Stereotypes In Brazil

In her 2014 book Brazil in Twenty-First Century Popular Media, Gabriela Antunes describes a nation of colorful complexity. She explores many international perspectives of Brazil as well as their impact on foreign media. Although Antunes’ argument fails to address native opinions, it does create an open forum for a discussion about stereotypes. With her analysis of cinematic and historical evidence, Antunes insightfully uses the 2011 film Rio to explain how stereotypes in media frequently misrepresent Brazil’s complex socioeconomic dynamics and overall global influence due to their oversimplification of these critical factors.
The chapter begins with evidence of Brazil’s high levels economic prosperity, social change, and surges in tourism
Films often portray Brazil solely as a land of vacation and relaxation, which leads to discrepancies regarding the socioeconomic status of its citizens. This furthers Antunes’ argument because the underrepresentation of the “working and middle class” coupled with the overrepresentation of those living in poverty is a main contributor to the “crime filled favela” stereotype (Antunes 19). Brazil’s reputation for relaxation, juxtaposed by the imagery of dangerous slums, continues to cement the version of the country observed in twenty-first century films. This argument can be further observed in the article’s analysis of
Antunes did not take the opportunity to address the stereotypes that Brazilians attest to each other. This would have added a layer of complexity to her argument because it raises a critical question. Why would Saldanha feel the need to simplify his native country for an American audience? The comedic nature of the film may attribute to this. Comedy is based on socially accepted conventions, such as stereotypes, that create an expectation. For example, Rio contributes to the soccer stereotype. Fernando, the orphan boy who originally store Blu and Jewel, wears a Pele jersey throughout the entire film. There is a comedic sequence in the movie that shows an overview of a favela, and all of its inhabitants are fully engrossed in a soccer game. As Antunes points out, the characters are painted as “warm-hearted but incompetent” and this lackadaisical attitude continues to mislabel hardworking Brazilians (20). By satisfying this convention and portraying Brazil in a simplified light, Saldanha is further perpetuating stereotypes. However, due to the movie’s restricted duration and young American target demographic, he may simply be trying to be a good