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We spoke to the people behind the Mullets of Newcastle Facebook page

Work at the front, party at the back


Mullets have become, whether you like it or not, an iconic look among many university students. The likes of Billy Ray Cyrus and David Bowie rocked the hairstyle back in the day but now it is being sported by middle class boys paired with a North Face jacket and a signet ring.

A few were spotted in Blanc at the start of the semester but now, slowly but surely, they're taking over Jesmond.

The mullet has become so apparent in uni culture that a whole entire Facebook page has been dedicated to the bold choice, highlighting the best ones Newcastle has to offer.

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Mullets of Newcastle was the first ever social media account to showcase the mullet trend that has clawed its way back into fashion. It started last October and has had a range of mullet submissions since then. There's also a page at Edinburgh Uni which has taken off too.

With 283 faithful followers and over 300 likes, the Facebook page showcases the brave hair style choice.

The page is run by two Newcastle University alumni students who take the time to rank each submission out of ten and give detailed caption to go with the score.

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The Newcastle Tab spoke to the minds behind Mullets of Newcastle on the idea behind the page and the art behind the perfect mullet.

Why did you start the page?

We started the page because we noticed more mullets appearing around, particularly in the Robbo. Each one tells a different story and we saw the opportunity to give them a platform.

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How do you pick the mullets you showcase?

Picking the mullets is sometimes tricky business, but the ones with a strong definition at the sides and good length at the back are always good. In many ways though, the more shit the mullet, the more people enjoy viewing them. So if having a good mullet is the objective, you are in the wrong game.

Candid or investigative shots where the subject is acting natural are always better than the self-submissions.

Do you have mullets yourself?

I wish we did but employment is hard enough without a mullet, so uni is definitely the place to give it a shot.

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Why do you think so many people have mullets?

"Work at the front, party at the back" really hits the nail on the head. Having a mullet is a statement, demonstrating unwillingness to conform to the more common cuts around. As we said before, the lack of immediate need for professional employment and the informality of uni life really creates the perfect storm for mullets.

What makes for the best mullet?

Every mullet has its own pros and cons. Decent ear clearance and a fair amount of length at the back is always important. The best aspect of a mullet is the ‘joke’ side of them, in that if a mullet is strikingly scruffy or particularly obnoxious it will add to the score they get.

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What do you think of the @mulletsofedi page?

They have some cracking mullets on show (inspirational even), so we would urge anyone with an interest in the matter to check them out but we did start out page first and they claim to have given us the inspiration.

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What is your favourite mullet you have posted?

The "double trouble" submission. There is something really special in the camaraderie shown in that post and we love that mullets are becoming more of a team sport. It is a really interesting development to the field and really pushes the mullet game into the higher gear.

However, we love all of the ones we have posted and they all shine in their own ways. Anyone who is brave enough to get a mullet in the first place, is already winning.

Followers of the page are encouraged to share any pics of the mullets they have managed to hunt down. You can follow the link here to send them your mullet snaps.