Axios: “Republican politicians are propelling a growing boycott of Netflix in response to the streamer debuting a French film called ‘Cuties’ that denounces society’s hyper-sexualization of young girls on social media. Their condemnation of the film is linked to a child sex trafficking conspiracy theory central to the QAnon movement. Conservatives are using the conspiracy to target Netflix for its ties to Democrats, including its partnership with Barack and Michelle Obama. Driving the news: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday asked the Justice Department to investigate whether the filmmakers ‘violated any federal laws against the production and distribution of child pornography,’ despite the fact that the film does not showcase any nudity of underage children.”

“‘[I]t is likely that the filming of this movie created even more explicit and abusive scenes, and that pedophiles across the world in the future will manipulate and imitate this film in abusive ways,’ he wrote. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Sen. Cruz said ‘Barack Obama makes a ton of money from Netflix and they are profiting, they are making money by selling the sexual exploitation of young kids.’ Netflix has dismissed calls for a boycott. To Cruz’s point, the film does appear to be sexually suggestive in its marketing materials, which show young girls scantily clad in dancing outfits and flirting with older boys. But the film, as Netflix notes, is meant to be social commentary against the sexualization of young children.”