Honest Government Ad | Visit Brazil!
Dear Patrons
Welcome to our 70th (seventieth!) Honest Government Ad. (What will we do when we reach 100? Surely some sort of celebration is in order. If we're not all living in bunkers by then)
As you know, since our election in May, we've been on a mini world-tour of shitfuckery of sorts. And today we visit: Brazil!
Why Brazil?
Because Brazil is about to have an election in October, and to put it mildly it's probably one of the most important elections of the decade, since the outcome will almost certainly determine the fate of the Amazon rainforest.
Coz the Amazon has just reached a tipping point and there's serious concerns it won't survive another term of Bolsonaro. In other words, the stakes are high.
So I figured we should try and use the HGA format to lend Brazil a hand from afar.
That - and the fact that we've had sooo many Brazilians begging us to make an HGA for them over the past several years, and I figured this would be the only way to get them to stop :)
I couldn’t have made this HGA alone - Brazil's culture and politics are complex. So I am absolutely stoked that Sabrina Fernandes agreed to work with me on it. Sabrina is a sociologist, activist and fellow YouTuber, and we actually started talking about making this video almost two years ago!
Then of course Covid happened and it all got put on hold (a bit like everyone's plans these past two years)
But back in June, just after our own election, I hit up Sabrina again to see if she was still keen, and so we resumed work on the script together.
Not only did Sabrina bring her local insight into Brazilian politics to writing this HGA, she also schooled me on Brazilian jokes and memes - a number of which are included in this video (and which only Brazilians might pick up on!).
AND she agreed to do the voice-over!
It was actually really tricky doing this because we had to do it via a zoom-type session where I could direct Sabrina on the delivery - line by line - and coach her with the pronunciation of some words in order for it to be clear to an english-speaking audience. And with a 13 hour time difference, it was definitely a logistical shitshow!
But I'm so glad we did it, as this HGA now feels like a genuine collaboration with a local. Which I absolutely love doing.
And can we also take a moment to appreciate how awesomely Ellen acted to Sabrina’s voice? She pulled all the pieces together beautifully.
This is also the first time we’ve had a guest voice-over, and I’m excited that we’re experimenting with new things as we broaden the horizon of this series.
Thank you for giving me the freedom and space to experiment in this way - and to also cover other topics which I feel are urgent. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this.
That being said, our next HGA will be about Australia - there's a bunch of shitfuckery in our own backyard that needs dealing with.
Anywho - 'nuff ranting from me, I just wanted to share a little background about this video and how it came about.
For those asking: there is also a version of this video with Portuguese captions here. And Sabrina is currently considering doing a dubbed version too, as there have been lots of requests from Brazilians for it: stay tuned to her twitter or instagram for that.
I'll be back early next week with the podcast and pg version for this HGA.
Until then, take care and as always thank you so much for supporting our work
Giordano xo
LINKS
Youtube video
Twitter video
Facebook video
Instagram video
Comments (31)
OMG! One of your best! I love the Portuguese accent! It made the video seem even more real! At the same time, it's so sad and scary. We are so fucked as a species (and many of the other species as well). I just hope that the next dominant species (octopus, ants, cockroaches?) will do a better job than humans.
Brilliantly hitting nails firmly on their heads as always! It is so sad that we need people like you to higlight the complete shitfuckery that is around the World today. When you have finished your next Aussie film please take a look at the right wing witch now in Downing St and a new policy of helping with a cost of living crisis by giving millions of quid in tax cuts to the very well off ! I’ sure you’ll do Truss justice!
Sent it to my friends in Brazil and they are spreading it around. They love it and all hope that this nightmare period of Bolsonaro will be over soon.
Thanks Sara! Fingers crossed for today
Another fantastic (and sad because so true) episode. Supporting from Australia but love that you’re going global too. And if you ever need it subtitled, translated or dubbed into French or else, happy to help! The wider the audience, the best. “Are we corrupted as fuck?” 🥰
Thank you Sonia! Really appreciate all the Aussies supporting us whether we're covering local or international shitfuckery. Thank you also for the French subtitles offer! Julie is normally very regular with translating into French - but I will keep this in mind!
Thanks HGA for doing something useful about the Amazon. It really is the final minutes of the 11th hour for avoiding a deforestation tipping point that breaks Amazon rainforest and carbon sink stability. So I'm glad to be one small patron of this valuable effort to support Brazilians and the "lungs of the world". I'm missing your attention here in Oz, of course, and glad to hear you'll be back on the case here soon. The collective sigh of relief after the election seems to have turned into holding our breath while waiting for the ALP to do something more meaningful than "43%" of not enough. I loved David Shoebridge's (Greens MP) assessment of the ALP's 43% target; he gave it...well...43%!
Thanks Thomas! I really appreciate all the Aussie patrons who, for good reason, are most concerned about our local politics, but who also understand the need of covering other governments' policies when they affect global climate and biodiversity!
England completed the destruction of 100% of its old growth forests 100 years ago. Please make a video about this.
Great work and finding Sabrina to work with. Good to see Juice tackling some global shitfuckery. A bit of guilty enjoyment as Aust now at seeing others with the crying laughing response that comes from realising your country has made a HGA. It's like your country winning a prize, for failing. So many asking for it, but then once it arrives it all hits home a bit Good luck to Brasil, for all of them and us.
Thanks Peter! I have to say, the number of people commenting that they want their government to get the HGA treatment is very flattering and disconcerting in equal measure
Great video too true but so sad
Shit goblin. I had to watch twice as I laughed so much when I heard that, I missed the rest of the video. One of your best Giordano. You found an actual south American for the voice?
Yes 😎🇧🇷
Thanks for another great video on a very important topic! I learned a lot from this one and hope it has the desired impact. Well done team!
Thank you John!
Wow! Excellent work.
I continue to be impressed with Ellen, she is so very talented, thanks for covering this so very corrupt regime, sadly the world just watches as the Amazon quickly dies, my daughter is currently on the way to Brazil to fight for a fair election, thanks heaps Giordano.
Thank you Ian. And respect to your daughter, what a legend
It's ironic that the biggest assholes of humanity are turning the world to shit.
As someone who contributes from Australia, I fully support HGAs going global! Great work :-)
Thank you Annie that means a lot!!
Awesomely (scary) content. And congratulations on the technical execution. I can only imagine how hard that must have been.
Hard but well worth it! Thank you Adam
Beautiful! I was actually wondering how Ellen managed to come up with that terrific Brazilian accent? (Oops.) Well done, Sabrina, Ellen, Giordano, and Juice Media! I have worried for years about the fate of the Amazon and can’t thank you enough for this piece.
Thanks Diana! 👍🙏
Wonderfully done, as always! Very scary to think what impact that one country is and will have on the world. I particularly liked the touch at the end about the imperialist masters. Depressing as it is, the story needs to be told and you nailed it!
Thank you Robert. I think the US probably has a guest role in any HGA we write about other countries!
Depressingly accurate stab in the eye of the good ol USA too. Well done.
Cheers Scott! 🙏👍
Excellent id depressing coverage