Netflix's Movie "Cuties"

[GreatAuk]

She was 16 at the time of that video. So it's OK for someone, who in their home country, is under the age of consent to make a sexed up video of being a school girl - who most the times are under the age of consent - but a coming of age film is porn? Either both are or they're not. To me 16 and 11 aren't much different. Both are basically children.

I'm not sure why the Britney video is such an important touchstone, and as I've outlined above I really don't think it works as a comparison at all - 'sexy 16 year old schoolgirl' in mainstream culture doesn't really sit well with me (and should sit even less well in America where 16 is underage as you point out), but it is completely different to an 11 year old doing much more sexual things as part of a much more structured plot. Agree with ianh too, it's just a different level.

And if you think 11 and 16 aren't that much different, then I don't even know where to start. One place would be to consider that one of them has actually gone though puberty, the other hasn't. Another place would be to try and have a think about what homework you were doing at 11 vs 16, what books you read, what media you enjoyed.

My guess is it's aimed mostly at girls, teens and above who feel they can relate to it. I don't think they made this film with Steve down the local in mind.

OK, so why is that a good thing? As I said above, the film seems to attempt to promote and normalise sexualisation of young children - so why is it a good thing that this is presented to girls? Why don't you think Steve down the local should watch it?

Talk about trying to bolt the doors after the horses have left - quite some time ago too. When I was in primary school the girls were copying what they saw Brittney and Christina do in their videos. This is nothing new. Only on the radio yesterday I heard someone complaining that their 13 year old daughter was walking around singing 'WAP'. This is nothing new it's just the first time it's been made into a film.

And to me it's a shame that kids are exposed to that kind of thing (often quite deliberately by the corporations selling the media, it seems). I don't know whether or not this is the first film to actually cover this, but it seems to be a lot more than girls dancing for fun and copying Britney videos. Just because some children are already being exposed to inappropriate content doesn't mean we should just give up entirely and start down the path to taking toddlers to sex shows.

I've had to watch the trailer again to make sure I wasn't missing something glaringly obvious.

This is the trailer I've seen. I need to be pointed out where this amounts to child pornography because I am not seeing it at all. Is it showing young girls dancing in a way which is typically done by girls of an older age and who they've probably seen in music videos etc. Clearly. Is it really detached from real life? Obviously not.

Maybe at 0:25-0:26 you have a girl with a finger in her mouth suggestively, other than that? I really am not seeing it.

I find it odd that nearly every girl I have shown this too doesn't see it as child pornography yet it seems to be mostly men that have an issue with it. My partner's response was "Well, yeah, that's what girls do at that age. They want to act older than they are". What are you scared of? That you're going to watch it and start fancying little girls? If this film was enough to make you do that then you had issues already.

The trailer doesn't show the most uncomfortable scenes. If the trailer was as 'sexual' as it got then I'd agree, it's probably within the bounds of just reflecting reality and not particularly pornographic. But from what I've seen and heard elsewhere it gets a lot worse in the film itself, in the context of a plot that presents the kids' sexualisation as positive and exciting.

Again with the deflecting as though you have to have repressed paedophilic tendencies to find it uncomfortable watching or hearing about prepubescent girls dancing and acting in an overtly sexual manner. I'm not scared of fancying the little girls in the film, I personally find it really distasteful, but more significantly think it sounds like a harmful product with a harmful message, that presents sexual images of young girls gratuitously.

As someone else said, there is a lot of projecting going on in this thread.

For what it's worth. I won't be watching it but not because I think it's child porn, it just looks like a film that I wouldn't find interesting and can't relate to.

You seem to be basing your assessment, and trying to canvas opinions from women you know, on the trailer. The trailer is not the end of the story.

edit: and the age rating is 15, so it's clearly not aimed at young girls.

 

[Energize]

So much drama on the fictionalisation of a legitimate, real life issue which ironically and sadly was attempting to vocalise the exact point people have taken issue with.

When those from outside look in, they see an unknown world game for arrogant critique. For those on the inside, ignorant criticism is can be quite damaging.

The ends clearly don't justify the means.

 

[FoxEye]

The difference with BS is that Cuties shows an 11 year old baring her breast, showing her bum, taking photos of her vagina using her uncles phone

I'm not Googling any of this, but ... is that really the case? I must admit I find that hard to believe - esp the last bit.

I mean, surely that would be illegal for anyone to broadcast, including Netflix. Is it not suggested rather than actually shown?

 

[GreatAuk]

I'm not Googling any of this, but ... is that really the case? I must admit I find that hard to believe - esp the last bit.

