A Texas lawmaker says he’s going to introduce a bill in the state to make sure that the French-film “Cuties” is recognized as pedophilia, thus criminalizing it, a statement to the Daily Caller said.
Republican Texas State Senator Bob Hall told the Caller that he’s going to introduce the bill as soon as the session starts to prosecute Netflix for hosting “Cuties,” which has been criticized for sexual depictions of young girls and includes suggestive dancing, as well as close-up shots of the young girls’ buttocks and crotches.
Thank you @repmattschaefer! Next session I will file a bill to make pedophilia a crime in our Texas state constitution. We MUST never normalize this kind of wickedness in our Texas. #txlege https://t.co/iICPCsZZlX
— Senator Bob Hall (@SenatorBobHall) September 10, 2020
Hall told the Caller his staff is currently developing strategies in preparation of filling the bill, and follows the request by another Texas lawmaker, Matt Schaefer, that the state’s attorney general investigate for possible violations of child exploitation.
I have asked Texas Attorney General Paxton’s office to investigate the @netflix film “Cuties” for possible violations of child exploitation and child pornography laws. #CUTIES #txlege
— Matt Schaefer (@RepMattSchaefer) September 10, 2020
“Current Texas law is crystal clear on pedophilia being a crime,” Hall said. “However, we must ensure that movies like “Cuties” are recognized as such if our Attorney General, Ken Paxton, says current law is not sufficient to prosecute perpetrators like Netflix. If Ken is able to take action we still need to look at ways to permanently solidify the criminalization, as opposed to the normalization of pedophilia.”
The award-winning French film was released Wednesday on Netflix, and was rebuked on social media shortly after its debut. One scene in the film shows the young girl, called Amy, dressed only in panties and a tank top shivering as her mother and great-aunt throw water at her. Amy shivers, writhes, and dances on the floor, and the scene includes multiple shots of her buttocks clad only in the wet underwear. (RELATED: We Watched Netflix’s ‘Cuties’ So You Don’t Have To)
Netflix defended the film, saying it’s a “social commentary against the sexualization of young children,” and 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.”
Hall, however, wants to send a clear message to Netflix and Hollywood: “We Texans won’t tolerate their perverted filth in our state.”
“We also want make sure that the Texas [State Board of Education] and our schools do not allow these attempts by pedophilia perverts to normalize this perversion in public ed sex education curriculum,” he added.
“They should cease showing it immediately anywhere, and I’m incredibly proud of the many Americans who have canceled their Netflix account in the last 48 hours.”