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What stereotypical vision do you have about Brazil? An open-minded people or a primitive people? A lazy, slothful, sluggished, slacked people or hard working, workoholic and dedicated people? When we talk about international vision about Brazil we easily associate with Amazon Rainforest, Beaches, Samba and Favelas. When we talk about brazilians the first thing that come is Ronaldinho & Pelé.

Let’s check what are those stereotypes for the land of Carnival!

According to us (brazilians) people just think about CARNIVAL, SAMBA & FOOTBALL. They think our WOMEN are all DARK-SKINNED, BEAUTIFUL, SEXY, EASY to get in bed, with BIG BUTTS and walk around NAKED in public. Brazilians eat FRUIT DIRECTLY FROM THE TREES, play SOCCER all day long on dirt fields while listening to SAMBA, drinking CAIPIRINHAS and playing with their PET MONKEYS. All Their politicians are CORRUPT, their streets are all DANGEROUS, their idols are PELÉ & RONALDINHO, and they speak SPANISH as their native tongue. And of course, BUENOS AIRES is the capital of Brazil.

"Blame It on Lisa" is the fifteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. In the episode, the Simpson family goes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Several references to popular culture are included in the episode. The title "Blame It on Lisa" refers to the 1984 film Blame It on Rio, which also takes place in Brazil.
“Blame It on Lisa” is the fifteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. In the episode, the Simpson family goes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Several references to popular culture are included in the episode. The title “Blame It on Lisa” refers to the 1984 film Blame It on Rio, which also takes place in Brazil.

In 2002, when the Simpsons, America’s favourite dysfunctional family, visited Brazil the cartoon characters found that Rio de Janeiro is a city where all men are bisexual, where fearsome monkeys roam the streets, and tourists are kidnapped by taxi drivers and mugged by children.

The ironic humour was par for the course for a show that has poked fun at middle American stereotypes for more than a decade.

Unfortunately, the Rio tourist board did not see the funny side and sued the producers, Fox, for damage to its international image and loss of revenue. The issue threatens to become a diplomatic incident.  Now  this episody was banned in Brazil, but of course we laugh a lot and still laughting because we can see it on Youtube. Well, if you want to read more about this episody between Brazil x Fox you can check this article HERE.

The most common brazilian stereotypes are

  1. Brazil MUST be a VERY POOR COUNTRY;
  2. Men are violent “machos” who unrespect women and consider her submissive and trash;
  3. Brazilians MUST be dark skinners;
  4. Brazilian women MUST be easy for sex;
  5. Brazilian women’s beauty MUST BE FAKE, because Brazil is the paradise of plastic surgery;
  6. Brazilians dream about ‘green card’;
  7. Brazilians ask money for tourists to sustain their miserable families;
  8. Brazilian MUST BE latinos;
  9. if brazilians MUST BE latinos, then, brazilians are hispanic;
  10. If brazilians are hispanic, brazilians speak spanish;
  11. Brazil is the country of samba, soccer, beaches and Amazonia;
  12. Brazil is the most violent nation of the whole World; etc.
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria cosa buena Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena HEEEEEEEY MACARENAAAAAAA
HEEEEEEEY MACARENAAAAAAA

ONE GRINGO`S HUMBLE, BALANCED TRUTH

Brazil is another country with its own mix of positive and negative perspectives. In many ways, and for many people, Brazil is one of the brightest lights in the world, but for others, it’s just another third-world Latin American country with big problems. A lot of people love Brazil, with good reasons, because Brazilians are nice, charismatic and interesting, but others only see the problems: corruption, crime and inequality, among others.

There are a lot of misconceptions, but most of these don’t come from malice, but rather from ignorance, and the fact that people tend to generalize what they see in the mass media. Even if it´s difficult to accept, most Brazilians do the same thing with other countries. I’m American and most people, whether they see it or not, come at me with preconceptions that range from “America the glorious land of Hollywood, public order and happy people” to “America, the Great Satan that rapes and pillages the rest of the world to  drill for oil.” The truth is somewhere in the middle. The U.S. has a lot of serious problems with international relations, but there’s a lot of really awesome stuff about my country and people too. Not to recognize this is a mistake.

