“I don’t even speak Portuguese, but I’ve seen it so many times I can recite every line,” wrote Swedish Elle in X, who preferred not to reveal her full name to GLOBO and said she was “in her 20s.” She was talking about the scene of the first kiss between Lorena (Alanis Guillen) and Juquinha (Gabriela Medvedovski), broadcast last Wednesday in “Três Graças”, a 9 p.m. soap opera on TV Globo. “I’m sorry I took the initiative,” said Juquinha, a police officer investigating the counterfeit drug distribution system run by Santiago Ferette (Murilo Benício), the plot’s villain. “I don’t know why you didn’t do this before,” replied Lorena, Ferette’s daughter.
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The phrase “Selinho Loquinha” was among the most talked about topics on X. “Loquinha”, a combination of their names, is the couple’s name on the Internet. And they’re really successful outside of Brazil. On social media, they are celebrated on profiles from countries as far away as Canada, Italy and Thailand. Several accounts are dedicated to subtitling scenes from both and producing summaries of the soap opera in English.
Even TV Globo participated in the funny scenes and subtitled in English, Italian and Spanish, to the delight of the foreign fan club. “Very happy that you know how to deal with the international public,” thanked a user, in English.
— The international success of Loquinha is the result of a coherent strategy by TV Globo, which considers digital not only as a promotional channel, but as a fundamental element of the audience’s journey, with its own languages and formats — says Samantha Almeida, marketing director of the channel. — When audiences recognize themselves, create and share stories based on our characters, we identify a clear opportunity to deepen connection, relevance and connection with our stories.
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A fervent fan of the Loquinha couple, the American Rachel Lippincott, author of sapphic novels (that is to say featuring lesbian or bisexual women), is learning Portuguese and watching “Três Graças” every evening on Globoplay. The author of the recent “Christmas for Girls” (Alt) discovered Lorena and Juquinha at X, on the recommendation of “a Thai person who is up to his neck in the GL (girl love) universe”.
— What captivates audiences is the chemistry between the two and the authentic and honest portrayal of the sapphic experience. From Juquinha sending a poem to Lorena after the first kiss to Lorena having no idea of the other’s interest, everything is very real and true to what many of us are experiencing — says Lippincott, who always reviews a compilation of the best moments of Clara and Marina, a couple from the 2014 soap opera “Em Família”, played by Giovanna Antonelli and Tainá Müller.
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GLOBO spoke with three other international fans of the Loquinha couple – all are between 20 and 30 years old, chose not to reveal their names for privacy reasons and have never had contact with Brazilian soap operas. They also discovered “Três Graças” on social networks and, due to the time difference, they watched the soap opera in the early morning, on Globoplay. In the absence of subtitles, they rely on the help of Brazilians to follow the plot.
— The language of love is universal — says Brit Sophie. — Across the world, there are fewer and fewer lesbian couples on television, leading us to seek representation in different venues.
Sweden’s Elle points out that, unlike many sapphic depictions in pop culture, Lorena and Juquinha’s love unfolds “without unnecessary drama or conflict.”
— Sapphic culture is very popular on the Internet. When we find a good representation of love between women, it will go viral. Fans create amazing memes based on the scenes and help the story travel around the world — explains Mari, daughter of a Chilean and a Canadian who lives in Barcelona.
Behind the success of the Loquinha couple, explains UFF professor Simone Pereira de Sá, lie “transnational fans” who, thanks to digital media, manage to articulate themselves beyond local contexts.
— These are contents linked to sapphic culture and feminism which are successful in the digital world. The fact that both are beautiful and the absence of very national brands in the story also helps to identify foreign audiences — says the coordinator of the Research Laboratory of Communication Cultures and Technologies (LabCULT). —And Brazil is fashionable. It is #BrazilCore, an aesthetic inspired by the periphery and even certain clichés, that has attracted attention abroad.
The number of foreign followers on the social networks of the interpreters of Juquinha and Lorena is only increasing.
— In addition to all the affection from the Brazilian public, I received messages in different languages from people saying that they were watching the soap opera — says actress Gabriela Medvedovski.
For Alanis Guillen, the couple became popular with the public because “the romance is real, without stereotypes, it is pure affection, a love that allows itself to exist”
“It crosses all cultures,” says the actress. — Representing a community that is often silenced and bringing that love in a simple, human way to people who may have never seen such stories is very powerful. Representation liberates, welcomes and saves. And this international return confirms the importance of this story.
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