Post by TheGuyFromBrazil on May 12, 2019 16:40:53 GMT -5
Malhação was the last taboo for gay characters on Brazilian telenovelas. As the big 'outcry' over LGBT representation from conservatives in Brazil have always been that "telenovelas are turning kids gay", Globo was always very reticent in adding gay characters on the show that had a huge tween, teen and even kids following. They did some little experiences with small characters over the years, but only last year with more prominent regular characters.
Of the ones you listed, I immediately recognized the Junior/Zeca storyline - and that only for the wrong reason, the international outcry it generated when they censored the couple's only kiss which IIRC came at the culmination of their storyline. I don't think Globo was so strict with their copyright back then, because I remember following the storyline on YT and being massively disappointed when their kiss was cut. (I also fell in love with Bruno Gagliasso, who I found breathtakingly beautiful.)
I seem to have missed other stories over the intervening years. I think Globo must have started clamping down on copyright around the time Imperio was on air. I remember a character played by Romulo Arantes Neto trying to seduce Claudio on Imperio with a striptease outside his window but it was clear Romulo's character was playing him, which pissed me off, and then I never found another Imperio clip on YT. I certainly did not know Claudio eventually found love with Klebber Toledo, a more than adequate substitute! (Klebber's current storyline on Verão 90 as a male stripper is a role he was born for!)
Insensato Coração was also on my radar but for Jonatas Faro who spent a lot of time in Speedos or briefs - I thought he was the bee's knees. (He pinged my gaydar so hard.) The gay storyline seems to have not merited any clips on YT.
Now that you mention the remaining titles, they do ring a bell (especially the last two) but I assumed, in the absence of clips, that they were insubstantial storylines and/or offensive portrayals which is why they never found international traction.
Viewers outside Brazil can view some clips of the novelas on the official Globo site (that's how I'm following the stripper storyline on Verão 90) but not the full episodes. Hopefully the upcoming gay storyline with Caio Castro will feature to some extent on there.
I find it ironic that Malhação steered clear of gay characters/storylines back when they used to be more sexually-forward and incorporate nudity, but are now becoming gay-inclusive at a time when, across the board, Brazilian novelas are becoming a lot less sexually explicit. Conservatives would consider a fully-clothed gay couple holding hands explicit but not a male stripper who actually strips naked - yet today it's the former that makes it into the novelas while the strippers (oh so frustratingly) retain their modesty. I mean, I definitely remember Amor a vida, not for the gays but for Caio Castro's nude scenes but Klebber is never shown naked on Verão despite playing a stripper, LOL!
Yep! Junior and Zeca’s ending was was very bittersweet with the censoring of the kiss. Still, it was a very impactful storyline for me as a teen. I also fell in love with Bruno... he’s still super gorgeous as an older man. He’s become very outspoken for liberal causes (including gay rights) and has a beautiful family.
Globo as become more strict regarding copyrights of their material right when they started having their own streaming service (probably around 4 or 5 years ago), but they've always been strict. Império was a bit messy with their storyline (that Romulo Arantes character pissed me off too), but the ending was quite good and Claudio found a much better replacement with Kleber Toledo. I don’t watch Verão 90 (even though I like the 90s nostalgia of it and the silly humor) but I’ve seen some scenes with Kleber lol
Insensato Coração suffered from having bad actors on their gay storyline because, otherwise, it could’ve been much better lol.
Globo as become more strict regarding copyrights of their material right when they started having their own streaming service (probably around 4 or 5 years ago), but they've always been strict. Império was a bit messy with their storyline (that Romulo Arantes character pissed me off too), but the ending was quite good and Claudio found a much better replacement with Kleber Toledo. I don’t watch Verão 90 (even though I like the 90s nostalgia of it and the silly humor) but I’ve seen some scenes with Kleber lol
Insensato Coração suffered from having bad actors on their gay storyline because, otherwise, it could’ve been much better lol.
Regarding Jonatas Faro, I have a feeling you might be right... I have a felling he’s gay too... he’s been out of the air for quite a while and I’ve heard he’s been on a few mental health facilities (probably dealing with depression). He has a son with another actress but that was his only public relationship I can remember. He does musical theatre as well... I saw him in Wicked and he was SO HOT wearing those costumes! Lol
All the storylines I mentioned on my previous post were big ones... all had substance and a good amount of airtime. The last one (Orgulho e Paixão) was actually posted HERE on the forum and is SUPER sweet and cute. This TUMBLR ACCOUNT has their entire storyline with subtitles
Globo’s website do feature some clips on their website, but as you said, not the entire storylines (which is quite unfortunate for viewers abroad). On the topic of nudity, I’m not sure how much of it has a correlation with more liberal storylines... I feel like , overtime, showing gratuitous nudity has become “tacky” in most viewers’ eyes and I feel like Globo has been trying to break away from that. At the same time, they also have been trying to be more socially conscious and embrace diversity more (not just in terms of sexuality, but also by adding more non-Caucasian actors and actors with different body times). They still do show some skin on some telenovelas (especially later at night) but definitely a lot less than before.
