Cuties.
Remember when Britney came out with, “Hit me baby one more time”?… The pleated mini skirt and tied-up white blouse with a black lacy bra peeking out. The naughty school girl singing her heart out, desperate for the attention of the boys in the hallway. Britney was fifteen when she recorded that song and sixteen while filming the video. I was nine. And oh-em-gee I was her! I learned the dance routine from watching the music video three thousand times.
Then 2002 birthed the reinvention of XTina Aguilera… Dirrty. You guuuuuys! Every 8th grade dance we lived for that song! No grinding with the boys when that tune blared. It was show time! I was twelve when that music video premiered on Much Music and once again — we knew all the moves. The following year I attended a dance convention and the actual choreographer of that video taught us the Dirrty routine. Picture this: A hotel ballroom filled with 400 young dancers (mostly girls) aged 11 to 15 learning and performing the Dirrty dance. I have a very distinct memory of the choreographer in hysterics; watching these 400 kids doing booty pops and licking our fingers then feeling it “sizzle” as we tapped our asses.
It’s pretty safe to say that we all know where I’m going with this… Right? Not much has changed. We just don’t want to acknowledge it.
Cuties has stirred up loads of controversy. The internet and select media sources saying it’s uncomfortable, it exploits young girls and sexualizes them; dramatically labelling it “child porn”. Well guess what people? Cuties provides an unapologetic mirror; reflecting reality back into the faces of a society that drove this story. To me, this film is an extremely important art piece. The way Maimouna Doucouré wrote the script and directed her vision; weaving together three generations of women, religion, social media culture and adolescence is raw, beautiful and honest.
Artistic Freedom; the daring choices made by artists and creators — what pushes the boundaries to make necessary change. Cuties is that. M.D. was brave and courageous in her decision to make this film. Netflix took a massive leap in supporting this artist, taking her work to an international audience. And Thank-You-Universe for artistic freedom! You know where we would be without it?! Bored to tears and held back in the 18th century is where!
I mean — you know a piece of art is really something amazing when it disrupts the whole world! Exhibit A; Banksy’s Girl With Balloon self destructs the minute after it sells at an auction for 1.37 million. The Gross Clinic, painted 150 years ago — had people disgusted and angry for its gruesome depiction. In 1989 Chicago, a young art student, Scott Tyler did an installation; a book sits open on a shelf with a framed photo hung above, beneath it — an American flag lay flat on the floor. The viewer had to physically step on the American flag to get close enough to read and see the photo! Oh boy - President Bush was pissed!
There are intentions and bold statements within every one of those exampled art pieces. The statement made in Cuties struck the center of my heart. I just found myself “nodding” in agreement with the choices made by M.D., despite how uncomfortable they made me feel. As a young girl I experienced a similar confusion to what the lead, Amy felt; when are you a little girl and when are you a woman, acting like what is set as an example for you? Most of the emotions that surfaced for me while watching are eerily similar to what prompted me to write Dear Daughter last month. (Please read that after reading this'; there’s a full circle moment.) I don’t want to be repetitive, so I’ll crack open a tiny Pandoras box from another perspective.
When I was a dance teacher, (full time for six years) I witnessed the impact social media and modern society had on young girls. It became what felt like my duty to protect their innocence and focus on the art of self expression. (I remember the class after the MVA’s where Miley and Robin Thicke rubbed goodies on each other; all my girls came in giggling, playing Miley Cyrus and asking me if they were twerking right. I was terrified! I shut that music off so fast and sat them down commencing a group discussion about when it’s appropriate to start dancing like that.) Ensuring my students had choreography and costumes that reflected their age; Hip Hop routines were wholesome and fun, Jazz was to rock music, and very rarely did they wear crop tops. When we would attend dance competitions, I was consistently shocked at how dancers were presented through their choreography and costuming.
Dance Moms was one of the most popular reality TV shows of the last ten years…
Where Cuties becomes so uncomfortable to watch is where the message of the film lies. You cannot look away from the reality! And as a collective society - we did that! We have confused these little girls into sexualizing themselves.
The issue at hand is to not #cancelnetflix — it’s to look at the root issue and then how we can change it. Teachers, parents, big sisters and brothers: What conversations are you having with the children of today? What do your actions represent?
The fact that this movie has become a pillar for conspiracy theorists is so sad. This film is not political. It represents generations of what it’s like to navigate as a female in a male dominated world. I use the word “generations” specifically, because this film does not focus on just dancing. (which so many people assume without having seen the movie) We follow the mother and grandmother, who are both dealing with their own issues of understanding generational differences and forced submissive behaviour dictated by men. The dancing represents the current state of this generations gender inequality.
I believe in supporting artists as much as possible — even if there is a 0.00001% chance they will ever read it. But to Maimouna Doucouré, I extend a massive, heartfelt Thank You! This film is a true depiction of real life; but it’s the part that no one wants to talk about nor dare bring to the forefront. You did! As a dancer, artist and woman still very connected to her inner child, I appreciate your bravery and willingness to be so vulnerable. I’m sorry that you have to take these punches and death threats and be the center of far right wing conspiracy theories and American politics. It’s not fair and that’s not what you signed up for when you wrote this film five years ago. But like many others, I stand behind you and applaud your poetic film. The sandstorm will settle, and your film will leave an imprint on the minds of viewers who will hopefully step up and speak out for change.
A quick synopsis of the film… Cuties follows, Amy, an eleven year old Senegalese girl who has just moved to a new housing projects community in the outskirts of Paris with her mother and little brother. As Amy’s mother is trying to cope with her absent husband, the grandmother projects an old fashioned mentality onto the women in the family. In an effort to make friends at school, she finds solace in a little dance group, where the girls watch dance videos online and copy the moves as they practice on the abandoned train tracks behind their school. Collectively working as a team towards a goal of competing in a city-wide dance competition. This is a coming of age story that incorporates adolescence, religion, familial ties and society’s double standards in an unabashed depiction of modern day “childhood”.
