For all of the praise Emmy-winning series “The White Lotus” garners, creator Mike White does believe that the bigger the series, the bigger the target it is on its back… at least when it comes to critics. White said during “The Howard Stern Show” (via THR) that Season 3 of “The White Lotus” has proven that the more popular the series is, the “meaner” audiences can be.
“They’re criticizing the show in certain ways and they’re meaner in certain ways 1744221857,” White said. “I’m used to being this underdog indie writer that people are championing. Certain things will hurt my feelings, or I’ll feel misunderstood. The mean ones have gotten meaner. It’s like they don’t like me. I guess I need to either avoid that stuff or get tougher, because it does bum me out.”
White, however, did not let any of those criticisms impact his HBO deal, though. The director teased that he is already negotiating his contract for Season 4 now. “We are renegotiating right now, I’m definitely curious to find out what that [amount] is,” White said. “I feel like I have financial security for sure … at a certain point with money, [you wonder]: ‘Is this going to make me worse? Is having more money just going to make me more dysfunctional?’”
White said during the official “White Lotus” podcast that a fourth season would differ from its predecessors. “For the fourth season, I want to get a little bit out of the crashing waves of rocks vernacular but there’s always more room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels,” White hinted.
And for those viewers who find the series to be too “slow,” well, White has a comment about that too. “The pacing and the vibe… it definitely gets under their skin,” White said. “There was complaining about how there’s no plot. That part I find weird. Part of me is just like, ‘Bro, this is the vibe. I’m world-building. If you don’t want to go to bed with me then get out of my bed. I’m edging you! Enjoy the edging. If you don’t want to be edged, then get out of my bed.’ Do you know what I mean? Don’t be a bossy bottom. Get the fuck out of my bed. Don’t come home with me. Don’t get naked in my bed. Get the fuck out of my bed. Obviously something is going to happen.”
