.. 1980s Yuppie ..

THE YUPPIE - "young urban professional"

Yuppie was a term introduced in the 1980s defining "young urban professionals" known for

their hunger for high social status amongst their peers.

Yuppies were disliked by people of a lower social status due to the fact that they seemed to waste their money on frivolous objects of desire whilst others couldn't. Many believe

that this hatred was only present due to the fact that they were themselves unable

to "waste" money on expensive items.

I chose this image as a representation of the Yuppie in 1980s American culture as

it acts as a diagram, showing the viewer how both male and female Yuppies come across to the

people around them. By labeling the models, we can see certain objects that would have

been high-tech and highly expensive within the 1980s such as the Sony Walkman that the

female model has plugged in to her ears.

This image shows an actual manual aimed for Yuppies, so that they know what being a

Yuppie consists of. I chose this not for that fact that it's a users manual but for the more

ironic side of the image whereby apparently to be classed as a Yuppie you MUST conform to certain physical aspects. The expense of the Yuppie via labels such as the Rolex watch,

Ralph Lauren suit, Burberry coat and Gucci briefcase.

These expensive items show us how people that were of a lesser social status could easily dislike the Yuppie and everything they stand for.

The highly negative reaction towards the Yuppie is one of personal dislike

fueled by possible jealousy. The idea that others can spend money

on such objects when you yourself cannot, is enough to make

even the nicest of people jealous monsters, leading to hatred.