The first time I heard of “Cuties” I thought it just another one of those prepubescent dance flicks that would spawn the next generation of pop artists. And without catching any real details I kept hearing the title over and over again on the radio and news casts.
When I did start catching details I was thinking, “Man, another nasty internet hoax-thingy. ” But then I started really listening, and pretty soon, I just googled it.
And there it was. The trailer. The little girl flick with all of its snazzy settings, jazzy tunes, and fully choreographed moves- and babies (very young girls) dancing in a way that would make a hooker blush.
I cannot fathom sitting through the movie; the trailers were more than enough. I assure you I do not shock easily but this movie crosses so many lines on so many levels. I thought we stopped allowing the exploitation of children when all the behind the scenes about child pageantry came out?
I guess not.
I can’t imagine what kind of sick adult wrote this script, choreographed it, filmed it, and sold it with a child cast. I am shocked that Netflix backs it and shows it.
This is, of course, my opinion. But the following is fact.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz apparently shares similar views and decided to do something about it. He indicted Netflix. And while a win might set precedent, I am not at all sure that it is Netflix that should be gone after, or what might become of such a case.
I chose a clip rom the best articulation of the indictment that I could find. There is a link below the clip with further details.
The indictment against Netflix comes following outrage over the film’s release in September. Hundreds of critics called out the film’s sexualization of young girls in various scenes throughout the movie, particularly ones in which they copy an older dance group’s sexual moves and another in which one 11-year-old member of the dance troupe takes photos of her genitals, although no nudity is actually showcased.
Along with a petition to #CancelNetflix, dozens of Congressmen, particularly Republican members of the House and Senate, have criticized the platform, including some members who have even requested for the Department of Justice to prosecute Netflix for its release of the film. Thirty-three members of the House signed Representative Jim Banks’ letter recommending the department “bring charges against Netflix, Inc. for the distribution of the film Cuties, which contains child pornography.”
“Child pornography is any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor, and that conduct does not need to specifically depict sexual activity to qualify,” the letter continued. “Cuties clearly meets the United States’ legal definition of child pornography.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz also called for the DOJ’s involvement, writing in a letter that Cuties “routinely fetishizes and sexualizes these pre-adolescent girls as they perform dances simulating sexual conduct in revealing clothing including at least one scene with partial child nudity. These scenes in and of themselves are harmful.””It is likely that the filming of this move created even more explicit and abusive scenes, and that pedophiles… will manipulate and imitate this film in abusive ways,” he added.
While Netflix did initially take a hit with a surge of canceled subscriptions, recent data provided by 7Park Data showed that the backlash against the streamer over the movie essentially subsided after a week of Cuties’ release. Within the first few days of the movie’s arrival to Netflix, canceled subscriptions “hit a peak of about five times the churn rate of Jan. 1, 2019,” Variety reported. However, a week later, “cancellations had subsided to previous levels.”
Source: Netflix Indicted in Texas Over ‘Cuties’ Movie’s ‘Prurient Interest in Sex’