A packed crowd celebrated the mullet hairstyle Monday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, where about 150 competitors joined more than a thousand spectators for the day’s “mane” attraction.
The contest, now in its third year, highlighted the short-in-the-front, long-in-the-back cut that once drew attention from Canadian hockey players and hair metal bands, and which organizers framed as enduring despite its reputation for being much-maligned.
The top award was handed out in the form of the rear bumper of a Corvette. It went to 10-year-old Drew Fleschut of Dallas, Pennsylvania, who wore a red-and-black shirt as an homage to the movie character Joe Dirt and carried Joe’s trademark mop.
Contestants were evaluated for the style of their cut, any props or accessories, their presentation and their overall sense of commitment, said judge Brittany Goldberg. Goldberg, owner of Heavy Metal Hair Salon in Philadelphia, said the event’s purpose was to have fun. “This is for fun,” Goldberg said. “It’s about the camaraderie and everyone having a laugh and a good time.”
Several contestants brought entertainment to the stage, including magic tricks, customized T-shirts and a “skullet” — described as a mullet sported by a balding man. The story also described moments such as a kid not wanting to leave the stage, and other participants who danced the worm, dabbed and performed pro-wrestling-style shirt-rip gestures.
For some families, the mullet was a product of timing as much as style. Brittni Williamson of Harvey’s Lake brought her 3-year-old son Mason, whose hair on the back of his head grew more quickly than the rest of his hair when he was a baby. “We just clean it up in the front and keep the party going,” Williamson said. Mason did not win, but he used the day to carry out a New Year’s resolution by feeding a cow.
Others described years of planning or inspiration for the look. Ben Barley, 7, of Red Lion arrived wearing a T-shirt that featured his name and the words “MULLET LIFE 6-7,” which the story described as a nod to both his hairstyle and a youth catchphrase. Barley said he’d been working on his mullet for two years.
Kyle Wertman said he decided on a mullet after watching old professional wrestling footage of Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Wertman, 43, also said people in his hometown of Murrysville comment on the look, with one remark described in the story as, “They like to fluff the curls in the back, ‘Look at this thing, it’s got a mind of its own,’”
Brayden Shaner, 14, of Lancaster said it took him about four years to grow his mullet. That effort earned him third place in the teenager category, and Shaner said he liked the cut because it was different. “I like it because it’s different,” he said. “You don’t see, walking through the grocery store, people with a mullet. I think the girls like it.”
The story noted that the Oxford English Dictionary cites Beastie Boys’ 1994 recording “Ill Communication,” including the song “Mullet Head,” as helping popularize the term mullet, and described the word as slang that is humorous and frequently derogatory. It also said the Farm Show contest is among the few at the event open to people who live outside the state.