This is the hilarious moment a former mayor of Rio de Janeiro was caught with his pants down while squatting on the toilet during an online town hall meeting.
Cesar Maia, 78, a three-time mayor of Rio, had joined other council members in the fencing session on June 5.
But as they turned to council business, it became clear that Maia had other things to attend to, as his laptop camera panned to reveal his compromising position.
In the astonishing video footage of the encounter, which emerged on social media, Maia sits on his toilet with his trousers around his ankles.
The poorly placed laptop camera clearly shows him leaning forward with his arms resting on his bare legs before he suddenly seems to realize he’s showing more than intended – and quickly grabs the device and raises the camera back up.
This is the hilarious moment a former mayor of Rio de Janeiro (below left) was caught with his pants down while squatting on the toilet during an online town hall meeting
Cesar Maia, 78, (below left) three-time mayor of Rio, had joined other councilors at the June 5 fencing session – but it became clear he had other business to attend to
The footage then cut to session leader Pablo Mello, sitting in the council chamber, who was barely able to laugh as he realized what was happening.
Maia’s embarrassing blunder is just the latest to happen to workers and officials since virtual meetings became more common during the pandemic
However, he wasn’t fast enough to prevent the others present from noticing.
The footage then cut to session leader Pablo Mello, sitting in the council chamber, who was barely able to laugh as he realized what was happening.
As he struggled to continue with the agenda, he had to look away from the screen and push his microphone away to keep his glee in check.
He then pleaded through clenched teeth, “Councilman Cesar Maia, I ask that you turn off the camera, please.”
A shocked Maia replied: “Of course.”
According to local media, his image disappeared from the screens of the other council members as they continued without him.
Maia’s embarrassing blunder is just the latest to happen to workers and officials since virtual meetings became more common during the pandemic.
Amid Covid-19 lockdown rules, Zoom and other video calling services became the ultimate hub for hosting meetings, weddings, baptisms and funerals.
While the idea seemed ideal at the time (at least for those who preferred to tackle daily life from the comfort of their couches), the shift to the digital world brought its own problems for anyone connecting in real time via webcam.
In May 2020, a businessman found himself in a nightmare after accidentally turning on his camera while showering during a Zoom meeting – also in Brazil.
But this wasn’t just any meeting: the mistake happened during a virtual conference call with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
A businessman accidentally left his camera on while showering (below right) during a Zoom conference call with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in May 2020
New Zealander David Benson-Pope forgot to turn off his camera settings during a suspension of a livestreamed council meeting in 2020 – with his bare legs on display
In hilarious screenshots from the moment, a shirtless man – reportedly one of the federation’s advisors – is seen standing next to 24 stone-faced officials.
Bolsonaro interrupted the call and said that they had “unfortunately” seen the man completely naked in the shower. Fortunately for the showering man, he was not identified.
That same month, a New Zealand councilor – Cr. David Benson-Pope – his Dunedin Council colleagues and viewers watching a live stream council meeting when he entered his study with his bare legs visible.
Dressed in a suit jacket and work shirt, the former Labor Cabinet minister appeared not to be wearing trousers as he cleaned a spot with a feather duster during an adjournment as he waited for the meeting to go ahead.
After images of the moment began circulating online, the hapless Benson-Pope was forced to clarify that he had in fact been wearing shorts as he had returned from gardening just before the meeting.
Then in July 2020, Bernardo Bustillo, who worked as a part-time councilor for the community of Torrelavega in Cantabria, northern Spain, decided to shower in the middle of a meeting, without realizing his camera was still on.
And in October 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic, a US mother accidentally flashed her son’s entire class when she walked into the virtual class setting completely naked.
Across the pond in Canada, a lawmaker returned from a 2021 jog before a virtual legislative meeting with the House of Commons.
But William Amos, 46, who represents parts of Quebec, didn’t notice his camera was on when he stepped out of his running gear and into something more appropriate for his home office.
He was then spotted completely naked during the House of Commons meetings, flanked by a Canadian and Quebec flag on either side.
Amos, who is married with two children, apologized for the “unfortunate mistake.”
Bustillo (below left) decided to take a shower during a meeting, but didn’t realize he hadn’t turned off his camera. He then emerged from the shower to reveal his naked body and later tendered his resignation from the council
A Texas attorney accidentally left a kitten filter on during a February 2021 Zoom hearing, hilariously telling the judge, “I’m not a cat” as he frantically tried to delete the animated image
Liberal MP William Amos, 46, who represents parts of Quebec, was spotted completely naked at a 2021 House of Commons meeting, flanked by a Canadian and Quebec flag on either side – after stripping off in his office after a jog
And in another famous incident, a Texas attorney accidentally left a kitten filter on during a Zoom hearing in February 2021, hilariously telling the judge, “I’m not a cat,” as he frantically tried to animated delete image.
More recently (much to the horror of those who still regularly use a webcam), a businesswoman accidentally filmed herself naked in the shower in front of several other remote mourners.
But to make matters worse, the woman attended the virtual funeral of a highly respected father of three who died after a long battle with cancer.