TV chef René Pluijm makes hilarious song about BOAs after bizarre arrest
The almost two-year-long accumulation of regulations and lockdowns are killing the hospitality industry – we’ve written about it before. Not every entrepreneur manages to keep going. It now also means the closure of the culinary workshop of TV chef René Pluijm (known from the TV programme Pluijm’s Eetbare Wereld on RTL 4) in IJmuiden. But there’s more going on – and it isn’t pretty.
Years ago, René Pluijm made it into the FavorFlav Food Top 100. With his crowdfunding campaign, he raised enough money to make his dream a reality: a cooking studio, tasting room, cookery shop and production house all in one. At the time – we’re talking 2018 – he used the cooking studio to tap into the growing interest in a healthy lifestyle and the origins of our food. For years, his all-in-one space brought people together and shared knowledge. You’d think that such a healthy lifestyle would be more important than ever now. But unfortunately: it’s game over for René there.
What’s going on?
No face masks
The images were shocking when René made the news earlier this year after BOAs and police officers arrested him by force and closed his business with a great show of power. Why was he arrested? Because he wanted to feed people without face masks.
He criticises the government’s ‘pointless and constantly shifting measures’: ‘Small and medium-sized businesses, the hospitality industry and cultural institutions – and with them the life’s work of many people – are being destroyed at a rapid pace. Measures and vaccinations are presented as “the solution”, while it is becoming increasingly clear that there is no logic to it and that this is not the way out that was announced.’ Checking guests for a QR code? Like many other hospitality entrepreneurs, he really isn’t keen on that either.
Gerespecteerde horeca collega René Pluijm wordt afgevoerd omdat zijn picknick tafels wel besmettelijk en levensgevaarlijk zijn tov de picknick tafels van burgemeester Rotterdam! @op1npo @BeauRTL @hermanhell pic.twitter.com/1DcAhzsg8a
— Khalid Oubaha (@OubahaKhalid) April 18, 2021
Serious pleasure
In the video clip, René wears the original (!) enforcement uniform and sings to the BOAs to the melody of disco legend YMCA. But however funny the lyrics and video clip may be, the message is fairly serious. René: ‘I have absolutely nothing against BOAs; above all, they want to serve the public. But I do wonder whether it is wise to spend such an enormous amount of money on enforcement while other sectors and healthcare are imploding.’ Something I also get incredibly worked up about.
Despite all this shit, René refuses to give in to negativity: ‘I refuse to become embittered. The stress caused by this whole situation is unhealthy and harmful to our much-needed immune system. The bleak period we are in is crying out for some humour and entertainment, but with a serious undertone: I call that “serious pleasure”.’
And with this video clip, he has managed that remarkably well. Fighting back has never been so funny. Video!
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