Brazil: The “CALA BOCA GALVAO” Phenomenon · Global Voices
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

Screenshot from the twitter profile of @galvaoinstitute
Galvão Bueno [pt], a famous Brazilian narrator and broadcaster, was made victim of a huge twitter phenomenon when millions of twitter users told him to shut up during the 2010 World Cup opening show. The phenomenon soon became a worldwide joke.
CALA BOCA GALVAO stands for “Shut up Galvao”.
For many, Galvão Bueno is considered unbearable as a sports narrator although he is the official narrator of the Brazilian National Football Team and of the most important football and volleyball matches in Brazil since 1993 as well as of the Formula 1 races.
Blog do Pupa says:
Nem bem a Copa do Mundo começou e o narrador da TV Globo Galvão Bueno já começou a ser citado pelo público brasileiro. A expressão ‘Cala Boca Galvão’ virou hit do Twitter mundial durante a cerimônia de abertura da competição, que foi apresentada por ele e a jornalista Fátima Bernardes na África do Sul.
O público mostrou o descontentamento com o narrador e apresentador de tal forma que a expressão de desaprovo ao seu desempenho na cerimônia de abertura foi a líder do Trending Topic (TT) Brasil, termo que representa as palavras e/ou expressões mais abordadas no microblog no país.
The World Cup barely began and TV Globo's reporter Galvão Bueno is already being quoted by the Brazilian public. The phrase ‘Cala Boca Galvão’ became a worldwide hit of Twitter during the opening ceremony of the competition, which was presented by him and journalist Fatima Bernardes in South Africa
The public showed discontent with both narrator and presenter and the phrase expressing disapproval with his performance at the opening ceremony became the leader Trending Topic (TT) in Brazil, a phrase that represents the words and / or expressions discussed in the country's microblog.
In no time, “cala boca galvao” hitted the worldwide trending tpics and people from all over the world tried to understand what was going on.
shafiraaulyapn: who's CALA BOCA GALVAO ? @,@
LuizRedfield: o Brasil dominou o Twitter! CALA BOCA GALVAO em primeiro no Worldwide! O resto do mundo não tá entendendo nada!
The most widespread image of the joke. author unknown
Brazilian mass media and the international media are already talking about the phenomenon. Here's what @Maria_fro had to say:
maria_fro: Plena copa [ CALA BOCA GALVAO ] E [ BOCA GALVÃO ] enlouquecem os gringos:1º e 3º lugares no TT enquanto FIFA WORLD CUP E #WORLDCUP 5º E 6º!
On the joke, Junio Miranda explains:
Brazilians spread that “CALA BOCA GALVAO” was not only a rare species of bird, but also that it was some kind of remedy and a new single from Lady Gaga. Some blogs actualy believed that “Cala Boca Galvão” was, for real, a new single.
Juliana Weis says:
Outra explicação, não menos sádica, mas menos usada, é de que “CALA BOCA GALVAO” é a nova música de Lady Gaga. Só que essa versão não ganhou tantos adeptos quanto a do pobre pássaro ameaçado. Mas o pior (ou melhor) de tudo, os gringos aderiram. O “CALA BOCA GALVAO” invadiu o site e virou piada entre os brasileiros: “Se o Galvão é um passarinho de acordo com os gringos… seu canto é insuportável”, brincou um twitteiro chamado @Pedrocost.
The famous Brazilian writer, Paulo Coelho, was among some of the jokers:
paulocoelho: CALA BOCA GALVAO is the Brazilian version of a homeopathic remedy SILENTIUM GALVANUS
And the joke still continues as the Brazilians keep trying to “explain” what “CALA BOCA GALVAO” means. See some twitter reactions:
BrazilianMcFly: News: CALA BOCA GALVAO is the new single of Lady Gaga in Spanish rythm about a brazilian bird in extinction.
TheMusicDude: “Essa parada de CALA BOCA GALVAO é a maior piada interna da história mesmo. Um país inteiro rindo e o resto do mundo sem entender nada”.
instanTKarmax: “After Alejandro, Lady Gaga will launch her new single CALA BOCA GALVAO, which promises to become another worldwide success.”
taianetai: #nowplaying Lady Gaga – CALA BOCA GALVAO EXPLICIT VERSION
nandoaires: CALA BOCA GALVAO Foundation will give US$ 0,31 for each tweet mentioning CALA BOCA GALVAO. Save the birds, RT.
nicholashf12: So what is the meaning of CALA BOCA GALVAO??? That's such a horrible nome for a Lady Gaga's song. I won't buy it, even for any bird's sake!
Antonionuneskd: Quem acha que devemos entrar pro Guiness por enganar o mundo dá RT . CALA BOCA GALVAO
JonCardoso: Gente, o Brasil é muito criativo! CALA BOCA GALVAO
Twitter user Ana explains the gerenal feeling of brazilians rigth now:
Analaus: O Twitter é de graça; Digitar é de graça; Ler é de graça; Ver o mundo se perguntando ” Who is CALA BOCA GALVAO ” #Nãotempreço
An Orkut community [Orkut is the most used social community in Brazil] was created with, so far, 400 members and also a twitter account @calabocagalvao and a twitter account for the “Galvao Bird foundation”: @galvaoinstitute