Mullet (haircut) explained

The mullet is a hairstyle in which the hair is cut shorter at the front, top and sides, but is longer at the back.

Etymology

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, use of the term mullet to describe this hairstyle was "apparently coined, and certainly popularized, by American hip-hop group the Beastie Boys",[1] who used "mullet" and "mullet head" as epithets in their 1994 song "Mullet Head", combining it with a description of the haircut: "number one on the side and don't touch the back, number six on the top and don't cut it wack, Jack." They expounded on the subject at length in a six-page article entitled "Mulling Over The Mullet" in Issue 2 (1995) of their magazine Grand Royal, offering a selection of alternative names for the cut, including "Hockey Player Haircut" and "Soccer Rocker".[2]

False etymology

On Slates Decoder Ring podcast, Willa Paskin discussed the etymology of the term, noting that Oxford English Dictionary credited the Australian Street Machine automotive magazine with the first published description of the term in 1992, predating Beastie Boys.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Decoder Ring discovered that the magazine image had been faked; in a 2018 apology posted to imgur, the creator had admitted to faking the text, adjusting the magazine dates, and shown proof.[8]

Fashion history

In antiquity

A metal figurine, dated back to the 1st-century AD and found during 2018 preparations for a new car park at the Wimpole Estate, England, was hypothesised by archaeologists to indicate that natives in ancient Britain during the Roman occupation could have worn their hair similarly to mullets.[9]

In the sixth century, Byzantine scholar Procopius wrote that some factions of young males wore their hair long at the back and cut it short over the forehead. This non-Roman style was termed the "Hunnic" look.[10] [11]

Researcher Alan Henderson describes the ancient hairstyle as useful, as it kept the hair out of the eyes, yet provided warmth and protection for the neck.[12]

Native America

In Mourt's Relation, author Edward Winslow described the Plymouth pilgrims' first encounter with the Native Americans, Samoset of the Abenaki in 1621:

Native Borneo

Some tribes in Borneo also have mullet hairstyles, including Dayak Kayan, Kenyah and Iban.

1960s

Tom Jones sported a mullet in two of his three 1965 performances of his hit song "It's Not Unusual" on The Ed Sullivan Show, May 2, 1965 and June 13, 1965.[13] [14]

1970s

Mullets were worn by rock stars David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney in the early 1970s.[15] [16] When writing Neil Peart's eulogy in January 2020, Greg Prato asserted Peart had a mullet, based on his observations of a 1974 video, further suggesting "he also may have been one of the first rockers to sport another hairstyle – the rattail", based on a 1985 video, "The Big Money".[17]

1980s

In Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s, mullets were "everywhere", according to Tess Reidy writing at The Guardian in 2019.[18] In the late 1980s the style was known as a 'Convoy Cut' due to being popularised by the members of the Peace Convoy.[19] The 1980s were also the high point of the mullet's popularity in continental Europe.[20]

Also in the 1980s, the mullet became part of lesbian culture, where it came to be used as a way of identifying oneself as a member of that culture in public.[21] [22] [23] [24]

1990s

After the much-publicized 1992 DC Comics storyline in which Superman apparently died, the character returned to the 1993 follow-up storyline "Reign of the Supermen", in which he was depicted with a mullet.[25] The cancelled Superman film project, Superman Lives, would have depicted Superman with a mullet.[26]

Punk rock band the Vandals sang of the mullets worn by country music singers and guests of The Jerry Springer Show and listed regional names for the style in the 1998 song "I've Got an Ape Drape".[27] In 1997, gay punk band Pansy Division released their single "Hockey Hair" in Vancouver, Canada about this hairstyle.

Vocalist Wesley Willis wrote and released the track "Cut the Mullet" in 1998 and frequently performed it at live shows.[28]

2000s

The 2001 film American Mullet documents the phenomenon of the mullet hairstyle and the people who wear it.[29]

The same year Universal Records (Canada) released the album Mullet Years: Power Ballads, a collection of hard rock ballads.[30]

This hairstyle became popular with the bogan subculture in Australia and New Zealand.[31] [32]

2010s

The mullet was banned in Iran as one style on a list of "un-Islamic", "decadent Western cuts".[33]

