On cuties -
I think we might want to expand the way we speak to improve this conversation that requires nuance. My thoughts are this- something can be sexual without being erotic/ attractive. (If there’s better terminology to distinguish please let me know). 1/8

We’ve got to learn to discuss sexuality without centering gazes.
To discuss cuties specifically- those dances while sexual are not erotic. Sexual in the sense that some of the positions & clothes they are in COULD remind you of sex/are similar to positions people- 2/8

adopt during sex & clothes people SOMETIMES wear to initiate sex . The fact is, most things in life are sexual- some buildings, foods and plants look like sex organs, the problem then comes from your gaze. Your gaze changes something from being sexual to being erotic. 3/8

What the movie seems to be criticizing is that gaze. The desire to depict & treat young girls particularly black girls as erotic simply because of our gaze. To expand- telling young girls how to dress / dance because they may be viewed as erotic is a problem as like - 4/8

I’ve mentioned, things only are erotic because of your gaze.
It would be crazy for us to tell flowers to cover up simply because someone else might be sexually aroused by a flower’s resemblance to a vagina, no? Or a building to cover up because of its resemblance to a penis. 5/8

So also is it crazy for us to control the behavior of little girls because of some else’s gaze.
I think one reason some people are upset is because as a society, we have decided that what is sexual is also what is erotic and should only be performed by adults but that is- 6/8

contrary to life itself. So society ends up victim blaming and determining that we must take steps to restrict what cannot be restricted as I’ve previously said, everything is sexual. 7/8

I’ll summarize - what is sexual isn’t erotic unless you view it as such & acting like it is (for whatever purpose e.g protecting women from predators) only creates a toxic culture around womanhood in particular, black womanhood. 8/end (ps please don’t @ me with anger, I’m tired)