MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

The Bolsonaro family soap-opera which defeats Brazilian traditional media

Several times a day Bolsonaro communicates with posts on his social media channels or those of his three eldest sons, all of whom are politically active

The Bolsonaro family is using social media to present their life as a reality soap opera. The carefully crafted, highly-watched presidential telenovela (soap-opera) is setting the narrative and circumventing traditional media. On the sixth day, the Messia[s] reclines barefoot on the sofa of the Granja do Torto presidential residence. Next to him sits the faithful family dog, Beretta. His glasses casually perched upon his nose, the master browses social media on his smartphone.

Several times a day, Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro communicates with posts on his social media channels or those of his three eldest sons, all of whom are politically active. They amass a combined 15 million followers on Facebook, 16 million on Instagram, and 6 million on Twitter.

The relaxed sofa scene, posted on Instagram during Bolsonaro's first week in office, reached several millions and garnered over a million likes.

 

 

 

 

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- Haddad, o fantoche do presidiário corrupto, escreve que está na moda um anti-intelectualismo no Brasil. A verdade é que o marmita, como todo petista, fica inventando motivos para a derrota vergonhosa que sofreram nas eleições, mesmo com campanha mais de 30 milhões mais cara. - Eles procuram e criam todos os motivos possíveis para estarem sendo rejeitados pela maioria da população, só não citam o verdadeiro: o PT quebrou o Brasil de tanto roubar, deixou a violência tomar proporções de guerra, é uma verdadeira quadrilha e ninguém aguenta mais isso!

A post shared by Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairmessiasbolsonaro) on Jan 5, 2019 at 6:53am PST

Bolsonaro's election campaign was won greatly through social media, and now it is used for his official communication as president, with a modus operandi is similar to that of president Donald Trump, who celebrated his peer's populist victory.

But unlike the US leader, Bolsonaro makes use of social media to parade his private life.

“A lot of people say they voted for him because he's such a common personality. A man like us, they say. It may appear straightforward, but all of it is very well edited, planned, every step calculated.”

There is, of course, an element of curiosity at play. “We Brazilians think that it's great to gain an insight into the private lives of the powerful. And when it comes to politicians, it's even more exciting, because normally there are no such glimpses,” political scientist Marco Aurelio Nogueira admits.

“But Bolsonaro, with his exuberant personality, has no limits. He does not distinguish between the private and the public. And he says whatever comes to his mind.”

Besides, his life has the necessary attributes: Three adult sons from previous marriages, displaying their loyalty. And his young, camera-ready wife Michelle, with public displays of affection for her decades-older husband, and who broke with protocol during Bolsonaro's inauguration to deliver a speech in sign language.

”You have a perfect cast for a great telenovela (soapopera),“ believes Nogueira. ”There's the prince with his princess and the three crazy kids who always have to be pulled into line. And with Michelle, the government gained a human, big-hearted image. These are all messages that are sent to the public.“

Bolsonaro functions so well as an influencer because he is so similar to his followers: just an average man, Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum argues. ”We all know people like Bolsonaro in our environment,“ says Brum, ”neighbors, friends, and relatives. Bolsonaros are everywhere. And thanks to the internet, we've truly gotten to know this person behind the scenes.“

Bolsonaro presents himself as representing people — mostly white and mostly male — who feel powerless in the modern world, deprived of freedoms by feminism and the politically correctness.

One only need to look at his inaugural address, in which he claimed that he wanted to ”free Brazil from politically correct discourse.“ Brum says this sentiment sums up why he was elected: ”Bolsonaro represents the Brazilian who feels pushed and squashed into a corner,“ a figure who wants to fight back and liberate himself.

On social media, the Bolsonaros present themselves as a conspiratorial community of men with no regard for decorum and etiquette, who stand at the shooting range, weapons in hand, and who posture themselves as comic superheroes.

At the same time, however, they also welcome high-ranking emissaries from all over the world at their breakfast table, covered in coffee stains and bread crumbs. They stage their everyday life as a subversive rebellion, broadcast live on social media. So it is fitting that along with chanting ”Mito, mito!” (myth, myth) at his inauguration, the crowds also called out “WhatsApp!” and “Facebook!”

To understand Bolsonaro, one must realize he relies on the internet because he has neither huge support from organized civil society nor from traditional media, according to political scientist Ricardo Ismael. “Winning a presidential election in Brazil with so little money was a phenomenal achievement. Just like the voluntary support he came to know on social media. That was extraordinary.”

Now Bolsonaro is setting to work on the screenplay of his presidency. “The script of this soap opera comes from him; it’s unusual, often a little skewed. Like eating Brazilian sweetbread. But the people like it, because it's original,” explains Ismael.

Bolsonaro's relationship with wife Michelle is particularly well received. “She's not an intellectual, an academic, but many women identify with her. And she's not infuriating the feminists either,” says Ismael.

Ismael also points out that Bolsonaro does not pander to traditional media outlets, notably the Brazilian media market giant Globo, known worldwide for its soap-operas. But not only does he not pander — in his first week in office he also re-tweeted one of Donald Trump's controversial tweets attacking the media.

“It's not a Globo telenovela. It's a Bolsonaro telenovela,” says expert Ismael. Unlike any other president before him, Bolsonaro's direct channel to his base means that the president sets a narrative that the influential Globo and other outlets have little choice but to cover.