Globo makes a serious mistake with Regina Duarte and the soap operas in tribute to the author

The broadcaster appears sectarian and revanchist when trying to rewrite the history of its own dramaturgy without one of its greatest actresses

Regina Duarte made three Helenas by Manoel Carlos. She had an essential contribution to the success of the author’s career. Despite this, she was not called for the edition of the series ‘Tributo’ in honor of him, shown on Friday (3). She only appeared in excerpts of soap opera scenes and in an old statement from the Globo archive.

Social networks reacted with criticism and irony towards the broadcaster. “Man, how can you do a program in honor of Maneco without Regina Duarte?”, asked on X (formerly Twitter) user July Carneiro, who describes herself as “left-wing, Lulista”. Even anti-bolsonarists recognize the channel’s flaw.

Contaminated by her unrestricted support for the former right-wing president, the actress became ‘persona non grata’ at Globo, where she left in February 2020, after 50 years, for her fleeting experience as the government’s Secretary of Culture. With the exception of an interview with ‘Fantástico’, she was never invited to anything on the Rio network again. Not even for the soap opera’s 70th anniversary special in Brazil.

Globo seems to act with contempt for the actress who helped her dramaturgy become unbeatable in the country and one of the best on the planet. It also gives rise to the impression of hostility generated between extremes of the political spectrum. This (poorly) disguised erasure of the artist causes unnecessary noise that affects the broadcaster’s image.

The channel was not obliged to invite her to record an unprecedented statement (it also did not invite Vera Fischer, another spectacular Helena), however, such an attitude constitutes disrespect for the actress, for the history that she and TV built together, for the celebrated author and to soap opera audiences.

Regina Duarte’s ideological activism – although seriously mistaken according to the judgment of part of Brazil – is not more important than her contribution to television. Disregarding her will not make Helena from ‘Story of Love’ disappear, Helena from ‘Por Amor’, Helena from ‘Páginas da Vida’, Simone from ‘Selva de Pedra’, Porcina from ‘Roque Santeiro’, Maria do Carmo from ‘Queen of Scrap’ and so many other characters that touched our emotions and influenced society.

Always claiming to be autonomous and impartial, Globo needs to rise above the sordid culture of cancellation.