I mean, surely that would be illegal for anyone to broadcast, including Netflix. Is it not suggested rather than actually shown?

There's a thread on twitter by 'ghostjim4' that has a bunch of clips from the film, including that last one (do not want to link directly to it!). You don't actually see the genitals, just the act of her pulling her pants down in the bathroom from a side-on angle, taking a picture, and sending it, while her uncle bangs on the door to be let in.

Can't bring myself to watch all the clips so not sure about all the scenes, but sounds like everything people have said here is true.

 

[FoxEye]

There's a thread on twitter by 'ghostjim4' that has a bunch of clips from the film, including the last one (do not want to link directly to it!). The last one is true, although you don't actually see the genitals, just the act of her pulling her pants down in the bathroom from a side-on angle, taking a picture, and sending it, while her uncle bangs on the door to be let in.

Not sure about the others, can't bring myself to watch all the clips.

Thanks, but I'll pass. Doesn't sound like my cup of tea, anyhow. Not enough explosions or killer robots.

So they don't actually show anything pornographic, then, as I suspected.

e: Tangentially related. I was working in a library once when a kid and her dad walked in, to pick up some children's books.

She was dressed, to put it bluntly, like a hooker looking for work. And this kid couldn't have been anything other than very early teens. Now I've been around 4chan enough not to be (very) easily shocked. But this girl was dressed in such a suggestive way that I *was* shocked. And with her dad, no less.

 

[GreatAuk]

Thanks, but I'll pass. Doesn't sound like my cup of tea, anyhow. Not enough explosions or killer robots.

So they don't actually show anything pornographic, then, as I suspected.

e: Tangentially related. I was working in a library once when a kid and her dad walked in, to pick up some children's books.

She was dressed, to put it bluntly, like a hooker looking for work. And this kid couldn't have been anything other than very early teens. Now I've been around 4chan enough not to be (very) easily shocked. But this girl was dressed in such a suggestive way that I *was* shocked. And with her dad, no less.

Yeah, that scene wasn't properly pornographic, but it went beyond 'implied' to me.

The only other one I watched all the way through is second down in his thread, and is of the girls dancing on stage for an audience (who look a bit shocked tbf). The dancing they show, and the way it's filmed seems pornographic to me (could be on any modern adult pop star's music video). Even if the film had to feature 11 year old's for some reason, that scene did not have to be shot like that, and they didn't need to show as much as they did. It was gratuitous. Just remember that the actors playing the girls are actually real 11 year olds, who did this for real in front of the whole film crew and other actors.

I am shocked at what some people seem to think is perfectly normal kids clothing these days, can imagine what you mean. It's only getting more common from what you see round town these days.

 

[Johno please?]

I'm not Googling any of this, but ... is that really the case? I must admit I find that hard to believe - esp the last bit.

I mean, surely that would be illegal for anyone to broadcast, including Netflix. Is it not suggested rather than actually shown?

I watched the clip on that guys twitter, you don't see anything except her legs. While some of the dancing is a bit creepy to call it "pornographic" is to have some kind of aversion to the truth.

Unless the movie has worse parts? But I get the impression that guy would show the worst of it considering his apparent outrage.

 

[G-MAN2004]

Degeneracy is sweeping the west and the innocence of children is being destroyed. Anyone defending this deserves to be castrated.

 

[Newbie007]

I watched the clip on that guys twitter, you don't see anything except her legs. While some of the dancing is a bit creepy to call it "pornographic" is to have some kind of aversion to the truth.

Unless the movie has worse parts? But I get the impression that guy would show the worst of it considering his apparent outrage.

You ok with this filth? As gman said, anyone defending this is a sick ****

 

[Roar87]

If you can watch the dance scene without being disturbed then you probably have some issues https://youtu.be/61znoi9ZsEc?t=43

I appreciate they were maybe trying to make a point, but children shouldn't be doing that and it shouldn't be put out for people to watch

 

[pp111]

The world is full of people with nothing better to do than spend their entire life scanning the content of the internet desperately seeking something to moan about.

Of course, sometimes they are right, but mostly they are borderline and it's just a bunch of people whining for the sake of it.

We need to have honest open discussions about many topics without the fear of being stoned to death by the self appointed internet morality lynch mob.

But as for this cuties thing, I don't know, I don't much care, I am sure there are a million other busy-bodies with time on their hands to argue this out. I will leave it to them. Lol.

