Brazil: Nonstop Carnival? One Big Favela? Country of the Future? Gunter Axt Explains It All For You.

Oct. 21, 2011

By Mark Dery

A bracingly original thinker about the Brazilian cultural psyche, Gunter Axt—university professor, cultural historian, public intellectual—is the sort of Big Thinker who accessorizes his blazer-and-blue jeans costume with an ’80s-ironic necktie studded with Swarovski crystals; who thrills to the sharp-elbowed debates inspired by his appearances on Brazilian TV and his columns for magazines such as Cult and Voto; who exults in conversational hyperlinking, segueing from masculinity and homophobia in Brazil to the role of Afro-Brazilian syncretic religions in the Brazilian cultural unconscious to the myth of Brazil as a post-racial heterotopia versus the racial realities of Brazilian society, with detours—pass the cachaça, will you?—down discursive byways leading to District 9, The Hurt Locker, and Avatar.

Gunter Axt

At the same time, Axt thrives in his roles as visiting professor at the Université Denis Diderot in Paris; consultant on cultural heritage to the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul, to that state’s public prosecutor, and to the Brazilian supreme court; and as curator of the international lecture series Boundaries of Contemporary Thought in Porto Alegre (where—full disclosure—he hosted me as a featured speaker).

Yet he’s no less in his element as a carnival reveler, shaking it to the boombastic sounds of a live band and earthquaking sound system on a float several stories high, as he did at the 2009 mega-party in Salvador da Bahia alongside Camille Paglia, improbably enough. (That was Axt on Daniela Mercury’s trio elétrico, a kind of motorized bandstand, gyrating as the Brazilian pop star sang “Oyá Tê Tê,” a frenzied paean to Iansä, the goddess of wind and storm sacred to the Afro-Brazilian religion of candomblé.)

Axt is the sort of thinker who tosses off aperçus like “any concern with the image that others may have of us [as Brazilians] is far from being the hegemonic lever of our becoming” and, a few paragraphs later, compares the Mexican social theorist José Vasconcelos Calderón’s unclassifiable book Raça Cósmica to “a metaphysical hallucination, as if it were written over the Andes, under the hypnotic and psychedelic influence of an enormous joint!”

In the epic interview that follows, Axt walks U.S. readers through Brazil’s storied history and foundational myths—mash-ups of sacred and secular, high and low culture, European and African and indigenous elements.

Ever wondered about Calderón’s “unexpected assertion that Native Americans are descendants of the inhabitants of the mythical Lemuria”? So has Axt. Curious to know about the racial roots of the straight male obsession, in Brazil, with the female booty, and its relation to the mythical moura encantada, or “Enchanted Moor,” of Portuguese fairy tales and folklore? Axt has it down cold. Given much thought to “carnival as an escape valve for social pressure in rigidly hierarchical societies,” and its special relevance to our age of anti-terrorist paranoia, when surveillance is ubiquitous, public space is militarized, and crowds, no matter how law-abiding, are kettled and maced? Axt has, and he’s got the Bakhtinian op cits and ibids to prove it.

In the pages that follow, Axt interprets the historical narratives and contemporary dreams of a country whose economic and geopolitical shadow stretches longer and longer across global affairs; a country that, to America’s snooze-alarm surprise, sees the 21st century, increasingly, as the Brazilian Century, at least in the context of the Americas.

Brazilian intellectuals are fond of quoting Stefan Zweig, who in 1941 called Brazil “the country of the future.” Axt likes to quote the French economist Guy Sorman, who said that the future was already in Brazil.

That was in 2008.

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  • FRED

    Wow, this is packed with insight… 

  • http://www.facebook.com/t.jason.ham Jason Ham

    This is excellent; thanks for posting this. The last paragraph felt peppered with abrupt points but I still think this is a great introduction to what Brazil really is. There’s a great depth to this article.

