film Festival to debut the first two episodes of their series out of competition for critics in attendance. Though Deadline reported that the show received a five-minute standing ovation, making Levinson emotional, some reviews were less than kind to aspects of "The Idol." A Rolling Stone headline called the series "more toxic and way worse than you've heard," while The Hollywood Reporter said it "runs almost exclusively on vibes," comparing it to "Euphoria" season two.
While at Cannes, Levinson addressed some of "The Idol"'s backlash, including Rolling Stone's report, saying, "I just wanna say that it's always sad and disheartening to hear mean, false things about someone you care about, and it wasn't my experience shooting the show." The show creator also acknowledged that those signed on for the series knew they were making a "show that's provocative."
Levinson also shared his initial reaction to Rolling Stone's piece after his wife read it to him for the first time. He said, "I think we're about to have the biggest show of the summer."
Right now, it seems Levinson's prediction may be correct. But will "The Idol" go down as the biggest show of the season for positive reasons? Only viewers will be able to answer that.