If you were a small child in the 1980s did you have a rat tail or mullet? If you're a parent and your offspring was a young child in the early part of that decade which haircut did you give him or her? I'm sure there were other hairdos but, let's be honest, those were two big ones. (Also, why did you do that to us?)

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Business In The Front, Party In The Back

Not every person with a mullet resembles the man in the photo above but that's the stereotypical image you might get when thinking about someone with a mullet. And, you may be as surprised as I was to learn the ravishing haircut was actually a thing in the 1970s, too. I wasn't alive then, that's my excuse for being naive on the hairy subject.

Did you know there's a mullet championship? It's a real thing.

USA Mullet Championship
USA Mullet Championship
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Don't judge someone if they're proud of the mullet because there's a nationwide contest seeking out the best of the bad best. On top of bragging rights for sporting the best mullet in the country, there's also a cash prize. Even better, there's a division for both adults and kids.

The best mullet might belong to a child in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

This kid's mullet is so badass it makes Dog The Bounty Hunter look like a pathetic excuse for a mangled mop. Meet 8-year-old Emmitt Bailey, of Menomonie, Wisconsin.

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Don't question the validity of his mullet because, so far, it's earned him a spot in the top 25 for the kids' division of the USA Mullet Championship. The contest, by the way, raises money for a company in Michigan that produces wigs for children. It costs $10 to enter.

And now, get a look at Emmitt's mullet in all its glory.

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If he doesn't snag first place in the competition there is something wrong and the results should be recounted. Everyone and anyone can vote (here) through Friday, August 19.

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