RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Regina Duarte was officially inaugurated as Special Secretary of Culture in a ceremony in Brasilia on Wednesday March 4th. The 73 year-old actress is the fourth person to occupy this position since President Jair Bolsonaro’s inauguration in January 2019.
The previous Secretary of Culture Roberto Alvim was forced to resign after he announced a new cultural project in a video that bore strong resemblances to Nazi propaganda.
Duarte is one of the most famous Brazilian actresses and has played many well-known roles in TV Globo and other telenovelas (soap operas).
However, unfortunately for her, her theatrical and often cringe-worthy inauguration speech has become the butt of innumerable jokes and memes, as she said culture “is the toot with talcum spraying from the clown’s backside” (aquele pum produzido com talco espirrando do traseiro do palhaço).
This was part of a long list that included passion fruit caipirinha, ten o’clock mass, swear words, tattoos, farofa and forró. Other than the clown’s talcum toot, which most seem to find universally embarrassing, many disagree on the rest of her list: whether it was slightly ridiculous or a genuine attempt to have a broader vision of all aspects of Brazilian culture.
In any case, on a more serious note, though an ardent critic of Lula and the Worker’s Party (PT), the appointment of Regina is seen as a positive move by many, as she has a long history working in the cultural sphere and is not particularly linked to Bolsonaro’s political agenda.
Indeed, some in Bolsonaro’s inner circle see her as a time-bomb for this very reason. And Olavo de Carvalho, considered by many as Bolsonaro’s “ideologue”, has already criticised her online. Regina’s dismissal of staff connected to Carvalho seems to be one of the motives for this. Regina specifically mentioned that she would be given full autonomy in her role and that she will hold the President to this. However, given Bolsonaro’s predilection for tight control over his ministries, it seems unlikely that she will retain this autonomy should she decide to use her role in a way that displeases him.
President Bolsonaro has already interfered in cultural matters, even in semi-official bodies where he should not. As well as this, many artists and performers complain of ideological censorship since he took government last year. For this reason, many are sceptical of how much freedom Regina will really have.
After Regina’s speech, the president took the podium and spoke about how culture in Brazil had been co-opted for political ends under previous governments, against the wishes of the majority of Brazilians, presumably with the implication that his government is seeking to correct this. He also spoke of how the music on the radio has an influence on the economy, as depending on what music is playing, this will change whether people arrive at their job with a desire to work or not.
Whatever one thinks about all these questions, it seems clear that the clown’s toot called culture will continue to generate controversy and humour over the coming years, as it is in this realm that many modern-day political battles are being fought out.