Rio Gringa

Political Correctness and Free Speech in Brazil

A new documentary offers a glimpse into two issues in conflict with one another that have been simmering recently in Brazil: the growing calls for political correctness along with questions about what constitutes free speech. One area where these two issues have stood out is in the world of Brazilian comedy, which the documentary examines.

The world of Brazilian humor is largely male-dominated (though that's changing), meaning that a lot of popular, mainstream comedy--such as TV and websites--has a lot of machista, homophobic jokes. With growing feminist and LGBT rights advocacy in Brazil, comedians are sometimes coming under fire for targeting women and gays. To a lesser extent, there's also emerging criticism of racism in comedy.

Part of the reason the documentary is compelling stems from the fact that you really can appreciate both sides of the political correctness debate. On one hand, you can understand why in some cases, people shouldn't take humor so seriously--it's a joke, after all. You can also see how those in favor of political correctness can sound a bit annoying, which I found surprising, since two of the activists featured in the film (LGBT activist and Congressman Jean Wyllys and feminist writer Lola Aronovich) are seasoned, compelling advocates. On the other hand, you can also understand why it's important to change the ways people think and promote tolerance, since humor not only reveals societal prejudices, but can help promote them. This is pertinent when it comes to homophobia, for example, since Brazil reportedly has the largest number of gay hate crime murders in the world.

Director Pedro Arantes told TRIP that it's possible to enjoy humor without feeling guilty:

"[Y]ou're going to laugh at something at some point and later on you're not going to find it funny anymore. Some things you didn't find funny before, you'll later find funny. That's one of the goals of the film. It's not to make anyone feel guilty because he laughed at something. When I was younger, I laughed a lot at gay jokes. Now, having thought about it, I really don't find those jokes funny anymore. You work through it in your head and from then on you don't find it funny anymore. The idea of the movie is to show this: guys, it's ok. We laugh and that's part of life. But we have to think things through. Guilt is a torturous feeling. You don't need to make yourself feel guilty--you just need to reflect."

The movie looks at how humor can reveal problems with limiting free speech. Comedian Rafinha Bastos has had this happen numerous times. After making a horribly tasteless joke about rape last year, he was asked to testify before prosecutors for "inciting rape." (As the movie shows, the incident also spurred a productive conversation about rape in Brazil.) He was sued by a famous singer after making a similarly tasteless joke about her baby, and the singer won in January. Pending appeals, Bastos will have to pay the singer R$100,000 (around $47,000). Just this week, he was involved in a new scandal, after Bastos called TV personality Luciano Huck an "inconsequential playboy" in an open letter. Huck was recently fined and lost his license after refusing a breathalyzer at a traffic stop. Huck said he would sue Bastos for making the comments, though Bastos has since apologized.

The film also explores how Brazilian comedy often reveals racism, homophobia, and sexism. In Brazil, hate speech is actually a crime: making disparaging remarks about religion, ethnicity, or race can actually lead to fines and even jail time. (Some LGBT activists are pushing for hate speech related to sexual orientation to be included in such laws.) But these laws restricting freedom of expression don't necessarily change attitudes, as Taylor Barnes describes in a recent Christian Science Monitor piece about hate speech crimes in Brazil:

Despite a constitutional principle of freedom of expression, Brazilian lawmakers and law enforcement have drawn the line when it comes to agitating racial, religious, or ethnic tensions. And though the legislation is widely accepted as legitimate, even advocates of criminalizing intolerance say the best the law can do is make an offender hold his or her tongue, rather than change the racial and religious tensions that still run deep in Brazilian society.

In a country where social movements are increasingly gaining traction, where dictatorship-era censorship legislation still lingers, and where rising levels of access to education and technology are helping to forge change, the debate to balance free speech and political correctness will be an interesting one to watch.

Hat tip to Alex Castro for the documentary.

Brazil: An Inconvenient History

Years before PBS's Black in Latin America series, BBC released an interesting documentary about slavery in Brazil called Brazil - An Inconvenient History. You'll see some familiar faces from the Brazil episode of the PBS documentary, and some similar themes, but the BBC documentary is much more focused on history than identity. There are times when it's a bit drier and more academic than the PBS documentary, but nevertheless worth watching. There are some incredibly harrowing details, and it uses interesting first person accounts from historical texts and documents.

Now it's available online, so watch here!

English

 

Português (legendado) - Parte I

 

Parte II

Parte III

Parte IV

Via Deep Brazil

Brazil: A Racial Paradise?

PBS recently began a fantastic new series called "Black in Latin America," hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr, a well known African American scholar and writer. I was surprised to discover that I learned more in the Brazil episode than I did in the Dominican Republic episode, and considering the complexity of Brazilian race relations, I thought they did a great job.

The Brazil episode, entitled Brazil: A Racial Paradise? focuses not only on history, but also on identity, culture, and stereotypes. Gates travels to Bahia, Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro to interview professors, activists, cultural icons, and historians to learn about Brazil's complicated history of race and to discover if there is such a thing as a racial democracy. Naturally, it's hard to fit so much information into just an hour, but it was very well done. On the website, they also put together a brief timeline about slavery and race relations:

One of the best things about the series? All of the episodes are available free online (at least for now). Watch the full episode right here!

