BEING the mayor of a regional city is a big job that comes with all kinds of responsibilities and everyone does it differently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But not many do it quite as differently as the flamboyant Darren Lyons, mayor of Geelong.
Cr Lyons’ latest foray into controversy centres around a new video aimed at bringing tourists to the city that has known its fair share of troubles.
Nothing wrong with that other than the video, which is entitled Sleepy Hollow, depicts Geelong as a city that had lost its way so badly that it was peopled by zombies.
That is until Darren Lyons arrived. Riding down the main street on a horse no less, much like Clint Eastwood did in A Fistful of Dollars.
The video then takes a dramatically cheerful turn and we’re treated to numerous images of happy people sipping champagne or going for romantic walks, dining out at good restaurants and generally having a whale of a time, not a zombie in sight.
Naturally, there are competing views as to the effectiveness of this promotional tool with supporters saying it is brave and will get people talking. Others are simply horrified.
Critics are furious that the underlying message appears to be nothing more than a promotion of Cr Lyons himself and have taken issue with the notion that Geelong was a defeated community where its people were the living dead.
They make a fair point. While the video is entertaining, it is watchable for all the wrong reasons and opens the door for people to mock the city rather than be inclined to drop everything and visit.
Cr Lyons won’t care, living as he does by the dictum that any publicity is good publicity. It isn’t.
A more fitting portrayal of Geelong would have been one that not only celebrated its many attractions, its great location and its sporting heritage but also its resilience, innovation and never-say-die attitude.
Darren Lyons has done Geelong, the city he professes to love, a great disservice. It might be time for him to get down off his high horse and get on with the job of being mayor.