Everyone loves Brazil

[boyofbadgers]

Except that they don't. Maybe.

I was going to write an entry wondering how on earth the Brazilian football team maintain their unusual levels of popularity among fans from other countries. Is it memories of amazing sides past? Is it Ronaldinho's cheeky grin? Or is it because of complex socio-economic factors and/or patronising Western views of plucky poor kids playing barefoot on the beach?

But after reading a fair bit of criticism, both pre and post last night's match, it increasingly looks like your average punter is starting to get sick of the media's sycophantic coverage of Brazil. It remains to be be seen whether this will translate over time into actual dislike of the team, or even ambivalence towards them, but it might just be the first step on the road towards Manchester United style hatred.

So, as is traditional, a poll:

[Poll #747774]

Comments

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Is this criticism also from something that could be viewed as "the media"?

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

GAH Brazil are annoying for the following reasons:

1) Last night as I was running for a bus a load of stupid skinny ORANGE women with bubble perms wearing incredibly tight Brazil tops, jeans cropped to the MUFF and teetering heels got RIGHT in my way. None of them had ever eaten a Brazil nut, let alone been to Brazil.

2) Dorothy Perkins is full of yellow knickers saying "NO BRAZILLIANS". Har blinking har.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

My colleagues tell me that Ronaldo is now fat! Like Serena Williams!

Why are so many football players called Ronaldo?

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Nah, it's from stuff I've read on LJ and ILX. Which are media, but not really "the media".

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Ah, the Brazillian wax there, how un-marvellous an invention it is.

[tansu.livejournal.com]

There was noticeably less sycophancy on the radio commentary than on the TV commentary, FWIW. I think some of it can be put down to the fact that Motson is thick.

People who rave about the current Brazil team should compare and contrast with the 1970 and 1982 teams. Different class.

Last World Cup I disliked Brazil due to a tendency to being "cheating, diving cunts". This time round I'm ambivalent. I do genuinely like watching Ronaldinho, and I rate Kakà highly.

This World Cup, I've enjoyed watching Germany, Czech Rep and Italy. I've been suprised (then not surprised at all actually, on a minute's thought) that the media haven't talked more about the only game where a team scored 4, that team being Germany.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Fat and slow. Last night's commentators were taking a great deal of pleasure in devising new and ever more rubbish ways of referring to Ronaldo's lack of athleticism.

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

Although Brazil nuts are actually quite good. Mmm tasty selenium.

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

"He's taken a few too many trips to Ronaldo McDonaldo's" etc etc?

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Esp. when covered in chocolate. Mmmm.

[ruudboy.livejournal.com]

I like watching them because, well, how can you not like watching Ronaldinho really? As Sean Lock said in BBC3's otherwise p1ss poor show where they showed something like all the goals from previous world cups, "He's Ronaldinho! He's fvcking great."

But the BBC coverage last night was absurd. If I was the kind of person who wrote to the Daily Mail I'd probably rename them the Brazillian Broadcasting Corporation. They were stupidly hard on them when they failed to win 15-0 as well, not noticing that Croatia were, um, quite good really.

[tansu.livejournal.com]

Prso is brilliant.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

That would have been a five-star comment compared to some of what they said. Motty and Lawrenson don't quite have yr mad subbing skills, innit?

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

when his companion commentator noted that the camera seemed more interested in the crowd than the game, motty said drily; "they're not such bad judges"

i suspect this was mainly about fearing to be caught out when brazil took it up a notch or two, but they never did

r.kovac was good wasn't he?

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

I was listening to the radio build-up when I was cooking tea, and while it didn't quite get to the level of the TV coverage there was an awful lot of OMG they are AMAZING from Jol and the overexcitable Brazilian press dude.

The cheating diving cvnts issue is something I can't get worked up about anymore, esp given the extent to which certain England players seem to roll over at the slightest nudge.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

This poll was much better 10 minutes in:)

Hang on, since when does dubdobdee not hate football?

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

i don't hate football, but i have NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. however i do kno that brazil love is v old so if it's gonna create a backlash it should get on with it already.

srsly, tho i am living with 1x football hata, i reserve my hate just for the hype and the pure ubiquity. the football at the centre of it can actually be quite enjoyable to watch if i can be arsed. it's obv even to my untrained eye the impressive level of skill on display.

[tansu.livejournal.com]

Ah, didn't hear the build-up, was watching TV programme about post-war rationing.

[http://users.livejournal.com/xyzzzz__/]

I think it was the other way round. Lawro said it, his voice gets really low for his clever comments.

Also its the 2nd time they've had a go about the organizers announcing that the matches have been sold out.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Why are so many football players called Ronaldo?

It's not their real names. If you want to be taken seriously as a Brazilian footballer, then you have to have a nickname.

The guy we know as Ronaldo used to be known in Brazil as Ronaldinho (when he was younger) - Ronaldinho means "little Ronaldo". Ronaldo's real name is Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.

Ronaldinho was actually known as Ronaldinho Gaucho when he first emerged in Brazil (because he is left footed). His real name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira. These two players actually have nicknames that incorporate their real name "Ronald". But they are in the minority.

Kaka's real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite because when he was little, he couldn't pronounce his own name, Ricardo, so he shortened it to Caca, which later changed to Kaka.

Garrincha, one of the most famous Brazilians of all time was actually called Manuel Francisco dos Santos, but used the nickname of 'Little Bird' because he used to fly past defender (not literally).

And so it goes on. The reason for this is that the diminutive forms of names are the traditional Portugese way of showing that you care about someone... rather than using someone's formal full name, a nickname for someone you love is commonplace in Brazil. I expect that when Kaka was a kid, his mother probably called him Ricardo when she was angry with him.

Cristiano Ronaldo's real name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro. I cannot explain this, apart from saying that he was also called Ronald, but his parents were more relgious than Ronaldo's or Ronaldinho's!

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Since he started going to the pub?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I don't h8 football either but BOTHERD abt Brazil innit. I don't like them as much as I would otherwise ftb they knocked us out of last World Cup innit and I was sobbing into my pint at 9am...

DEXION SHELVING THEORY OF MIND

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

i am just careful what i fill my head with = i can't actually remember who was in the game i watched w.carsmile on monday

[http://users.livejournal.com/xyzzzz__/]

I said 'funny' to the last question, but the Czechs could do it. I'd love to see both them and holland getting to semis/final/win it. It annoys me they've been runner-up twice and not won the thing.

hmm, I thought Ricky only liked cricket not footie.

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

It's funny, despite not being a massive football fan normally, I find the general hype and ubiquity are the very things that make me like the world cup so much. Well, that and the pleasure of seeing a nice system play out in real time in front of my eyes.