"Does my bum look big on this?"

Sometime last week, I went to the cinema to watch what would be my first Brazilian Portuguese-spoken non-subtitled film. The chosen film: O Cheiro do ralo...
The film was most entertaining in a surreal kind of way...The main character is devoided of any feelings...except for his obsession with a waitress bum. (Here left).
When the film comes out in your town (or city) I do recommend you to go and see it, if you like the arty kind of film.

In any case, it reminded me of a post I had had in mind for a while now.

The Brazilian obsession with the female derrière!

It must be big and round, and preferably quite perky, gravity-defying. Just as much as European culture is obsessed with breast (who doesn't remember Herzigova shooting to fame by her beautifully filled wonderbra?), folk around here are in love with the roundness of the female bum...who knows maybe even the male bum, since it is customary for men to wear figure-hugging speedos at the beach (and not uncommonly at the surrounding streets...they walk naturally from beach to home with no other belongings that the house keys...some have even forgone the flip-flops!).

Once a month, a new cardboard advert appears on the streets,proudly standing next to its corresponding journal stand, announcing the advent of the new "Sexy" magazine (that is its brand name!). This cardboard invariably portraits a beautiful woman, scantily clad...and most often than not, she is posing backwards, with a suggestive look in her face, which says to potential buys "come hither". Very effective, if you ask me. In all my months here, I have only seen one girl posing frontal.

Big legs are also in high esteem...it might be the reminiscence of a country still mourning their legendary Amazonians.
A friend of mine, who has a very beautifully proportionate body, conforming very well to the high-standards of beauty in Europe (the perfect size 8!) , on a visit to Rio was stopped on the street, to receive one of the uncountable flyers that are handed out on every street corner.
She felt amused and outraged at the leaflet suggestion: "You need to put on some weight. Get those sexy curves you always wanted", or something to that effect.

The famous "Does my bum look big on this?" may demand a different riposte our these lands.
While in Europe (and Mexico) the answer expected is: "Of course not, darling, it is a perfectly reasonably cute perky little bum, and you look lovely", here I guess the answer should be, "Yes darling, but perhaps it could be a bit bigger...".

I have given myself to the homework of photographing these urban monuments (unfortunately I missed the December special...I well remember it was not one, but two well endowed girls showing their bum-bums in the piece of garment that has made Brazilian beaches famous for!).
I have seen these cardboard girls entering bars and nightclubs, by virtue of being carried by young men, in what I presume, was a stag night, or any other sort of social male gathering meriting such a prop. I wonder what is their fate when their month is past...
Here I leave you a selection of my colection.