Eduardo Bueno | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bueno in 2019 | |
| Born | Eduardo Romulo Bueno (1958-05-30)30 May 1958 (age 67) Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Education | Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul |
| Occupations | Journalist, writer, translator, and Youtuber |
Eduardo Romulo Bueno (born 30 May 1958), also known asPeninha, is a Brazilian journalist, writer, translator, and YouTuber. Initially working as a journalist at newspapers, he became known for his translation of books from English to Portuguese, and later for his books about various historical subjects. Beginning in the mid-2000s, he also began hosting educational shows and television programs about Brazilian history. He is currently the host of his ownYouTube channel,Buenas Ideias, in which he creates educational material about the history of Brazil in a relaxed setting. His channel, as of September 2024, has over 1.4 million subscribers.[1]
Bueno was born on 30 May 1958 inPorto Alegre. He began his professional career at 17 years old as a reporter for theRio Grande do Sul–based newspaperZero Hora, where he gained the nickname "Peninha", based onFethry Duck of theWalt Disney universe. He later worked atA Patada. He became an editor, screenwriter, and translator in various forms of media. He would later graduate with a degree in journalism from theFederal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).[2]
He became known when he was young for his participation in the show "Pra Começo de Conversa", byTV Educativa de Porto Alegre. In 1988, he also had a block in another program by that educational TV station, during lunch time, alongsideMaria do Carmo Bueno [pt],José Pedro Goulart [pt],Cândido Norberto dos Santos [pt], and others. He also became part of the team of journalistAugusto Nunes atZero Hora.[2]
In 2003, Bueno was awarded theOrdem do Mérito Cultural.[3][4]
In September 2025, after theassassination of American political activistCharlie Kirk, Eduardo Bueno posted a video on his Instagram account making remarks about the incident. In the video, Bueno said that Kirk's daughters “would grow up better without” him and described Kirk as “a repugnant, scoundrel, racist, homophobic man linked to pedophile Donald Trump.”[5] The comments generated widespread criticism, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled event in Porto Alegre and his removal from the Editorial Council of Brazil's Federal Senate (CEDIT).[6][7] Bueno later posted a second video expressing regret to those close to him who felt offended, while maintaining that he had not said anything wrong about Kirk.[8]
Bueno became known nationally for translatingJack Kerouac's "On the Road", one of thebeatnik era's most well-known pieces, which he translated into Portuguese as "Pé na Estrada".[9]
Taking advantage of the preparation for the national celebrations of the 500th anniversary of when Europeansfirst encountered what is now Brazil, he signed a contract with Editora Objetiva for the release of four books about the history of Brazil aimed at average people, called the Coleção Brasilis. These books included:[10]
The sales of the first three books alone reached 500,000 as of 2006.[11] During this period, Bueno released twelve other works on historical themes including, but not limited to, theCaixa Econômica Federal ("Caixa: Uma História Brasileira"), theBrazilian Health Regulatory Agency ("À Sua Saúde — A Vigilância Sanitária na História do Brasil"),[12] Porto Alegre-basedGrêmio FBPA ("Grêmio: Nada Pode Ser Maior"), theAvenida Rio Branco inRio de Janeiro ("Avenida Rio Branco"), public health in Brazil ("Passado a Limpo"), the Confederação Nacional da Indústria ("Produto Nacional"),[13] and the bandMamonas Assassinas ("Mamonas Assassinas - Blá, Blá, Blá: a Biografia Autorizada"). He had also participated in a project about a biography ofBob Dylan, a musician for whom he has great admiration.[14] In 2023, as part of the 80th anniversary of the creation ofDisney characterZé Carioca, he collaborated on a graphic novel featuring the character, titledZé Carioca conta a história do Brasil, which was published by Culturama.[15]
Bueno has considered other projects as well, and has affirmed his interest in writing about subjects such as thePre-Cabraline history of Brazil, thebandeirantes, and aboutthe Dutch occupation of what is now Brazil.
From September to November 2007, Bueno hosted the series "É muita história" on the showFantástico, broadcast onRede Globo. In each episode, for about 10 minutes, he would appear dressed as one of the real people that were involved in the episode's subject matter and go onto the streets to converse with people in public. In the series' debut episode,Um Dia de Fúria, he tackles the famous saying of “Independência ou morte”, which was shouted on the banks of theIpiranga byDom Pedro I. Bueno dressed up as Dom Pedro talked with passersby that walked the same path as was made by Dom Pedro on 7 September 1822.[16]
In 2010, he was interviewed bySteve Kroft of60 Minutes as part of a segment on Brazil as a growing economic power on the world stage, as well as on presidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva.[17]
Though his works have been used as part of the teaching material of Brazilian classes and Bueno has been at points been viewed as a historian, his education and professional background is in journalism. As a result, his works have been criticized by some historians, who have evaluated his works as superficial and bounded to just quirks of history, thereby hurting the profession and publication of more rigorous material based on historiographic studies.[18] When asked about this byLaurentino Gomes, Bueno responded that the discussion increasingly became unnecessary and foolish, and that many historians could immediately differentiate between a historiographical investigation and what he does. He names various historians with whom he believes he had obtained the understanding and respect of, includingNicolau Sevcenko,Max Justo Guedes [pt],Joaquim Romero Magalhães [pt],Lilia Moritz Schwarcz,Eric Hobsbawm,Kenneth Maxwell, and Bueno's friendMary del Priore.[19]
| Year | Title | Publisher | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Mamonas Assassinas: Blá, Blá, Blá - A Biografia Autorizada | L&PM Editores | |
| 1998 | A Viagem do Descobrimento — Coleção Terra Brasilis | Objetiva | [20][18] |
| Náufragos, Traficantes e Degredados — Coleção Terra Brasilis | [20][18] | ||
| 1999 | Capitães do Brasil — Coleção Terra Brasilis | [18] | |
| 2000 | Brasil — Terra à Vista!: A Aventura Ilustrada do Descobrimento | L&PM Editores | |
| 2002 | Pau Brasil | Axis Mundi | |
| Caixa: Uma História Brasileira | Buenas Ideias | [21] | |
| 2003 | Brasil, Uma História — A Incrível Saga de um País | Ática | |
| 2005 | Grêmio: Nada Pode Ser Maior | Ediouro | |
| À Sua Saúde — A Vigilância Sanitária na História do Brasil | Anvisa | [12] | |
| Avenida Rio Branco, Um Século em Movimento | Buenas Ideias | [22] | |
| 2006 | A Coroa, a Cruz e a Espada — Coleção Brasilis | GMT Editores | |
| 2007 | Passado a Limpo — História da Higiene Pessoal no Brasil | Gabarito | [13] |
| 2008 | Produto Nacional: uma história da indústria no Brasil | CNI | [23] |
| 2013 | Brasil, Uma História — Cinco Séculos de Um País em Construção | Leya | |
| 2019 | Textos contraculturais, crônicas anacrônicas & outras viagens | L&PM Editores | [24] |
| 2020 | Dicionário da Independência — 200 anos em 200 verbetes | Piu | [25] |
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