A Texas lawmaker has asked state Attorney General Ken Paxton to launch an investigation into top streaming service Netflix after it released a grotesque film that borders on child pornography.
The film, “Cuties,” is French-made and it features four girls in the age range of 11 who form a dance troupe in the hopes of winning a local contest. While onstage, they are depicted in very skimpy outfits twerking, touching themselves suggestively, and appearing to mimic a sex act. There are plenty of shots focusing on the girls’ crotches and bottoms as well.
It really is about as disgusting as it gets and frankly, the filmmakers (and the parents of these kids) should be doing hard time.
“I have asked Texas Attorney General Paxton’s office to investigate the @netflix film ‘Cuties’ for possible violations of child exploitation and child pornography laws,” Texas Rep. Matt Schaefer, a Republican, noted on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/RepMattSchaefer/status/1304162860998823939
Netflix is based in California but has an office in Texas.
Even the Internet Movie Database said at least one scene in the film qualified under legal definitions of “pedophilia” because “one of the female child dancers lifts up her cropped top to fully display her bare breast,” an act “lawfully defined as pedophilia and can be extremely distressing to many viewers.”
IMDB gave the film a “severe” rating.
https://twitter.com/RLynnx/status/1304193248127311872
“Female great nudity of a minor during an erotic dance scene and lengthy & excessive closeup shots of breasts, bums and spread crotches of scantily clad 11 year old girls during numerous sexualized dance routines,” IMDB added.
Schaefer is not the only lawmaker outraged by the movie. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), demanded Netflix remove the film in a letter Friday.
“In early 2019, journalists first began to report that YouTube videos of children in partial states of exposure were being ‘inundated with comments’ by pedophiles, exposing the children involved in the videos and other children visiting the platform to potential harm,” he wrote.
The letter continued: “Your decision to do so raises major questions of child safety and exploitation, including the possibility of copycat behavior and exploitation of child actors,” regarding the film's availability on the platform.
“Why did your company designate this film with a ‘TV-MA’ for ‘language’ without any mention of its graphic sexual content,” he asked. “In marketing this film, did Netflix consult with any experts or authorities on combating child sexual exploitation or the psychological and emotional impacts of the sexualization of minors?
“In marketing this film, did Netflix consult with any law enforcement authorities or experts about the possibility of copycat behavior, such as the viewing and imitation of hardcore pornography, by children who may see this film?” Hawley continued. (Related: Another TSA screener arrested on child porn possession.)
Amazingly, the streaming service tried to defend the film (and itself) by claiming that “Cuties” is really just a “social commentary against the sexualization of children,” along with being an “award winning film” and “a powerful story.”
https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1304242446856081409
Shortly after the movie was released, scores of social media users made #CancelNetflix trend, Right Scoop reported. Also, a Change.org petition has, as of this writing, garnered nearly 632,000 signatures, which will hopefully dramatically impact the streaming service’s bottom line.
Others weighed in on the act of filming and directing the kids to do the things they do on film.
“Do you know how sets work? I do. I’ve directed some of the biggest stars in the world. A director on the Cuties set and a choreographer told 11 year olds to simulate sexual moves repeatedly. What they did should have them charged and registered as sex offenders,” Robby Starbuck wrote.
https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1304172724928098315
“This is personal to me. I have an 11 yr old daughter. I’m a director. If anyone spoke to my daughter and even half way insinuated she should act out the moves that the choreographer and the director made 11 yr old girls in 'Cuties' do, my reaction would likely land me in jail,” he added.
He’s not wrong. Because if some warped individuals had ‘directed’ 11-year-old girls to do these things on video and not call it a ‘film,’ they’d be behind bars for a long, long time.
Sources include:
Please contact us for more information.