It's Sunday morning, and I'm enjoying my coffee and reading the free paper that comes on Saturday before we embark on cleaning the new apartment. It's almost Dia das Crianças (Children's Day), which has become about buying your kids presents. The paper has an article about toys that were popular in the past, and there is a little tiny picture of one of the scariest things I've ever seen:
This is Boneco Fofão (or The Cutest Doll). I guess he started out as a character on a children's TV show (Balão Mágico) in the late 1980s, and then was made into a doll. Now it's kind of become like the doll "Chucky" and there are urban legends about it. This needs to be added to the Brazilian Creepy Doll Phenomena, and pretty much secures another CBD award. Any Brazilian readers out there have one of these?
Sorry if it gives you nightmares.
This is Boneco Fofão (or The Cutest Doll). I guess he started out as a character on a children's TV show (Balão Mágico) in the late 1980s, and then was made into a doll. Now it's kind of become like the doll "Chucky" and there are urban legends about it. This needs to be added to the Brazilian Creepy Doll Phenomena, and pretty much secures another CBD award. Any Brazilian readers out there have one of these?
Sorry if it gives you nightmares.
I've never had one, too scary. I heard all the urban legends though.
ReplyDeleteI think he's called Fofão because of his big cheeks. You know how you can say an overweight person is "fofa" in Brazil? That's where his name came from, maybe. Fat cheeks! lol It doesn't have anything to do with being cute. I did eat a lot of Mirabel do Fofão (Fofão's wafer snacks). They don't make them anymore. :(
Too scary! I thought "fofa" was cute...like people are always saying babies and kitties and puppies are "fofinha." And I did a google search for images, and they all came up with puppies and pink and little kids...plus my kids all said it was cute (and their Portuguese is WAY better than mine). Correct me if I'm wrong!
DeleteSorry, I should have explained it better. You're right. Fofa can be, and often is, translated as cute (Que fofinha! = What a cutie!), and people use that a lot these days, but you can also say that someone who's overweight is FOFO (gordinho). In this case, fofo would be translated as fluffy/curvy.
Delete"She's no fat, she's fofa"
"Ela não é gorda, ela é fofa/fofinha"
Having been an overweight child, I heard that one a loooot! :-) hahaha
So, because Fofão's a big guy, I think his name is related to his build and not his cute traits. Also, because they use the superlative (-ão) in his name as opposed to the diminutive (-inho). Using the superlative makes it sound more like fat/big and less like cute. Does that make sense?
Yes! Thank you--I need these kind explanations!
DeleteOh, I heard so many stories about this doll when I was a kid. Now and then I'd hear kids in school saying that "someone" threw one Fofão doll in the river, and somedays after it, the doll was back in their room. So, if you bought one, you'd never get rid of it. Also we often heard that "someone" cut the head of a Fofão doll, and found a sword inside it. A cursed doll, inded.
ReplyDelete