The Art of Exploitation in ‘The Idol’

The HBO mini-series The Idol has garnered nearly universal scorn from critics since its pilot episode debuted at the beginning of June. The series, created by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and starring a shockingly beautiful Lily-Rose Depp as a mid-career pop icon, has been described as “nasty, brutish, much longer than it is, and way, way worse than you’d have anticipated” and “cringe-worthy.” As often occurs, though, this barrage of negative coverage has provided ironic marketing taglines that have made the show a modest hit with audiences if not critics.