Opinion – Thiago Stivaletti: In her talk show, Angélica shows how much she is missed on open TV

Not long ago, Angélica was away from Globo, presenting a program about astrology without any repercussions on the Max platform. It was the end of the year, and she appeared in the audience of Melhores do Ano, an awards show that takes place within Domingão com Huck.

At one point, Luciano Huck spoke about her, and the camera took a brief shot of him at one of the tables, smiling, without the right to speak. That offended me personally. How could one of the greatest presenters in the network’s history suddenly appear there as an extra, especially on her husband’s program?

The answer involves contract issues, of course. But why did Globo dismiss Angélica? It’s difficult to answer this question after watching 50 e Uns, the new season of his talk show 50 e Tanto on Globoplay.

This time, she invites only men to the living room of her mansion, where they feel much more comfortable than in a studio to talk about sex, their own bodies and other topics. They are guests of a grandeur that, before her, only Hebe Camargo would have been able to bring together.

Created by her in partnership with journalist Chico Felitti, the episodes open with Angélica looking at the camera and making some confession, more or less known to her audience: she remembers having her body criticized since she was six years old; her pregnancy with her first child, Joaquim, was unexpected; She had sex for the first time at 17 and didn’t tell anyone in her family.

‘SOFT NUDES’ ON NETWORKS

This last piece of information has a hint of gossip, but it has some relevance. Anyone who lived through the 90s remembers that the media was obsessed with the presenter’s virginity, and no interviewer, especially men, failed to ask her about the subject. Angélica was forced to lie to maintain a narrative that fed the fantasies… of men.

The great merit of the new season is to show that Angélica has the potential to be a new Hebe, bringing together some of the country’s biggest celebrities for a chat on the same sofa. In the premiere episode, Ney Matogrosso, Xamã and Paulo Vieira exchange candid ideas about insecurities surrounding the body. Good idea: she proposes that everyone post “soft nudes” on their profiles and then read the comments.

In the second, whose theme is family, Fabio Porchat explains for the first time in detail his decision not to have children – and he doesn’t even seem to have bothered with the fact that the stories told there could have been on his own talk show.

THE MINISTER AND THE YOUTUBER

But, if you want to get straight to the point, episodes 3 and 4 are the most interesting. In the third, Antonio Fagundes and Lázaro Ramos, two straight men from different generations, exchange ideas with Gil do Vigor, a gay man who lived years of religious repression before coming out of the closet. It’s a delight to see that there are much more points in common between them than we could imagine.

The fourth brings the most daring salad of the season: Luciano Huck, STF minister Flávio Dino and YouTuber Whindersson Nunes talk about power. The first has the power of television, the second of politics and the third of the internet. Right at the beginning, it’s fun to see Angélica poke fun at her husband. “It’s a men’s vice to have selective ears,” she says at one point, and soon we see Huck at her side raising his ear.

The episode is full of little dares. The first: invite Dino, a left-wing politician who was previously affiliated with PT, PC do B and PSB. Even though her current position presupposes neutrality, her presence is likely to disturb some right-wing viewers, but Angélica is above political polarization and supports the bet.

The second boldness, although planned: at a given moment, she asks her husband if he still has aspirations to be President of the Republic. Huck makes it clear that the possibility remains open. “I’m going to be close to politics my whole life. Now… the future belongs to God”, he declares.

Episode 5 still has a host of great guests, with Gilberto Gil, Zeca Pagodinho and Tony Ramos exchanging ideas about life in general. Even though the conversation is mild and without major revelations, it is always a delight to see the three of them talking.

If there is a single problem with the format, in my opinion, it is the online participation of guests. The idea is noble – having another woman talking to the men –, but input via a tablet placed on the table puts a damper on face-to-face conversation. Nothing, however, that prevents the program from having many more seasons.

Angelica: 50 and some
All five episodes now available on Globoplay