Following widespread backlash on social media for sexualising young girls in the image, a popular Television and movie-streaming service platform, Netflix, has apologised for a promotional poster used for the French film named ‘Cuties.’
Horrified by the poster, thousands of people have signed a petition to have the film removed from the platform.
The petition called the 2020 French coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, “disgusting” for sexualising an 11-year-old girl ‘for the viewing pleasure of paedophiles
Cuties had won The World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance earlier this year.
The movie revolves around an 11-year-old girl, who protests against the traditions of her conservative family when she becomes fascinated with an energetic dance crew named ‘The Cuties’ at school.
The film is rated 82% fresh on an American review-aggregation website for film and television, Rotten Tomatoes and has been critically acknowledged for its handling of sensitive topics.
Netflix had just begun promoting the movie prior to its September 9, 2020, release on the platform when the accompany artwork provoked a storm of online criticism with thousands saying that the poster sexualises children.
The movie has drawn huge criticism on micro-blogging site Twitter as viewers all around the world are condemning the act.
“It is so revealing that the first major @netflixoriginal to centre young black girls binging on explicitly sexualising 11-year-old children,” said one user, Claire Heuchan.
Terming the move disgraceful, another user said: “Whether it’s acting or music, a sexualised image is too often the price of mainstream success for black women or girls.
However, Netflix has taken action by replacing the contentious poster and apologised for sharing it.
We're deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description.
— Netflix (@netflix) August 20, 2020
“We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties. It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description,” the streaming platform said on Twitter.
In the petition, creator Allison Mitchell called it “disgusting as it sexualizes an ELEVEN-year-old.”
Following Netflix’s apology, Mitchell updated the petition — saying the company’s response wasn’t enough. “This problem isn’t the artwork its the fact it’s about twerking eleven-year-olds for adult viewing pleasure,” Mitchell wrote on Thursday.
“There is no need for this kind of content in that age group, especially when sex trafficking and paedophilia are so rampant! There is no excuse, this is dangerous content!” Mitchell said on twitter adding that petition has nearly reached its 200,000-signature goal.
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