Whatever the outcome, it seems to me though that half the time the lynch-mob is worse than the accused. They don't stop to think that getting a series taken off the air can prematurely end a young'uns career and how much their relentless vilification can hurt the young actresses. They are nothing short of bullies themselves. Maybe there is a truth, but often with lynch-mobs it's all just a rumour, or blown up out of all proportion.

I am sure there more educated people than I who can decide. Child psychologists for example. Much rather have them say it's bad than a bunch of axe wielding parents looking to raise their internet presence.

 

[Roar87]

The world is full of people with nothing better to do than spend their entire life scanning the content of the internet desperately seeking something to moan about.

Of course, sometimes they are right, but mostly they are borderline and it's just a bunch of people whining for the sake of it.

We need to have honest open discussions about many topics without the fear of being stoned to death by the self appointed internet morality lynch mob.

But as for this cuties thing, I don't know, I don't much care, I am sure there are a million other busy-bodies with time on their hands to argue this out. I will leave it to them. Lol.

Whatever the outcome, it seems to me though that half the time the lynch-mob is worse than the accused. They don't stop to think that getting a series taken off the air can prematurely end a young'uns career and how much their relentless vilification can hurt the young actresses. They are nothing short of bullies themselves. Maybe there is a truth, but often with lynch-mobs it's all just a rumour, or blown up out of all proportion.

I am sure there more educated people than I who can decide. Child psychologists for example. Much rather have them say it's bad than a bunch of axe wielding parents looking to raise their internet presence.

Did you watch the link I posted above?

 

[robgmun]

**** me @Junglist, I'm pretty disturbed that you're trying hard to defend this trash. Have you actually sat down the movie and watch it? If you haven't then i think you'll do a complete 180 once you have.

So I decided to bite the bullet and watch the thing so that I can categorically say I know what I'm ******* talking about when it comes to this movie. I don't care to talk about how i saw it but I wasn't going to give Netflix a penny over this. Also, I didn't actually watch any trailers or clips as i usually like to go into movies blind so i don't get influenced as i consider myself a film buff and it's my main hobby. All i've seen is the poster that everyone was talking about that they pulled and the #cancellnetflix trending on Twitter.

The main summary i could give is that this is a steaming pile of excrement that deserves every print and copy of this movie to be burnt and buried deep like those ET cartridges. To systematically try to erase this from existence like Goerge Lucus did with the Star Wars Holiday Special. It's as every bit as bad as you'd imagine it to be and way worse than the impression the controversial poster hinted at. I have never given a movie 0/10 before, but i would give it to this.

It just makes you feel so bad inside that there are girls out there that can live this way and parents who don't give a **** what their pre-pubescent girls are up to who their role models are. All the girls in this movie act like trashy getto black women and you have to wonder how they learned this behavior, there's a fight scene in the middle of the movie that just reminds me of these US fight videos in getto where two fat black women lay into each other and it's the same thing here. Funnily enough, the two worst out of the group is the white girl with the blond hair and the east-asian looking one with the glasses. And the movie actually focuses a lot on the latter.

So, the main defenders of the movie say it isn't CP, I'd say it's pretty much there, but the most disturbing thing about it is this film tries to normalize girls behaving this way and that somehow rebelling against "conservative" parents is somehow a positive thing. And here we are folks, we have gone so far down the degenerate route and allow degenerates to have their way in the drip drip effect that we now have them trying to normalize trash. There's no way nonces wouldn't be able to get their rocks off from this and it's a travesty that this thing exists, I'm all for art for art's sake but there's a line and I think this film frankly crosses it and if it was banned I wouldn't blame anyone or be upset about it.

Those who try to defend this by saying it's the same as the Brittany Spears video are a joke, those who say it's no worse then girls dancing in the playground are a joke, those who say it's a commentary on sexual exploitation are a joke. 99% of the movie is 11-year-old girls fighting so that they can dance like whores and then quite literally the in the last 2 minutes the Main Character freaks out at end the final dance, runs off stage, runs home, and ghosts all the other girls without another word. If feels like it was that tacked on at the end so they can say it gives the film legitimacy, but it doesn't, it's thinly veiled and it obvious that it's glorifying this behavior.

Sorry but for anyone trying to defend this movie as art, if you haven't seen it you're being ignorant, if you have and still defend it, there's something deeply wrong with you, a bit sick and frankly suspect

 

[Junglist]

No I haven't sat down and watched it and why would I? It's clearly not a film aimed at me. I've watched the trailer and that's about all I care to watch and other than the kids dancing like how they'd see popstars, or whatever you call them, dancing in their music videos. I didn't during the trailer think "this looks like porn" probably because it looked nothing like porn.

