The recent episode of HBO’s The Idol has caused a stir among viewers.
The Canadian singer, who co-created the show, also appears in it as Tedros Tedros, an enigmatic club owner and cult leader who worms his way into the life of troubled pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp).
However, the show has been accused of depicting an exploitative and misogynist attitude towards women.
One particular scene in episode two, which was broadcast on HBO on Sunday and Sky Atlantic on Monday, has left viewers cringing in embarrassment.
The scene shows a fully-clothed Tedros ordering a n^ked and blindfolded Jocelyn to fulfil his s**ual fantasies, as he ogles her from afar.
At one stage, he says: ”F***in’ stretch that tiny, little p****.”
Many viewers were horrified by the dialogue and the depiction of s**ual exploitation on screen.
One fan wrote, “I will never see The Weeknd the same after this,” with another stating, “He definitely gives me the ick after that episode.” Meanwhile, many more criticised the singer’s acting skills.
“The Idol would be so good if it wasn’t for the weekend he just ruins it lmao,” one tweet read.
Another stated, “The first 10 minutes of the episode before The Weekend got on screen once again actually had me interested, and I thought it had something important to say about the music industry and the relationship between the artist and the industry executives.”
In March, the show came under fire after Rolling Stone published an exposé featuring anonymous interviews with those who worked on the series.
They alleged that Tesfaye, Levinson and the show’s producers had taken the show “disgustingly off the rails” to create a drama “about a man who gets to abuse this woman, and she loves it”.
However, some are defending the series, with many saying the scenes are supposed to be tough to watch as Tedros is taking advantage of Jocelyn’s “vulnerability” – and that the show is depicting their relationship as “sick”.
Depp, who stars in the show, has said she wanted to leave room for viewers “to be surprised” by avoiding discussing the show in depth before it aired.
“I think it’s interesting that people have so much to say about the show already, and they haven’t even seen it,” she told reporters at Cannes Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite this, the show has continued to attract criticism from viewers who find the explicit scene hard to stomach.
One particular scene in episode two, which was broadcast on HBO on Sunday (11 June) and Sky Atlantic on Monday (12 June), has left viewers cringing in embarrassment.
It shows a fully-clothed Tedros ordering a n^ked and blindfolded Jocelyn to fulfil his s**ual fantasies, as he ogles her from afar.
At one stage, he says: ”F***in’ stretch that tiny, little p****.”
The Idol continues to air on Sundays on HBO and Sky Atlantic, but it remains to be seen whether the controversy surrounding the show will have an impact on its future.
Despite the backlash, some viewers are defending the series, arguing that it is meant to be a challenging watch and that the characters are being depicted as flawed human beings.