Watch the full episode. See more Black in Latin America.

 What did you think?

 

Note: I will be taking a break from blogging for a week, so I won't be approving comments until Saturday, May 21st. Sorry for the delay!

Hate Crimes in Brazil

The idea of hate crime in Brazil is one that seems to be something of a new concept. In a place where violence is a daily possibility in major cities, and where some deny the existence of racism and discrimination, hate crimes are sometimes viewed as just crime. It isn't unless an attack is particularly obvious and especially violent that the press frames it as a hate crime. While racism is punishable by law in Brazil, experts say it is often ignored, and that impunity helps contribute to more hate crimes.

After the presidential elections, an angry law student posted an incitement to murder on Twitter, blaming the election results on Northeasterners and urging her followers to "kill Northeasterners" by drowning them. While her Tweet was quickly circulated, it drew outrage from many, and a prosecutor now wants to pursue a hate crime case against the bigoted Tweeter, who was swiftly fired from the law office where she worked. If found guilty, the student could get jail time or a fine. The crime was framed as racism, which is illegal in Brazil, despite the fact that there was no mention of race in the outburst. Since the Northeast is associated with poverty and black Brazilians, the student's comment was interpreted as being racist, since the implication was that she was urging others to kill poor blacks. The incident was not really out of character, though; wealthy and middle-class Southeasterners, particularly on the right side of the political spectrum, are apt to blame the Northeast for supporting the Workers Party, and anti-Northeastern sentiment is unfortunately not uncommon. The upside of the incident is that it helped shed light on an issue that has not gained as much attention as it could have, and helped start a dialogue about tolerance. 

Meanwhile, last year, a middle class black man who was "mistaken" for a car thief was nearly beaten to death in the parking lot of a Carrefour by security guards. The story was initially suppressed, though it was eventually reported by the press. The victim sued Carrefour and won, and Carrefour fired the employees involved and also hired a new security service. However, as far as I can tell, the crime wasn't brought to the courts as a criminal case; none of the assailants were charged  with a hate crime. In fact, it would appear none of them were charged at all, though the victim's lawyer seems to be trying to have them prosecuted. But given the excrutiatingly slow judicial process in Brazil, there's hope yet.

More recently, there have been disturbing cases of hate crimes against gays in Brazil. According to gay rights groups, murders of gays rose 62 percent between 2007 and 2009, with an average of 110 murders per year. Some even estimate higher mortality rates, claiming that one person dies every two days in Brazil as the result of homophobic crimes. Human rights organizations have been pushing for a national anti-homophobia law, but they haven't been successful yet. In fact, there is allegedly no law that specifically punishes homophobic crimes, which some say helps lead to more hate crimes. Homophobia has not quite become non-PC as it has in other parts of the world; Brazil still has a machismo culture, and homophobia is frequently accepted as normal, be it as an insult or source of jokes, especially among men.

In June, a fourteen year-old was brutally murdered by a group of skinheads in a Rio suburb. Three suspects were arrested and claimed they were not guilty. The victim was kidnapped, tortured, and strangled, and abandoned in an empty lot. Last week, a group of upper middle-class teenagers went on an attacking spree, beating several men and yelling homophobic epithets after the Sao Paulo Gay Pride Parade. Four of them were minors, and were sent to a juvenile detention center, but they have already been released, since a judge determined that they "were not a danger to society." Though the victims' lawyers will hopefully pursue criminal charges against the aggressors, the Sao Paulo government has only threatened fines (though they could potentially be quite high).

Finally, on Sunday, a nineteen year-old student was shot after the Rio Gay Pride Parade, supposedly by members of the military. Yes, you read that right - by soldiers. His crime? Chatting with other men after the parade. The victim claims he was approached by several men in uniform, who yelled homophobic comments and shot him at close range. (Thankfully, he survived) The military has denied any involvement, but it has begun an investigation to determine exactly what happened. One of the military's defenses is that the local military base in Copacabana does not use blue uniforms, which the student said they were wearing (they use green). While it remains to be seen exactly what happened, the bigger question is if the shooter, whoever he is, will actually be brought to justice.

UPDATED 11/18: A soldier has confessed to the Rio Gay Pride Shooting. He will be charged for attempted homicide and could receive a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. Now it's a matter of seeing how it plays out in the courts.

Access Denied

One of the best things about living in New York is the Brazilian community; between the cultural events, concerts, movies, and food, it's easy to matar saudades, but it's also wonderful to be able to meet so many Brazilians, either ones who live here or ones passing through. It's impossible to be too homesick for Brazil in New York, because you'll find Brazilians and Brazilian culture all over the city.

So when a guy from Berimbau told Eli and I about a Brazilian party on Sundays at the Coffee Shop's Union Square Lounge, we were really excited to check it out. It supposedly had great Brazilian music and was a fun event to meet other Brazilians in New York.

