The Parents Television Council and Enough is Enough have called for U.S. Attorney General William Barr to investigate Netflix to see if the streaming service company “violated federal statutes against child pornography” with the film “Cuties.”
PTC President Tim Winter released a statement about the decision to call on Barr to investigate the film:
- “We are urging the Attorney General to thoroughly investigate whether Netflix has violated federal law in its distribution of the film ‘Cuties.’ If the Texas grand jury’s indictment is any indication, then a federal investigation is warranted. It is time for Netflix to be held to account for its apparent infatuation with sexualizing children in its entertainment programming, of which ‘Cuties’ is one of many examples.
Donna Rice Hughes, president of Enough Is Enough, talked about the letter, too.
- “At a time in America in which the sexual exploitation of children in the digital world has escalated exponentially during COVID and virtual learning, ‘Cuties is only throwing gasoline on the fire by giving dangerous permission-giving beliefs to young girls that sexting, dancing provocatively and seducing adult men is desirable, acceptable and safe,” Hughes said. “Furthermore, the film whets the appetites of sexual predators and sexually exploits the young girls that the film’s producers purport to care about. It’s past time for Netflix and other streaming platforms to get on board with America’s zero-tolerance policy of child pornography or face criminal charges.”
The PTC and Enough is Enough letter said other Netflix series — like “Desire,” “Sex Education” and “Big Mouth” also sexualize children.
Context:
The PTC letter comes as the company has commended a Texas jury for issuing an indictment against Netflix. The grand jury filed an indictment based on the lewd visual material depicting a child in the Netflix film “Cuties,” according to NBC News.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee has been one congressman to lead the charge against the film. He called on Netflix to cease distribution of the controversial film.
- “Until it does so, Netflix lacks the moral standing to speak to any cultural issue,” he said.
The other side:
PEN America said in a statement to the Deseret News that the actions against “Cuties” limits freedom of expression.
“While people are free to criticize the film’s depiction of children in provocative clothing and dance performances, the claim that this fictional film transgresses legal lines is patently false. The film does not depict sexual acts, nor is there any accusation that children were abused or exploited in its creation. The invocation of the legal system to forcibly impose the mores of certain offended viewers on film director Maïmouna Doucouré and Netflix represents a gross violation of artistic freedom.”