Videos of masked men at erotic book stands at the São Paulo Book Biennial have been generating controversy on social media and led the event's organization to notify one of the publishers. In one of the recordings, a man wearing a mask of the Ghostface character from the "Scream" film franchise is seen kissing a young woman. Other photos and videos also show girls making sensual poses with men in costume, in some cases simulating hangings.
Most of the content was recorded at the Fruto Proibido publisher, which was notified by the Biennial after images of the kiss between the masked man and the young woman surfaced. The publisher posted a statement on social media stating that the costumed people were not hired by them and that they were trying to identify these men.
The masked men claimed they went to the São Paulo Biennial on their own, without any hiring. The man who kissed the young woman issued a statement through his lawyers, in which he said he maintains a profile on social media. The case has reignited the debate about the dark romance literary genre, which combines elements of romance with dark themes and frequently contains explicit content.
