Cuties

[bgmnts]

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/21/cuties-netflix-film-fury

Has anyone seen this? It seems to have sparked controversy for sexualising children or having paedophilic undertones or something. Yet upon reading, it seems to be a commentary on the sexualisation of girls in society, I think particularly religious contexts?

The original cover has some girls walking down the street but the Netflix cover has the girls in very glamorous, revealing clothing and posing like a girl band or some shit.

Netflix bungled it BIG TIME it seems. Or it's doing exactly what a mainstream media like Netflix is suppose to do I suppose? Very, very odd though.

[Dex Sawash]

Thought it said curries and was very confuzzled.

[idunnosomename]

um yeah. has anyone watched this? the right-wing grifters are pearl-clutching but surely this is a commentary on the phenomenon rather than just making CHILD PORN FOR NETFLIX AHHH THE LIBS ARE FUCKING OUR BABIES

written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, French with Senegalese parents. i mean. i just wonder if it's a good film or not

[Brundle-Fly]

.

[Noodle Lizard]

I think you can see it both ways. Obviously the conspiracy theorist types are getting very overexcited (as they're wont to do), but I did kind of wince at one of the posters myself when I saw it, long before I heard of any backlash.

Even if you're doing something as a commentary, there is perhaps still an ethical question when it comes to actually making young girls do those things and putting it out there for an audience of god-knows-who. But I haven't seen the movie (or even heard much about it), so I can't judge how tastefully it treads that line. Given the origin, I'd be surprised if it was anywhere near as obnoxious as the marketing has been, but that's Netflix for you.

The promotional imagery in and of itself is pretty grim, with nothing overtly "satirical" about it. Obviously I don't buy that Netflix is part of some paedo sex cult or whatever they're saying, but it wouldn't surprise me if they got exactly the reaction they were going for.

[zomgmouse]

the uproar over the poster was ludicrous because obviously Netflix fucked up but now the uproar over the actual film is MIND-BOGGLING. i don't know what to do but laugh at all the people absolutely fuming over something they likely have not seen (disclaimer i also have not seen it but it does not take a viewing to realise this is superficial outrage)

#CANCELNETFLIX is trending. netflix didn't even make the film, they're just streaming it

everyone's posting screenshots of a "parents' guide" listing certain "inappropriate" scenes and it's like, do you not realise this is portraying without condoning. showing something to criticise it. aghhhhhhhhh

and then everyone's posting a screenshot of rottentomatoes with the critics score at 88% or something and the audience score at 3%. somehow posting it as a massive own. when it's just showing that maybe people whose job it is to analyse and review films know something that you don't?? holy shitttttttttttttt

[chveik]

I bet there's nothing remotely controversial in the film.

[machotrouts]

This film looks fucking hot! Hell yeah!

[Shaky]

I watched this with my lady-friend last night (so I'm definitely not a paedo!) and it's a confused mess of a film. On the one hand, there's the cliched stuff about a kid on the cusp of puberty fighting against her family values, finding a team of misfits to join, discovering sexuality etc but then we've got many weird lingering crotch and ass shots and a very muddled approach as to whether images and videos in the media are helping or corrupting young teens.

It's like Larry Clark directing a Nickelodeon show. For me, the main problem is that the film ends up saying very little and that makes it harder to argue against some level of exploitation.

[idunnosomename]

Well that's exactly what i expected from a "ban this sick filth" where no one ever discusses the content itself: it's not really good enough to bother defending

[Thursday]

Yeah it does seem like despite it's aims... it still sexualizes young girls and in the process is providing plenty of wank fodder for paedophiles in the process of making a point that didn't really need to be made in this way.

At the same time there's an insane reaction, and there seems to be lot of weaponizing going on, where certain types want to portray this as some kind of "This is the future leftists want" Kind of thing and otherwise well meaning people are being taken in by it and boosting the moral panic.

Anyway I dunno, would need to see the film to actually comment, but I really don't think I want to.

[sevendaughters]

it's a culture war talking point and best just ignored.

[Shaky]

At the same time there's an insane reaction, and there seems to be lot of weaponizing going on, where certain types want to portray this as some kind of "This is the future leftists want" Kind of thing and otherwise well meaning people are being taken in by it and boosting the moral panic.

This is true. I know of at least two friends who deleted their Netflix accounts after seeing Cuties, which is utterly mental. These are quote-unquote decent, extremely broadminded people as well.

[idunnosomename]

I will reserve my judgement until I read a review by an authentic paedophile.