The mullet was returned to the spotlight in 2015 by K-pop idol G-Dragon during his band BIGBANG's Made World Tour.[34] Baekhyun of EXO also sported a mullet in promotion for the group's 2017 song "Ko Ko Bop". K-pop artists who have worn mullets include Block B's Zico, Song Min-ho, Nam Joo-hyuk, Dean, Stray Kids' Chan and Han, VIXX's N,[35] B.A.P.'s Himchan,[36] Seventeen's Woozi and The8, and BTS's V.[37]

The mullet has also experienced a revival within American sports. After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, Phil Kessel was spotted in Pittsburgh Penguins training camp in September 2017 bringing the mullet back to its native roots of Pittsburgh hockey (Jaromír Jágr wore a mullet with the Penguins in the 1990s). Similarly, Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy wore a mullet starting in early 2017; the popularity of his mullet supposedly earned Oklahoma State millions of dollars in marketing revenue.[38] In addition, from 2010 to 2015, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks popularized the "playoff mullet," an alternative to the traditional NHL playoff beard.[39] Then-Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner began sporting a mullet in 2018, continuing the Yinzer tradition of the hairstyle in Western Pennsylvania.[40] The revival also extended to Australia in the late 2010's, with Australian soccer player Rhyan Grant becoming widely known for his mullet haircut to the point that it was included within the video game FIFA 20.[41]

2020s

In September 2020, i-D called 2020 "the year of the mullet", attributing its boom in popularity to COVID-19 lockdowns and the extended closure of hair salons.[42] In an article for Vice Media, the mullet-wearing teenagers interviewed all described getting the haircut as a joke, with one stating "There's an irony to the mullet haircut. It's this disgustingly gross haircut, which means it's definitely worn in an ironic way".[43] Magda Ryczko, founder of a barbershop in Brooklyn, notes that mullets allow for a professional front-facing look for COVID-19 era Zoom meetings, while maintaining a messier, more fun look off-camera, when the longer back section of hair may be revealed.[44] An annual national USA Mullet Championship began in 2020.[45] [46] The versatility of the taper fade has modernized the classic mullet, giving it a cleaner look, known as the modern mullet.[47]

In July 2023, Mexican singer Peso Pluma attracted attention for his mullet style, a hairstyle that he adopted as his signature haircut during his stardom as a musical performer.[48] The singer confirmed that his hairstyle was originally a mishap, when he visited the city of Medellín and his barber gave him a hairstyle that was "popular in Medellín", later realizing that it wasn't bad after filming a music video.[49] [50]

58-year-old Tami Manis from Tennessee was awarded a Guinness World Record for a 172.72cm (68inches) mullet in August 2023, a result of not having her hair cut for 33 years.[51] [52]