    Note: “São Cristóvão”, “João Goulart” and “Padre António Vieira” instead of “Cristovão” “Joao” and “Antonio” :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/t.jason.ham Jason Ham

    This is excellent; thanks for posting this. The last paragraph felt peppered with abrupt points but I still think this is a great introduction to what Brazil really is. There’s a great depth to this article.

    Note: “São Cristóvão”, “João Goulart” and “Padre António Vieira” instead of “Cristovão” “Joao” and “Antonio” :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/t.jason.ham Jason Ham

    This is excellent; thanks for posting this. The last paragraph felt peppered with abrupt points but I still think this is a great introduction to what Brazil really is. There’s a great depth to this article.

    Note: “São Cristóvão”, “João Goulart” and “Padre António Vieira” instead of “Cristovão” “Joao” and “Antonio” :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/t.jason.ham Jason Ham

    This is excellent; thanks for posting this. The last paragraph felt peppered with abrupt points but I still think this is a great introduction to what Brazil really is. There’s a great depth to this article.

    Note: “São Cristóvão”, “João Goulart” and “Padre António Vieira” instead of “Cristovão” “Joao” and “Antonio” :)

  • http://www.nosexcity.com NoSexCity

    Having never been, I would not presume to know. This was an interesting read.

    Seriously though, Brazil is responsible for that really hot tattooed male model that married some chick that looks like a 90′s porn star and for that, I thank them.

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • Charles Reinhardt

    This is definitely one of the best things I’ve ever read on this site. More please!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks. Staggered to discover that readers are willing to venture into the trackless Matto Grosso of such an epically epic Q&A. Don’t encourage my discursive tendencies!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • M. Dery

    Thanks, Jason and Fred. I had serious reservations about posting an interview, since the form seems inimical to online-reading habits, especially one this long. So I’m happy to be proven wrong.

  • Mark

    What is moving about this is how Brazil was a grey blank in my mind, and now: I have a very colorful appreciation of it.   I’m also particularly challenged by this idea of the “cosmic race”.  You and Gunter Axt really had quite the conversation. 

  • http://twitter.com/viankaa bianca justiniano

    very interesting and insightful – as a Brazilian I can tell. 
    reading it was sort of looking at yourself in the mirror…yes, we´re not the country of the future, we don´t live an endless carnival, and we´re a melting pot just like the USA. thank you!

  • M. Dery

    Thanks for the copyedit; will amend accordingly (when I have a minute to spare). Yes, the last graph is thick with one-liner insights—so many ideas, so little time.

  • M. Dery

    Gratifying to know that this attempt at an X-ray of the Brazilian cultural psyche rings true to Brazilians.

  • Pamela Soucre

    This Q&A was great. I was born in Venezuela and have been living in Argentina for almost 5 years now. Both countries have limits with Brazil (because it’s huge like that) and after visiting Brazil for the first time (three years ago), I was amazed by the fact that it felt like being in a completely different world; a world familiar in some ways to venezuelan culture, yes, but Brazil has an unique energy that is amplified in every single cultural expression. It was overwhelming. It shocked me. Immediately I started learning portuguese and now try to visit the country every year, I’m hooked :) Latin America is far from being homogenous, even when trying to compare spanish speaking countries (from my experience , Venezuela and Argentina could be in different planets), however Brazil is certainly a world of its own.

  • Cintia

    A afirmação de que o ”…carnival emerges as a remarkable reply to the culture of security paranoia.”, nos faz pensar, entre outras coisas, o quanto a propria internet se apresenta como “inversion of hierarchies” e se unge deste lugar-sagrado carnavalesco em nossos tempos digitais… true … but that’s another story …Thanks, Mark and Gunter.

  • M. Dery

    Corrections inputted. Thanks for the red pencil!

  • M. Dery

    Corrections inputted. Thanks for the red pencil!

  • Cintia Ines

    Este assunto, e estes autores (Bakhtin, Axt e Dery) são fundamentais para a educação que pensa a mídia como um espaço de criação, inventividade e livre da paranóia de segurança que assombra a cultura digital e as tecnologias de convergencia de nossos tempos… Parabéns!

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