Decoder Ring | Mystery of the Mullet (Encore)

Dec 4, 2024

Dive into the vibrant history of the mullet, a hairstyle that has sparked both love and disdain since the 1980s. Discover how icons like David Bowie and hockey players helped shape its image over the years. Explore the playful origins of the term 'mullet' and the fascinating role of a mysterious Reddit user in unraveling its naming. With insights from proud mullet-wearers and cultural sleuths, this journey reveals the mullet as a quirky emblem of defiance against trends, highlighting its enduring legacy in popular culture.

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ANECDOTE

Early Mullet Encounters

Lauren Wright, a DJ, encountered mullets during her childhood in Texas in the 90s.
Her PE teacher, a strong, respected woman, had a mullet and played Billy Ray Cyrus's "Achy Breaky Heart" during line dancing lessons.

INSIGHT

Mullet's Androgyny

The mullet's androgynous nature, blending long and short hair, made it appealing as a genderless style.
As it gained popularity, this characteristic became less prominent, overshadowed by its association with machismo.

ANECDOTE

Hockey Hair

Hockey players, like Ron Duguay, popularized the mullet in the 70s and 80s.
John Warner, a high school hockey player, recalls teammates perming their "flow," demonstrating the mullet's growing extravagance.

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The mullet, the love-to-hate-it hairstyle, is as associated with the 1980’s as Ronald Reagan, junk bonds, and breakdancing. But in at least one major way, we are suffering from a collective case of false memory syndrome. In this episode we track the rise and fall of the mullet, and also the lexical quandary at its heart: Who named the mullet? We learn how David Bowie, hockey players, the Oxford English Dictionary, the Beastie Boys, a mysterious Reddit user named Topsmate, and a group called Annoy Club all played a part in the strange history of the mullet.

Some of the voices you’ll hear in this episode include proud mullet-wearer Lauren Wright, amateur mullet-sleuth Oskar Sigvardsson, writer, market researcher, and 1980’s hockey teenager John Warner, head of product for Oxford Languages Katherine Connor Martin, and novelist and Grand Royal contributor Warren Fahy.

This episode was produced by Willa Paskin and Benjamin Frisch.

If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com

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