Mullet (haircut)

The mullet is a type of haircut, in which the hair is long at the back of the head (usually at least to the shoulders), but cut shorter on the top, front, and sides of the head. The result looks like long hair from behind, but short hair from the front. In the United States the mullet was trendy in the 1970s, 1980s, and early '90s, but is now associated with the rural and working classes. As a result, it has become the subject of ridicule in some circles. The name "mullet" was first put in print by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, and it has now entered into common parlance.

History

The mullet became popular in the 1970s, but was known to have been worn long before then. Urban legends have it dating back to 19th Century fishermen with long hair in back to keep them warm, hence the term "mullet". The term was also referenced in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, starring Paul Newman and George Kennedy, in which Kennedy's character refers to Southern men with long hair as "Mulletheads."

Related Topics:
1970s - 19th Century - 1967 - Cool Hand Luke - Paul Newman - George Kennedy

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An article Mike D wrote for issue 2 of the Beastie Boys' magazine, Grand Royal in 1995, proved to be a turning point in the history of the hairstyle. The article started "There's nothing quite as bad as a bad haircut. And perhaps the worst of all is the cut we call The Mullet," and went on to lampoon the hairstyle over several pages, including many photographs of celebrities sporting this hair style. Soon after the article was published, it became popular for fans of the band, and in youth culture generally, to mock the hairstyle, which gradually led over a few years to it being almost universally ridiculed.

Related Topics:
Mike D - Beastie Boys - Grand Royal - 1995 - Youth culture

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