Sheilas Get Ugly Over Mayor’s Gaffe
Aussie mayor touts ugly opportunities in beautiful Mount Isa, Queensland. He might be on to something, if he lives through the next week. Sky News starts the roundup of this important, developing story:
John Molony, mayor of Mt Isa in the state of Queensland, made the remarks in response to the overwhelming local ratio of males to females.
He told a local newspaper: “May I suggest if there are five blokes to every girl, we should find out where there are beauty-disadvantaged women and ask them to proceed to Mount Isa.”
He added that many women who already live in the remote mining town seemed quite happy.
“Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face,” he said.
“Whether it is recollection of something previous or anticipation for the next evening, there is a degree of happiness.”
But his comments failed to impress the local female population.
“There’s a lot of anger circulating among the community at the moment - a lot of passionate anger,” Mt Isa chamber of commerce manager Patricia O’Callaghan said.
“There’s a lot of women voicing their opinions.”
But speaking on national radio, Mr Malony stood by his remarks.
“I said beauty-disadvantaged. Now beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Beauty can be a good set of teeth, beauty is nice wavy hair. Beauty can be blue eyes or green eyes.
“There is such a thing as disposition, temperament, manners, general attractiveness, attitude and demeanour, all those things tend to make a person attractive.”
Brisbane Times reports the lovely ladies of Mount Isa are putting on the war paint and sharpening their battle axes:
We want an apology,” local woman Rikki Loccisano said over comments made by Mount Isa Mayor John Molony at the weekend.
“We are offended and we want to settle the score.”
…
Ms Loccisano, a 22-year-old administration officer, said emails and text messages had been circulating around the town since 9am, urging women to “stand up and be heard”.
“It paints the women here as second rate and suggests that the men will settle for anything. He has put everyone down,” she said.
“We’re going to get together to put forward our opinion.”
…
Fellow council members and the local Chamber of Commerce said they had been swamped with phone calls from both women and men complaining about the mayor’s remarks.
“We have received calls from past Mt Isa residents, who are currently living overseas and read about the mayor’s comments online…they’re shocked and outraged,” Chamber of Commerce manager Patricia O’Callaghan said.
“There are much more serious regional and economic issues plaguing our town than what we all look like.”
Yeah, but I bet none of them are this much fun. Or likely to draw as much tourism. “Mount Isa … Ugliest Town on Earth.” Think about the possibilities.*
It is expected up to 100 women will take part in the protest to confront Cr Moloney this evening with banners and placards.
“We’re in discussions now about what we’re going to do exactly,” Ms Loccisano said.
Uglytown, Oz. Could work. Apparently the blokes aren’t very pretty either.
Mount Isa occupational therapist Anna Warrick, 27, said the town’s menfolk were to blame for the dearth of female suitors because of their oaffish behaviour.
“We’ve got a saying up here that the odds are good, but the goods are odd,” Ms Warrick said.
* Some possibilities:
1. Mount Isa’s “Ugly Days.” Ugliness for the whole family. Ugly pageant to crown Miss Ugly 2008. Also, the Mr Ugly Universe context. Ugly food booths, ugly games, etc.
2. Ceremonial planting of an ugly tree in the town center. Looks like that might be the only kind they can get to grow there, anyway. Careful you don’t fall out, hit any/all of the branches on the way down.
3. Ugly salons.
4. Ugly art galleries. Ugly restaurants. Ugly theater. All part of a pretty ugly scene.
5. The Ugly Truth … the world’s greatest newspaper.
Topics: Australia, men, shameless opportunism, women
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:54 pm on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
4 Responses to “Sheilas Get Ugly Over Mayor’s Gaffe”
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August 19th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Are you back?
August 19th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I look at some women considered beauties and think urrgh, funny looking.
More of this stupid mob on the radio thismorning.
A protest of 200 people over some comment by the Mayor, they’re all up in arms because he’s insulted them.
Toughen up, princesses. (Blokes, too.)
August 19th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Not just yet, Robert. This kind of ugliness is hard to pass up, though.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
We want an apology,” local woman Rikki Loccisano said over comments made by Mount Isa Mayor John Molony at the weekend.
“We are offended and we want to settle the score.”
Yeah, but is she hot?
Inquiring minds want to know.