A new show will appear on prime time TV in Brazil called “Sexo e as Negas” which can be translated as “Sex and the N—z.” It is this translation that is controversial because the word Negas can be used as both a racial identifier as well as a racial slur. It is not uncommon to hear on the streets of inner city America the greeting “What’s up my n—a” and apparently in Brazil, it is the same.
The show was created by white actor, writer and producer, Miguel Fallabella, and features four black actresses. The show is supposed to be the Brazilian version of the American cable TV show “Sex and the City” and will feature some of the same plots and issues that face sexually liberated women. But because it is produced by a white man and includes the provocative word Negas, it is being met with a boycott, especially since the show appears on prime time Brazilian TV.
For many, the show denigrates black women by showing a hyper-sexualized image which plays into the racist stereotype that is within the Brazilian culture and also the international culture. However, the show’s creator,Fallabella, calls criticism of his show unfair and released a statement on Facebook which defended his position and portrayal of black women. In his Facebook post, Fallabella maintains that what he is writing about is the reality of Brazil and the black community. He writes, “Can anyone imagine Spike Lee directing his films outside their universe? What nonsense is this? It is exactly what the series wants to talk about, ghettos, about quota, about myths!” In addition he goes on to criticize black women who disagree with his series as being the same as “bush captains” which is another name for slave hunters in Brazil and also says of his critics ““Oh! n—z … give me a break.”
The series is being protested by various individuals, groups, and organizations who wrote an open letter to Fallabella entitled “Open letter to Mr. Miguel Fallabella ‘Oh! White Man! Give me a break!’ The letter discusses in great detail the struggle of the Neuza Borges and states in part:
“Oh! White man, you give me a break! You say it “hurts” you to see the struggles of your black colleagues, the slights and their continued undervaluing and invisibility. In the case of black women, it is worse. You certainly have an awareness of the terrible experience of Neuza Borges, one of the greatest actresses we have. Yet, as a black woman, Neuza Borges, cannot find a place in Brazilian television. She lives a hand-to-mouth existence because her next soap opera could still be a long way off and will depend on the “good will” of others, not on her talent.”
The trailer for the series can be seen on the next page:
