‘Laziest Citizen’ contest has people lying down for 20 days — and counting
No matter how lazy you are, you’re sure to look extremely productive compared to these “competitors.”
Seven competitors are hoping to get the coveted title of “Laziest Citizen” in a bizarre annual contest in the resort village of Brezna in northern Montenegro.
The remaining contestants — who are vying for a grand prize of $1,070 (1,000 euro) — have been lying down on mats for 20 straight days and counting, and they’re determined to keep going despite already smashing last year’s record of 117 hours.
First-time contestant Filip Knezevic, 23, told Reuters that he’s confident he’ll be the one to claim victory.
“We have everything we need here, company is fantastic, time goes by quickly,” he said.
Simply sitting up is a violation of the rules, as is standing, and will immediately eliminate a contestant, though they do get a 10-minute bathroom break every eight hours.
Contestants are also allowed to eat, drink, read and use cell phones and laptops — but they must do it while lying down.
“All of us feel good, excellent, there are no health problems, they are pampering us, all we have to do is to remain lying down,” 2021 champion Dubravka Aksic, 38, told the outlet.
The competition began 12 years ago to poke fun at the myth that Montenegrins are lazy, Radonja Blagojevic, the organizer and owner of the resort explained.
The contestant pool started at 21 people, and Blagojevic said the seven remaining had been lying down for 463 hours at the time of reporting.
The lazy stereotype can be traced back to cultural references such as the Montenegrin Commandments, a humorous list of unofficial “commandments” that are often sold as souvenirs that hyperbolizes the Montenegrin lifestyle of leisure and relaxation, according to Montenegro.org.
