Many of us probably heard the statement, “it’s the thought that counts” or anything with a similar idea of how positive intentions outweigh the poor execution of an idea. While this may be true when it comes to wanting a puppy for Christmas but the parents end up buying a guppy instead, this thinking isn’t always right, and in some cases, it can even be dangerous. The most remarkable example of how this thinking can be detrimental is with the recent release of a French movie called Cuties on Netflix. It’s a prime example of how an undertaking with good intentions but with lousy execution can turn disastrous.
Cuties is about Amy, a young girl from a conservative Muslim background. After discovering that her father is marrying a second wife and witnessing her mother cry about it, she begins to resent her background. Amy rebels by acting in very sexually liberated ways and committing various crimes. The movie ends with her finally acting her age and finding friends working as positive influences in her life.
Maïmouna Doucouré, the creator of the film, was shocked by the negative feedback after the Netflix release as there was no outrage when it was initially released in France. However, it should also be noted that the American-dubbed version of the movie made some scenes worse as compared to the original French version. She stated that the film’s main goal was to portray how society oversexualizes women and how young girls fall victim to this. Cuties, in itself, is not a bad story. Scandalous, yes, but important and relevant as well. The problem lies with how the story is conveyed. The movie contained various scenes of minors undressing, explicit dancing, dressing up in very provocative clothing, and many more things that would make anyone’s skin crawl.
Understandably and rightfully so, Netizens were absolutely outraged with some saying that we must boycott Netflix. The Texas grand jury, on the other hand, took it a step further by filing a lawsuit against Netflix. Apparently, while the film's goal is noble and relevant and revolves around a topic that is close to many hearts, the film’s entire purpose and the author’s intentions are entirely overshadowed by the film’s content. One cannot preach that children’s sexualization is harmful by doing the very thing they are preaching against. It was a complete lose-lose situation where we see Netflix losing business and money and the author of the movie who just wanted light shed on an important cause getting bashed. Most importantly, the kids who the movie sought to protect were the ones that got exploited.
Though not all situations are as extreme as Cuties and no average person would have the means to make as severe of a mistake, it is very important that we are always intentional, purposeful, and discerning when it comes to every decision we make as well as making sure appropriate execution is followed. Ultimately, intent without proper execution makes that very intent meaningless.
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