It is well known that Netflix has endorsed a pedophile movie (Cuties). This is not questionable. Netflix acknowledges part of the responsibility[1]. This has generated much controversy among many sectors of society who questions the manner and content of many of the programs on this platform[2]. The sheer number of erotic, LGBTQ, feminist, and abortion movies and shows that abound on Netflix (including cartoons). It has even been considered to proceed legally because pedophilia, so far, is a crime (except in California, which is another topic that I would like to address later)[3] in the United States.
Without going into much discussion, I would like to present my arguments to help make the decision, about those who still doubt whether they should cancel their subscription or not. Thus, you kind reader, can take this humble opinion into account and make your decision according to your conscience.
It’s true, not everything on Netflix is bad. I don’t think there is anyone who has ever said that. But, for instance, if someone give me a glass of water to drink with three drops of a strong poison, I am not going to drink it. Those three drops of poison can compromise the integrity of the purity of the rest of the water in that glass. Isn’t that the case with what we see? Or, supposing that if someone speaks bad of your Mom, disrespecting her; even if that person spoke very well and accurately about your brothers and nephews, wouldn’t that person be someone ungrateful to you for the simple fact of speaking bad of your mother? Why tolerate some things and not others?
On the other hand, it is true that some Christian authors and “good will” workers were affected by the massive cancellation of Netflix subscriptions. Rather, I think the question should be: Why is a Christian author or someone of “good will” doing work for a company of questionable morals and reputation? Would it not be better if these “Christians and people of good will” did not seek a better way? Or does working with “good will” in an abortion company, or a drug trafficking group, exempt us from responsibility? If we use this same reasoning, then, we will end up accepting everything as pornography, abortion, same-sex marriage, etc., because after all, there are jobs and families that depend on these industries and there may be people of “good will” that get income from that.
Some may also think that some Netflix content promotes values. I would like to quote the Priest Alfonso Lopez Quintás, and what he says in this sense: “Values are not“ taught ”; we must “discover” them while we lucidly live the process of our development as people. “[4] and (…) “neither values nor creativity are susceptible to being“ taught ”; each one must “discover” them for himself. The educator’s task consists of bringing students closer to the area of irradiation of values, so that they allow themselves to be attracted by them and actively assume them in their lives.”[5] Therefore, it is false to say that TV teaches you values. Rather, it entertains you and can open the dialogue or it can to some extent promote some value (since anti-values obviously do). But, rather, values are formed with the “encounter” with the area of irradiation of values, that is, with the ambits (extents) and the encounter with other people.
We could also think that other platforms (music) also have immoral content, such as Pandora, Spotify, Amazon, etc. Yes. True, it may be necessary to cancel your membership as well. Some argue that there is a type of porn or extremely vulgar music. Yes, it’s correct. However, I think that in music applications or services you can have more control of what you listen to. Also, that Spotify, Pandora or Amazon Music, that I know, are not music producers (here I could be wrong because I do not know the details), unlike Netflix that does produce movies. We must also consider the impact of the visual effect on the hearing. I do not mean to justify the musical garbage; I just want to focus more on the problem we are analyzing. Now, if you think it is dangerous for you, and that it scandalizes you or may be an occasion of sin, then go ahead, cancel that too. What is the problem? Or start a campaign to get that music removed.
“the ends does not justify the means”
My answer is clear and simple. Yes, cancel Netflix. It is a business and they only understand in monetary terms. If we Christians tolerate these programs, as well as many others that have been where they promote abortion and other evils, well, little by little they will do more aggressive things. Netflix has to know that there are a lot of Christians who use their service and the only way we can let them know is to cancel it and lose money. We cannot just ignore these problems. We must not fall into moral relativism, which is broadly defined as the idea that there are no universal or absolute moral principles. That is, there is no absolute truth, but truths according to each point of view and circumstance.
In moral teaching there is a principle: “the ends does not justify the means”, in addition to that, on the methodology of an ethical judgment, there are three things to consider when carrying out a human act or making a decision: “Object, End and Circumstance”, in words more colloquial, “What? What for? And how? and only answering all three in a correct way, then a human act is morally acceptable. (Of course, someone influenced by relativism and secularism can object these statements).
Remember, this campaign to cancel Netflix is not about a movie that’s out there that I don’t want (and shouldn’t) watch. Going more beyond of that. But an idea that Netflix continues to promote and produce material that denigrates the dignity of the human person and the family.
I don’t understand why so much resistance that Christians cancel something as harmful as Netflix and that we boycott everything that comes from Hollywood or Europe, (or Mexico or wherever) with bad intentions. Has it become an addiction, or a bad habit?
America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance — it is not. It is suffering from tolerance. Tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.” Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen
[1] https://deadline.com/2020/08/netflix-apologizes-inappropriate-cuties-poster-criticized-sexualizing-children-1203018498/
[2] https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-cuties-netflix-defends-20200911-2utbhvn4hzduned3zraqu3aywq-story.html
[3] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/netflix-should-face-doj-action-over-cuties-some-members-of-congress-say
[4] Quintás, Alfonso López. Liderazgo creativo. Hacia el logro de la excelencia personal (Spanish Edition) . Ediciones Nobel.
[5] ibid