A Day With a Mullet in Plattsburgh

It's a weekend and you're driving into the parking lot of Wal-Mart in your '56 Chevy. Foghorn is playing in the background, and you step out of the car with your ripped AC/DC shirt and faded jeans. You think you're looking pretty cool with your dark shades on and red bandana tied around your head. As you're walking, you notice the heat that Plattsburgh has taken on since the brutal winter has pasted so you decide to take off that sweaty piece of material on your head. You walk in the store and notice that a group of teenage-girls with Britney Spears shirts are looking at you and laughing. They can't stop their laughter even as you pull off your shades and go into the bathroom to see what the commotion was about. Then you step in front of the mirror and the guy standing next to you at the sink says, "Dude, nice mullet!"

That's right, it's 2003 and you're still sporting a mullet. You know, the haircut where it's long in the back and cut short on the top of your head. Some like to refer to it as the party in the back; business in the front haircut. You have yet to leave the proud '80s and your hairstyle shows it. You are found mainly in places such as Wal-Mart and downtown bars on a Saturday hopping onto your Harley and smelling of beer.

Joe Dirt Has Nothing On Us Northerners'

Believe it or not, the North Country is filled with an endless amount of people with mullets. After seeing the movie "Joe Dirt" starring David Spade, you would think that mullets only existed in the Deep South. But, that's a wrong assumption. Mullet lovers can be found anywhere there's a motorcycle hangout or tractor-pull. Seeing as how the North Country is adorned with tractors, mullets are more prevalent in these areas. When a couple of mullet-sporting people at Wal-Mart were asked why they chose to have this type of hair, they simply replied with the same answer, "Because we like it!" Not only is the mullet a cherished hair-do of the North Country but also its economical purposes serve well. It's cheap to maintain and any guy or girl can upgrade their mullet at home with a pair of scissors or a commercial Flobee device, which is like a vacuum.

Each Cuts His Own

If you're a mullet- wearin', North Country folk, there are slim pickin's for you when it comes to finding a salon or barber shop to go to. Bob Whittington of DND Unisex in the Champlain Centre mall in Plattsburgh says that he "won't do them [mullets]." He says that not only are they out of style but "that's the kind of work I don't want to put my name on." Bob's Barber Shop in Plattsburgh says they've never even heard of a mullet before. At New You located in Morrisonville, New York, Jean Stow says that she'll cut just about anything as long as "they bring in a picture." She must see a lot of Joe Dirt pictures then. "Every now and then, we get someone different," says Ann Rule who cuts hair in Ausable Forks, New York. She usually asks people who request a mullet cut, "Are you sure that's what you want?" All in all, if barbers aren't willing to cut a mullet, it must only mean that people are giving themselves their very own mullet.

Celebrities Do It Better, Or Do They?

The mullet hairstyle, also known as the Kentucky Waterfall, the ape drape, the camaro cut, and the Mississippi mud flap, is also worn by numerous celebrities. Kevin Costener in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves did more than save the life of Maid Marion with his mullet hair-do. He flat-out made his enemies run away. Michael Bolton spent a good portion of his career singing high notes while sporting a permed-version of a mullet. His singing career didn't last but his haircut did. One-hit wonder Billy Ray Cyrus with his Achy-Breaky Heart broke many hearts, and hurt many eyes with his mullet. Like Michael Bolton, his singing career is no more.
So mullete fans of the North Country, wear your hair with pride. You have the signature hairstyles that many have been worn since 1982 and it doesn't look like the trend will die out anytime soon. Unless you are Billy Ray Cyrus and your hair outlives your career.

Ever wonder what you would look like with a mullet? Send us your picture.