Brazil In 21st Century Popular Media Summary

In her 2014 book Brazil in Twenty-First Century Popular Media, Gabriela Antunes describes a nation of colorful complexity. She widely explores the international perspectives of Brazil, while maintaining a concentration on media. While Antunes’ argument fails to address native opinions, it does create an open forum for a global discussion about stereotypes. By examining the Brazil’s growing global influence, Antunes provides insight on how historically based stereotypes are holding back a progressive nation.
The chapter begins with evidence of Brazil’s high levels economic, social and athletic prosperity in recent years. Antunes discusses how the film industry has struggled to accurately portray Brazil’s newfound sense of excellence. Most Brazilians spend time navigating a vast urban landscape rather than tropic forests, though new films continue to rely on weak stereotypes. In protest, the author calls for filmmakers to utilize an anthropologic view with thoughtful analysis of the culture. She cites the work of Tunico Amâncio, who conducted a similar survey of Brazilian portrayal in foreign film. By conducting analysis
All of the bird smuggling characters were Afro-Brazilian, while Linda and Tulio had lighter skin. These racial undertones show aspects of Brazilian culture that are unacknowledged by Antunes within her argument. Even modern films, such as Rio, portray Brazil in a negative light and encourage further generations to do because this movie was marketed to children. The movie also adds to the soccer stereotype as Fernando, the orphan boy who originally store Blu and Jewel, wears a Pele jersey throughout the entire film. There is also a sequence in the film that shows an overview of a favela, and all of its inhabitants are fully engrossed in a soccer game. Rio continues to prove the author’s argument as true, as the movie is full of oversimplifications of Brazilian