Marko Stepanović Mare, an inseparable member of the rudderless duo, known as Dare & Mare, Mental Exercise, and who has been unstoppably and irresistibly winning our hearts for years, talks to our Portal about the new Mental Exercise 2.0, as well as many other life and other topics.
Marko Stepanović is a graduated actor from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, a journalist, presenter... He claims to be long-tongued, short-witted and bald-headed. He is a favorite of all authorities and a lover of false authority, which is why he has changed more jobs than the average starlet suitor. He has a master's degree in political science, which doesn't really fit with his surreal world view and life attitude: NO ONE CAN DISAPPOINT ME AS MUCH AS I CAN MYSELF!
What happened after the end of Mental Exercise 1.0, ie. in the last two and a half years?
Behind me is a rather turbulent period, all luck only in the business sense. On the private front, I did much better, I had a daughter.
Congratulations!
Thank you! And I will remember that period more for that, than for what happened to me on the business front. Although on the business front, after the end of Mental Exercise on B92, some positive things started to happen. The first year was quite bad. Darko and I, individually, I can freely say, had a lot of awkward situations, after the end of Stretching. And let it stay at that, not to explain what all that was. Mostly from my own need to forget and overcome it. It's like when a person gets into a car accident and never likes to talk about it.
After that, I tried to work in several other media. However, it was mostly unsuccessful and short-lived. That's why I decided to change something. I realized that in this country, if a person wants to make something, he has to do it himself. But, literally, I'm all alone. If he should open a company, he enters the space, removes the tiles, whitewashes, throws out rubble, ... all by himself ... drives a truck with furniture - instead of a craftsman, he finishes everything himself - and finally, he goes to APR and opens a company.
I realized that the only chance was in some kind of private engagement and I started an agency, which deals with the organization of, as it is popularly said - events, or in Serbian terms - events and celebrations. That's what I've been dealing with for the last year - a year and a half. There were other things I did, but this was my main preoccupation. It is a family business, run by my wife and I, and it operates like most people and businesses in this country. I can't say that something is super successful, but it's not such that I would say that we don't do anything either.
But since I have a kind of connection to the media, like alcoholics and drug addicts have to some substances, I can't possibly separate myself from the media. In the meantime, I had one of my short video shows, which I did for Blic TV.
I was just going to ask you a question about that. What was the experience like doing "What Did He Say?"
That's right, the show was called "What did he say?". It was a great experience for me, because I was working with different people at the same time. I talked on the street with ordinary people and asked some seemingly simple questions, which people, at the moment, cannot really understand. We could say that these were some "trick" questions. People get confused, so they give a very funny answer to a very simple question. That was great, because I've had the idea of doing something like that for a long time, because I like working with people. In this way, all kinds of interesting things "come out" from the people themselves... Especially if you ask them some such question, which can be the cause of their, let's say, "mini-blame". I took great care, when I sat in the editing room, that people would not appear stupid, but that they would be likable and interesting. And I hope we succeeded in that. The show lasted for about six months and I worked well with the team of people from Ringier Axel Springer, because most of them are my former colleagues from TV Avale. We got along well and it was very interesting. Of course, in our country, nothing lasts long in the media, including this show of mine. In those six months, we made about fifty episodes. It was a nice and interesting experience.
I worked on several other projects as part of private productions. Along with the business part, where I try to profile myself, and focus on it, so that I don't live only from the media, for the last two and a half years, the media has been a kind of my personal entertainment, where I give myself a break.
And now we are slowly "sliding" towards the main topic: Mental exercise 2.0!
Yes! Two and a half years ago, Darko and I stopped our cooperation, primarily because the circumstances were not such that we could do something further. Of course, all this time, we were in contact. It seems to me that we were actually waiting for the right moment, when the opportunity to work together again would come. In the last two or three months, we talked and saw each other several times, agreed, negotiated, how it could look like. We think that now is the right time for, as our slogan says, "Radio to return to the city."
In our opinion, at the moment, there is quite a big crisis when it comes to the radio program. This, of course, is not the fault of the people who work on the radio. The formatting of radio stations, which has been happening for the last five or six years, contributed to this. In fact, any kind of improvisation, sincerity, or any slightly longer story than what is necessary is not admitted. Radio is made like a system that has no soul. Within that system, you know exactly in a second: this is how long the song lasts, this is how long the story lasts. Radio doesn't make hits anymore - it just plays hits! At least in our country, the radio has become a sterile form of media, where you constantly hear about the crowds on the street, that if the sun is shining - you should be in a good mood, if it's raining - then we should all be suffering... In addition, the voices on the radio sound heavily made up, smiles - which are artificial. They talk about topics that are not vital, but forced. And with one and the same music. No matter what kind of music you listen to, no matter what radio station you go to - you will hear the same music.
