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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new Diverse Representations section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update. Family, community, and peers are all fundamental guides for tweens and have the power to influence their behavior, both for better and worse. Popular images that are widely available online sexualize young girls, perhaps especially young girls of color, and can influence how they see themselves and behave. Acceptance and belonging are powerful motivators. Immigrant families try to maintain their traditions as they, and especially their kids, assimilate into a new culture. Friend groups can be diverse.

Parents' Ultimate Guide to Support our work! Parent reviews for Cuties. Common Awareness says Poignant drama is candid a propos tween sexuality; language. Based on our expert review. Based on 93 reviews.

The controversy was warranted. When Netflix teased their latest arthouse grab, a French film called Cutiesusers were understandably outraged. Actor Tessa Thompson pointed out the disappointing angling of the film, which she saw at Sundance and loved, on Twitter, and users responded depressingly. It is, in actual fact, a mix of a Netflix fuck-up after that unfortunately coincidental timing.

A movie critiquing the sexualization of adolescent girls is accused of doing the thing it criticizes. Sometimes, a film is just a movie. And at time, a movie becomes an unexpected flashpoint in the ever-escalating culture wars. The film is about a young child in a devoutly religious family who chafes against her upbringing and wants to join the secular world of her friends. But while that earth seems to represent freedom, it comes with its own kind of check and danger. In the weeks after that days leading up to its announce, Cuties became the subject of concentrated internet backlash over claims that it was sexualizing young girls. But a good deal of the criticism against Cuties spawned from inaccurate or incomplete characterizations of the film — and the resulting narrative was that Netflix had bent a film aimed at enticing pedophiles. The story of how this absorbed, ambitious indie film became mired all the rage controversy is a complex one, individual that says something about how we talk about things on the internet today. To untangle these knots, Vox reporters Alissa Wilkinson who covers big screen and Aja Romano who covers web culture sat down to talk a propos it.