The Eighties in America - Salem Press (2009)

See also Blondie; Bon Jovi; Cable television; Devo;
Duran Duran; Fads; Farm Aid; Fashions and cloth-
ing; Generation X; Go-Go’s, The; Heavy metal; Hip-
hop and rap; Jackson, Michael; Lauper, Cyndi; Live
Aid; Madonna; Mullet; Music; Music videos; New
Wave music; Pop music; Television; USA for Africa.

Mullet

Definition Hairstyle

The mullet was a hairstyle popular among both men and
women of the 1980’s in all sectors of the American popula-
tion. It became a social identity symbol for several different
musical movements and a widespread cultural phenome-
non that illustrated a change in how Americans intended to
define themselves for the world.

Characterized by short hair on the top and sides and
long hair in the back, the mullet was often referred
to by the slang phrase “business in the front and
party in the back.” The actual term “mullet” is of un-
certain cultural origins, but it is widely believed that
the hairstyle was inspired by David Bowie’s androgy-
nous Ziggy Stardust look of the 1970’s. In the 1980’s,
it became so widespread as to assume the status of a
icon of the decade. Although inspired by glam rock
musicians, the mullet became a defining style of
more mainstream rock music once glam rock de-
clined and heavy metal and pop music began to in-
crease in popularity. This crossover was due in part
to the establishment of MTV, which aired music vid-
eos featuring the hairstyle being worn by early 1980’s
acts such as the Cars and later 1980’s acts such as
Guns n’ Roses. Eventually, the hairstyle spread be-
yond the mainstream rock markets and became a
distinguishing characteristic of marginal heavy metal
and country music performers and their fans as well.
During most of the 1980’s, the mullet was primar-
ily associated with blue-collar America. However, the
hairstyle was also popular among prominent celebri-
ties of the time. Aside from music videos and rock
music culture, the mullet was seen in other popular
culture arenas: Mel Gibson wore a mullet inLethal
Weapon, tennis all-star Andre Agassi also wore this
style on the court, and even singer Barry White wore
it for a period of time.As mainstream America emu-
lated this look, the mullet allowed a link to be forged
between celebrities of all types—rock stars, pop stars,
movie stars, and sports figures—and their fans.

Impact Early in the 1980’s, the mullet was a source

of pride for glam rockers and heavy metal or rock fa-

natics. At the middle and end of the 1980’s, the mul-

let became a symbol of social significance for groups

that identified themselves as distinctively American—

country music performers and fans and sports en-

thusiasts. Thus, the hairstyle became immediately as-

sociated with automobiles, rock and roll, sports, and

beer. Despite the fact that the hairstyle was also pop-

ular across Europe and South America, the middle

to late 1980’s saw this cultural icon become a source

of national pride.

Further Reading

Innes-Smith, James, and Henrietta Webb.Bad Hair.

New York: Bloomsbury/Holtzbrinck, 2002.

Karchmer, Noah D.Mullets and Mayhem: Coming of

Age in the Late 1980’s.Bloomington, Ind.: Author-

House Books, 2001.

Jennifer L. Amel

See also Androgyny; Country music; Fads; Fash-

ions and clothing; Guns n’ Roses; Heavy metal;

MTV; Music; Music videos; Pop music.

Mulroney, Brian

Identification Leader of the Canadian Progressive

Conservative Party and prime minister of

Canada from 1984 to 1993

Born March 20, 1939; Baie-Comeau, Quebec,

Canada

As prime minister of Canada, Mulroney negotiated a free

trade agreement with the United States in 1988. This agree-

ment formed the basis of an agreement reached in the early

1990’s with the United States and Mexico.

Brian Mulroney was elected leader of the Progres-

sive Conservative Party in 1983, defeating former

prime minister Joe Clark. In 1984, he became prime

minister after his party won 211 of the 282 seats in

the House of Commons. His party won another ma-

jority in the House in 1988, the first back-to-back vic-

tories for the party in thirty-five years.

In 1985, Mulroney began free trade negotiations

with the United States. The prime minister used his

close relationship with U.S. president Ronald Rea-

gan to reach an agreement in 1988. Under the terms

of the agreement, all tariffs between the United

The Eighties in America Mulroney, Brian
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