Young man with rat tail. For other uses of this term, see Plantago lanceolata.
The rat tail is a hairstyle characterized by a long strand of hair that extends behind the nape of the neck, contrasting from other strands of hair that remain the same length. When acquiring length the tuft usually undulates, it is usually made a braid or leave like this. History
The rat tail is based on the mullet. Its origin is uncertain, but there are very old to the haircut in engravings and writings of Asia and is used by various ethnic groups in Asia and Africa to represent social and religious status. The rat tail also frequently appears in manga series, such as Ranma ½. The hairstyle became popular in the second half of the 80's with the premiere of the film starring Eddie Murphy, "Coming to America." In the film Murphy can be seen wearing a tail of rat, that according to the argument represents its social status; the fact that Eddie Murphy used it, soon made it into a fad among African-American teenagers.
The rat tail lost popularity in the 1990s, but appears to re-emerge in the new millennium as a symbol of bad taste in some countries. He is often seen between punks and metalheads. The bogans (the subculture related to the lower classes in Australia) are identified with rat tails.
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