Brazilian President’s Carnaval Tweet: The Politics of Outrage and Intolerance

This year’s Brazil’s Carnaval celebrations drew to an end that jolted many back into sobriety: President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted to his 3.6 million followers a video that would reveal to the world the “real truth” about what happens at Brazil’s Carnaval. President Bolsonaro’s intent was to condemn Brazil’s Carnaval as a party of “orgy and sexual depravity.” Carnaval is Brazil’s most famous national party, with deep roots in Brazil’s African heritage.
In his infamous tweet, Brazil’s newly elected President shared a pornographic video, where two scantily dressed men danced sensually on top of a bus shelter, culminating in one urinating on the head of the second. President Bolsonaro shared it with his follower’s without any explicit content warming, potentially exposing children and adults with sensitive views to this video.
According to sources, the video was taken on the third day of Carnaval at a São Paulo street party, which had the theme “celebrating diversity.” Interestingly, what was “revealed” by President Bolsonaro is a situation which has never been witnessed by most Brazilians, and does not reflect what Carnaval really is or what Carnaval represents for Brazil’s popular culture.