Brazilian voters used vote-for-a-clown jokes to signal disgust with politics

Evidence

I want to be a Congressman, to help the people that are most in need, especially my own family,” he says. “What does a Congressman do? In reality, I don’t know. But vote for me, and I’ll tell you.” And then he dropped his famous campaign slogan. … Vote no Tiririca! Pior que tá não fica. Although it lacks the comedic rhyme of the original Portuguese, the translation is simple: “Vote for Tiririca! It can’t get any worse.” — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 178

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Anti-establishment protest can be expressed through absurdist comedy and electoral jokes — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 180; Simplified foreign celebrity endorsements can backfire on local political realities — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 542; A self-declared ignorant TV clown became Brazil’s most-voted congressional candidate ever — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 182 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Cynical joking paradoxically frees political complaint more than earnest volunteer talk does #exemplifies (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 131