Uncle Jesse, portrayed by actor John Stamos in “Full House,” had one. So did Patrick Swayze, who was deemed the “Sexiest Man Alive” in a 1991 issue of People magazine.

Pictured on a sign at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y., these men flaunted mullets, and 248 fairgoers as of 2 p.m. Monday did, too.

A local rock music radio station, 95X, counts how many mullets are seen at the fair each year. The mullet count tradition began roughly five years ago, said a 95X on-air personality known as Joe D. He said it was something fun to do to pass time at the fair.

But for better or for worse, the 2012 count trailed far behind that of 2011’s fair.

“We’re not going to break 300,” said Joan Kump, a promotions tech for Cumulus Media, which owns and operates 95X, on Friday. “We’re going to get, like, half of last year.”

The radio station would have needed to see about 350 more mullets in the fair’s final evening in order to come close to last year’s total, which amounted to more than 600.

A mullet, which is a certain style of haircut, is known to be “short on top, long in the back,” Kump said. “Or, business in the front, party in the back.”

The 95X mullet count is more than just a tally; it’s also a contest that any fairgoer can enter. The person who most closely guesses the total number of mullets that will be seen at the fair will win free haircuts for a year.

Kump said that since Syracuse is a city, people don’t associate it with mullets. But there’s a great deal of farmland in the area, she added, which means a lot of mullets, too.

As of noon on Friday, the daily count was four — three women and a child with “really unfortunate layering jobs,” Kump said. The overall count was 191. Inevitably, some mullets might have been counted twice, but then again, some could have been overlooked.

A few of the fair’s mullets were nearly impossible to miss.

“There’s one that we counted, it’s a little iffy on the short in front, it’s more that he’s balding,” Kump said. “It’s kind of horrendous.”

Amanda Siracusa, a West Genesee High School student, also saw an unforgettable mullet at the fair on Thursday. She worked at Louie’s Lemonade, which was located next to the 95X platform.

“He was short and skinny, very punk, kind of, and his mullet was amazing,” she said. “Purple on top and green on bottom.”

Many passers-by stopped to admire the board displaying the 2012 mullet count. Some took photos and most laughed, uttering statements like, “sweet” and “that’s awesome.”

“It’s kind of a joke,” said Barb Parker, a fairgoer from Elmira, N.Y. She also said there are many alternative names for a mullet.

Sam Russell of Trumansburg, N.Y., said his favorite nickname for the hairdo is “Kentucky Waterfall.”

Kump saw a lot of long hair at the fair this year, but as the count reflects, not as many mullet haircuts as in previous years.

“I have this slightly joking hypothesis,” Kump said. “With this economy, people don’t get their hair cut.”

 

Published on September 3, 2012 at 11:46 pm

Contact Cheryl: cjseligm@syr.edu | @CherylSeligman