The Idol premieres on Sunday with HBO hoping to fill the void left by Succession with what may just be the most controversial series of the summer. There was a big splashy premiere for The Idol in Cannes a couple of weeks ago but so far, no red carpet event yet in North America.
The reviews for The Idol haven’t been great. I watched the two episodes that were made available to the press after the Cannes premiere and as I wrote last week, while Lily-Rose Depp and most of the actors are excellent, especially Jane Adams, they’re underserved by the material. Because the material is Trying! So! Hard! To! Be! Provocative! Like you can totally imagine Sam Levinson and The Weeknd high-fiving each other like frat boys, high on their own fumes.
As for Abel and his performance, he’s outclassed, frankly, by the talent around him. If we’re talking about trying too hard to be provocative, that pretty much sums up his acting. Every line and gesture is overloaded with “I’m a bad dude, stay away!” energy and it’s just not believable. Which is a problem because Lily-Rose’s character Jocelyn is supposed to be intoxicated by this man, Tedros, and falls into his trap, that’s the whole premise: she’s the It Girl, she’s the one with all the charisma, and even though she’s damaged and vulnerable, for sure, she’s also not stupid or naïve. At least that’s not how Lily-Rose is playing her. I had a hard time buying that she’d fall for this loser’s bullsh-t. That’s not to say I don’t think it’s possible that someone like Jocelyn isn’t vulnerable – everyone has vulnerabilities; my point is that I’m not convinced that Tedros, or the way he’s coming across through Abel, is her particular drug.
And yet, despite the criticism and the gratuitous grossness in the show, I’m also not convinced that The Idol will flop. Critical reaction doesn’t determine fan reaction. And the critics have never dictated what pops off on social media, particularly TikTok. I go back to Kady Ruth Ashcraft’s piece at Jezebel last December about “TikTok’s low level analysis of The White Lotus”. The more obvious a story is, the more TikTok loves it.
We’ll see how that plays out on Sunday night and Monday when the first episode airs.
In the meantime, here’s our outfit of the week on Jennie, who has a small role on the show, or at least the first two episodes. Jennie has more chemistry with Lily-Rose than The Weeknd and I wish there was more of her to enjoy, because she lights up the camera when she’s on screen and maybe, initially, in the early iterations of the show, she would have had more to do but right now, she’s not really much of a factor.
Jennie was in Tokyo this week for the Chanel Metiers D’Art presentation where she also performed a three-song set so we have two looks to appreciate. The first one is exquisite. This cape! With the chain bonnet! I am obsessed.
230602 ELLE Singapore IG : #JENNIE at @CHANEL 2022/23 Métiers d’art collection show in Tokyo
— DC ì œë‹ˆ 갤러리 (@JennieDCGallery) June 2, 2023
🔗https://t.co/jrVhyDO1KC
JENNIE X CHANEL IN TOKYO#JENNIEatMétiersDArtShow pic.twitter.com/0HIvmnRhxA
On stage she changed into a sequined black and white shift dress patterned with the Chanel logo and boots, SO good.
Also…note the makeup. Particularly her blush.
jennie for chanel show in tokyo her fit is so freaking cute pic.twitter.com/jzpYE9cqiz
— khai ⋆ (@venusianruby) June 1, 2023
This is Asian style makeup technique, with how high the blush is set on her cheeks, like pretty much right under the eye, and straight across, instead of winging lower, diagonally from the apple to the side of the temple the way it is with western technique. In my opinion, it makes the eyes pop so much more.
Jennie sat next to Kristen Stewart who was there with her fiancée Dylan. Kristen’s fit is pretty much classic Chanel – the bouclé, the jacket and skirt set, but giving punk instead of prim.
Jennie and Mama Kim at the back? Awwww so supportive 🥺🫶
— LiNi 🌸 (@Lilibtch_27) June 1, 2023
JENNIE X CHANEL IN TOKYO#JENNIEatMétiersDArtShow pic.twitter.com/tzwmvJ7tDG
Kristen Stewart, Chanel Girl 😎💖🤠pic.twitter.com/oJ3Ug5n8vL
— Christian Cortave (@CCortave24) June 1, 2023