By: KENNETH MAXWELL 

Folha de S. Paulo - Op-ed section - page A2  

It is late summer in the northern hemisphere, the last days of August that usher in the "silly" season in the press; the time of year when hard news gives way to stories of killer bees (from Brazil of course) moving northward towards American suburban gardens.

But Brazil has improved on the killer bee story line this year. Vanity Fair set the tone in its September issue (which is actually on the newsstands throughout August). The cover and photo spread inside is dedicated to the Gisele Bündchen. The editorial page of Vanity Fair strongly criticizes Bush's war in Iraq in this issue: but Brazil is not in Vanity Fair for serious politics. This is Brasil festivo, Brazil as Ipanema, introduced this time by one A.A. Gill. His thesis is that the south loves bums and the north chests.

Of course Vanity Fair could not have predicted that President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France would also bear their naked breasts for the world's media this August. Oddly it was the French who resorted to retouched photographs of their president not Russia where Stalin perfected the art of removing politically incorrect flesh from official photos.

But don't knock it: This is all very good business. Gilberto Gill argues the indirect earnings for Brazil from its cultural exports, that encompass fashion, style, music and sports, are greatly underestimated in the national accounts. An economist has calculated that with Gisele Bündchen on the cover the circulation of any magazine rises by 15 percent.

Thus, the headlines in Boston have been focused on the "Brazilian bombshell and American quarterback". It is the tabloid dream team. Gisele's "worth $150 Million net" we are told, teamed up with Tom Brady, a very well remunerated American football hero with the New England Patriots. To add relish this week Brady's former girl friend, actress Bridget Moynahan, gave birth to his son.

So this August beauty wins that over the beast (or at least over the insects). With no Brazilian killer bees in sight we are left with southern bums and northern breasts to contemplate. In a world where the hard news is dominated by mensaleiros and suicide bombers why not?

KENNETH MAXWELL is a weekly op-ed columnist (every Thursday) for Folha de São Paulo, Brazil's leading newspaper.