The mayor of Mount Isa, a mining town in Australia, is encouraging women with sub-par looks to move to the area, because he thinks they’ll find happiness there. According to Reuters, the mayor was quoted in the Townsville Bulletin last week, saying of Mount Isa, “Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face. Whether it is recollection of something previous or anticipation for the next evening, there is a degree of happiness.” Supposedly, the town, famous for cowboys and mining, lead, silver, copper, and zinc, has a shortage of women, with just one for every five men there. The mayor seems to think that less pretty women would do well there with less competition, and men would be happy with them, because they don’t have any other options. And, even if this is true, neither side (the Mount Isa men or the less-beautiful women there) wants to agree with him. Mount Isa’s council members and chamber of commerce have been swamped with phone calls from men and women complaining about the mayor’s comments, but he refuses to apologize. [Reuters]
