Netflix has apologized after a promotional poster for the new French film ‘Cuties’ provoked a Tweetstorm over its sexualized portrayal of four 11-year-old girls who form a twerking dance troop.
“We’re deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties,” a spokeswoman for the online film and TV streaming service told the Daily Caller.
“It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance. We’ve now updated the pictures and description.”
The Netflix promo image for the debut feature film by director Maimouna Doucoure shows the four child actresses in provocative poses in outfits exposing their midriffs and thighs.
That contrasts with the original poster of the film titled ‘Mignonnes’ in French, which depicts the four girls in everyday clothes after a shopping spree.
The film, set for Netflix release on September 9, tells the story of Amy, an 11-year-old Senegalese immigrant from a polygamous Muslim family with two mothers who rebels against her traditional upbringing.
Amy “joins a group of dancers named ‘the cuties’ at school, and rapidly grows aware of her burgeoning femininity – upsetting her mother and her values in the process,” according to the film’s description.
The artwork provoked outrage among the Twitterati, especially conservative commentators.
The pedophiles at Netflix are releasing a movie sexualizing children called 'Cuties.' The description claims it's about an 11 year old girl that becomes "fascinated with twerking" and "exploring her feminity." pic.twitter.com/mh4MKftEPt
— Jaden McNeil (@JadenPMcNeil) August 19, 2020
Via @Netflix
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 19, 2020
- Amy, 11, becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew. Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity, defying her family's traditions.
This is the poster Netflix released to promote the film. pic.twitter.com/AfCrpjxmHh
Netflix accused of promoting pedophilia with 'Cuties' film about children twerking https://t.co/Al8Hohj4rE
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 20, 2020
Others contrasted the Netflix poster with the original.
its interesting to compare the french version of the cuties poster to the american version...
— kitti (meow) (@yeetdere) August 20, 2020
like the French version has more "kids having fun!" vibes, while the American version is just fucking.... gross.
I feel like the #Netflix marketing team has a lot to answer for. pic.twitter.com/c8QrX0EY75
Ok so the Netflix Cuties movie.
— 🤔•°{Miggs...?} (@miggsboson) August 20, 2020
I did some research and the director is a French Senegalese Black woman who is pulls from her own experiences as an immigrant and comments on the hyper-sexualization of preadolescent girls.
But look at the original poster vs the Netflix one pic.twitter.com/JVbaa5iueG
The thing about the Netflix campaign for Cuties is how disgustingly sexualized these girls are. Compare the poster and blurb from Netflix versus the ones on IMDb, shit is as different as night and day.
— Weekend Warrior (@wwarrior_1) August 20, 2020
Someone should get fired. pic.twitter.com/XrAL7njMBN