Calls to boycott Netflix and the hashtag #CancelNetfix trending over the streaming giant’s “Cuties” movie.
Netflix is facing a serious online backlash for providing a platform for the controversial French film “Cuties,” about an 11-year-old Senegalese girl living in Paris who joins an all-girl dance group.
Last month, Netflix apologized after a poster promoting the movie was accused of sexualizing its young cast.
After a video came out showing a dance scene from the movie, which puts a spotlight on the underage girls’ provocative dance moves, many critics immediately took to social media demanding people cancel Netflix over the film’s content.
Netflix is comfortable with this. Plenty of people will defend it. This is where our culture is at. pic.twitter.com/UlqEmXALmd
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) September 10, 2020
“Cuties” premiered on Wednesday, a #CancelNetflix campaign has been trending on Twitter, with some equating the coming-of-age film to pedophilia.
While the movie is being dubbed “child pornography” and “disgusting” by Twitter users supporting the hashtags, film critics have remarked the movie is actually a feature-length criticism of the sexualization of young girls.
Cuties, tells the story of an 11-year-old Senegalese Muslim girl named Amy, and, according to the director, it is meant to depict the struggle of ‘many children who have to navigate between a liberal western culture and a conservative culture at home’.
However, while publicizing the movie, Netflix chose to focus almost solely on Amy’s participation in her school dance team and their quest to ‘twerk their way to stardom at a local dance contest’.
The site’s trailer and poster featured imagery of pre-adolescent girls dancing provocatively in very skimpy outfits, while Netflix’s description of the movie centered around their ‘increasingly sensual dance routines’.
Several social media users accused Netflix of supporting child abuse by hosting the movie.
‘Unbelievable that they released “Cuties”. So child porn is ok now Netflix? Raise your hand if you agree this is disgusting,’ wrote Twitter user David Fischer, adding the hashtag #CancelNetflix.
‘If you watch 11-year-olds twerk, you’re a pervert. If you direct 11 year olds to touch themselves on camera, you’re a pedophile. If you support Netflix making and airing #Cuties, you’re enabling abuse,’ said Republican candidate for Congress James P. Bradley.
‘Netflix is comfortable with this. Plenty of people will defend it. This is where our culture is at,’ said Daily Caller writer Mary Margaret Olohan.
‘If you call “Cuties” art or a “social statement”. I call you a child abuser. We have no time for niceties while children are being sexualized for mass entertainment,’ added writer Sonia Poulton.
Others accused both Democrats and Republicans of not speaking out and urged them to call for its removal.
‘Our elected officials are mighty silent on the Cuties movie by Netflix. Even those running for office, supported by the top tiers of both establishment parties, are silent. I will never be silent. Why run just to be silent? #CancelNetflix and their board members,’ said Republican House candidate Buzz Patterson.
‘The fact that mainstream media is making the pedophile-fodder of #Cuties into a right-v-left thing should truly embarrass anyone who is on the political left. Protecting children should be universal, not relegate to one side of the political spectrum,’ wrote user JD Rucker.
