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Some hairstyles seem to have a life of their own, and the mullet is one them. Whether you love it or hate it, the mullet dominated the '80s and the rest is history. From Hollywood stars to famous sportsmen and artists, the mullet was the must-have hairstyle of the time.
But did you know that our ancestors already rocked this hairstyle many centuries ago? This might come as a surprise, but the mullet is indeed a historical hairstyle. Click through the following gallery to learn more, and, of course, see the most epic celebrity mullets of all time!
It's believed that the mullet dates back to our ancestors, the Neanderthals.
Apparently, they used it to keep the hair out of their eyes and protect their necks from the elements.
And before Gibson rocked one, other ancient civilizations already favored this hairstyle.
Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor were just some of the places where men wore them.
It looks like the Greeks liked it too. There are statues dating back to the 6th century BCE to prove it.
The ancient Greek poet Homer mentioned it in his book 'The Iliad,' when he described the Abantes, a group of spearmen.
Homer said they wore "their forelocks cropped, hair grown long at the backs."
In Ancient Rome, the hairstyle was popular among men who participated in chariot races.
Greek-Byzantine scholar Procopius makes reference to the mullet in his book 'Secret History.'
He wrote: "The hair on their heads they cut off in front back to the temples, leaving the part behind to hang down to a very great length in a senseless fashion."
And then there's the Native Americans, of course. They believed that one's spirit was found in their hair.
The mullet, with the long hair on the back, was a sign of spiritual strength.
Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce is a good example of how Native Americans wore the hairstyle.
So it looks like the Western colonizers might be guilty of cultural appropriation after all.
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States wore a hairstyle also known as the skullet, which is essentially a mullet, but the top and sides are either bald, shaved, or buzzcut.
And in 1845, the 11th president of the United States was rocking a mullet.
The hairstyle lost popularity for a few years, but then the '70s happened. We can't think of mullets without Ziggy Stardust springing to mind.
And then the '80s consolidated the mullet as a cool hairstyle.
The mullet was the must-have hairstyle for men during the '80s but, like any other trend, it died out.
The style started to have negative connotations and was eventually abandoned by famous people.
Until 2005, when kids in Moscow thought it would be a good idea to grow mullets again.
But not everyone around the world could wear a mullet legally.
Iran banned the mullet in 2010 (among other Western hairstyles).
The Oxford English Dictionary credits the rap group Beastie Boys as the first to use the term in their song 'Mullet Head' in 1994.
But the term "mullet-head" was used way before that, by Mark Twain in his classic novel 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'
In the 1884 book, Tom Sawyer says: "They're so confiding and mullet-headed they don't take notice of nothing at all."
The mullet is such an iconic haircut that it has many, many alternative names.
Other terms for the mullet include "the bi-level," "the Kentucky waterfall," "the Missouri compromise," and "hockey hair."
And there is also "Camaro Hair," "Mississippi top hat," "the MacGyver," and "the Joe Dirt."
But there's more! The mullet is sometimes called "squirrel pelt" or the "ape drape."
And, of course, our favorite: "business in the front, party in the back."
See also: The worst hairstyles of the '90s.
The unexpected history of the mullet
Why celebs loved the "business in the front, party in the back" hairstyle
CELEBRITY Hairstyles
Some hairstyles seem to have a life of their own, and the mullet is one them. Whether you love it or hate it, the mullet dominated the '80s and the rest is history. From Hollywood stars to famous sportsmen and artists, the mullet was the must-have hairstyle of the time.
But did you know that our ancestors already rocked this hairstyle many centuries ago? This might come as a surprise, but the mullet is indeed a historical hairstyle. Click through the following gallery to learn more, and, of course, see the most epic celebrity mullets of all time!