The fallout to the French film ‘Cuties’ may be more dramatic than the movie itself. This is the ensuing ‘culture war’ over the film – which takes aim at the oversexualisation of young girls and at religious fundamentalism – that has led hundreds of thousands of people to sign petitions and cancel Netflix subscriptions after the streaming platform released it this month.
In the US, this war has been stoked by Christian right and conspiracy theorist supporters of President Trump (yes, the same president who was accused this month by a 26th woman of sexual misconduct. He has denied wrongdoing in every case). Among this backlash’s cast of characters are Republican senators, QAnon followers and organised ultra-conservative groups that also oppose sex education, divorce, contraception and abortion.
