wrote in the magazine Grand Royal that the song lyrics referenced the fish of the same name. On the track "Mullet Head" from their 1994 album, "Ill Communication," the trio's Ad-Rock raps, "You wanna know what's a mullet?/Well I got a little story to tell/About a hairstyle, that's a way of life/Have you ever seen a mullet wife?" According to the Oxford English Dictionary (yes, the mullet is included in the Oxford English Dictionary), the legendary Beastie Boys might be responsible for popularizing the term. Next in the timeline comes the ’70s, where the iconic style really kicked off.It may be an oft-quoted cliché, but there's simply no simpler way to describe the mullet than " Business in the Front, Party in the Back." The distinct hairstyle (seriously, there's no mistaking a mullet) involves a short trim on the top and sides of the head, and some length left at the back. During David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust phase, the artist donned the ‘do in an iconic flame-red colour, inspiring others in the process. Bowie’s mullet merged typical male hair (short) and typical female hair (long) of the times together, skyrocketing not only his androgynous appeal but the culture of the haircut itself. Notably, the style had become a queer coding identifier for LGBTQ+ individuals. Back when homophobia and transphobia were far more dominant, queer individuals used coding such as the mullet to identify themselves to other members of their community, without exposing their sexual orientations to the wider public. “queer coding” is when a girl in a tv show does archeryīy the ’80s, the mullet was in full swing, with its appeal extending to pop stars such as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, and Joan Jett. Now, the mullet was finding popularity with everyone, but especially the misfits and troublemakers. The non-conformist underclass had never looked so united, filthy, and fabulous. But the age of the mullet was fading fast. Once the ’90s rolled around, the hairstyle severely dropped out of fashion. Those brave enough to continue rocking it could expect ridicule from the press and public alike. Culturally awash, yet still untitled, The Beastie Boys coined the name Mullet with their 1994 track, Mullet Head. Lyrics like “watching MTV and you mosh on” painted a stereotypical, cheeky depiction of its wearers. At last, it seemed, the world was putting the hairstyle to rest. In the last few years, the mullet has scored a resurgence that nobody saw coming. Except for maybe Billie Ray Cyrus, whose self-titled mullet the Kentucky Waterfall has been turning heads since 1992. In fact, the Kentucky Waterfall is worth an article in itself. Getting back to the point, online searches for ‘how to cut a mullet‘ actually skyrocketed during the 2020 lockdowns. With hairdressers out of the question, isolated individuals were clearly embracing their ragtag side, letting beards and mullets run free. Perhaps the gravitation was subconsciously inspired by Tiger King’s inconceivable mullet-man, Joe Exotic? Just a theory. Of course, in lockdown, no one could give you flack for letting the mullet beast out of the cage. However, the mullet is no stranger to prejudice. The band took to Facebook to address the discrimination, raising some key points: In 2019, a member of rock outfit The Chats was denied entry into Brisbane pub Rics due to his hairdo. “How does my haircut suggest I’m going to hit someone? I’ve never even been in a fight. Prejudice starts with bullshit like this and leads to venues refusing entry to people for all sorts of stupid reasons.”Įlsewhere in the contemporary music scene, queer and queer-aligned artists such as Rihanna, Lil Nas X and Troye Sivan have been upholding the mullet as a hot, relevant cultural statement. Clearly, the mullet’s progressive history is far from forgotten. However, there’s a potential fallacy here. The modern-day mullet has also found a new home… in elite schools and colleges. How can that be right? The mullet is the haircut of the people.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |