Old and Spicy
The latest Brazilian sex symbol is 92 years old. She is Dercy Gonçalves who started her career as a vaudeville actress playing foul-mouthed naughty girls and has been playing variations of this character on stage, big screen and TV for some seven decades now. In June, the nonagenarian entertainer, who is considered by some a cult figure, will be shown in magazine spreads across the country in Marilyn Monro-esque poses modeling a red bodice for women's underwear manufacturer Du Loren.
Always the provocateur, the actress asked photographers—the picture session became a media show—while photos were being taken: "Should I make a whore-like face?" After seeing the result of her efforts, she commented: "That was beautiful. I am convinced that I am still sexy."
The actress said that she accepted the invitation to pose for the risqué pics because she wanted to show that older women are also full of life: "I decided to expose myself not for the sake of showing off or for sex, but to make the statement that life starts at 60. It is at this age that people feel free from any criticism. I had this change at age 80 when I stopped dating."
And she added: "At my age I don't care about showing my underwear. The problem is showing my dentures, wig and artificial eyelashes. I had never made a work like this. I only accepted to make these pictures because they were in good taste, well produced."
Du Loren is investing $170,000 in this ad campaign. The company has a mere 15 percent share of Brazil's women's underwear market. Compared to previous ads from the firm this is very tame. In a previous ad campaign that became worldwide infamous, the company at the end of 1995 showed First Lady Hilary revealing more than a little of her yellow panties during a visit to Brazil. The two-page magazine ad came with a message for Bill Clinton: "Mr. President of the United States of America: Your Excellency can't imagine what a Du Loren is capable of." At the bottom, in smaller letters, there was this caption: "A Du Loren's homage to one of this decade's most important women."
In 1998, the Catholic Church became enraged and made a public appeal for a boycott of the lingerie manufacturer when another publicity piece from the company showed a young woman dressed in a lacy bra and panties being raped. The ad was accompanied by this caption: "Legalize abortion fast. I don't want to wait."
Du Loren's owner himself, Roni Argalji, was the one who chose Dercy as the new Du Loren' girl. He met her when flying from São Paulo to Rio in February. Denise Areal, Du Loren's marketing director, has only praise for the actress: "She is the true woman of the century. She always had pioneer attitudes without forgetting the respect. She represents the woman that seduces and not the one that stays awaiting to be seduced."
Dercy let it be known that she is ready to pose in the nude. She is taking offers right now.
