| Has anyone actually watched Cuties on Netflix? Thoughts? |
| So what's the controversy? |
Child porn |
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It's clearly about the challenges of growing up as an adolescent girl in a culture that aggressively sexualizes young women while also depriving young women of any agency around their own bodies. I thought it was interesting to see this idea through the eyes of a Senegalese immigrant girl in a Western country that is not the US, and I also found the way the story explores Amy's relationship to her Muslim culture versus how she relates to the broader mainstream culture to be very thoughtfully done.
It's so dumb that this movie has received tons of negative attention just because Netflix messed up the way it advertised the film. It does not exploit young women. The opposite -- it is a story told from the point of view of a young woman that honestly addresses issues young girls everywhere have to deal with. It made me think a lot about how I responded to sexualized imagery and pressure as an adolescent in the 90s. Plus it's a critically claimed movie that won an award at Sundance, directed by a black woman. The "controversy" around it is dumb. Watch it. |
| *critically acclaimed, not critically claimed |
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Did you watch it or just see the ad?
There's been controversy with the poster/ads because Netflix chose a very sexualized image that the director (a Black woman) did not at all approve. The director has been getting death threats from idiots who saw the poster and went nuts assuming this was child porn. So if you're going by the advertising, which Netflix has withdrawn, you might want to look at reviews etc. instead. I haven't seen it yet but know it's about dance troupes--yes, the tween-girl kind with short-shorts costumes etc. But Netflix totally blew the ads and the director is being unfairly targeted by ignorant nuts now. Not just cancel culture but death threat culture. Over a movie that apparently wasn't as depicted in one crappy image. |
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I scrolled through the film (didn't watch the whole thing) and while some of the dancing scenes are pretty questionable, it's also pretty evident that the girls don't know what they are doing or understand the meaning of it. They are teaching themselves so there's not some creepy dude grooming them or something.
And the movie is about way more than the dancing. You pick up from the very beginning that this is an immigrant family to France from somewhere in Africa (it's Senegal) and there's a lot more going on than pre-pubescent dirty dancing. Definitely something the Matt Walshes of the world will never open their minds up to comprehend. Here's a more measured review: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/cuties-mignonnes-the-extraordinary-netflix-debut-that-became-the-target-of-a-right-wing-campaign Also, the music is good. |
^^By this, I don't mean that they don't understand that it's sexualized, they do. They don't understand the way they are expressing it is not actually accepted for them, but is accepted in commercials, etc. |
OP here- I just saw the ad. It piqued my curiosity. I’m very sensitive about the portrayal of children as sexualized objects. I think I will watch it and come back and let you know my thoughts. |
Enjoy. I heard that one girl blows up a condom like a balloon. |
| It's so totally disgusting. I saw some clips of it on twitter and yeah- it's basically CP. Gratuitous close up crotch shots of 11 year olds. I cannot for the life of me believe Netflix signed off on this. It boggles the mind. |
Are you also fighting for the cancellation of child beauty pageants? As in, young children dressed and made up like adult women, dancing on stage for old men judges? |
This is what's wrong with "cancel culture" or whatever you want to call it. People jump to conclusions without getting the facts. |
How is that relevant to this thread in any way? |
OP again- I hope this isn’t directed at me. I haven’t expressed an opinion about this show and was actually on here soliciting opinions of fellow DCUMers who have seen it. |