A mullet is a hairstyle that is short in the front, top, and sides, but long in the back. The hairstyle was popular during the late 20th Century, from the early to mid seventies to the late eighties/early nineties. Mullets have been worn by both males and females of all ages. The mullet is distinct from the rattail, which consists of a long, narrow "tail" of hair growing from the back of the head.
Urban legends have mullets dating back to 19th century fishermen, who wore their hair long in the back to keep warm — hence the term mullet. The Notes section of the Viking edition of Lydia Davis's translation of Swann's Way by Proust states "Jean Baptiste Prosper Bressant was a well-known actor who introduced a new hairstyle, which consisted of wearing the hair in a crew cut in front and longer in the back."
The mullet became popular in the 1970s, due in part to the influence of English glam rock artist David Bowie, who wore the haircut during his Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs phases. Women also wore the style–Florence Henderson, a star of the sitcom The Brady Bunch, has a mullet in the opening sequence from the show's 1973-1974 season. The hairstyle achieved further popularity in the late 1970s and 1980s among entertainers with receding hairlines such as Anthony Geary of "Luke and Laura" fame from the soap opera General Hospital and the singer Michael Bolton.
In the 1980s, the mullet became big and bouffant, and bemulleted men often indulged in other 1980s hair crazes such as spiked hair and blonde highlights. A good example of a popular mullet-man was Richard Dean Anderson in the 80's TV series MacGyver. In the early 1990s, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus's "Achy Breaky" mullet fostered both imitation and ridicule.
The Beastie Boys 1994 song "Mullet Head" made fun of the hairstyle, and a year later band member Mike D discussed the mullet at length in issue 2 of the band's Grand Royal magazine:
There's nothing quite as bad as a bad haircut. And perhaps the worst of all is the cut we call The Mullet.
![Sorbus Clear Cosmetic Makeup Organizer - Make Up & Jewelry Storage, Case & Display - Spacious Design - Holder for Dresser, Bathroom, Vanity & Countertop (3 Large, 4 Small Drawers) [Black Jewel]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yH9FoDjDL._SL500_.jpg)
