The Idol: Robert Plant controversy explained
HBOOnce again, there’s plenty of chat about HBO’s The Idol thanks to the arrival of Episode 3, including a controversial scene discussing Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant.
It’s safe to say The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd has had its fair share of controversies, from director Amy Seimetz exiting the project to the criticism it received from its Cannes premiere.
Hailed by The Weeknd, Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, and Reza Fahim, the HBO show centers on pop idol Jocelyn (Depp), who is dealing with the fallout of her mother’s death – things take a turn when she meets cult leader Tedros (The Weeknd).
The Idol Episode 3 dropped on June 18, bringing with it some of the most shocking scenes in the series so far – we’re here to focus on one discussing rock singer Robert Plant. Warning: Mild spoilers ahead for The Idol Episode 3, and some may find this content distressing.
The Idol: Robert Plant controversy explained
Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin frontman and one of the most legendary rock singers of all time, is discussed in The Idol by Izaak (Moses Sumney), Chloe (Suzanna Son), and a number of Tedros’ (The Weeknd) followers as they chat in Jocelyn’s recording studio.
When Izaak asks Jocelyn to come and join him and sing, she says “no”, to which Chloe interjects: “If Tedros heard you say that, you’d be in huge trouble… you’re not allowed to say no.”
When the pop star asks why, Izaak replies: “By saying no, you’re denying yourself an experience.” Jocelyn points out that “not all experiences are good,” although Izaak accuses her of having a “simple way of looking at things.”
Providing an example, Chloe says: “Some of the most terrible experiences in life can be the most valuable, like artistically… Robert Plant had a son who died when he was five years old, and he wrote ‘All My Love’ after that, and it’s one of the most beautiful songs ever written.”
“Yeah but I think if Robert Plant had a say in it, he would’ve chosen his son’s life,” says Jocelyn, to which Izaak says: “And that’d be a pretty big loss for the world.”
The group then go into a conversation about how “music can save people’s lives,” before Jocelyn tests Izaak’s claims by telling him to kiss one of the group.
HBOIt’s the kind of self-indulgent chat you’d expect from a group of pseudo-artists, and a number of viewers have found their conversation about Plant’s tragedy to be rather contentious – especially given the context.
You see, The Idol has been accused of romanticizing sexual abuse, and Episode 3 lives up to this reputation, featuring numerous sex scenes that have since been described as “disturbing”.
This critique is further fuelled with the dialogue’s questionable decision to challenge the idea of saying “no”, leading to musings on the death of Plant’s son. Viewers have since taken to social media to slam the show’s creators.
On Twitter, one person wrote: “The Idol drops every episode. After the hideous sex scene in episode 2, episode 3 had a pedophilia/Jeffrey Epstein joke and an offensive dialogue about the death of Robert Plant’s son. If it continues like this, it will end the season as the worst series of the decade.”
“#THEIDOL Keep Robert Plant’s name out your fking mouth,” said another, while a third wrote: “I am shocked #THEIDOL chose to discuss the Robert Plant story and not Eric Clapton.”
A fourth chimed in: “#TheIdol’s analogy of Led Zeppelin’s All My Love is the most shallow pathetic attempt at thinking you’re saying some kind of profound sh*t. This show gets worse and worse.”
Discussing the episode as a whole, one viewer tweeted: “Aaaand with episode 3, I’m gonna stop watching The Idol. It’s disgusting to see the way they’re glamouring abuse.
“I GET that it’s supposed to be satirical of the music industry and the lengths people go for success but the lens that Levinson/Weeknd is using to do it is sickening.”
The Idol Episodes 1-3 are available to stream on Max now, while Episode 4 drops on June 25. Check out our other coverage below: