Depending on where you find yourself, the humble mullet will take on a very different cultural significance.
In America, it’s best paired with a leather jacket adorned with patches bearing the intense-sounding names of bands. What better way to let the world know you’re a classic metalhead? In Canada, the style’s nickname of “hockey hair” gives a pretty clear idea as to what part of the culture it’s most closely associated with.
Yet it seems that you’re not likely to find a place where the mullet’s popularity has endured more than Australia. According to HuffPost , the hairstyle first caught on there during the 1970s and became a symbol of identity for working class Australians.
Perhaps it is this association that has one private school on the western side of the continent so intent on making sure their students don’t wear them.
In a recent newsletter, Trinity College in Perth, Western Australia outlined an update to its code of conduct.
As News.com.au reported , part of this newsletter stated, “It is without reservation that the College sets clear requirements that ensure health and safety, as well as setting a high standard for personal presentation.”
As it goes on to elaborate, this “standard for personal presentation” meant that students were now explicitly prohibited from growing mullets.
In the words of the statement, “The current trend of growing the hair at the back of the head and/or closely cropping the sides of the head to accentuate the ‘mullet’ style are untidy, non-conventional and not acceptable at Trinity College. As is the trend of long hair and fringes.”
It’s worth noting that despite the name, Trinity College isn’t a college as we understand the term but rather a private school intended for kids aged 9-17.
Although the popularity of the mullet earned it a special call-out in the newsletter, it was far from the only banned hairstyle mentioned.
According to 7News , the school also banned, “rat tails, top knots, mohawks, extra-long fringes, or any other non-conventional style cuts.”
Should a student show up with a mighty mullet or any of these other styles now that the rule has been set, their parents will be called to pick them up and school officials will order them to get a haircut.
If that warning is ignored, that student will become subject to unspecified “further sanctions.”
So what kind of hair are the kids who attend this school allowed to have?
According to News.com.au, the school wants students to sport hairstyles “of a conservative nature” that are both cut above the collar and don’t fall below their eyes.
This is also likely the ideal sought by Waverley College in Sydney, which also ruled thast mullets weren’t an “acceptable” hairstyle back in February.
The move has prompted some pushback from parties beyond the school’s community.
Unsurprisingly, Mulletfest founder Laura Johnson was among them, referring to mullets as practical haircuts that provide sun protection from the back.
As she told 7News, “A lot of those Waverley boys would be out surfing. The mullet won’t get in their eyes when they’re in the water.”
Another critic was none other than the state’s Premier Mark McGowan, who said, “I’m very pro mullet, it’s a unique Australian invention – one which we’ve been selling to the world, but I’ll let the school make their own decisions.”
Still, he’s apparently not such a big fan of rat tails, so those seeking a champion for that particular style will need to look elsewhere.
h/t: News.com.au , 7News
