The worst nicknames tend to stick simply because the recipient displays a distaste or disliking of it in its inception period. The harder they rail against it, the deeper it gets entrenched. It’s like quicksand: Struggling against it only makes it worse. In today’s case study: the town of Port Pirie, saddled with the inglorious title of “Shittest Town in South Australia,” and a crotchety Mayor who very much wants that moniker to disappear.
Port Pirie, for those of you not up to date with your crap town rankings, is a regular feature in the regular Power Rankings on the Shit Towns of Australia Facebook page. A frequent feature on the regular lists, Port Pirie often appears in the rankings for no other reason than it’s “still shit.”
In a recent newsletter poll, the town was elevated by Shit Towns of Australia to the somewhat formal title of Shittest Town in South Australia, beating out such fancied rivals as Whyalla, Port Augusta, Murray Bridge, and Coober Pedy.
Port Pirie Mayor Leon Stephens, however, isn’t terribly jazzed about the whole shebang.
Speaking to the ABC, Stephens stated “I might be showing my age or whatever but I think this is getting pretty tired. It’s a bit like a Dad joke that’s continually going on and I think that it’s time that we changed it up a little bit.”
Stephens also tried to take a cheap shot at Shit Towns of Australia co-founder Geoff Rissole, claiming that the Shittest Town in South Australia title was “probably about as impressive as a name called Geoff Rissole.” Which is an interesting way to put it, because there’s a very strong argument for both the Shittest Town in South Australia title and the name “Geoff Rissole” as being very impressive indeed.
Now, there’s obviously the option to simply oblige the request and allow Port Pirie – nestled in the shadow of the Flinders Ranges – to exist in peace, ridicule-free. However a case of Streisand Effect like this only comes around so often. And thus, Shit Towns of Australia has responded in kind.
Cheer up indeed.
