Brazil in Twenty-First Century Popular Media

Culture, Politics, and Nationalism on the World Stage

Contributions by Naomi Pueo Wood, Gabriela Antunes, Carolina Rocha, Leonardo Custódio, Cacilda Rêgo, Aline Frey, Anthony Pahnke, María Mercedes Vázquez Vázquez Edited by Naomi Pueo Wood

Publication date:

14 November 2016

Length of book:

220 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498550512

This volume examines some of the ways that Brazil has been represented and seeks to represent itself in popular media. It looks at social inequalities, racial divisions, and legacies of political restructuring as it illuminates the challenges and opportunities that the nation faces at present and going into preparations for and recovery from the upcoming mega events, both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. Drawing on the expertise of scholars in the fields of film and media studies, political science, social movement analysis, and cultural studies this volume features chapters examining the role of stereotyped Brazilian identity and myths of what it means to be Brazilian, the growing interest in favela—slum—culture, and sites of resistance in contemporary Brazilian society.

Chapter 1: Introduction: “Re-Staging Brazil: 21st Century Inquiries” by Naomi Pueo Wood

Section I: “21st Century Brazilian Myths: Representations of the Nation”
Chapter 2: “How to Be a Good Brazilian: The Image of Brazil in Contemporary American Cinema” by Gabriela Antunes
Chapter 3: “Constructing a New National Myth in Contemporary Brazilian Film” by Carolina Rocha

Section II: “Internal Contradictions: New Brazilian Cinema, Documentary Film, and Telenovelas
Chapter 4: “Confinement and Violence in the Streets of New Brazilian Cinema” by Aline Frey
Chapter 5: “A Cosmética da Fome: The Staging of Poverty in Recent Arts-Focused Documentary Film” by Naomi Pueo Wood
Chapter 6: “Centering the Margins: The Modern Favela in the Brazilian Telenovela” by Cacilda Rêgo

Section III: Combating Social Inequalities
Chapter 7: “Brazil at a Socio-Cinematic Crossroads: State Intervention on Screen” by Mercedes Vázquez
Chapter 8: “Offline Dimensions of Online Favela Youth Reactions to Human Rights Violations before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro” by Leonardo Custódio
Chapter 9: “The MST and its Educational Program on the World Stage” by Anthony Pahnke
Chapter 10: Conclusion: “Gingando e Jogando o Jeito Brasileiro: Playing Brazil” by Naomi Pueo Wood

The importance of Brazil in global economics, expressive culture and identity politics can no longer be denied. In the rush to explain the successes and shortcomings of the "sleeping giant" nation, we often miss the big picture of representation. Brazil in Twenty-First Century Popular Media is an essential text that clarifies the contradictions involved in capitalizing on poverty and marginalization by showing how outsiders see Brazilians and how various classes of Brazilians depict each other in film, television, the internet and other media outlets. Editor Naomi Pueo Wood has done an admirable job not only organizing the essays into clear themes but also suggesting future directions for Brazilian studies in a moment when the common sense notion of "being Brazilian" has changed from a racially mixed lark to a socially mobile go-getter. If you want to keep up with the rapidly changing country of Brazil and the equally dynamic field of media studies, this is the book to buy.