Contrary to What Ted Cruz Thinks, Prepubescent Twerking Does Not Make Cuties Illegal

(un)Reason ^ | The French film Cuties, currently available on Netflix, has outraged American politicians who say it | Jacob Sullum

[conservative98]

The French film Cuties, currently available on Netflix, has outraged American politicians who say it sexualizes prepubescent girls. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D–Hawaii), a former presidential contender, warns that Cuties, which depicts an 11-year-old's participation in a risqué dance troupe that flouts the values of her conservative Muslim family, "will certainly whet the appetite of pedophiles & help fuel the child sex trafficking trade." Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) goes even further, suggesting that Cuties is illegal. Whatever your take on the film's merits, Cruz presents no evidence to substantiate that claim.

In a letter he sent Attorney General William Barr on Friday, Cruz urges the Justice Department to "investigate the production of 'Cuties' and Netflix's distribution of the film in order to determine whether Netflix, any of its executives, or anyone involved with the making of 'Cuties' violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography." But he conspicuously fails to explain how the film runs afoul of those statutes.

"The film routinely fetishizes and sexualizes these pre-adolescent girls as they perform dances simulating sexual conduct in revealing clothing, including at least one scene with partial child nudity," Cruz writes. "These scenes in and of themselves are harmful. And it 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."

Except for Cruz's fact-free speculation about scenes that did not make it into the final movie, none of this supports his claim that Cuties qualifies as child pornography, which federal law defines as a "visual depiction" of "sexually explicit conduct" involving people younger than 18. While the definition encompasses "simulated sexual intercourse," that phrase is not broad enough to cover the scenes described by Cruz.

[conservative98]

Jacob Sullum again

[conservative98]

Contrary to what Ted Cruz thinks, prepubescent twerking does not make a movie illegal. https://t.co/z267lgoATp— Jacob Sullum (@jacobsullum) September 14, 2020

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I mean I accept that Ted Cruz probably won't win this red meat kind of battle. But, dumbing down what happened in the movie to just 11 year olds twerking is not correct either. There definitely are more explicit actions going on in this movie.— Huck Finn (@beeswontsting) September 14, 2020

You are a demon.— Khensu The Reminder (@KNeferhetep) September 15, 2020

Ok Pedo— 🇺🇸Sparky🇺🇸 (@HoltzDaddy) September 15, 2020

Great hill you chose to die on.— Evan 'Distinguished Hillbilly' Freshwater (@efreshwater5) September 15, 2020

Libertarianism without a moral compass.— Chris Ramos (@chriscrambos) September 14, 2020

I dont know man, this is not the side of the battle you want to be on. But I guess your true colors are coming out. 2020 is insane. Starting to think Cuties was a honeypot to bring these people out— Code Name: Pupusa #Kanye2020 (@authorpriscilla) September 14, 2020

Stay away from my kids, perv— EfDisShit (@EfDisShit) September 14, 2020

What is wrong with you? Young 11 year old girls tweaking and being sexualized is child porn! The FBI should investigate you!— PrayerWarrior4USA🇺🇸 (@USAFan76) September 15, 2020

@FBI check this one's harddrive.— Maury Ballstein (@Don_Ballstein) September 14, 2020

Okay, pedo. So, is that basically everyone at @reason on record defending child porn now?— The Elite Elite (@The_Elite_Elite) September 14, 2020

In before this guy gets raided. pic.twitter.com/1RXUuSyP8r— Futurage (@Reignsmee) September 15, 2020

[Tacrolimus1mg]

It isn’t illegal. There is no over sexual behavior, and by that I mean actual sex acts, as far as I know.

It is, however, extremely distasteful and abhorrent.

[Political Junkie Too]

which depicts an 11-year-old's participation in a risqué dance troupe that flouts the values of her conservative Muslim family

Where are all the concerns about "inflaming the Muslim street" that we always hear about?

-PJ

[albie]

Funny how pedos look like pedos

[SaveFerris]

[Prepubescent Twerking]

Wow, what a weirdo. It must be that “Prepubescent Twerking” is something attractive to him.

Wow. What a weirdo.

Yes, weirdo, it’s just wrong.

[conservative98]

If you did as they did in this film and had 11 year old girls topless, and zoomed in on their body and privates while twerking and distributed it you would be in jail.

[cherry]

look, stop this nonsense....we know what right and whats wrong...we know what is healthy and what is totally unhealthy....

sin is sin...morals are morals...

our society had better get back to drawing the line for the sake of the American family....

[Darksheare]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8ioa7LiBIE&t=336s

Yeah.
Nothing wrong.

[M. Thatcher]

Pedo outs himself, as does everyone defending this filth.

[Beagle8U]

“It isn’t illegal. There is no over sexual behavior, and by that I mean actual sex acts, as far as I know.”

How about when the 11 yr old lead actor puts a pic of her thing on the internet? Isn’t that illegal?

[Lockbox]

It’s not like it’s Twerking Twerking....... just ask Whoopi

[nickcarraway]

Did he actually say it was illegal?

[Darksheare]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1d5C6yP42A

A lady discussing one of the defenders of “Cuties”, one “mrgirl” on youtube who said that the kids were hot.
Don’t believe me?
Just listen to his own words, Miss Venti plays more than enough of what he said.
Yeah...mrgirl is a pedo.

[nickcarraway]

I guess #metoo is dead?

[Darksheare]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTNfw_bFOFE

Miss Venti also discusses the movie itself.
And the gratuitous camera zoom in on the crotchital areas of children.

[familyop]

Illegal or not, people don’t want to see it. I don’t have Netflix, but that’s disgusting. Bad programming decision! Someone should be fire!

[familyop]

Fired, even!

[DoughtyOne]

Seems to me at the very least it’s entry level movement
toward changing how we view sexual depictions involving
children.

You start out talking about problems children face, knowing
full well you’re focus on the issue is itself either an
outright abuse, or exploitation of a topic to manipulate
public opinion so that it is more acceptable to show
children linked to sexual topic materials.

It’s titillation to a pedophile. Here are children. The
topic is children dealing with pseudo sexual situations
over their age level. Think sick minds won’t tune to this
and enjoy the offering.

Children are being exploited by the music, movie, and
public forum owning corporations. The management of
these businesses, know what is taking place on their
platforms. Or K-12th grade education system itself is
introducing children to all manner of information way
above what kids should be introduced to.

These kids are told their parents are ignorant, so don’t
listen to them if they object to what we are telling you.
Parents mean well, but they are way behind what we know
to be true today. The parent has enough trouble being
seen by children to be right on certain issues. Now
this.

Language alone is extremely abysmal. The ability to do
a decent job raising children these days almost doesn’t
exist any longer.

Everyone colludes one way or another to introduce these
kids to topic way over their heads, and the kids cannot
cope with it, the peer pressures at play.

Cuties will open the door to more advanced portrayals of
children in bad situations. Each time they will be
described as trying to do something to help kids, by
involving them in sex.

[Nifster]

Says someone who must fantasize about youngsters