The Tan from Ipanema: Freyre, Morenidade, and the Cult of the Body in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The central argument of this article is that the most valued female bodies in Rio de Janeiro are those of white Brazilians who are able to embody the symbolic qualities of mulattoes. In particular, I focus on the characteristics associated with mulatto women in the context of carnival, and look at how in recent years white women have progressively come to occupy the spotlight in this setting. The article explores the Brazilian fascination with the mulata in terms of stereotypes that organize images of social difference and convey specific longings and desire. It situates the emergence of this fascination within the context of colonial gender and race relations and, later, the development of a national ideology focused on the value of whitening through “mixing.” While showing how women's bodies have become surfaces upon which masculinist and nationalist desires are deployed, the article argues that morenidade (brownness), while commonly thought of as interchangeable with mulatice (mulattoness) as a central value and self-concept in Brazilian society, is in fact the preferred social type. The article concludes that morenidade is one aspect of the idealized “perfect body” in Rio's society, where locals manipulate their physiques using numerous techniques to obtain such an ideal for themselves.