Report: Netflix cancellations 'skyrocket' after boycott campaign over 'Cuties' documentary



Netflix triggered widespread outrage last month when the streaming platform debuted "Cuties," a documentary that critics claimed hyper-sexualized pre-adolescent girls.

As TheBlaze reported, one of the parental warnings on the film's IMDB page warned of one scene in the film that could be "lawfully defined as pedophilia."

The warning read, "During one of the many highly sexualized & erotic dance scenes that purposefully exploit & objectify numerous scantily clad under age [sic] girls, one of the female child dancers lifts up her cropped top to fully display her bare breast. This is lawfully defined as pedophilia and can be extremely distressing to many viewers."

In response, #CancelNetflix trended on social media for days, and more than 660,000 people signed an online petition vowing to cancel their Netflix subscriptions.

And now it appears those Netflix users made good on their promise to cancel their subscriptions.

What are the details?

According to a report from the New York Post, Netflix subscription cancellations "skyrocketed" in the wake of controversy over "Cuties," surging 800%.

During an earnings call this week, Netflix chief financial officer Spence Neumann reportedly downplayed the controversy by not mentioning the documentary, instead choosing to focus on how the coronavirus pandemic helped Netflix nearly meet its annual subscriptions goal.

However, multiple analyses found that the campaign to boycott Netflix yielded significant results.

From the Post:

Neumann told investors the company "came pretty close" to meeting its membership goal of 195 million worldwide. For the three months that ended Sept. 30, Netflix added 2.2 million global subscribers — down from the first two quarters of 16 million and 10 million, respectively.

But numbers analyzed by New York data analytics firms Antenna and YipitData tell a different story — that the protest, led by conservatives who claim the film's portrayal of pre-teen girls living in Paris "hyper-sexualized" children, had made a big dent in subscriptions.

Antenna reported that Netflix lost five times as many subscribers in September's first couple of weeks — a few days into the protest — than the company lost in all of August. YipitData gave even grimmer numbers, putting September cancellations at 8 times of those in August and declaring the drop "a multi-year high."

Not only did the "Cuties" controversy hurt Netflix's subscriber metrics, but the company also found itself in legal trouble over the film.

Earlier this month, a grand jury in Texas indicted Netflix, saying the company and its CEOs "knowingly promote visual material which depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created, which appeals to the prurient interest in sex, and has no serious, literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."

In response, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the film, arguing the documentary has been "misunderstood."

Last month, a Netflix spokesperson claimed in a statement to TheBlaze, "There is no underage nudity in this film."

Netflix CEO Defends Child Pornography Film ‘Cuties’ As A ‘Coming-Of-Age’ Story

The film has been charged with exploiting 11-year old girls, who are featured in highly sexual and suggestive scenes that include twerking, inappropriate clothing, and even nudity.

Netflix CEO defends 'Cuties' film after grand jury indictment: 'It's surprising' that we're 'censoring storytelling'



Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos defended controversial film "Cuties" recently, after a Texas grand jury indicted the streaming giant for running the project, which features the experiences of four 11-year-old girls involved in a French "sensual dance" troop.

While speaking at the virtual Mipcom market on Monday, Sarandos called the film "misunderstood" and said "it's a little surprising in 2020 America that we're having a discussion about censoring storytelling," Deadline reported.

"It's a film that is very misunderstood with some audiences, uniquely within the United States," Sarandos added. "The film speaks for itself. It's a very personal coming of age film, it's the director's story and the film has obviously played very well at Sundance without any of this controversy and played in theaters throughout Europe without any of this controversy."

The award-winning French film — rated TV-MA (for mature audiences only) in the United States — attracted immediate criticism for its overt sexualization of young children upon its debut on Netflix. Outraged viewers rushed to sign a Change.org petition called "Cancel Netflix Subscription," and the hashtag #CancelNetflix soon began trending on social media.

Shortly after, a Texas grand jury indicted Netflix on charges that the streamer "knowingly promote[d] visual material which depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created, which appeals to the prurient interest in sex, and has no serious, literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."

Throughout the controversy, Netflix has adamantly stood by its decision to stream the film, only offering an apology for using "inappropriate artwork" to promote the project in late August.

In a statement to TheBlaze, a Netflix spokesperson essentially argued that by streaming a film about the sexualization of young children, the company was working to combat the sexualization of young children.

"Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. It's an award winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up — and we'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie," the spokesperson said.

Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Texas grand jury indicts Netflix on criminal charge of 'lewd visual material' of a child in 'Cuties' film. Netflix continues to stand up for the work.



A Texas grand jury has indicted streaming giant Netflix over "Cuties," which it says has a "prurient interest in sex," according to a Deadline report on Tuesday.

"Cuties," an award-winning French film that centers on four 11-year-old girls in a "sensual dance" troupe, is rated TV-MA in the U.S. — for mature audiences only.

