The 'Tortured Artist' Trope

more thoughts on The Idol

I mentioned HBO’s new show, ‘The Idol’ briefly a few weeks ago, and I’m back with more thoughts. The show hasn’t quite hit the mark for its audience (you can read hilariously on-point reviews of it here and here), but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the idea of the ‘tortured artist’ that The Idol tries to convey.

The ‘tortured artist’ concept dates back to Plato. Rich with stories of Van Gogh’s ear, Hemingway’s drinking, and Kurt Cobain’s struggles with mental health, the idea paints a picture of a deep-feeling individual who uses their suffering to create impactful works of art. It romanticizes the idea that art comes from pain but I think it also serves the more insidious purpose of celebrating “suffering” as a rite of passage for artists. It’s okay that they’re underpaid and underappreciated because it will result in better music! It’s okay that they’re burnt out writing songs daily for social media because one day they might go viral and get signed to a label! The promise of immeasurable success makes the grind worth it... maybe.

The other side of the coin is that famous musicians aren’t exactly happy. The music industry is fraught with addiction, depression, and violence. It’s easier to claim an artist’s nature as a ‘tortured artist’ instead of questioning the industry’s effect on musicians.

Anyone who is underpaid and undervalued is suffering. Anyone who goes through the machine of the music industry and therefore loses their artistic autonomy and is now a slave to their record labels suffers. Slapping the ‘tortured artist’ label on it feels like a weak attempt at a cover-up.

Vulnerability is an inherent part of making music, it’s what connects listeners to the artist. We find comfort in relating to someone who shares our struggles. I wonder if that vulnerability has been manipulated to serve an industry that undervalues artists. The ‘tortured artist’ trope perpetuates the idea that suffering leads to success. In The Idol, we see Jocelyn jump from abuser to abuser with little to no artistic autonomy. The show is meant to be based on actual events and I think it showcases how romanticizing suffering serves higher-ups in the music industry at the expense of artists.

What do you think?