Article from: The Daily Telegraph
By Tracey Spicer
January 07, 2009 12:00am
IT’S simply unAustrayian. The city of Logan, on Brisbane’s outskirts, has banned bogans.

The council has lined up local celebs, like pop star Darren Hayes and Olympian Steven Bradbury, to star in a $300,000 advertising blitz.

But the mayor doesn’t want to include supermodel Catherine McNeil, who once called herself the “Bogan from Logan”.

“We want to change the perception of Logan,” Mayor Pam Parker said.

In the words of Logan resident Spanky on news.com.au, “Perhaps spending money on roads, infrastructure and employment would be better. Alas, I guess, for a half-educated bogan, the proposed campaign makes rooly good cents.”

But the 19-year-old McNeil, dubbed “fashion’s latest crush” by the New York Times, is out and proud as a bogan.

“It’s pretty hard to find Versace in Logan,” McNeil said.

“I didn’t even know how to say it properly. I shopped at Supre and City Beach.”

This refreshingly down-to-earth and ethereally beautiful woman is now among the world’s top 12 models, gracing the catwalks of Milan, Paris and New York. With her Amazonian limbs, silky hair and straight, white teeth, she’s not your average bogan.

According to bogan.com.au, the species can usually be characterised by a “pronounced lack of dress sense (flanelette shirt, soiled jeans and black thongs/ugg boots), a lack of personal hygiene (the most common fragrance is Odour of Toilet), a particular choice in motor vehicle (Holden or Ford), and the ubiquitous mullet hairstyle.

But the bogan has undergone a Mao-style Cultural Revolution.

Ugg boots are suddenly cool, popularised by world-famous bogan Pamela Anderson, and the mullet is tres chic (although the pronunciation is now “mull-AY”).

Locals in Penrith, Logan’s spiritual cousin, have set up a website where those from the “riff” can take a quiz to determine “how ‘Penriff’ are you?”

Some of Australia’s best-known personalities are from Bogan-villes.

Eddy McGuire makes much of his rough and tumble upbringing in Broadmeadows, on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley and swimmer Geoff Huegill hail from Redcliffe (otherwise known as ‘Redneck’), Logan’s sister city on the other side of Bris-Vegas.

I, too, have fond memories of growing up there. To this day, Dad still drives a Ford – he wouldn’t be seen dead in a Holden.

Bogan Idol is about to hit our screens, from the creators of Fat Pizza.

Parker needs to get with the script and embrace her inner-bogan when councillors decide on the Catherine McNeil ad.

Her colleague Sean Black remains defiant. “Catherine McNeil isn’t scared to shout about being a bogan from Logan, so why should we be?”

LOGAN’S most famous fashionista has pledged her support for her old hometown, agreeing to be part of the new city image advertising campaign.
International supermodel Catherine McNeil will feature in ads as part of a Logan City Council $120,000 blitz to promote Logan.
McNeil will join other famous Logan identities such as singer Darren Hayes and Olympic gold medallist Steven Bradbury.
The campaign’s official aim is to improve the perception of the city and attract business investment by highlighting its unique characteristics in contrast with neighbouring cities.
The $120,000 budget will be spent on billboards, television, print, radio and cinema advertising.
The campaign will start in February and run for three months and will be launched at a function at the Logan Art Gallery.
The theme of the city image campaign will be “Who Knew’’ structured around little known facts about people and places within the city.
Mayor Pam Parker said the campaign was a great opportunity to showcase the positive efforts being made to strengthen the image of the city.
A council spokeswoman confirmed McNeil would be involved in the campaign, but would not specify what aspect she would be involved in as the details were not finalised.

THERE’S a golden rule behind a new $300,000 campaign to boost Logan’s image – don’t mention the word “bogan”.

The Queensland city’s council has lined up an array of local celebrities, such as pop star Darren Hayes and Olympian Steven Bradbury, to star in its new advertising blitz.

But there’s a big question mark over whether or not to include supermodel Catherine McNeil, who proudly describes herself as “the bogan from Logan”.

Logan has long been the butt of bogan jokes because the two words form a convenient rhyme but Mayor Pam Parker said it was time for the city to shake off its downmarket image.

“We want to change the external perception of Logan,” she said.

 ”Including the word bogan in a campaign like this will only reinforce a negative message in people’s minds.”

During the next 20 years, 200,000 people are expected to move into the region and it is hoped the campaign will attract business investors.

The council believes the city is now coming of age, with award-winning restaurants and popular shopping areas.

The Logan campaign will be launched across the southeast next month and will feature a new city song.

A council spokeswoman told The Courier-Mail that councillors would decide on the Catherine McNeil ad later this month.

Cr Sean Black, who has driven the campaign, said it was a fuss about nothing.

“I don’t care if our image is that we are bogans,” he said.

 ”Catherine McNeil isn’t scared to shout about being a bogan from Logan, so why should we be?”