Over the past few years, the Bella Vista Hotel in Sydney’s North-West has gained publicity for all the wrong reasons. Not allowing mullet-wearing patrons into their venue.
The Bella Vista Hotel refused entry to Gilgandra resident Tobey Creenaune who travelled 5 hours to have a night out with friends and family. “They wouldn’t let me in because of my short mullet. I felt discriminated for my haircut. It was very laughable”, Creenaune says.
According to the Bella Vista Hotels website's dress regulations and entry policy, "We will refuse entry if personal grooming is inappropriate". Insufficient explanation of personal grooming creates confusion for patrons, who are often shocked once they arrive at a venue, simply being told they can't come in because of their haircut.
This nostalgic haircut is rocked by a country bloke to a rockstar to an inner-city hipster. The mullet is back and here to stay. In today’s age of 2023, it's accepted for everyone to express themselves however they like and not be judged for what they look like.
Hills resident Nabil Laoulach insists he is actively avoiding the BVH as the security come across as army sergeants, walking around with aggression.
After speaking to security, they claim “We go off what management and policy tell us. If someone appears to be a threat to patrons or is intoxicated, we won’t let them in.” Insisting, "If you have a mullet, you must tie it up.”
Nabil believes the policies are outdated and should be open to more people. “I felt like a minority. I was instantly seen as a bad person because of my mullet, Laoulach says. "It's laughable having to tie it up. I grew a mullet not a man bun.”
On the other side of town in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Waverly College is banning mullets. In early 2021, students that rock up with a mullet will have it cut on the spot. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Deputy Principal Patrick Brennan stated, “The mullet at present is not acceptable and students will be directed to the local barber or their preferred hairstylist to rectify any issues."
Possibly it’s time for society to drop its shoulders turning this into a non-issue and accept the mullet resurgence.
Sporting stars have rocked the mullet for years. In the AFL there was the golden boy of old Warwick Capper to new spunk on the scene, Western Bulldog Bailey Smith. In August 2022, an exclusive article with ABC News, former Sydney Swan Warwick Capper says “It started in the ‘80s and now they’re all copying me. It's quiet nice, isn’t it?”
It is a fitting acknowledgement to the 80s as many men and women have reinvented the mullet to rock the 'do. This is whether it be in the schoolyard, corporate office, or the local pub.
The mullet is as Australian as it gets. It's laid-back, fun and the wearer of the mullet doesn’t take themselves too seriously.
“Venues should be open to letting more people in and not judge them on their appearance,” Nabil says.
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