It’s Not that I Haven’t Been Taking Pictures

I just haven’t taken any good pictures.

Silvio Santos: demigod awash in an sea of glitter, smiles, gesturing arms, and golden suits. The images on today’s entry are wallpapers available at Silvio Santos’s website.

And this picture that I took of crooked wires that I think were supposed to support a tree just isn’t a great picture. What is great, however, is Silvio Santos. He’s the guy I featured on here yesterday, the host of Brazil’s versions of Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud. Yesterday’s picture of him prompted some powerful reactions. “He’s a myth,” said Lauren’s boyfriend (I think he meant to say legend). My co-worker, Débora said “he’s a good communicator on the Brazilian television.” My friend Paul told me about how Santos rallied the sympathies of all of Brazil a couple of years ago when he nearly died from some terminal illness (he recovered in Miami!).

Those smiles!

It turns out that he’s something like a Brazilian Dick Clark and the chestrophone is his trademark (can you see it in all the pictures?). His website claims that he is the “messenger of happiness” and it features an absolutely overwhelming amount of information about him, his accomplishments, the love he has spread, and the people who admire him. I’m intrigued, but not intrigued enough to peruse all the links mentioning his 1989 candidacy for the Brazilian presidency, photos of his 2001 kidnapping, or rumors that he’s bald. All I know, is that I’m going to name drop this guy as often as possible throughout my stay here.

Silvio Santos. Like Dick Clark and Bob Barker combined and a million times better. Neither of them were ever kidnapped, I’ve never seen either of them with a light-bulb in their trousers, and I never saw a thong on American Bandstand or the Price is Right.