With Brazil, some of the most interesting aspects in the eyes of the rest of the world really are the Amazon Rain Forest, Rio de Janeiro, and Soccer. You guys are only one of the best soccer countries in the world. Even if you don´t play soccer, or dance samba, you don´t have to be offended if people think you do. It is not a bad thing. Brazilians should embrace this ignorance (or learning process) with patience for the rest of the world, and recognize that sometimes people haven’t been privileged to have the opportunity to learn about other aspects of Brazil, and that maybe these stereotypes represent interest in you and your culture rather than apathy. This represents your opportunity to be an ambassador for your country and culture and unveil the countless other amazing and interesting aspects of Brazil and Brazilians.

Meanwhile in Brazil not a single fuck is given on any day
Meanwhile in Brazil not a single fuck is given on any day

 

POSITIVE STEREOTYPES OF BRAZIL

This is a collection of the positive stereotypes about Brazil that many gringos, including myself, believe about Brazil and Brazilians. I grew up near Seattle, U.S.A. acquiring a lot these ideas long before I even stepped on Brazilian soil. Even though I had only met three or four Brazilians before my twentieth birthday, the vast majority of the things I had heard about Brazil were positive, and the Brazilians I met along the way only reinforced this positive viewpoint as pleasant people. And no, I was never taught that the Amazon Rain Forest belonged to the U.S. (nor had I ever heard of this happening until a few Brazilians vehemently told me that this happens in the U.S. Until now, this still seems absurd to me). Of course, even the positive side doesn’t represent an impartial perspective, as I was a dreamer with my eyes set on Brazil, but the positive stereotypes written here, in my opinion, reflect a much more accurate international perception of Brazil than the negative ones that a lot of Brazilians carry.

Honestly, I was always fascinated by Brazil. The two exchange students at my high school were really nice people and through the documentaries, movies, and other aspects communicated about Brazil through the American media, I became amazed by Rio, the Amazon Rain Forest, Samba and stories of Capoeira. I bought a poster of Cristo Redentor when I was in college and hung it on my wall as I dreamed of future adventures. Was my perception of Brazil totally accurate? NO! But it made sense to me and my upbringing, and it wasn´t negative.

BRAZILIANS are INDIANS that live either in the Amazon Rainforest
BRAZILIANS are INDIANS that live either in the Amazon Rainforest

My stereotypes were molded by Brazil’s international fame as put forth by the media that I was exposed to (largely about Carnaval, the Amazon Rain Forest, and Rio), and the handful of Brazilians I met. Not everything I believed was true. I was ignorant to a lot. For example, I remember being surprised when in college I met a blonde girl from the South of Brazil. That was embarrassing, but my mistake makes sense when you consider how Brazil was presented in the American media. I´m not excusing such glaring ignorance, but the media rarely showed blonde Brazilians, and in the United States we didn’t learn about European immigration in Southern Brazil or the ethnic makeup of Brazilians.

But, even with my ignorant points, I loved Brazilian culture, and I still do. Brazil is something I dreamed about for years and my perspective was built with the positive experiences that I searched for. I know that my perceptions are colored by my experiences and not by other peoples’, which is to say that reality is subjective. I represent the positive side of the spectrum, but in sober reflection, I know there is another side.

Brazilians try to defend themselves from the most common Stereotypes
Brazilians try to defend themselves from the most common Stereotypes

 

What do Brazilian males/females typically look like?

Well, the brazilians are a mixed people, so they don’t have a “brazilian” face. That’s why you can see a brazilian looks like Julio Cesar or Maicon (soccer players), or Gisele Bündchen (model) or  Tatiane Barros (Amazon Dancer).

Take a look at a brazilian DNA.

The Brazilian people have several ethnic groups. First row: White (Portuguese, German, Italian and Lebanese, respectively) and Japanese Brazilians. Second row: African, pardo (cafuzo, mulato and caboclo, respectively) and Native (Indian) Brazilians.
The Brazilian people have several ethnic groups. First row: White (Portuguese, German, Italian and Lebanese, respectively) and Japanese Brazilians. Second row: African, pardo (cafuzo, mulato and caboclo, respectively) and Native (Indian) Brazilians.

So basically anyone can look like a Brazilian!

anyone can look like a Brazilian
anyone can look like a Brazilian

 

Who Wants to Be a Brazilionaire?

Who Wants to Be a Brazilionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Brazilionaire?

