“He stole, but he did” is an electoral argument that works for many Romanians. Bob Rădulescu and his colleagues explain in a sadly true parody why Romanians have this mentality. For his part, Mircea Bravo urges people to vote.
Bob Rădulescu finds out why “a mayor has to steal”. PHOTO: Epic Show video capture
It has already become a tradition for actors and influencers to post, around the elections, funny clips with a message for the young generation and not only: go vote. The Uber driver and the ladder boss were at the center of the skits produced by the guys from Epic Show and Mircea Bravo, respectively.
Bob Rădulescu and his colleagues from Epic Show imagined a skit with an Uber driver called to take them downtown.
“I say do it, but steal something” – the driver (Adrian Cucu) greeted his customers (Bob Rădulescu and Tibi Codorean).
“Here you go?” – asks Tibi.
“This is what people want from a mayor, to do, but to steal something?” – answered the driver.
Faced with the customers' bewilderment, the driver (Adrian Cucu) explains to them: “A mayor who is organized must have courage, connections and long-term plans. Correct?”
He asked his clients what a good mayor must have. “Well, the desire to help people, skills, team”answered Tibi Codorean.
“Not”, replied the driver. “They have to have guts, connections and long-term plans. So, by logical induction, a good mayor must steal”.
“No no. A good mayor must have vision, must have responsibility. He must have integrity and a willingness to communicate his plans. They must be accountable to the citizens they represent. Must have backbone” – answered Bob Rădulescu.
“Everybody thinks this is crazy, that you're not good mayor unless you steal something?” he continued.
However, the driver's explanation also comes: “If you steal, you show that you care about the people, because the people want the mayor to represent them, to look like them, to be like them. That people want to show that they can do things, but people want to put in the work to do those things.”
“I'm going to make a bypass, I'm going to take the subway”
The driver continues his explanation by exposing one of the most delicate topics discussed around the elections: electoral promises.
The explanations given by the driver are valid for the majority of those chosen: “If someone comes to me, I'll tell them it'll be cool after I renovate, after I'll make a ring road, I'll put in a subway, I'll… tana, tana. You realize that I'm not going to change anything because I'm going to deal with others.”
The demonstration continued: “People want a mayor who is like them and people are selfish. Why should he do for others when he can steal for them?”
The customers riot and ask the driver to take them where he promised to take them. He refuses and they are forced to call another car.
The skit ends with the customers discussing trying to get their money back on the paid for but not completed ride:
“That's what the mayor did, he did it, but he also stole“.
“So much so that he didn't, that I sat on our money, on my money.”
“In that case be careful how you choose the next one.”
“Well, where were you when the vote took place?”
Mircea Bravo plays, in the staged skit, a tenant who wakes up to find that all kinds of strange rules introduced by the new head of stairs have appeared on his staircase.
The courtyard of the building that overlooks Mircea's apartment has become a place for barbecues where music is played to the max. How did it get here? The new head of stairs decided. Then he finds himself only able to use the elevator for one hour a day, and quiet time has turned into hour of patriotic songs love of…stairs. “Since?” he asks a neighbor in exasperation.
“Well, since when did Mr. Mircea vote? Well, where were you when the vote was held? That he just put up the poster ahead of time and only five people came.”
“Well, I wasn't paying attention”he countered.
“You see, Mr. Mircea, what if you are not informed? Five people came, five people voted, the leadership left. Ah, but it's nothing that you can still vote in 4 years.”
