What do some lesbians have
in common with a number of male country music singers, hard rockers, Latin American
soccer players, bikers and Native Americans? It's the mullet, a hair style that
is short in the front and long in the back, and often considered ugly by others. This
documentary is a road trip of sorts as filmmakers Jennifer Arnold (Where the
Girls Are, Chicks with Guns, Maid of Honor) and Matthew Bose
travel the United States in search of the mullet. Those who hate it might call
it a white trash cut or tell men that's a lesbian haircut, but those who wear
it have some interesting reasons for sporting the style. Several of the
lesbians interviewed talk about the mullet as a political statement, projecting
an independent attitude and appearance with a genderless cut. Many of the men
also talk about it as an expression of individualism and non-conformity with what
society expects. For Native American men and women, long hair is traditional,
but short on the top may function better in the business world or is just easier
to deal with. The Mexican soccer players interviewed just seem to think that it
is sexy. It's sometimes funny, sometimes revealing, and more interesting
than you might think for a documentary about hair. On the other hand, I did have
some "why am I watching this?" moments. I mean, it really is a documentary
about a hair style! |