Just an Irregular Joe

By Paul Friswold on Wed, Feb 28, 2007 at 4:00 am

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In 1942 Walt Disney Studios created the character Joe Carioca, an easygoing Brazilian parrot who enjoys the ladies and free lunches, as part of the United States government's "Good Neighbor Policy" strategy to build good will between the two nations. Although popular in Brazil, Joe Carioca is also seen as a bit of a stereotype by Brazilians, as he was often depicted as lazy and scheming. Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander explained the history of Joe to a group of St. Louis schoolchildren, then had them create a new character to represent her modern homeland. The children submitted drawings and paintings of their ideas, which Neuenschwander then incorporated into Joe Carioca, a short film that explores the ideas of cultural exports and cross-cultural misunderstandings, set to music by Brazilian band O Grivo. Joe Carioca screens daily in Gallery 301 of the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park (314-721-0072 or www.slam.org) from Tuesday, March 6, through Sunday, June 24.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: March 6. Continues through June 24