Netflix, however, is standing behind the controversial production.

What are the details?

The Texas Rangers served Netflix with a summons on Oct. 1, according to Tyler County District Attorney Lucas Babin.

A portion of the indictment says that the film — as well as Netflix CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos — "knowingly promote visual material which depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created, which appeals to the prurient interest in sex, and has no serious, literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."

A spokesperson for the company said, "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film."

Netflix issued a similar statement to TheBlaze in September.

According to Deadline, the charge is a state jail felony.

The film attracted heavy criticism from viewers and leaders across the globe following its release.

Maïmouna Doucouré, who directed the French film, said in September that she received death threats following the film's release.

"I received numerous attacks on my character from people who had not seen the film, who thought I was actually making a film that was apologetic about hypersexualization of children," Doucouré told Deadline that month. "I also received numerous death threats."

On Tuesday, Babin shared a statement on the film, in which he said he "knew there was probable cause to believe it was criminal."

"The legislators of this state believe promoting certain lewd material of children has destructive consequences," Babin wrote in the now-viral Facebook post. "If such material is distributed on a grand scale, isn't the need to prosecute more, not less?"

Babin added, "A grand jury found probable cause for this felony, and my job is to uphold the laws of this State and see that justice is done."

What else?

In August, Netflix debuted a film poster and trailer for the film.

Following the criticism of the poster art, Netflix said, "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."

After its September premiere, social media users banded together and prompted hashtag #CancelNetflix to trend on social media, as well as a related more than Change.org petition that received more than 659,000 signatures in protest of the film.

Cuties | Official Trailer | Netflixwww.youtube.com

Texas Grand Jury Indicts Netflix For Child Porn Depicted In ‘Cuties’ Film

The indictment charges Netflix with "knowingly promoting visual material which depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child."

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Netflix Subscription Cancellations Soar After ‘Cuties’ Controversy

Forget Netflix and chill, more like Netflix and cancel. The mega-streaming company has seen a slew of subscription cancellations after the release of “Cuties,” amid charges that the film is tantamount to child pornography. Netflix released the movie on Sept. 9, followed quickly by a campaign by critics urging subscribers to #CancelNetflix. Three days later, […]

#CancelNetflix movement over 'Cuties' leads cancellations to spike almost eightfold, according to analytics firm



Netflix saw its U.S. cancellations spike almost eightfold following an online movement to boycott the streaming giant over its controversial film, "Cuties."

What's a brief history here?

The French award-winning film has sparked outrage from the living rooms of America to the legislative chambers in Washington, D.C., for sexualizing four 11-year-old girls in a "sensual" dance troupe.

Netflix has insisted that there is no underage nudity in the film and has encouraged people who want to fight against child sexualization to watch the film.

In a statement to TheBlaze, a Netflix spokesperson said, "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. It's an award winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up — and we'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie."

The film prompted hashtag #CancelNetflix to go viral, as well as an accompanying petition with a related name. At the time of this writing, at least 653,000 people have signed the petition vowing to cancel their Netflix subscriptions over the film.

What about the cancellations?

According to data analytics firm YipitData, the surge of cancellations came on the heels of the "Cuties" release.

Variety, citing data from the company, reported that the subscriber cancellations began to rise on Sept. 10 — just a day after the film's Netflix debut.

That day, #CancelNetflix was Twitter's top trending hashtag.

Two days later, the cancellation rate "jumped to nearly eight times higher than the average daily levels recorded in August 2020," Variety reported.

New York-based YipitData told the outlet that this was a "multiyear high" for cancellations.

On Monday, filmmaker and director Maïmouna Doucouré echoed Netflix's sentiments and argued that the film is a "social commentary," according to Variety.

During a French cinema panel discussion, Doucouré said, "We need to protect our children. What I want to [do] is to open people's eyes on this issue and try to fix it."

TheBlaze has reached out to Netflix for comment on the analytics report but did not receive a response in time for publication.

'This film normalizes the sexualization of little girls'

In a statement following the backlash, Parents Television Council program director Melissa Henson condemned the film.

Henson said, "Although there is a danger that little girls will be attracted to this film, the far greater risk is the way this film normalizes the sexualization of little girls. [Netflix] is desensitizing millions of viewers at home by asking them to be entertained by it."

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation also said that Netflix should omit the film's decidedly "sexually exploitative scenes" or yank the film from its library altogether.

“While we commend director Maïmouna Doucouré for exposing the very real threats to young girls having unfettered access to social media and the internet, we cannot condone the hyper-sexualization and exploitation of the young actresses themselves in order to make her point," Lina Nealon, director of corporate and strategic initiatives, said in a statement. “The audience does not need to see the very long scenes with close-up shots of the girls' bodies; this does nothing to educate the audience on the harms of sexualization."

Cuties | Official Trailer | Netflix www.youtube.com

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