If you’ve been on social media the past couple of days, you know EXACTLY which scene I’m talking about.
The Weeknd’s new show The Idol was criticized before it was even released to the general public for it’s raunchy and over the top sexual scenes, and it didn’t take too long to figure out why. In just the second episode, viewers were treated to a…let’s just say diabolically nasty configuration of words typically reserved for adult movie stars, and it was uttered by The Weeknd himself. Me personally? I find it all to be pretty hilarious as somebody who has yet to even tap in to the show. I’m starting to wonder if I should, but morbid curiosity will most likely get the best of me.
Now, back to the scene in question. Twitter user @melissaxperez_ was kind enough to provide a brief clip with a built in laugh track, which when you hear the words said in the scene you’ll understand why you can’t help but laugh and cringe at the same time.
I will never see the weeknd the same after this #theidol pic.twitter.com/m2kTrDLDJw
— Melissa
(@melissaxperez_) June 12, 2023
Sorry for putting you through that if you’ve yet to hear/see it. If I had to endure it, so do you. Many fans sharing similar sentiments as Melissa, saying they’ll never be able to see The Weeknd in the same light and going as far as telling him to cancel the show and stick to music. Ouch. I get it, I do. But on the other hand…it is acting at the end of the day and you’re not SUPPOSED to like the character he’s playing. When you look at it like that, well, I’d say it’s a job very well done.
Abel discussed the scene with GQ, saying, “There’s nothing sexy about it. However 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. He (Tedros, Abel’s character) comes off like such a loser. Those moments are the humanity that you find in a psychopath, the chink in his armor.”
Abel would continue on to say, “He’s despicable, a psychopath…why sugar coat it? There’s nothing really mysterious or hypnotizing about him. And we did that on purpose with his look, his outfits, his hair — the guy’s a douchebag. You can tell he cares so much about what he looks like, and he thinks he looks good. But then you see these weird moments of him alone. He rehearses, he’s calculated. And he needs to do that, or he has nothing, he’s pathetic. Which is true of a lot of people who are a fish out of water, put into these scenarios.”
