Mullets are a girls best friend, and other reasons I adore this haircut!
Mullets for Everyone, Forever!
Kentucky Waterfall, Mudflap, Ape Drape, Neck Blanket, Yes-No, Shlong (short-long), 10/90, Camero Cut, Tennessee Top Hat, Hockey Haircut, Missouri Compromise, and my personal favorite Business in Front Party in the Back. What do these terms have in common, you ask? Well, they all describe a hairstyle that is short on the sides and top, and long and flowing in the back, most commonly referred to as the Mullet. The Mullet has not been a popular hairstyle since the 80's, but a joke to most Americans, now its making a comeback as a legitimate way to wear long hair in many parts of the world.
At one time the only mullet anyone knew about was a grey fish found in tropical waters. Now there are many many websites dedicated to the art of spotting this very distinct hairstyle. The term mullet is rumored to come from the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, where they refer to men with long hair as Mullet-heads. Urban legends have dated it back to 19th century fisherman growing their hair long to keep their necks warm. While the origin of the term Mullet is unclear, we can tell that ridiculing it became popular after a 1990's hit by the Beasie Boys, "Mullet Head" and a related article was featured their magazine Grand Royal. This hairstyle has made many appearances in history. The credit for Mullet as we know it today goes to Angie Bowie, whom came up with the idea in the 70's, for cutting the top of rocker David Bowie's hair short and spiky and leaving the sides longer, because David didn't want any ordinary hairdo. This was the official start to the modern rocker mullet of today.
There have been many other celebrities that have coveted the versatility of the Shlong. Country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus, The Incredible Hulk, Hulk Hogan, Jesse from Full House, Chuck Norris and Macgyver to name a few. When I think of a person with this coif the image of Joe Dirt pops into my head. You know the hillbilly, redneck, Nascar watching, cut off jean shorts and flannel wearing, backwoods guy doesn't know any better because he is always drunk on Budweiser. But this is not the case, many different kinds of people have rocked the Mullet and many will continue to in the future.
Not everyone with a Mullet is a redneck, country music star or pro wrestler. From a hair dressers perspective this hair cut is very practical for a person that may want to have long hair but cannot because it may fall into their face. Many non-rocker types sported this style in its hay-day for this very reason. The mom from the Brady Bunch Florence Henderson, for example, she wore a longer version of the mullet in the form of a bi-level haircut or a disconnected bob. This hairdo gave her the benefits of having short hair that would stay out of her way in the front and long hair in the back. Many athletes choose the Mullet for this reason as well. Although they usually opt for a shorter crew cut length on the top. In most European countries the Mullet is not an ironic hairstyle but simply a hairstyle that has as many versions as it has people to wear them, and wear them they do!
The Mullet is a fashion staple not a fad, it should get all the flack that it does. This hair style has shown great variations over the years and regions that it has been spotted in by fans and non-fans alike. There are a surprising amount of names for the different varieties of Mullets you may encounter, including but not limited to, skullet, this is when a person is balding or choses to shave the top and sides of their head. Chullet or child mullet, Fem-Mullet or female mullet, a dreaded Mullet can be called a Tropical Mullet, Jheri Curl Mullet for those with naturally curly hair and so on and so forth depending who you are talking to. From celebrities rockers to German soccer players the Mullet has been and is a popular hairstyle. Wether you have had one yourself, and are embarrassed about it, or you are growing your own personal Ape Drape, there is no denying that the Mullet is an important hairstyle in a category of its own. Love it or hate it, or love to hate it, in some form or another the Mullet is here to stay.
If you couldn't have guessed, I love it! How do mullets make you feel? Have you ever seen anyone totally owning their mullet?