In popular culture

In 2019, Kiefer Sutherland described himself as an unwitting instigator of the hairstyle, which he sported in the 1987 film The Lost Boys.[53] In 2022 press interviews marking the 35th anniversary of the film, Sutherland again recounted the story.[54] [55]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: September 2013. mullet, n.9. Oxford University Press. OED Online.
  2. Grand Royal Issue 2, (1995) p. 44
  3. Web site: The Mullet Mystery - Episode 23 - The Oxford Comment . . 3 June 2015 . 20 August 2020 .
  4. Web site: OED Appeals: mullet . Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press) Tumblr . 5 April 2015 . 20 August 2020 .
  5. Web site: Appeals: mullet . . 22 April 2013 . 20 August 2020 . 13 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200813003245/https://public.oed.com/appeals/mullet/ . dead .
  6. Web site: Think of "Mullet" as a 1980s Word? It's Not.: Vocabulary Shout-Out: Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus . Thinkmap Inc. . visualthesaurus.com . 20 July 2015 . 20 August 2020 .
  7. Web site: The 'mullet' mystery - Episode 23 - The Oxford Comment OUPblog . Sara . Levine . OUPblog . June 2016 . 20 August 2020 .
  8. Web site: An apology to the Oxford English Dictionary. . topsmate . Imgur . 21 April 2018 . 20 August 2020 . A few years ago I saw a post on reddit about the origin of the word Mullet (the Beastie Boys have the first record of it being used according to the Oxford English Dictionary). I photoshopped a 1992 magazine I had laying around to make it look like it referred to the term Mullet before it was first used in print.... The above photo is the original un-photoshopped Street Machine issue I used, and photoshopped to be a mythical "Jan '92" issue with an edited article within that proved the use of the term Mullet before the beastie boys in 1994. It should be obvious to anyone involved in the OED appeals search that it's the same magazine as the photoshopped version (in one of the images below), and the search can stop and they can save any effort going forward.. https://web.archive.org/web/20200816055926/https://imgur.com/gallery/zF4DjWX?nc=1 . 16 August 2020 .
  9. Web site: Unearthed figurine suggests ancient Britons favoured mullets . The Guardian . 19 February 2021.
  10. Book: Toner, J. P. . Popular Culture in Ancient Rome . 978-0745654904. 2013. John Wiley & Sons.
  11. Book: The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes & Imperial Pretenders. 978-0230772304. Heather. Peter. Peter Heather. 4 July 2013. Pan Macmillan .
  12. Book: Henderson, Alan. Mullet Madness. Skyhorse. 2013.
  13. Tom Jones . October 17, 2020 . Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual" (May 2, 1965) on The Ed Sullivan Show . Online video platform . en . March 2, 2022 . The Ed Sullivan Show . OMbfYOaStU4.
  14. Tom Jones . October 3, 2020 . Tom Jones "It's Not Unusual" (June 13, 1965) on The Ed Sullivan Show . Online video platform . en . March 2, 2022 . The Ed Sullivan Show . 4CyS9wVBNGo.
  15. Book: Wilson, William. Gobbledygook . 166 . 978-1440529252 . 2011 . David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust rocked a mullet, and so did Wings-era Paul McCartney. .
  16. Book: Still the Greatest . 978-0810882232 . Andrew Grant Jackson . 2012 . Scarecrow Press . he sported the mullet that Bowie would as Ziggy Stardust; cousin to the shag popularized by David Cassidy, Florence Henderson, and Rod Stewart. It almost looks cool in those early days, but when McCartney added the mustache ... .
  17. News: 10 Moments That Show the Awesomeness of Rush's Neil Peart . Greg . Prato . 12 January 2020 . Heavy Consequence . 12 January 2020.
  18. Web site: 2019-08-24. Here's the long and the short of it – mullets are back. 2021-01-22. the Guardian. en.
  19. Web site: 2019-06-01. The Elephant Fayre, 1986. ukrockfestivals.com. en.
  20. Web site: 2018-10-03. The Greatest Collection of Mullet Hairstyles You Are Ever Likely to See. 2021-07-22. The Vintage News. en.
  21. Bianco . Marcie . 5 February 2015 . 9 Ways Lesbians Have Given Straight Women A Fashion Edge . . 4 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171213090630/http://www.curvemag.com/Culture/9-Ways-Lesbians-Have-Given-Straight-Women-A-Fashion-Edge-345/ . 13 December 2017 . dead .
  22. News: Johnson . L. A. . 7 October 2003 . For 'mulletheads,' it's not just a hairstyle, it's a lifestyle . . 4 May 2015 . 2 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201202155653/http://old.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20031007mullet1007fnp3.asp . dead .
  23. Book: Weitz, Rose . 12 January 2005 . Rapunzel's Daughters: What Women's Hair Tells Us About Women's Lives . Farrar, Straus and Giroux . 9781429931137 .
  24. News: Bennett . Conswella. Mullets, Flannel, and Hipster Jeans: Lesbian Fashion Now and Then. 6 June 2011. Edge Media Network.
  25. . . Hazelwood, Doug . Reign of the Superman! . . 505 . October 1993 . .