Is it edgy. Of course and it's showing something that no one else has wanted/dared to touch before. Do I think it is actual child pornography and normalising nonces? no.

Now if everyone was this riled up about beauty pagents I'd fully agree. I'm just not seeing it with this film from the trailer I saw.

 

[Zatoichi.uK]

If you can watch the dance scene without being disturbed then you probably have some issues https://youtu.be/61znoi9ZsEc?t=43

I appreciate they were maybe trying to make a point, but children shouldn't be doing that and it shouldn't be put out for people to watch

Thought it brave it and yeeeeaaaaah. That's not okay. Wow...

A friend of mine lets his 7 year old son just watch MTV type music videos all day which I found weird. Not something I really want to into with him though as criticising parenting is a quick route to falling out. He's also lets him loose on VR and GTAV though so the kid has no hope bless him.

Got all this to come myself with a young daughter. Strange times.

 

[robgmun]

No I haven't sat down and watched it and why would I? It's clearly not a film aimed at me. I've watched the trailer and that's about all I care to watch and other than the kids dancing like how they'd see popstars, or whatever you call them, dancing in their music videos. I didn't during the trailer think "this looks like porn" probably because it looked nothing like porn.

Do you think the trailer was going to be that explicit? Frankly mate you made yourself look like a total idiot today in this thread. You clearly don't know what you're talking about and suggest you wake up a bit.

Is it edgy. Of course and it's showing something that no one else has wanted/dared to touch before. Do I think it is actual child pornography and normalising nonces? no.

While calling it CP is a bit of a stretch, it's clearly normalizing little pre-pubescent girls being highly sexual. And in turn, it's normalizing this behavior being in movies and TV which plays into the hands of nonces, I'm not sure how you're being so blind here. Or are you being deliberately being this ignorant?

Now if everyone was this riled up about beauty pagents I'd fully agree. I'm just not seeing it with this film from the trailer I saw.

I'm not ok with that either. And most people outside of the US aren't either. I don't see any double standards here so please drop that lame excuse.

 

[Nitefly]

People were reporting it was inappropriate so I wanted to actually judge for myself if there was genuinely inappropriate content because I was making the decision of whether to cancel my Netflix subscription which I now have done until they remove it.

I'm gay for a start so trying to insinuate I'm a paedophile makes you look ridiculous.

 

[Junglist]

Do you think the trailer was going to be that explicit? Frankly mate you made yourself look like a total idiot today in this thread. You clearly don't know what you're talking about and suggest you wake up a bit.

I first heard about the film in the other thread. I expected it to be a lot worse from the reaction I was seeing. I've made myself look like an idiot? How will I sleep at night knowing Robgum thinks I'm an idiot. I'm devastated and my day is ruined. A completely irrelevant internet stranger thinks I'm disturbed.

While calling it CP is a bit of a stretch, it's clearly normalizing little pre-pubescent girls being highly sexual. And in turn, it's normalizing this behavior being in movies and TV which plays into the hands of nonces, I'm not sure how you're being so blind here. Or are you being deliberately being this ignorant?

Maybe you get a different opinion from watching the film but I don't see how it's showing them to be highly sexual. Do you find dancing to be highly sexual? If it was about pole dancing and making them into working girls then I'd agree.

I'm not ok with that either. And most people outside of the US aren't either. I don't see any double standards here so please drop that lame excuse.

Where did I mention double standards? I just said if people were this mad about the pagents I'd understand I just don't understand the reaction to this film being as strong as it is especially when most people are like myself and only watched the trailer.

Perhaps if I watched the movie I'd have a completely different opinion about it but seeing as I've only watched the trailer, that is all I can have an opinion on. Maybe the film is really pushing it but seeing as I wont ever watch it, I suppose I'll never find out for myself.

 

[robgmun]

Stop digging your hole mate, you clearly can't admit you're wrong out of ego reasons or your just defending a movie for nonces

 

[CREATIVE!11]

I'm not sure what to think of this film.

On one hand it happens every day all over tiktok (this is the issue the director is trying to highlight I feel).....

On the other some of the scenes I saw did make me cringe a bit.... I need to watch the film for myself to form an opinion tbh.

I'm not one of these people that operates on second hand outrage. Anyone here reasonable watched the film? TLDR your thoughts?

Edit: But the parts that did make me cringe were effectively just young girls imitating what they have probably seen in some trashy rap video on youtube. Look at nicki minaj anaconda for example.