Alicia magazine brazil 2 (1)

MEDIA IN BRAZIL August 2017

"DIVERSITY IS A RESPECT FOR THE OTHER, AN UNDERSTANDING WITHIN OURSELVES ABOUT DIFFERENCES.” -CLAUDIA CESAR

Absence of Inclusion. Why Diversifying the Media is a Step in the Right Direction.

By Alicia Cassell

The morning after arriving in Brazil I found myself gazing out the window of a bus at the massive city of Sao Paulo. Home to 20 million people, this city is no stranger to diversity. In fact Brazil is so diverse that a Brazilian passport is one of the most sought after items on the black market because practically anyone can pass for a Brazilian citizen. As we race past palm trees, favelas and graffiti covered walls, I think about the racial divide that is also a common staple within Brazil. As discussed in previous class meetings, Brazil is notorious for the indescribable gap between wealthy, poor and the relationship this has with class and skin color. This intrigued me to research different forms of media in Brazil and how this powerful influence impacts society, especially in terms of discrimination and beauty standards.

When I arrived at my home stay, my house mother immediately commented on my appearance and told me and my roommate that we were beautiful. As two white, blonde haired and green eyed girls, I started to wonder if her compliment was based off of the beauty standards in Brazil. She also made a comment about children in the U.S. being exceptionally adorable and I wondered if this had a correlation with the hegemonic standards of beauty as well.

As I watch television, look at magazines and advertisements around the city I start to notice a pattern. Most of the women featured have fair skin and straight hair; in lesser words they resemble someone of European decent. I thought this was interesting because in a city full of diversity, there seems to be a shortage of differences within media representation.

. Many of the people who have talked to our class about race relations in Brazil state that there is underlying racism in the country. Part of this racism includes discrimination of looks, small micro-aggressions, beauty standards and representations in media, stories, religion and so much more. This veiled racism is present because of a historical aristocracy that previously existed. This historical factor continues to plague societal values in Brazil.

Many people of Afro-Brazilian decent know the struggle against discrimination in the country.

On August first our class had the privilege of speaking with someone who keeps AfroBrazilian traditions alive. Aduardo Arruda, one of the professors at Sao Paulo’s Methodist University (Universidade Metodista de Sao Paulo), dedicates his time to teaching a traditional dance called Capoeira. After fumbling through the motions we finally had the chance to ask him about the social movement that surrounds Capoeira. He explained that Capoeira, along with many other traditions of Afro-Brazilian culture were still continuously suppressed in today’s society, his statement was confirmed when I asked my host family about Capoeira and they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

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Media in Brazil

I asked him about the media’s participation in the suppression of this historic culture. He stated that the media tends to represent mostly hegemonic, European standards of beauty and tends to exclude those with Afro-Brazilian looks and behaviors. This exclusion through the media reinforces the ideology embedded in veiled racism that whiter is better. The absence of inclusion allows people of Afro-Brazilian decent to hide their heritage and quite literally become a white sheep in order to fit in with unrealistic societal standards.

The next day we listened to an amazing lecture by Claudia Cesar about her journey of embracing her heritage. Cesar admitted to feeling ashamed of who she was for most of her life. Her feelings were largely influenced by her family and the religion they practiced and it wasn’t until she was an adult that she finally realized who she wanted to be. Cesar stated that when she was growing up “the black person was always associated with something bad” and that the darker your skin was, the more discrimination you would face. She talked about hiding her lips in photos because she thought they were too big and women literally killing themselves trying to straighten their hair in order to fit in with a society that discriminated against black features.

Today Cesar is proud to call herself a black woman, but this day didn’t come until she was surrounded by other people of color who embraced their ancestry and defied the stereotypes she was raised with. She says that for her becoming black was a process that takes time. I asked her about her confidence as a woman and how it changed when she recognized herself as part of the Afro-Brazilian population in Brazil. She gave a beautiful answer, stating that her confidence continued to grow from that point on, and that phrases that she once viewed as negative in the past, empowered her because she was no longer ashamed to be herself.

