When the old resist

Gil, Chico, and Caetano in the Brazilian protests of 2025

Abstract

This essay examines the presence of octogenarian artists– Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso – during the political demonstrations that took place in Brazil on September 21, 2025. The aim is to challenge the common sense that associates old age with decline and incapacity; instead, it proposes the concept of desiring aging. Methodologically, the essay conducts a cultural analysis of the event, interpreted as a counter-dispositive to ageism and to the mechanisms of surveillance and control over aging bodies. The discussion articulates the notions of Richard Miskolci’s techno-mediatized public sphere and Paula Sibilia’s transformations of the moral ground to contextualize the artists’ performance. Findings suggest that the appearance of these aging bodies in public space represents not only a symbolic act but also the manifestation of a political and cultural potency that redefines aging as a source of moral authority and civic engagement. The analysis further indicates that this phenomenon challenges the paradoxical models of aging fostered by the media and consumer culture, pointing to the need for renewed narratives of old age in contemporary societies.