The word “TV-MA” was in vogue on Twitter on August 19 after Netflix audiences learned that an upcoming film called Cuties, about an 11-year-old girl, had a TV-MA rating. Now, some viewers are expressing their outrage and have filed a petition for the film to be removed. Netflix has officially apologized for the film’s poster.
Here’s what you want to know:
Cuties is described as a French comedy and drama “in progress”. The French name is Mignonnes. ImDb’s synopsis of the film reads: “Amy, an 11-year-old girl, joins a dancer’s organization called ‘the cute one’ at school and temporarily becomes aware of her nascent femininity, provoking her mother and her values in the process. “
The film is directed through Themouna Doucouré and stars Fathia Youssouf as Amy. According to a Hollywood Reporter reviewer, the film tells the story of a girl who moves away from her classic circle of Senegalese relatives and seeks to integrate “through joining an organization of beautifully sexualized dancers.”
The film’s plot revolves around Amy moving with her mother and younger siblings to a new apartment and learns that her father returns from Senegal with a momentary wife, The Hollywood Reporter reported. His mother tries to settle for the situation. Critics note that the film “establishes its critical view of a culture that leads impressionable women towards the hyper-xuization of their bodies.”
Screen Daily noted that the film is “explicitly designed to surprise a mature person in contemplating the destruction of the current innocence.”
It premiered on Sundance and will air on Netflix on September 9.
People who viewed the movie list on Netflix on their mobile devices noticed that the film rated TV-MA. The note does not appear on the desktop.
TV-MA means that “these systems are intended to be viewed by an adult and adult audience and may not be suitable for young people under the age of 17,” according to the FCC.
Because the film is about 11-year-old girls, the TV-MA score surprised many other people. Now, many other people are tweeting about it that “TV-MA” is fashionable on Twitter.
One user wrote: “Yes, um … what is the matrix? Why do you have a TV-MA rating? @Netflix, I’m out of the category.”
– Dr. gabby (@wiggeth) August 19, 2020
Some others noticed that the film had tags such as Emotional, Drama, Friendship, Religion, French and Film.
Another user wrote: “I had to make sure that I existed myself. Netflix, are you okay? Who will pay to play young women’s twerger?”
Netflix, are you okay? who will pay for the movies of young women who make twerk. pic.twitter.com/qZpGSa0HyC
– Mutahar (@OrdinaryGamers) 19 August 2020
Another user wrote: “A film about 11-year-olds who twerk and is rated TV-MA… it’s a total YIKES basket.”
… It’s a YIKES basket. pic.twitter.com/UbRryLTPZB
– Becky Hopkins (O.S. BeckyHop13) August 19, 2020
A petition has now been filed to remove the film.
The name of the petition reads: “I Netflix to remove the new Film Cuties because it promotes child pornography!”
The description reads:
As we are becoming more aware of the horror of child sex trafficking, and child sexual abuse we need to come together to end ALL forms. One way we can achieve this, is to cancel shows and movies that exploit our children! The movie Cuties shows children dressed provocatively, dancing sexually and is rated only for adult viewers. It was created for the entertainment of adults who are pedophiles. Please sign the petition to protect our children from exploitation in movies.
Netflix apologized for the film’s poster and got rid of the art that annoyed many viewers, Deadline reported. Netflix told Deadline: “We deeply regret the pointless illustrations we use for Cuties. It wasn’t right, nor was it representative of this French film that premiered at Sundance. Now we have the updated photographs and description.”
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