Who Wants to Be a Brazilionaire? is a guide book about Brazil. Lisa was reading it on the AeroBrasil flight to Rio de Janeiro. Marge later read it when they were in Brazil. The book gives tips for Americans going to Brazil such as:

  •     Only drink bottled water.
  •     Don’t get into an unlicensed taxi.
  •     They have winter during the American summer.
  •     You can get anywhere you want by joining a conga line.

The name of the book is an obvious parody of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

And if you never heard about that “the Amazon belongs to US” take a look at this video…

Private control is the best way to save the Amazon

If you liked this article, you can like it below, and/or become an official member of the Real Life English International Community. It’s a free and open social network for English speakers and learners, based in BH, where you can learn and practice English with foreigners and Brazilians, using community, culture and meaningful relationships. With your free membership, you will receive an invitation into our International Facebook Community, in addition to future Real Life English in person meetings.

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Have you ever asked yourself what the world think about you just because you were born in a certain nation? Of course that there are a variety of common national stereotypes about the inhabitants of various nations, held by inhabitants of other nations. Such stereotypes are usually prejudicial and often ill-informed, and often overlap with ethnic or racial stereotypes. However, some stereotypes may be positive. Well, this blog stereotypes the nations, stereotypes the WORLD is the WORD!

43 COMMENTS

  1. Resuming to you folks

    We have the best women in the planet
    We do have the best race drivers in the planet
    We do have the best fighters in the planet
    We do have the best land in the planet, anything grows in Brazil
    We do have more private helicopters and jets than any other country in the world
    We do have corruption, which in the USA is called “lobby” BS
    We live life: We wake up, we work, we fuck, we party

    We don’t need xanax, vicodin and all that shit that you folks take to take away your depression, we don’t have crazy white trash people shooting kids.
    Going through all the trouble about economy,we are still the happiest nation in the planet, we don’t grow alone and old eating ice cream on food stamps watching The Simpsons, we don’t have time for fucking television and we don’t care about hollywood at all.

    Can you all imagine if we have USA Economy with our lifestyle. It would be unfair, that is why god gives USA capitalism, so you go to the iphone store to buy an iPhone so you can play for days with it, because you don’t have friends, while in Brazil, we use that too, but not to text people all day or jerk off on the internet (American Stereotype). We use it to work and to set dates with real people, to go out have a nice time and fuck or just to meet friends and life life, things that you folks don’t do it in the USA unless you have to pay for it! Go on with your depressing lives and your unpaid houses that belongs to the bank. LMAO

    • Whatever – du bist ein arschlogg – Look at your letter – at least admit that you are biased.. Nothihg wrong with that even the UGLIEST baby look beautiful to its mohter – hoewever – it does not mak it true. I lived in Brasil – most people (99%) is mixed race – therefor the country as a whol have an identity crises.. Alll you can do is fuck, steal, lie, drink, brag, etc…Another thing – noit that you would understand it – but there is no “god” -it is a figmetn of your iamgination, ande if you take away all the stuff you buy fromthe USA – like cell phones, Ipod, etc – all you wiull have left to doi is fuck and eat bananas – nou go talk more shit in your nonsesical language USA rocks!!

      • I am a brazillian and I found not only yours, but “watever” comment really imprecise and disrespecting.
        Our country is an emerging economy, therefore most of the problems listed on the article and on grigo’s comment are true( even though he exaggerated a lot), but he forgot to mention that most of the planes on the world are produced here, most of the technology used to extract petroil located in the deep sea were developed here, so I think I am not wrong when I say that we don’t only have to do is eat bananas.
        And if you can’t even spell words on your own language don’t you dare say that our language is “nonsensical” idiot.

    • “We have the best women in the planet
      We do have the best race drivers in the planet
      We do have the best fighters in the planet
      We do have the best land in the planet, anything grows in Brazil
      We do have more private helicopters and jets than any other country in the world
      We do have corruption, which in the USA is called “lobby” BS
      We live life: We wake up, we work, we fuck, we party
      WE brazilians don’t think we are the best.

      “we don’t have crazy white trash people shooting kids.”
      in Brazil we don’t say crazy white people or craze black people, this is american thing.

      “we don’t have time for fucking television”
      most brazilians like novels

      you’re a troll or just a crazy brazilian.