I also asked Cesar about how she thinks the media could play a role in other women identifying themselves as proud black women. Her answer was directly in line with Aduardo’s by saying that there needs to more inclusion. Including more women of color in the media would show young girls that there is no need to conform to hegemonic standards and encourage young women to be proud of the way they look at a much younger age.

Understanding the power that media holds is important, not just in Brazil but around the world. Inclusion in the media can help women feel powerful, beautiful and individual just by being represented and celebrated. One of my teachers asked me, “How old do you think you were when you looked in the mirror and felt dissatisfied with how you looked?” I can remember so clearly in the second grade not wanting to wear a certain shirt because I thought it made me look fat. This question really made me think about where I had gotten this idea from. I know my parents didn’t tell me that I was too big, and I know my friends didn’t tell me that either, so where was I getting this idea that I was fat at just 10 years old!? My only explanation is that I gathered this information from things I had seen on TV, movies and magazines. There was a standard that I thought I was not conforming to.

Along with my own personal battles with beauty standards, what Claudia said helps me further understand why inclusion and representations of women of all different shapes, sizes and skin tones need to be featured in the media. So little girls don’t hide their lips in photos, or spend hours damaging their hair to try to make it straighter. Claudia stated that, “Diversity is a respect for the other, an understanding within ourselves about differences.” I absolutely love this definition because it shows that it’s important to be accepting of all people. This idea of acceptance could potentially fuel a more loving society and dissipate racial stigmas present in Brazil. This will ultimately create confidence for young girls who will become the future leaders of our world.

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Media in Brazil

Media Justice Manifesto I followed the rules of the media justice manifesto by asking Aduardo and Claudia if I could write about our discussions and their answers to the questions. I also asked Nathalia if it was okay to put her video interview in the online magazine. Everyone was very supportive and even asked if I could send them a copy of the magazine when I was done. I asked everyone I took pictures of and tried to take pictures of objects instead of people.

One thing I have a hard time with is that I find myself falling into the category of hegemonic beauty standards in this country. After the Altas Horas show students asked if they could take pictures with me, which seemed fine at the moment but after I thought about it I felt like I was fueling the ideology of beauty standards by being a white American on a Brazilian TV show. It feels hypocritical of me to criticize the media and then appear on television because my looks do not necessarily diversify beauty norms here in Brazil.

Universidade Metodista's international relations assistant and our wonderful event coordinator Nathalia Mendler, giving her personal definition of true beauty and what she thinks about the media's interpretation of this.

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Media in Brazil

PERSONAL REFLECTION My Thoughts So Far....

What an incredible journey this has been so far, and we’re not even half way through. I’ve felt such strong emotion towards every single experience that this program has provided me with. During our first scheduled adventure, we had the absolute privilege of participating in Capoeira. This experience was not only educational but insanely fun, I was smiling so much my cheeks actually started to hurt. It was incredible to see something full of tradition, culture and passion still very much alive and protected by the University.

My home stay family experience was also extremely positive. I’m noticing that the people here tend to focus less on material items and focus more on family, friends and let’s not forget futebol! Our home stay family is passionate about music and they shared their love of Nirvana and Pearl Jam with us Seattleites. With amazing food and hospitality it’s safe to say I felt more than at home with them. Regina and Jonathan have an amazing family dynamic and an incredible love for one another, it was a privilege to stay with them.

There were so many amazing people who spoke to our class about social issues, political issues and tried their best to teach us as much Portuguese as possible in a short amount of time. I am so grateful for all of them and the warm welcome we got from the school as a whole. Everyone was so nice even with the language barrier, they laughed with us (not at us) when we pronounced things wrong and stumbled through whatever it was we were trying to say.

Participating in the Altas Horas show was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. From being told that I looked like Ivanka Trump by the host (thanks?), to actually being featured on TV it is a memory I will cherish forever.

The artists we visited and the social movement surrounding Paraisopolis were inspiring. It was incredible to see that so many people could come together against all odds and trust one another to reclaim their small community. I couldn’t believe it when artist Estevao Conceicao and his wife trusted us to take home pieces of art with no form of payment upfront. It was a kind of trust that you don’t see very often in the United States and it truly showed the genuine nature of Paraisopolis as a whole.

Overall, Sao Paulo was amazing and I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for Rio and Campo Grande.

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