It happened to me that I was listening to the same song on the radio for three days in a row, as I was driving to work at the same time!
People a little more knowledgeable about the state of the radio would say: It's a playlist + weather forecast?
That's right! And add some short news to that…
Mental exercise never fit that mold. And on other media, where we were before Devedesetdvojka, it didn't really work...
In one season, we created a radio network, and then Mental Exercise was broadcast on twenty radio stations in Serbia. The rule was that we had one radio station in each city, plus, of course, a station in Belgrade. That season was great!
The two of us did it at Darko's in the basement and it was very good! We were our own bosses and we made that program, the way we wanted. The radio stations were satisfied, because Stretching is a form that, in a commercial sense, can contribute a lot to the broadcaster, which has it on its program.
So the two of us thought and decided to create that radio network again independently.
We created our company, which is called Basement media. Why Basement - because Darko's basement was the place where we started our own, small, private business. And we kept saying: "Hey, you know when we're in the basement...", "...you know when we left the basement...", basement-basement, and we just added "media", because that's our specialty. Podroom media is our small company, which plans to be a very big company in 100-120 years... We will deal with radio production, radio and video broadcasting, consulting and marketing.
Mental exercise 2.0 is a new version of our show, but it is only the basis for what we plan to do further with the production company Podroom media.
How will Mental Stretch 2.0 compare to the old Mental Stretch (1.0)?
The two of us always tried to be on the "little" man's side - as his protectors. Because we ourselves belong to that world. We ourselves belong to that part of our people. We have the impression that what we say in our name is recognized by a large number of our fellow citizens, because we all live similar lives.
I heard that they follow you, even regionally?
We are talking very seriously with some stations in Montenegro, Republika Srpska, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina about taking over Mental Exercise. In my estimation, some of that will happen already at the beginning of October.
By the way, the two of us are the first to start the season! It's always been that way. Our people work and think: "It's summer, the weather is nice, we don't all have to work now... Take it easy, it will work...".
On September 05, we start at 7:00 a.m., since the students start school and we start the season. And no matter how many people think that in September the media doesn't throw some peaks in listening or viewership, it turned out to be incorrect, at least in our case. That September always comes in handy for us - we get a good start and attract a large number of audiences, who stay with us even afterwards.
I believe that from October some more stations will be included, both in Serbia and in the region.
Still sharp, sharp, tracking the day's topics?
The focus will be on everyday topics, something that happens to you and me, because we all live and cope with the same problems, regardless of which generation we belong to. We will follow everyday occurrences, and there are as many of them, at least in Serbia, as you want, which are cartoonish in themselves. We are living something that Monty Python or the Surrealists did as a stunt.
What will be new will be our audio identity, which, by the way, Darko deals with. That audio identity will certainly be far better than it was. Our idea is for Mental Exercise 2.0 to be a modern morning program that has not yet been seen in our country. Both in terms of audio identity and sound quality - i.e. the quality of the entire program. We plan to play nice, decent music, which will go from our studio, but we will do it in cooperation with Radio Laguna, since Radio Laguna will be our broadcaster for Belgrade.
For those who don't know, the most important information from this entire interview of ours: Radio Laguna, frequency 93,7 from 7:00, from September 5, every morning.
Of course, also on about twenty radio stations throughout Serbia. We have covered almost all major cities. Niš, Subotica, Novi Sad, from where Delta worked, who are our great friends. Last time we worked with Delta radio in Novi Sad, where we have a very large audience. We renewed cooperation with many stations and we will have new members in the team. Thank you to all of them, I won't mention them all so as not to forget someone, but we will soon publish the entire list of radio stations that will broadcast us.
By the way, I previously thought that you two were from Novi Sad, probably because of that good cooperation with Delta Radio and the fact that you have a large audience in that city?
Our friend, who, unfortunately, is no longer with us – Dragan Đukić, the then owner RTV Delta, who we will never be able to repay for how much he has helped us, is our first collaborator in the business called the radio network. We were pioneers in Serbia in that endeavor. With his suggestions and our ideas, we then created DarMar Central Production and that radio network. He was a visionary, a great man, in every way, both as a friend and as a colleague... We, without thinking, agreed everything again with Delta Radio and I think that together, we will again make some good results. The two of us have a desire, a need and an obligation towards that man, his co-workers, his family, that the Exercising on the Delta goes on for a long time and is great!
It's not strange that you thought we were from Novi Sad, because the cooperation and friendship with Delta radio is long-standing and unbreakable.
Let's move on to food topics... What do you most like to prepare and/or consume in a home atmosphere, and what do you like to eat in a restaurant?
I am very happy when I have the opportunity to speak only about topics that are important to me, first we talked about something that I do and I really like to do, and now we will talk about what I really like in private and what I like to do.
