K-pop fans continue boycotting HBO show ‘The Idol’

The controversial HBO series The Idol from Sam Levinson and The Weeknd premiered its first episode and is facing backlash, starring big names like Blackpink’s Jennie, Lily-Rose Depp and Troye Sivan.

Prior to the show’s premiere, rumours started catching on of production issues and descriptions of scenes that were labelled “torture porn.”

On Jennie’s role, Rolling Stone revealed: “But crew members claim Jennie has barely any air time and an inconsequential story arc. ‘It was like three or four lines per episode for her,’ a production source says. ‘They didn’t let her talk that much. Her job was to sit there [and] look pretty, basically.’”

There was backlash after Jennie was seen in a sensual scene in the episode, however many of her fans took to her defence. One report claimed that she was aware of what the show would entail going in.

“Jennie met The Weeknd in person and was offered the role. She then expressed her desire to accept the role. She (Jennie) was aware of the roles and the scenes she would have to act out, and she stated that there was something that she wanted to express.”

However, many Korean netizens continued to boycott the show, with one user writing: 

“I honestly was shocked after seeing the clips. Even if it was a sexy dance routine, it would be okay if it was tasteful, but the cinematography and the actors themselves scream B-list… Why in the world did she film this? I didn’t care for the plot and just wanted Jennie’s scenes to (not be controversial) but, sigh… I liked Jennie so much, so I am that much more disappointed. Why did she do it?”

“She’s now a veteran in the industry, and just by looking at the way she dresses and her relationship, it’s obvious she doesn’t want her image to be that of an idol,” wrote another.