Marcinho and Mauricinho : Violence and The ‘‘ New’’ Heroes in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Giddens in his article on post-traditional societies recommends a ‘‘dialogical democracy’’ to fill in the void left by the disappearance of traditions (moral orders). In this paper we argue that a ’fake dialogical democracy’ or ‘‘inversions’’ end up silencing the voices of many social actors involved in the drama of urban violence. Public narratives on the approximation and fusion of traditionally separated values like good/bad, rich/poor, or bandit/hero can be found in the mass media, but also is part of the national identity politics. Nowadays, a fascination for bandits as the new heroes is taking place in Brazil. Two recent discussions in the local press were chosen for illustration. One is about Mauricinho Botafogo, a bandit coming from the middle class and the other one was initiated by Marcinho VP’s story, a drug boss and leader of a favela (slum) in Rio–Michael Jackson had to ask for his permission in 1996 to film a video clip on the hill. VP received a ‘‘grant’’ by a member of one of the richest families in Rio to write a book on his worldview, in which he presented himself as a modern Lampião (the Brazilian Robin Hood) and victim of an unequal society. The fascination with bandits like Mauricinho and Marcinho is part of the growing banalization, aesthetization and indifference regarding violence.