[SavageHedgehog]

I haven't been this outraged since Cavegirl.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I watched the trailer and lasted about 10 seconds (stop it), I'll never watch it but it does seem like these kind of sexualised kiddie dance troupes have been featured in films before (Little Miss Sunshine, Donnie Darko, Bugsy Malone) without any issue. Possibly it's also a comment on how kids copy their favourite pop stars without really understanding that what they're doing is inappropriate. I was on the Metro once and there was a girl younger than the ones in this film, pole dancing while her parents cheered her on.

The people raging about it being actual "child pornography", do they honestly think Netflix would put actual child porn on their service? And of course they're just bringing more attention to it anyway. If actual paedophiles didn't know about it before, they do now.

[Jumblegraws]

My shallow assessment formed from scrolling through reactions on Twitter is that the men getting most angry about it are the sort who happily leer at women who are barely into their twenties and probably worry consistently about getting done for statutory rape. The content of the trailer seemed a bit off-colour, but then so does most media that seems to want pubescent girls to get a jump on courting the male gaze. If, as some people are claiming, the film actually attacks that sort of casual sleaze, then I guess that's to the filmmakers' credit, although as others have said upthread, it sounds like they're having their cake and eating it. I'm in no rush to watch it in any case.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Ted Cruz weighing in. The biggest entertainment company in the world is peddling kiddie porn!

https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1304754228477472768?s=20

This man who cares so much about da kidz but led a fight to not ban assault weapons after the umpteenth school shooting.

[thenoise]

#CANCELNETFLIX is trending. netflix didn't even make the film, they're just streaming it

Netflix produced the poster didnt they? And chose to put it up in lots of public places to generate controversy/intrigue. I think that we can hold Netflix responsible for putting these provocative images, divorced of any context that might make them acceptable,in the public eye (whether we want to see it or not).
It was a distasteful and exploitative ad campaign and I'm glad it has backfired.

[zomgmouse]

The problem is not just that it's backfired on Netflix, but that it's also cast the actual filmmakers in a bad light.

[thugler]

Yeah it does seem like despite it's aims... it still sexualizes young girls and in the process is providing plenty of wank fodder for paedophiles in the process of making a point that didn't really need to be made in this way.

At the same time there's an insane reaction, and there seems to be lot of weaponizing going on, where certain types want to portray this as some kind of "This is the future leftists want" Kind of thing and otherwise well meaning people are being taken in by it and boosting the moral panic.

Anyway I dunno, would need to see the film to actually comment, but I really don't think I want to.

Yeah I'm not entirely convinced by the insane backlash, but judging from clips I've seen it spends a bit too long lingering on very young teens bodies, even if the intent is good I'm not sure the way it was shot is necessary to make the point it's making. I suspect it's only a small bit of the film though? I have to say the trailer did not make the film look particularly good.

[thenoise]

The problem is not just that it's backfired on Netflix, but that it's also cast the actual filmmakers in a bad light.

For the filmmakers it was probably this or obscurity.

[chveik]

the obscurity of not being accused of making child porn.

[Shaky]

Yeah I'm not entirely convinced by the insane backlash, but judging from clips I've seen it spends a bit too long lingering on very young teens bodies, even if the intent is good I'm not sure the way it was shot is necessary to make the point it's making. I suspect it's only a small bit of the film though? I have to say the trailer did not make the film look particularly good.

There are quite a few such shots throughout the film, which is odd at the very least.                                                           

[bgmnts]

the obscurity of not being accused of making child porn.

I thought you'd have a different opinion being french and therefore more cultured.

[chveik]

I thought you'd have a different opinion being french and therefore more cultured.

what do you mean? I haven't watched the film but I doubt the filmmaker is enjoying this kind of publicity.

[bgmnts]

Watch the film people!

[QDRPHNC]

The problem is not just that it's backfired on Netflix, but that it's also cast the actual filmmakers in a bad light.

I'm not sure how Netflix could have anticipated this going any differently. They got the controversy they wanted.

[idunnosomename]

Surely this would be a bit tame for actual paedophiles. Like wanking over the swimwear in the C&A catalogue.

[JamesTC]

A shame this is on Netflix and not in cinemas.

Imagine seeing a balding middle-aged man walk up to the kiosk and quietly utter "one adult for Cuties please" and then trot on over to the concessions stand to grab a large popcorn, a jumbo hotdog, a bag of revels and a super-size slushy.