THE IDOL: The Ethics of Hatewatching Sam Levinson and The Weeknd's New Show

Sam Levinson and The Weeknd were tasked with creating the show of the summer, and they attempted to do so with The Idol. It created immediate discourse on Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. Although swamped with unbridled rage at the show, viewers still paid the ultimate price just to watch it: their attention currency. The question is: what are the implications of hatewatching? Are we doing more harm than good?
-
WGA/SAG-AFTRA RESOURCES:
General FAQ for Do's and Don'ts: https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/sag-strike-faq-rules-explainer-1235672265/
SAG-AFTRA Negotiation Status: https://www.sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/SAG-AFTRA_Negotiations_Status_7_13_23.pdf
Picket Locations: https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/picket-schedule-locations
WGA Strike Landing Page: https://www.wgacontract2023.org/strike-hub
-
second channel: @shansorbet
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanspeare.jpg/
support me on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/shanspeare
-
Hi! I'm Shaniya but I use the moniker Shanspeare on Youtube. I'm 24, use they/them pronouns, and love all things pop culture! My channel has a lot going on: think Shakespeare meets Baz Luhrmann meets insufferable jester in a relevant but silly costume. I have a bachelor's in English Professional Writing (and basically Literary Analysis--long story) which aids me in the creation of my content. Above all, I wish to emphasize teachability and critical engagement through a fun lens.
-
timestamps:
0:00 intro
1:50 sam's reputation
3:45 intro to the idol
6:25 allegations of chaos
21:52 hatewatching the idol
29:43 the 'ethical' dilemma of hatewatching
36:49 closing remarks + bloopers
-
Tags:
the idol, the idol hbo, sam levinson, the weeknd, lily rose depp, euphoria, jennie kim, blackpink, bron studios, HBO, HBO max, sam euphoria, selena gomez the weeknd, movie review, TV show review, video essay, commentary videos, the idol tv series review