Petition demands Netflix remove French film accused of sexualizing young girls
'Cuties' was screened at the 2020 Sundance Festival
More than 20,000 people have signed an online petition asking Netflix to remove the French film "Cuties," saying it "sexualizes an ELEVEN year old," after Netflix released a trailer for the film this week.
A poster for the film showing four young girls in dance poses sparked social media backlash.
NETFLIX TESTS A 'SHUFFLE' BUTTON FOR THE INDECISIVE VIEWER
"Parents [and] carers need vigilance in protecting children from sexualisation," journalist Sonia Poulton wrote on Twitter. "Every day brings a new Hell. Today's low is 'Cuties' on Netflix. A twerking mess that has 11-year-old girls grinding like pros. Another consequence of strippers becoming pop stars [and] influencing our young."
"[A] society that celebrates the sexualization of children, in any form, is doomed. [A]bsolutely appalling and grotesque stuff. [W]hy is this being promoted by Netflix?" Logan Hall, social media manager for the news site The Daily Caller, wrote on Twitter.
"It is so revealing that the first major Netflix original to centre young Black girls hinges on explicitly sexualising 11 year old children," Scottish author Claire Heuchan wrote on Twitter. "Whether it's acting or music, a sexualised image is too often the price of mainstream success for Black women [and] girls. Disgraceful."
"Netflix is premiering *Cuties* on September 9. ... the promotional image is 11 year olds dressed in clothes inappropriate for adults (so bad I won't tweet it)," Friar Matthew Schneider wrote on Twitter. "I can't believe we need to say pedophilia is wrong... But so many went to Epstein's Island."
The film's synopsis on Netflix reads: "Eleven-year-old Amy starts to rebel against her conservative family's traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew."
According to The Metro, The original synopsis read: "Amy, 11, becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew. Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity, defying her family's traditions."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFLX | NETFLIX INC. | 564.80 | +9.68 | +1.74% |
Netflix acknowledged to The Metro that the synopsis had been "updated" to be more accurate.
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The film is the directorial debut of 35-year-old Maïmouna Doucouré. The film was screened at the 2020 Sundance Festival.
FOX Business' inquiry to Netflix was not immediately returned.