UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Consumer Culture Imperialism A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Latin American Studies by Marcelo Gonçalves de Carvalho Committee in charge: Professor Daniel Widener, Chair Professor Daniel Hallin Professor Denise da Silva 2010 xxx The thesis of Marcelo Gonçalves de Carvalho is approved and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2010 DEDICATION Dedicaded to my family that always supported my endevours. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page …………………………………………………………….. iii Dedication …………………………………………………………………. iv Table of Contents ………………………………………………………….. v List of illustrations …………...………………………….…...…………… vi List of Tables ………………...………………………….…....…………… vii Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………….. viii Abstract ……………………………………………………….…………… ix Introduction ……………………………………………………………….. 1 I. The Reasons behind the 1964 Coup ..…………………………….. 20 II. Globo and its Logo: The Sword and the Cross of the New Imperialism………………... 77 III. Homogenizing the Nation in the Cultura Zona Sul ..….…...……… 125 Conclusion .……………………………………………………….……….. 200 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………. 211 … v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1.1: As Armas (The Guns)……………………………..………………… 12 Figure 1.2: As Armas (The Guns)……………………………..………………… 13 Figure 1.3: Os Caçadores (The Hunters)…………………………………….…. 15 Figure 1.4: Os Caçadores (The Hunters)…………………………………….…. 16 Figure 1.5: A Caça (The Prey)…………………….…………………………. 18 xx vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: TV Set Purchased in Brazil ……………………………… 92 Table 2: Percentage of Advertising Expenditure by Medium ……. 156 00 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank the members of my committee Daniel Widener, Daniel Hallin and Denise da Silva for their support, patience and inspiration in the process of developing this project. I extend a very special thank you to the chair of my thesis committee, Daniel Widener. His guidance and feedback helped make this thesis a foundation upon which I may continue this research. Thank you very much to the wonderful people at the Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies (CILAS), especially Christine Hunefedt, Ruth Padrón, and Julia Schneider. Especial thanks to my compas at CILAS, Felipe Salazar and Harry Simón. I also would like to thank John J. Crocitti at San Diego Mesa College for the initial inspiration and guidance. viii ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Consumer Culture Imperialism by Marcelo Gonçalves de Carvalho Master of Arts in Latin American Studies University of California, San Diego, 2010 Professor Daniel Widener, Chair The thesis examines the interplay between political, military, economic, social and cultural influences in the context of the United States’ control over Brazil. The main argument is that the ways used by the United States to control Brazil were, and are, a form of imperialism even though there was never any use of direct American military invasion or occupation. The role of the US during World War II, but most importantly their role in the 1964 military coup, demonstrated the American involvement in this crucial moment in Brazilian history. Then a discussion of the development of television follows, which in Brazil after 1964 meant Rede Globo, and ix its connections to the new economic model implemented by the military government are examined in order to demonstrate Brazil’s direct subordination to the interests of American multinational corporations. This apparatus was further extended by the establishment of American advertising agencies such as J. Walter Thompson, which allowed for the homogenization of Brazilian culture and tastes with the model of the American Way of Life in its “Brazilianized” version, as represented by the Cultura Zona Sul with the telenovela as its main tool. This model I called “Consumer Culture Imperialism” because it was through the creation of desires to consume in the same way as Americans initially, and Brazilian elites later, that American control was achieved. The thesis concludes that this model is still very pervasive in Brazil today, together with Globo’s virtual monopoly, therefore making the research into this field now more important than ever before. x Introduction Is Consumption the Word of the Day? On November 25th, 2008, president Luís Ignacio “Lula” da Silva, from the Workers Party, began to urge the Brazilian population to consume in order to avoid the effects of the international financial crisis, which started in the United States and was reaching the Brazilian economy. From the pages of the newspaper O Globo, he said that: “The people should not be afraid to consume, buy a television or the first bra.”1 Lula was directly and explicitly sponsoring consumption as the way to avoid the financial crisis. It is important to remember in this context, that most television sets sold in the Brazilian market are manufactured by multinational corporations. Moreover, Lula went on to affirm that he “will keep promoting consumption” and that “whenever I can I am going to tell the people to consume.”2 It is important to remember that Lula, an ex-union leader, had been persecuted by the military dictatorship installed in Brazil in 1964 with the help of the United States, which had as its main goal the furthering of the consumer culture of the American Way of Life in Brazil, because he was seen as a communist. However, as it becomes clear from Lula‟s pronouncements, his ideologies seem to have radically changed from the days of his union work. At the present moment, and for many years for that matter, the consumer culture ideology American style seems to be very pervasive among 1 O Globo On Line. November 06, 2008. http://oglobo.globo.com/economia/mat/2008/11/06/quem_apostar_numa_queda_maior_do_pib_pode_q uebrar_cara_diz_lula-586283015.asp (O povo não deve ter medo de consumir, comprar uma televisão ou o primeiro sutiã.) 2 Ibid. 1 2 Brazilians from all classes, most importantly the elites, but as it can be seen, even the president from the Workers Party is accepting consumption as a way of life. Furthermore, another item which has been highlighted by the president on the news is the automobile and the need for people to buy them because if people do not buy, “the stores will not order from the industry, and the industry will not produce. Not producing, there is no job. And then the workers run the risk of staying without a job."3 It seems that the workers are the problem if they do not consume, and they are the solution out of the crisis if they do, demonstrating the importance of consumption at this moment for the maintenance of the financial/economic system in Brazil. This financial/economic system, as will be clear later in this research, was further implemented and solidified after the 1964 military coup. At the present moment, capitalism is no longer to blame, as was the case in the past for Lula and others on the left, but it is in the worker‟s consumption rate where the blame and solution can be found. It is also important to highlight that the main automobile manufacturers in Brazil are General Motors and Ford, the good old American multinational corporations, which have been in financial trouble lately. In sum, the purchase of automobiles and television sets in Brazil would directly help the United States and its corporations therefore helping to maintain American imperialism. Interestingly enough, the language being used by Lula seems to be very similar to that used by George W. Bush, ex-president of the United States, after the September 3 Gazeta Mercantil. November 26th, 2008. http://indexet.gazetamercantil.com.br/arquivo/2008/11/26/124/Lula-apela-ao-povo-para-comprar.html (o trabalhador corre o risco de perder o emprego se ele não comprar. E não comprando o comércio não encomenda para a indústria, e a indústria não produz. Não produzindo, não tem emprego. E aí os trabalhadores correrão o risco de ficar sem empregos.) 3 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. Both were trying to use consumption as the main tool to avoid a very different set of problems. However, the most interesting part about the situation is that, as it is well known, these two figures could not have seemed to be further apart from each other on their political and economic leanings, Lula on the extreme left and Bush on the extreme right. In comparison with the language used by Lula, for example, on September 20, 2001, Bush said: “I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity. They did not touch its source.”4 And a few days later he affirmed that: “. one of the great goals of this nation's war is to restore public confidence in the airline industry. It's to tell the traveling public: Get on board. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America's great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida. Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed.”5 These statements could be interpreted as Bush encouraging Americans to enjoy their lives, or in other words, to consume because that is the “source” of American prosperity. However, the development of a consumer culture and consumerism can be traced to a more remote past when the American Way of Life was laid out as a lifestyle full of consumption with manufactured goods looming large in importance because of the expansion of the American industrial sector and the belief in a “productive and economic expansion 4 President George W. Bush. Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People, United States Capitol, Washington D.C., September, 20th 2001. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html 5 President George W. Bush. At O'Hare, President Says "Get On Board." Remarks by the President to Airline Employees O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, September 27th, 2001.