Netflix has been the target of much criticism as of late with the release of a poster advertising children in an overly sexual way.
The trailer for the upcoming Netflix film Cuties, follows an impressionable Amy, a muslim girl growing up in a strict household, transitioning from timid and curious to bold and risque. In a daring move, she attempts to join a twerking dance group called Cuties.
The young girls of the group can be seen throwing bras in the air, stealing money, and engaging with older boys. To top it off, at the tender age of 11, the little girl is told she is a woman now.
The trailer sparked angry conversations among viewers. However, the poster for the film sealed the nail in the coffin. The poster, which was used for promotion in the U.S., shows the young children of color provocatively squatting or bending over, with the exception of the euro-centric looking girl who is in a cheerleader stance. One girl looks like she is terribly uncomfortable, while the whole image is reminiscent of a strip club photo op.
People online responded with backlash, calling it “disturbing,” “disgusting,” and “weird.” Netflix has since responded to the backlash by pulling the ad and releasing a statement to Deadline.
“We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description.”
Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, Cuties originated in France with the title Mignonnes and made a splash at Sundance when it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award. The film is set for a September 9th release in the U.S.
While people on social media are quick to jump to conclusions before even seeing the full project, it does seem that Netflix and those behind the film pretty much confirmed critics’ worst fears when they released the sexually toned ad.
It draws the question on whether the culture of social media and the growing acceptance of stripper culture from hip hop music has now infiltrated entertainment overall, even the most innocent of content involving children?
A quick trip on Instagram is not a balanced one, but is often saturated with “models” showing off their body assets and promoting sexual experiences. Everyone is pretty, everyone is wealthy. However, the underlying message to young children is that they should value superficiality and materialism. Young girls and women are being influenced to use their dance abilities and bodies as a means for attention and admiration.
Some people honestly don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with this, especially parents who are practicing the same stuff and willingly grooming their children to do the same using the guise of feminism, women empowerment, freedom of speech and liberalism as their core values.
But, in reality, it’s causing children to be preyed upon by pedophiles and perverts. To children, it’s giving credibility and appeal to the sex industry and sex trafficking rings. It’s dumbing down society and reducing intellect. Finally, it sells the false perception that a life of reducing a girl’s potential to her beauty and not her brain is a substantial and long-term strategy.
Not to say that the beauty industry is not a billion dollar one, but isn’t it kind of suspect that black and brown girls are made targets of these dysfunctional messages? Why is there a group of people out there that wants these demographics to be molded to think a certain way at such a young age?
A better question is, why is our beloved hip hop being the conduit to deliver these messages to our youth? The point will be further validated if Cuties has these young girls twerking to hip hop music.
