People have been talking about The Idol for months before its actual release date. But now that two episodes are out the buzz has continued. One scene in episode two in particular has generated quite a bit of attention. Many fans and critics have dubbed it the worst sex scene of all time. Series star and co-creator The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) takes part in the scene and dealt with a good bit of backlash from it. In a new interview with GQ, Tesfaye defended some of the scene's artistic choices.
"There’s nothing sexy about it," Tesfaye explained. "How ever you’re feeling watching that scene, whether it’s discomfort, or you feel gross, or you feel embarrassed for the characters. It’s all those emotions adding up to: This guy is in way over his head, this situation is one where he is not supposed to be here." Even though the viewership reportedly dropped by 12% from episode one to episode two, plenty of fans still saw the scene. The Weeknd was trending on Twitter afterward as fans discussed the specific scene and the writing of the show in general.
The Weeknd's Viral Sex Scene
This isn't the first time Tesfaye has had to defend himself from fans watching "The Idol." He defended his acting chops and the show's controversial themes after negative reactions from critics. "We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say,” Tesfaye explains. He seemed mainly interested in starting a conversation, regardless of what that conversation is. "I just think discussion is healthy, no matter what. To me it’s like, I’m just happy that there’s conversation."
On top of new episodes of the show every week, fans are also getting new music. Tesfaye has been dropping collaborative songs with various members of the cast alongside each new episode drop. Episode 3 of the 5-part series is set to air this Sunday on HBO. What do you think of the controversial sex scene in The Idol? Let us know in the comment section below.
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[Via]
