People have started cancelling their Netflix subscriptions over its “sexualising” of young girls.
The hashtag #CancelNetflix is trending on Twitter with people boycotting the streaming giant following its release of Cuties on 9 September, claiming that it sexualises its 11-year-old characters and is “feeding paedophilia”.
Cuties, titled Mignonnes in France, has received critical acclaim and won a directing award at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
It follows Amy, an 11-year-old girl who, according to Netflix’s synopsis, "tries to escape family dysfunction by joining a free-spirited dance clique named ‘Cuties’, as they build their self confidence through dance.”
One user on Twitter wrote: “Why did Netflix let a child porn be aired? 650 little girls twerking….”
Another said: “About to end a decade long relationship with Netflix. As a dad of an 11 y.o daughter, this is so unacceptable… No amount of paedophilia is acceptable #Cancel Netflix.”
A number of users are sharing screenshots of the IMDb parental guide for the film to justify their anger. IMDb cites a number of scenes in the movie to back up their 18+ rating for the film, including, “Lengthy and excessive closeup shots of breasts, bums and spread crotches of scantily clad 11-year-old girls.”
A petition on Change.org calling on customers to cancel their Netflix subscriptions over content “that exploits children and creates a disturbing vibe” has gained over 600,000 signatures.
Cuties became the subject of controversy after Netflix was accused of sexualising 11-year-old girls in its promotional poster for the film, which was vastly different from the French version.
A number of actors spoke out in support of the film. Avengers: Endgame star Tessa Thompson wrote: “Cuties is a beautiful film. It gutted me at @sundancefest. It introduces a fresh voice at the helm. She’s a French Senegalese Black woman mining her experiences. The film comments on the hyper-sexualization of preadolescent girls. Disappointed to see the current discourse.”
Recently, director Maïmouna Doucouré said she received death threats after Netflix released the tone-deaf poster for her film.
The streaming giant ended up removing the poster and issuing an apology for the “inappropriate” artwork.
