Not long after the controversy surrounding the Netflix movie, Cuties, the Parents Television Council, also known as the PTC, has called on the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to have the Department of Justice look into Netflix over allegations they have sexually exploited children.
Cuties is a coming-of-age story that follows an 11-year-old girl as she learns to understand her place in the world not only as a girl but as a blossoming young woman.
The PTC cited the movie as just another example of Netflix’s programming in which they’ve “grotesquely sexualized children.” The group has demanded the United States government look into the series.
Reportedly, congressmen and women have called out the film for sexually exploiting children. Over the last month, a petition was created on Change’s website which has garnered over 650,000 signatures since.
You can check out what Senator Ted Cruz had to say on the subject below:
.@netflix’s ‘Cuties’ sexualizes 11-year-old girls, and it’s disgusting and wrong. That’s why I’ve asked AG Barr to investigate whether Netflix, its executives, or the filmmakers violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography. pic.twitter.com/OuhE6ifmGi
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 13, 2020
Netflix, on the other hand, has argued that the film is against sexually exploiting children and it’s a story about the challenges young women and girls face online and from society, not a narrative that promotes abuse. Netflix did release a statement in which they apologized for the film, particularly its artwork, however.
Apparently, Netflix apologized for the artwork they had initially used for the movie, which reportedly was sexual in nature. As a result, the company changed it. The filmmaker, Maimouna Doucouré, wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post in which she said society hasn’t given children the “tools” to become adults in society in a healthy way.
Moreover, the filmmaker called out conservative parents who she claims have missed the message of the production. As most know, this wouldn’t be the first time that Netflix has come under fire for their programming.
Back in 2019, the host of The Patriot Act, Hasan Minhaj, took Netflix to task for eliminating their episode on Saudi Arabia. Hasan also criticized the Saudi Arabian government for putting activists behind bars. Thus far, Netflix has released a yearly report in which they reveal the content they have had removed from their streaming platform.