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Netflix issues bizarre apology after sexualizing 11-year-olds in tasteless promotion for film about 'sensual dance'
Image source: YouTube screenshot

Netflix issues bizarre apology after sexualizing 11-year-olds in tasteless promotion for film about 'sensual dance'

What the heck is wrong with these people?

Netflix has issued an apology for the "inappropriate artwork" used for one of its latest acquired films, "Cuties."

The "inappropriate artwork" in question was still footage from the actual French film itself. The company defended the film, lauding it for winning an award at the annual Sundance Film Festival.

What are the details?

The popular digital streaming company came under fire earlier this week after promoting the forthcoming film, which is centered on the burgeoning interest of an 11-year-old black Muslim child who becomes "fascinated" with a "twerking dance crew" that engages in "sensual" dance.

"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," a Thursday tweet from Netflix read.

Here is the original photo:

The network did, indeed, change the film's description in its online offering.

Here is what the film's landing page looked like before the edit, reading, "Amy, 11, becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew. Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity, defying her family's traditions."

Image source: Wayback Machine screenshot

And here's what it looks like at the time of this reporting, reading, "Eleven-year-old Amy starts to rebel against her conservative family's traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew."

How has the film synopsis changed?

The full synopsis of the film initially said:

Eleven-year-old Amy lives with her mom, Mariam, and younger brother, awaiting her father to rejoin the family from Senegal. Amy is fascinated by disobedient neighbor Angelica's free-spirited dance clique, a group that stands in sharp contrast to stoic Mariam's deeply held traditional values. Undeterred by the girls' initial brutal dismissal and eager to escape her family's simmering dysfunction, Amy, through an ignited awareness of her burgeoning femininity, propels the group to enthusiastically embrace an increasingly sensual dance routine, sparking the girls' hope to twerk their way to stardom at a local dance contest.

The new synopsis simply says:

Amy, 11 years old, tries to escape family dysfunction by joining a free-spirited dance clique named "Cuties," as they build their self confidence through dance.

There are lots of critics who don't want to see this film released

A petition to remove the French film from Netflix's online repository has received more than 50,000 signatures, and continues to climb.

At the time of this writing, Netflix is still planning to premiere the film on Sept. 9.

Cuties | Official Trailer | Netflixwww.youtube.com

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