In defence of Netflix’s ‘Cuties’

Somewhere on my coffee table lurks a recent Boden catalogue. It shows pictures of beautiful, healthy, impressively clean – and, of course, very well dressed – children. They spend their time cavorting on sunny beaches or striding down iconic London streets. 

This week, images of children have provided a rare moment of consensus in our ongoing culture war. Promotional material for a new film coming to Netflix, Cuties (or Mignonnes in the French original) has sparked widespread condemnation for portraying a sexualised image of young girls. The publicity campaign shows the film’s scantily-clad child stars in a provocative twerking pose. Following a social media backlash and a petition, Netflix has now apologised for ‘inappropriate artwork’ and removed the picture.

No one seems particularly upset by this decision. Those who might normally be relied on to cry ‘snowflake’ or shout ‘Get woke, go broke!’ have been at the forefront of arguing that Netflix was sexualising young girls for ‘the