Last week, we decided to go. We'd been told it the event started at 5, though according to the website, it only started at 6:30. So when we went over at 6, the place wasn't open yet. Eli spoke to a not particularly friendly Brazilian from management at the Coffee Shop, who told us it hadn't started yet but there would be a drink minimum, for our information. I found this odd because nowhere online does it say there's a cover or minimum for the venue. In any event, there was nothing going on, so we left. We came back an hour later, when the lounge was supposed to have opened. Another Brazilian at the door told us it hadn't started yet, though the club appeared to be open. Annoyed, we left and went to another bar to meet friends. Later that night, two of our friends we were with stopped by the lounge on their way home. Both are Brazilian and white, and at the time were wearing flip flops. They were let in with no mention of a drink minimum, had one or two beers, and went home without incident.

Fast forward to this week, when Eli (a brown-skinned Brazilian), both aforementioned Brazilian friends, and one of Eli's Asian co-workers went to the lounge after a barbecue (I was at home getting ready and waiting to hear when Eli got there). The party was in full swing when they arrived, but they were told by the Brazilian at the door that they couldn't wear flip flops to go in. I'd warned them that could happen, so they told the man at the door that they would change their shoes and come back. One of the Brazilian friends went home, and then Eli, his Asian co-worker and his Brazilian friend changed into sneakers and returned to the lounge.

The same guy was there, the same one who we spoke to the week before, and the same one who had told them he could have let them in if had been wearing different shoes. This time, he told the three that he could let them in, but they'd have to spend a minimum of $140 in drinks. It was a particularly odd ultimatum, especially since he was letting other people in without mentioning this, including a pair of Spaniards who he let in in front of Eli and his two friends. It also would appear to be a flat out lie based on our friends' experience the week before, and it appeared to be a lie intended to keep Eli and his friends out. After that, they left, and Eli called to tell me not to bother to come.

Racism and classism are certainly not relegated to Brazil, where Eli and I had a few minor incidents together. New York has its own problems with racism; Manhattan clubs in particular have been accused of having racist door policies, and SoHo club Greenhouse has been sued three times by Latino and black women for racism. What was so insulting and disappointing about these incidents was seeing these misguided policies perpetrated by Brazilians against their own.

I have no intention of trying to go back to the lounge, let alone the Coffee Shop. Instead, I recommend these fun Brazil parties, whether you're a Brazilian looking for a taste of home or a gringo looking for a bit of Brazil in New York:

SOBs

Cafe Wha - Mondays

Brazilian Cruise

Brazil NYC - Check for events

Barzinho - Thursdays

Miss Favela

Let me know if you have any other suggestions to add!

UPDATE: Reader suggestions

Zinc Bar - Sundays

Nublu - Wednesdays

The Third Rail

While I was away, both of my parents each sent me this article which was apparently on the front page of the New York Times (slow news week, I'm guessing). In any event, the NYT's Brazil correspondent, Alexei Barrionuevo, touched the third rail of journalism in Brazil, combining race, beauty, women's roles, and the North vs. South into a single story. The article, which was oddly opened up to readers online, received 250 comments, and the accompanying video has over 30,000 views on YouTube. My guess, based on reading between the lines and the parts of the story the author seemed to want to emphasize is that the article was mandated, and he tried his best to make it as relevant as possible to Brazilian current affairs.

Nevertheless, the article really pissed people off, as to be expected. While the idea that model scouts largely confine their search to the south, particularly Rio Grande do Sul, is not exactly news to Brazilians, but is apparently something of a novelty for the rest of the world, hence the appeal to the Times. It's disheartening that this is the "juicy" story they wanted on the front page, nonetheless, to try to sell newspapers, while there are much more pressing, current and relevant issues in Brazil, like racial quotas in federal universities, or the continued, abysmal socioeconomic gap between the North and the South of Brazil. But clearly, the editors got what they wanted, and created a little firestorm of controversy, leaving some Brazilians irate and some Americans still clueless as to the real, pressing, underlying issues in the story. I guess it's just another sign of the times in the publishing world.

Off Runway, Brazilian Beauty Goes Beyond Blond

Excerpt: "On the pages of its magazines, Brazil’s beauty spectrum is clearer. Nonwhite women, including celebrities of varying body types, are interspersed with white models. But on the runways, the proving ground for models hoping to go abroad, the diversity drops off precipitously. Prosecutors investigating discrimination complaints against São Paulo Fashion Week found that only 28 of the event’s 1,128 models were black in early 2008. The pattern creates a disconnect between what many Brazilians consider beautiful and the beauty they export overseas. While darker-skinned actresses like Juliana Paes and Camila Pitanga are considered among Brazil’s sexiest, it is Ms. Bündchen and her fellow southerners who win fame abroad."

Video

The Prejudice Test

In this Brazilian TV show, the host did several tests with a blond woman, a gay man, and a black man to see who would experience the most prejudice at a mall in São Paulo. While not very scientific, the experiment was revealing and at the end, even scary. I think it would be interesting to do the same test in the United States, except with a Latina woman or a Middle Eastern man. It might also be more interesting in both cases to use all men or all women.

UPDATE: Original video link stopped working - here is a new one, below.