The ten years of fashion faux pas also known as the ’80s saw the meteoric rise and fall of electric-blue eye shadow, racing-stripe blush, and shoulder pads that defied time zones. Nowadays, most of us file these sartorial crimes under the “what was I thinking” folder, but there’s one notorious style taboo that, like the Energizer bunny, just keeps on going: the “business in the front/party in the back,” bilevel ’do most commonly referred to as “the mullet.” Who’s to blame for the resurgence of the ape-drape? Let’s begin with actress Parker Posey (shown), who, a few years back, reinvented the Achey-Breaky-Big-Mistakey for a whole new generation of wannabe anti-fashion hipsters. Slowly but surely, the Shlong (that's “short-meets-long,” of course) infiltrated its way back into mainstream vogue; celebrity iterations have included Scarlett Johansson’s Swayze-esque squirrel pelt, Selma Blair’s Camaro-fabulous Steve Perry-inspired version, and “MMMBop” star Taylor Hanson’s high-androgyny she-mullet. “It’s a weird phenomenon,” says hairstylist Bean of the Beehive Salon in Brooklyn, New York. “When worn by a man, the mullet allows him to remain dignified on one face and unruly on the other. But for females, it’s more a throwback to ’80s punk” (or some would argue, the trailer park). Hairtrocious or haute coiffure? Only you can decide. But before you take the leap and get a Mississippi mudflap of your own, just remember the old mullethead maxim: “It’s not just a haircut; it’s a way of life.” —Marissa Kristal