“I thought that the story was very charming”: BLACKPINK’s Jennie dishes on being cast in HBO’s The Idol

On July 18, YG Entertainment confirmed that BLACKPINK’s Jennie will officially be making her acting debut in HBO’s The Idol alongside The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp, and Troye Sivan.

Shortly after YG Entertainment’s confirmation, BLACKPINK’s Jennie relayed her excitement upon bagging the role via an official statement.

“As soon as I read the scenario, I thought that the story was very charming and so I wanted to be a part of it. I'm excited and I'll do my best, so I hope that everyone will tune in warmly."

HBO’s The Idol is created by The Weeknd and Sam Levinson, known for the popular series Euphoria. The six-episode series revolves around a rising pop star (played by Lily-Rose Depp) who strikes up a romance with an enigmatic cult leader (played by The Weeknd).

It has been reported that BLACKPINK’s Jennie will appear either in an extended cameo or a supporting role, and no further information is available as of yet.

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BLACKPINK’s Jennie in her first-ever acting role leaves fans excited, also courts controversy

After a month of speculation and waiting, it was finally unveiled that BLACKPINK’s Jennie has been confirmed in HBO’s The Idol.

Fans spotted the K-pop idol in the first teaser trailer for the series when The Weeknd premiered it at his concert on July 16.

BLACKPINK fans took to Twitter and other social media platforms to trend “Jennie” and “Jennie in The Idol” to celebrate the popular K-pop idol’s Hollywood debut.

BLACKPINK’s Jennie also became the first Korean idol to officially debut in an American series with The Idol, and many fans reiterated that fact in their tweets.

Despite making a brief appearance in the first official trailer released, fans remember the exact time of the SOLO singer’s appearance. They have replayed it over a hundred times to watch BLACKPINK’s Jennie.

Fans have even created dedicated fan accounts to post every little piece of information regarding Jennie’s role in The Idol.

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BLACKPINK’s Jennie is under fire for misappropriating African culture in HBO’s The Idol

While fans are mostly excited to watch BLACKPINK’s Jennie in her first appearance in a Hollywood production, there are some who are criticizing her for cultural appropriation.

In the short clip from the trailer, Jennie is seen amongst other members of the cast as a backup dancer. Yet, it was the hairstyle that netizens noticed that Jennie was wearing cornrows.

For those unversed, cornrows are an integral part of Black culture. For years, Black people have experienced prejudice and racism based on their skin colors and hairstyles.

Hence, when a non-Black person misappropriates such a culturally significant hairstyle, it is considered insensitive and disrespectful to Black people and their culture.

When netizens saw Jennie’s look, they immediately expressed disappointment upon seeing another non-Black woman wearing this hairstyle in the K-Pop industry.

Fans are also shocked that despite calling out the K-pop industry multiple times in the past, they continue to show ignorant behavior.

It is also reported that Jennie “loved” her new hairdo, as suggested by the stylist. Although fans understand that the SOLO singer isn’t in the wrong entirely, her African-American fanbase would have expected her to take a stand against it to not misrepresent their culture.

In the past, many idols have been called out for cultural appropriation when it comes to hairstyles, and it was even seen with Jennie’s teammate BLACKPINK’s Lisa, who came under fire for wearing cornrows in her MONEY music video.

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HBO’s The Idol, starring Jennie, Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan, The Weeknd, and a host of other actors, is all set to release on the network either later this year or early next year.