Ah, the mullet, hairstyle loved and cherished by rednecks, wingnuts, and dirteaters everywhere throughout history and for years to come. . . . It is something of an enigma where exactly the mullet originated, but I favor the theory stating that the rednecks were sick of their long-time nickname, so they grew a huuuge neck-flap of hair to protect their necks from the harmful UV rays of the sun - so thier necks would no longer be so red. Either way, this haircut is the warning sign of a real social outcast. If you are lost in the hills of the Midwest, the direction where there are less mullets is NORTH. Remember that.
There are many variations on the basic mullet, but the basic theme is "short on the top, long in the back". You can get it buzzed on the top, permed in the back, the variations are limitless. The rat-tail is the bastard cousin of the mullet, but the same demographic commonly wears it. A mullet found on a woman has been lovingly named the "fullet" (female mullet) by my Columbus peers, although I don't know if this term is nationally accepted. My training in the field of the mullet is quite basic, so get a more in-depth feel for the concept by following some of these links: