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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
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Van Badham

Teenage mullets are freaking me out – but I’m all for them

A young man shakes out his hair at Mulletfest
A contestant at Mulletfest. ‘The generational clash of aesthetics is something we should celebrate,’ Van Badham writes. Photograph: Max Mason-Hubers/The Guardian

A week ago, at the train station, four boys aged about 15, in matching uniforms, buffeted past me. Childless, I have minimal contact with rambunctious teens; small and easily knocked over, I’ve learned to cower in their presence when I do. Not this time! “Oh my god!” I blurted, staring in shock at their bobbing heads as they departed: “They’ve all got mullets!”

Yes, I know that modern history’s most infamous hairstyle has made its comeback; hair historians believe the hairdresserlessness of pandemic lockdowns liberated many a household barber from both scrutiny and shame. Last year its post-pandemic popularity was reported in the media as an amusing fad. Twelve more months have passed and it’s still here … and it’s completely freaking me out.

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