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Author: Karen Marie Shelton
Book Reviewer
HairBoutique.com The Mullet: Hairstyle Of The Gods |
 The Mullet: Hairstyle Of The Gods
by Mark Larson & Barney Hoskyns,
Illustrated by Maria Burgaleta
Larson.
Reviewed January 21, 2001
Review Updated: October 20, 2002
Introduction
Just when you think that the Mullet craze is fading away, it returns for
yet another round of media buzz. As a consumer hair watcher, I
observe the Mullet topic pretty closely on the Net. Trust me, it is
not always easy to keep track of all the comings and goings of the various
"two cuts in one" web related articles and pages.
Recently I updated the
HairBoutique.com's
Mullet Links
page and discovered that a whole new batch of Mullet URLs had sprung up
like mushrooms in short order. While I am sure that I did not find
them all, I discovered close to 100 links of Mullet related Web happenings
in my most recent revision.
Therefore, I was intrigued when I read a January 4, 2001 article
in the
LA Times titled "Hair
Net" by associate business editor
Robert
Burns. This fascinating article covered some of the more unusual
hair related sites on the Web. Not only did Burns do a great job of
unearthing some of the wild, weird and stranger hair related web
sites, he also make a point of including four different Mullet hair
related sites in his article.
I have to say that in comparison to the "Boy With The
Removable Hair" and the "InstaPunk" sites that
Burns unearthed, the Mullet sites seemed almost staid by
comparison. The first Mullet site mentioned by Burns was the
Mullet Gods site, home of mullet authors Larson and Hoskyns.
The nod to the Mullet Gods site from Burns mention triggered me
to dig around and unearth the actual Hairstyle Of The Gods Book that
was reclining comfortably in my hair library.
Review Of Hairstyle Of The Gods
Book
I have to say that I enjoyed this book the first time I looked at
it. I guess my first thought when I opened the book, almost 1 year
ago, was how Larson and Hoskyns could find enough Mullet "stuff"
to fill up an entire book.
Not only is the entire book devoted to one of the most bizarre
haircuts in history, it is a nicely done general reference
guide. This Bible of bi-level cultlike hair contains 128
pages of fascinating information on this long lasting hair
phenomenon.
What is amazing to me is the intense passion that frames the
Mullet. Some people hate it intensely, others love it with the
same fervor. Even more surprising is the fact that the Mullet
never dies. Take the time to stop and look and you will still see
people of all ages, sex and race sporting a wide range of styles
that are directly kin to the Mullet line.
As recently as
1999
edgier versions of the male mullet appeared on the fashion
runways to the amazement, fascination and horror of hair watchers
around the Globe. While some embraced the revival of a new type of
mullet, many continued to mock it.
While Larson and Hoskins provide a light hearted look at the
Mullet by providing many of the funnier aspects of the hair trend,
in some ways they only scratch the depth and intensity that the
Mullet cult holds for so many.
Yes, there is no question that Larson and Hoskyns do a great job
of highlighting various mullet types like the sports and
musician mullets. The book is definitely informative for
Mullet newbies and it is very entertaining.
However, a few words of warning. As passionately as people
disagree about the mullet, people seem to disagree about what this
book offers. This is not a deep sociological study of the whys
and wherefores of people's feelings about the Mullet
style. Although I don't know for sure (since I haven't talked
to the authors) I believe that the book was never intended to
be anything more than an informative, happy, entertaining
book. From that view, the book is a success.
The book does not provide deep philosophical insights into the
minds of people who stubbornly persist in sporting this style.
Nor does the book address the inner world of the ever growing Mullet
web with their empassioned messages of Mullet love, hate or
indifference.
For what I believe the book was designed to do, it does it
well. Kudos to Larson and Hoskins.
Summary
Whether you are a Mullet fan or foe, Larson and Hoskins give you
a good clear view of the Mullet cult. This book guides both
the uninformed and the fanatics through the world of Mulletopia.
Would I recommend this book? With a few caveots. When
this book was released, like everything else Mullet related, it was
controversial. Many loved the book while others did not.
Some felt the book was very funny and others thought it was missing
in mirth.
Just like religion and politics, everyone has their own
opinions. Mullets, in my opinion, are a lot like religion and
politics. The subject of Mullets can cause people to rage with
their emotions of love or hate.
Should you buy this book? If you understand that its
purpose is to inform and entertain, than you won't be
disappointed. If you have doubts whether you will enjoy the
book, make sure you can flip through the pages first, before you
commit your bucks.
I personally liked the book, but then I have an odd sense of
humor and I love all the twists and turns of Mullet world. I
think the book is a keeper. I suspect that as the world
of Mulletry evolves, this book will be known as a classic, since it
was one of the first.
Buy The Book
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (January 1, 2000)
ISBN: 1582340641 |