CNA Staff, Sep 15, 2020 \/ 12:25 pm (CNA).- US Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, is among those who have called for an investigation into Netflix over its release of Cuties, a French independent film that he said sexualizes young girls.
\u201cI urge the Department of Justice to investigate the production and distribution of this film to determine whether Netflix, its executives, or the individuals involved in the filming and production of \u2018Cuties\u2019 violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography,\u201d Cruz wrote in a Sept. 11 letter to attorney general William Barr.
Cruz said the film \u201csexualizes young girls, including through dance scenes that simulate sexual activities and a scene exposing a minor's bare breast.\u201d
He added that some scenes in the film \u201cin and of themselves are harmful,\u201d and said, \u201cit is likely that the filming of this movie created even more explicit and abusive scenes, and that pedophiles across the world in the future will manipulate and imitate this film in abusive ways.\u201d
The senator said that \u201cAlthough the First Amendment provides vigorous protection for artistic expression, it does not allow individuals or for-profit corporations to produce or distribute child pornography.\u201d
A spokesperson for Cruz told the AP that the senator has not seen the film.
Cuties, whose original French title is \u201cMignonnes\u201d, was released Aug. 19 in France, and internationally on Netflix Sept. 9.
Cuties\u2019 director, Ma\u00efmouna Doucour\u00e9, won an award for her work on the film at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Netflix apologized last month for a promotional poster of the film, saying, \u201cIt was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance.\u201d
Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, tweeted Sept. 11 that \u201cchild porn \u2018Cuties\u2019 will certainly whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade.\u201d
US Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, tweeted Sept. 12 he finds\u2019 Netflix\u2019 \u201cdecision to peddle child pornography disgusting\u201d, and called on the Justice Department to act.
Ken Buck, a Republican Congressman from Colorado, has also called for an investigation by the Justice Department.
Doucour\u00e9 has said she was inspired to make Cuties after noticing that some \u201cvery young girls\u201d had hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
"There were no particular reasons [for the number of followers], besides the fact that they had posted sexy or at least revealing pictures: that is what had brought them this 'fame,\u2019\u201d she said in an interview in August with CineEuropa.
She told CineEuropa that it is \u201curgent\u201d that this matter be discussed, and that she thinks \u201ca debate be had on the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CNA Staff, Sep 15, 2020 \/ 12:25 pm (CNA).- US Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, is among those who have called for an investigation into Netflix over its release of Cuties, a French independent film that he said sexualizes young girls.
\n\u201cI urge the Department of Justice to investigate the production and distribution of this film to determine whether Netflix, its executives, or the individuals involved in the filming and production of \u2018Cuties\u2019 violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography,\u201d Cruz wrote in a Sept. 11 letter to attorney general William Barr.
\nCruz said the film \u201csexualizes young girls, including through dance scenes that simulate sexual activities and a scene exposing a minor's bare breast.\u201d
\nHe added that some scenes in the film \u201cin and of themselves are harmful,\u201d and said, \u201cit is likely that the filming of this movie created even more explicit and abusive scenes, and that pedophiles across the world in the future will m..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n