I'm a big foodie! You can see it in my weight... As the advertisement goes: "I have a stomach to prove it!" I like to eat everything. I eat fruit, perhaps, a little less... except, for example, in a liquid state, with mulligans: brandy made from pear or quince or plum...
I really like to prepare food. Right now, I have a lot of work to do, so I don't get to deal with it that much. By the way, when we used to do Stretching, we do our work until 10, then, during the day, we have some other obligations, so in the evening we prepare the show, but, during the day, I had about 4-5 hours "free" - and I used them to prepare some food.
I like to eat all kinds of things - I like to eat the most - meat. All types of meat. I even like to eat shop salad with meat, Greek salad with meat... coleslaw sprinkled with steaks... I'm a big "carnivore".
My meals, even the ones I make, are based on meat.
I also like to prepare cooked meals. The palette is very wide, although it depends a little on where I prepare them: if it's at home, and I have enough time, then it's fish soup, beans, cabbage, spinach - with different types of meat... as processed, as fresh as possible.
I love Italian food, but I don't make it often. My wife is a master at preparing Italian food.
I also like to prepare homemade dishes: stews, stews, in all forms... If I'm somewhere in nature, on the Drina or Zlatibor, where my "bases" are, then I prepare barbecues, various animals on a spit... I also prepare soups, of course: it's veal , before everyone.
As I said, I like to eat everything and also to prepare it.
Are you looking for a restaurant according to a specific recipe, ie. eat, or is it all the same to you?
By the way, I'm a fan of cafes. I also like pub food. Which is not to say I don't like restaurants…
Sometimes I deliberately go somewhere to eat something. There's a great restaurant where my wife eats ground turkey, which is amazing! We go there specifically to eat that particular dish. There are places where there is a wonderful barbecue. On the Danube, on the Zemun quay, there are great places where the fish is excellent.
There is a cafe on the Red Cross where you can order some of our old dishes, such as, for example, calf's head in ham. People, by the way, think it's something - who knows what... ugh, what is it... In fact, most people don't know how good and delicious it is.
Sometimes I go to a restaurant or bar on purpose, and sometimes because I like the surroundings. I usually go to the river, I like it there the most. I like to go to actor-journalist bars, where our colleagues gather, which has its own charm.
It pleases me to eat both in a cafe and in a restaurant.
If Marko Stepanović had to/wanted to open a restaurant, what would it look like?
It's not out of the question that it will happen one day... I've already had a few ideas, even a few offers from friends. I deliberately run away from it. I can say that the older I get, the more difficult it is to sit tied up in a bar for a few days, let alone work...
If we were to look at it from the commercial side, I am no longer sure that it would be profitable. Belgrade has everything. When you go to a big city abroad, you see that, actually, in Belgrade you have almost everything there is there... I think that Belgrade is quite "covered" to be able to satisfy the wishes and needs that our people have. On the other hand, our people are not really in the habit of going and trying, for example, Thai food, Indonesian,...
If you had asked me this ten years ago, I would certainly have answered that I would open a bar with excellent local specialties. It would be a bohemian place where journalists, actors, writers, intellectuals, professors, doctors would gather... People who would like it...
Plaid tablecloths, an old homemade recipe?
That's right! Including serious chefs and cooks. There are such bars, I go to two: one on Kalenić and the other on Red Cross. This is where I feel best and I believe that if I had the opportunity, I would make something similar.
I'm sure I wouldn't do something like a raft or anything like that – in terms of loud music, night time. My choice would be: a cafe-restaurant, with good food and, possibly, some acoustic guitar, when the company relaxes...
Finally, what is your favorite treat?
Although I try to avoid sweets, I've started eating sweets lately... Somehow I like princess donuts and pancakes with Eurocream and plasma the most. It's unbeatable! You can make anything, there are wonderful cakes that people make, I've tried some great cakes recently. And cakes... But, a pancake with euro cream and plasma - and a princess donut, made by our aunts, mothers, grandmothers - that, for me, is unbeatable!
And of all the sweets - I like barbecue the most!!!
It remains for us to try something together once and prepare and record it, so that our readers, and in that case, viewers and your listeners, can enjoy it... Mental exercise in nature, with cooking...
That would be a great pleasure for me, and believe me, when I have the opportunity to cook something, especially in a kettle or on a grill, in nature, on a live fire, I feel afterwards as if I slept for ten hours. For me it is that kind of relaxation and rest. Darko tried it all with me - I prepared goulash in a kettle, fish soup, beans, various types of barbecue. You will come once and then we will set aside the whole day for it. And to enjoy more and work less...
Belgrade, August 2016.
Interview led by: Miodrag Ilić
Photo: Basement media
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