  2. Brazil's main language is Portuguese not Spanish. And her capital is Brasília, not Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and language is the official language there. Who's the ignorant person who wrote this article anyway?

  3. Yeah, actually I realized after my comment that the article is saying that these are stereotypes that people make about Brazilians. But still, those two factors are ignorant stereotypes.

  4. Is funny to read these articles. I am brazilian, mixed, but I'm confuse about what I look like. Some call me asian. I'm curious about how people out of here would think I look, By my mother's side my grandmother was a german speaker from Yugoslav/ Hungary born in Brazil, my grandfather was descendent of portuguese, italian, japanese and black people. By my father side: grandmother is a far descendent of native indians, black and white people, my grandfather was also hungarian. Sometimes I think what I look like, because no one at my family here looks like me, but at least I'm a true brazilian face.

  5. One stereotype that sticks in my head is that the people are overly sexual and are consumed with sex, with a very lacked moral code. I think it's because of the images I see during Carnival.

    • because of the short clothes? people think brazilians are sluts because of the clothes used, does they think Brazil is in the most a hot country?

  6. Thank you very much for this insightful read into Brazil and the rich interior textures that build and define a people FAR MORE DEEPLY than a stereotype-put-to-IMAGERY, could convey. I have learned alot about feelings and sentiments following after TOO NARROW a look into wonderful people.

  7. I live in Brazil, and I love here, I dont like carnival, samba, or soccer, mainly i live in a normal city with people, dogs( not monkeys), buildings( not ‘Ocas’). I never saw a monkey either an ‘Onça’ crossing a street.Brazil have corruption, but it is not just that. When i get out home i’m not stolen. And snow near my city, its not just summer, beach, parties.I’m saying it because i know persons and almost everyone in world think we are different in the world. We brazilians have a normal life.

  8. I live in Brazil, and I love here, I dont like carnival, samba, or soccer, mainly i live in a normal city with people, dogs( not monkeys), buildings( not ‘Ocas’). I never saw a monkey either an ‘Onça’ crossing a street. Brazil have corruption, but it is not just that. When i get out home i’m not stolen. And it snows near my city, its not just summer, beach, parties.I’m saying it because i know persons and almost everyone in world think we are different in the world. We brazilians have a normal life.

  9. Before you move, make sure the country is out of its currently crisis. Right now, by the end of 2015, things are getting really serious all over the country. But I guess things will be better in one or two years anyway. Good luck and I hope you have a good experience!

  10. Watta heck? Pardo-Mix is a misture of races? Where did you get it? are you losing your mind?
    Let me explain it to everyone here, hope it reachs to every of you:
    1) Brazil has a nature of race well known as Índio. End point.
    2) Portugueses came from Europe to explore our territory and they found a million of Índios living here.
    3) They fuck up the Brazil and had sex with many of Índias, at this time the Europe's races began to growth in Brazil, THUS Pardo-mixed.

    You must study before spread that Brazilian hasn't race!! Come on.

  11. I bet something to you…

    ..Americans girls are EASY to have sex.

    ..Canadian girls are EASY to see her boobs!

    ..Europe girls are EASY to have sex.

    ..Brazilian girls are intelligent, she knows what she wants. IF you CONQUEST her, you will eat her. YOU MUST CONQUEST! Different than americans, europes and canadians girls.

    Of 10 girls gringas that I met, 9 were being like bitch.

  12. The best answer ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    nunca entendi esse negócio de que as brasileiras eram faceis… Ai voce vai para o canada e basta um "show your boobs" e pronto!

  13. Eu falo brasileiro, português, espanhol… Sério. Huehueheu
    (I do speak Brazilian, Portuguese, Spanish… Seriously. lol)

  14. I live in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro, a place excluded from the tourist agenda … but who cares? Here in Brazil we have Ayahuasca (transcendental tea that teaches the truth about humanity) and magic mushrooms are not prohibited … USA: How does someone ban a fungus that grows in bovine faeces regardless of human will? What is the concern with an individual having contact with this substance? perhaps because it allows an explosion of tryptamine (which our body produces, but because of that industrialized shit we eat, we do not reach the mental capacity we have). Freemasonry is empty and material, it hides the whole meaning of the population’s life and yet it continues to fill people’s time with all this political theater …

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