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| | Issue of May 23, 2001 |
 | | A "mullet" is, of course, a kind of fish, or actually two kinds, as there is both a salt water mullet and a fresh water "American" mullet, the latter being the object of affection at numerous annual "mullet festivals" in the South, I am told. |
 | | Although the haircut itself seems derived from earlier styles such as the hideous "shag" that plagued the 1970s, the Mullet probably got a big, albeit unintentional, boost from the Beastie Boys' 1994 song "Mullet Head," which contained actual instructions on how to cut one. |
 | | In any case, based on several years of close personal observation, I definitely think the haircut is named after the fishy mullet, because the short top and long, flared back really do make it look like the guy is wearing a broad-tailed fish on his head. |
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