Brazil's Carnival Has Men Wearing Anitta Costumes and Topless Women

02/12/2018 - 11h18

One year after the feminist movements took to the streets and occupied the Internet, and Brazilian funk singer Anitta challenged the aesthetic standards in a music video clip showing her in a bikini made of electrical tape as well as her cellulites, Brazilian men and women decided to display their bodies openly in the carnival street band parades of São Paulo.

While some women paraded topless, many men decided to copy Anitta's look in the video clip of Vai, Malandra.

"This is just electrical tape and glitter," said makeup artist Ricardo Fernandes, 23, as he paraded with Minhoqueens street band in the city center.

In the same event, Lucas Horta, 23, chose to wear the same costume - his girlfriend helped him to reproduce Anitta's outfit. "It comes off all the time, I don't know how the girls in Rio do it so well," she said.

Anitta's originality, as well as her bold attitude, influenced carnival revellers.

The singer breaks body taboos. Business administrator Emerson Pedroso, 29, says that "all that is beautiful must be shown." College student Pedro Dias, 21, parading with Agrada Gregos, in Ibirapuera (in the south zone), says that the bikini is also a cheap costume.

While men preferred the electrical tape bikini, some women chose to parade completely topless.

In Tarado Ni Você street band, which paraded in the city center, baker Juliana Feher, 27, used only a piece of surgical tape to cover her nipples. She says that showing her breasts was a political choice as well as a way to enjoy carnival.

"I wanted to support other women who want to parade topless. Girls should feel comfortable in a crowd," she said.

Publicist Melanie Swidrak, 25, also attended a carnival street parade topless for the first time. She was wearing beige panties and her body was tied with red ropes.

"I think that women are braver now and this time we decided to state our point," said Swidrak.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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	Marcelo Justo/UOL
	While some women paraded topless, many men decided to copy Anitta's look in the video clip of Vai, Malandra