who doesn't want to read a blog post about gender? ok, how bout one about mullets?

In writing my paper about Elizabeth Bishop's uniquely gendered characters in her book North & South (man-mirror and man-moth), I've become aware of gender in a new way. Then I saw the doc film American Mullet, and I have a whole new appreciation for the haircut that is the butt of so many jokes. But it's perhaps the only truly genderless haircut. And it's never been appropriated by the mainstream, and likely never will be, which keeps it vital in the cultures that have embraced it--working class America, Latino Americans, Native Americans, lesbians, etc. There's something admirable in a haircut that both rebuffs and toys with the "professional" aesthetic.

Speaking of said aesthetic, I once had a job interview at a business establishment that had a strict dress code--lists of acceptable fabrics, no more than two earrings per ear, no unnatural haircolors, no visibly distracting tattoos, etc--and surprisingly enough, despite my overage on ear holes and my penchant for corduroy (unacceptable fabric for women), they offered me the job anyway. And I turned it down, because I have principles dammit.

Moral of the story: if you want to grow a mullet (or insert any personal style/aesthetic choice here), rock it.