  26. News: The Nicolas Cage Superman Documentary Reminds Us of the Man of Steel's Bad Hair Days. 12 December 2017. ((The Editors of GQ)). GQ. 25 July 2014. en.
  27. Web site: I've Got An Ape Drape lyrics . AllTheLyrics.com . 3 May 2015.
  28. Web site: Wesley Willis Live . Loux . Brian . . 14 September 2001 . 13 June 2015 . 5 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150705093114/http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N44/wesley_willis.44a.html . dead .
  29. News: American Mullet (2001). 3 May 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081012104043/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/268036/American-Mullet/overview . Movies & TV Dept. . . Rebecca Flint Marx . 2008 . 12 October 2008.
  30. Web site: Compilations - Mullet Years: Power Ballads CD. Heavy Harmonies Discography.
  31. News: Bogans of today evolved beyond stunned mullets . Daryl . Passmore . 13 November 2010 . The Sunday Mail . Queensland . News Corp Australia.
  32. Web site: Bogan Bingo! Get your mullet and flannies ready, it's bogan time. Jill. Stark. 19 December 2015. The Age. 27 March 2018.
  33. News: Iran launches crackdown on Western hairstyles, Culture Ministry bans mullet, ponytails, long hair . Aliyah . Shahid . 6 July 2010 . Daily News . New York Daily News . 30 November 2018.
  34. Web site: BIGBANG 2015 WORLD TOUR 'MADE' . 2022-12-16 . www.facebook.com . en.
  35. Web site: Netizens are afraid the mullet hairstyle is becoming a trend due to idols . yckim124. 11 July 2017. allkpop.com. 27 March 2018.
  36. Web site: Update: B.A.P Drops Another Beautiful Trailer For "Honeymoon" - Soompi. J. K. 21 August 2017. Soompi . Viki Inc.. 27 March 2018.
  37. Web site: My hair is like this because I want to do it~ Please cheer for me and support me. I love you and good night . 16 April 2018 . bts fancafe . Twitter . 16 April 2018.
  38. Web site: Gundy: Mullet worth 'millions' in OSU marketing. Mitch . Sherman . 19 July 2017 . Frisco, Texas . ESPN . 27 March 2018.
  39. News: The man behind Patrick Kane's mullet . Paul . Skrbina . 12 May 2015 . Chicago Tribune.
  40. News: Steelers' James Conner embraces unique haircut, planning more styles . Jeremy . Fowler . 13 September 2018 . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . ESPN.
  41. Web site: Cars, Wedding Crashers and cheating death: A-League's man behind the mullet. 9 October 2019. Fox Sports.
  42. Web site: Lanigan . Roisin . 2020 is the year of the mullet . . 2 September 2020 . 7 December 2020.
  43. Web site: Smythe . Polly . Mullets Have Become the Must-Have Haircut at English Private Schools . . 8 September 2020 . 7 December 2020.
  44. Web site: 2020-07-27. The Queer Rebirth of the Mullet. 2021-04-10. MEL Magazine. en-US.
  45. Web site: USA Mullet Championships - Business Up Front & Party In The Back. 2021-10-11. USA Mullet Championships. en-US.
  46. Web site: Breen. Kerry. 2021-10-08. There's a national mullet championship for kids and the finalist photos are priceless. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211011194516/https://www.today.com/today/tdna233778. 2021-10-11. 2021-10-11. TODAY.com. en.
  47. Web site: 2020-05-22. 50 Cool Mullet Hairstyles For Men (2021 Haircut Styles). 2021-06-07. Men's Hairstyles Now. en-US.
  48. Web site: Peso Pluma: ¿Cuál es el Origen de su Famoso Corte de Pelo?. Nmás. 2023-07-13. 2024-02-10.
  49. Peso Pluma's Hairstyle: The Story Behind His Mullet-Like Cut. Flores. Griselda. 2023-07-13. 2024-05-21. Billboard.
  50. WATCH: Peso Pluma Hairstyle Skyrockets in Popularity Amongst Fans. Martinez. Kiko. 2023-05-04. 2024-05-21. Remezcla.
  51. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/8/business-in-the-front-party-in-the-back-tennessee-woman-has-longest-competitive-757638 Tennessee woman has longest competitive mullet
  52. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/01/longest-female-mullet-record-tennessee Tennessee woman sets record for world’s longest female mullet
  53. https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/lost-boys-kiefer-sutherland-mullet-110721756.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvL0xjYTNtMXpEclo_YW1wPTE&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIoL63z4h-_IyEjzsbjCzd--WBLxCaSbQjRmctCo0t1-dhWvvHSiv-ObLcl-IsqSoQqPkj2Eeuyp1XlgP09fHM_XEmwvGDEuJWjOP4naSPafuNlRCQc8K8pWXB7UHoHvkjGVXFOIzA8Ejpkfp8DB9O3HALZWV8ls_rAlB6mWQzGF&guccounter=2 'The Lost Boys' star Kiefer Sutherland talks 'violent and gross' deleted scene and inventing the mullet
  54. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical/kiefer-sutherland-celebrates-35th-anniversary-of-the-lost-boys/vp-AASzuYt Kiefer Sutherland Celebrates 35th Anniversary Of ‘The Lost Boys'
  55. https://etcanada.com/video/904f8dd2-70b1-11ec-8f0d-0242ac110003/kiefer-sutherland-celebrates-35th-anniversary-of-the-lost-boys/ Kiefer Sutherland Celebrates 35th Anniversary Of ‘The Lost Boys'

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