Edward-Asher Parodi, 4, of Orofino, Idaho, is helping to raise money for Jared Allen's Home for Wounded Warriors by competing in a national mullet contest. There are almost 30 contestants in the age 1 to 4 division from the Northwest alone.
Courtesy of Mayze Daniels
Edward-Asher Parodi was born without much hair. So when it started growing in, he fell in love with it. It grew, and it grew, and now the 4-year-old is known around his hometown of Orofino, Idaho, for his mullet.
“We started trimming it just around his eyes so that he could see or get out of his ears,” said his mom, Mayze Daniels. “But he never wanted us to cut the back and still never wants us to cut the back.”
Like the saying goes, it’s short in front and past his hips in the back.
“I like my mullet!” Edward-Asher said over the phone.
That’s why his mom decided to enter her kiddo in the Mullet Champions contest where people of all ages vie for the best “business in the front, party in the back” look. The age 1 to 4 division has kids from all over the country. There are almost 30 contestants from the Northwest alone.
The competition also helps raise money for wounded veterans, something Daniels said is important to her family. Edward-Asher’s dad, Darrell Parodi, served as a Marine Raider in the United States Marine Forces Special Operations.
She says her little grunge, “all boy” boy wouldn’t be the same without his luscious locks. She has three other kids but says Edward-Asher is the only one who fits the mullet hairstyle.
“It’s like Sampson. It gives him all this strength. It gives him separate energy. It definitely has grown into being part of his personality,” she said.
This competition has helped him feel more included, she said, seeing other little boys sporting mullets across the country. While he worried about it for a little bit, she said he’s now more confident than ever.
People often comment on Edward-Asher’s hair, passing out complements for the head-turning style, Daniels said.
“I think it makes them feel good about himself. I think he’s grown up just hearing (the compliments), and it’s such a positive thing for him,” she said.