The same thing that draws me to banned book, pulled me into watching Cuties.
When I heard that Texas Senator Ted Cruz was asking the DOJ to investigate the movie "Cuties" for violating child pornography laws, my first reaction was - I’ve gotta watch that movie before William Barr manages to get it pulled from Netflix.
The movie was, largely, what it said it was - a coming of age movie about eleven year-old Amy, trying to figure out who she is and what she believes in.
Cuties is also a commentary on the struggle of young girls trying to understand and define their sexuality before they are ready; before they understand what it really is - in a world that sends out contradictory, confusing messages about what it means to be a girl.
Yeah - I get what some people are yelling about - it is hard to make a point about the damaging impacts of over sexualizing girls without showing what that looks like. There were scenes that made me cringe, where I felt it was too much. I had gotten the point.
But to focus on snapshots or a misguided marketing strategy (which was the original controversy with the movie), misses the entire point of the movie, and more importantly, it shifts the focus away from the real conversations we should be having about sexuality, gender roles, the influence of media, what friendships should look like, how religion and culture play a role in our sense of self, how to deal with conflict, and how to manage gigantic, confusing feelings.
And this was what struck me about Amy. She had nobody to talk to as she struggles with the religious and cultural norms of her Senegalese immigrant Muslim family, as she desperately wants to be accepted by a sassy band of popular girls, who call themselves (in the American version) “Cuties,” as she tries to make sense of the Internet messages and images she consumes on a stolen cell phone.
Here’s my recommendation for the adults. Rather than react to the out-of-context snippets and commentary flying around the Internet, watch the entire movie. Then, regardless of whether you think it’s porn, a gift for pedophiles, or a poignant coming of age movie; whether you think it’s poorly done or well executed - talk to your kids about what you experienced, how it made you feel and what you hope and expect of them. Then give them a hug and remind them that you love them and that you are there for them to come talk to - anytime, about anything.