The link above is to an article describing a Yuppie and asks you to test if you were a Yuppie, (meaning young urban professional). The article starts by listing the attributes of a Yuppie and asking the reader if he/she had any of these qualities or took part in any of the activities from: did you read the Wall Street Journal, did you own a BMW or Mercedes, did you prefer wine over beer and did you wear Amani trousers or power suits. The article then goes on to describe the various cultures throughout the decades from the hippies to the preppies and how it transformed into yuppies. It states that "yuppies melded what they deemed as the best of both worlds-the materialism of the Preppies absent the snobbery and the self-absorbed perfectionism of the hippie without the anti-establishment mindset.". Showing that the term yuppie was moulded out of previous cultures, taking the good parts and leaving out the bad attributes.
The Yuppie was known to be so focused on their pursuit for the American Dream, which meant they were seen as obsessed with their jobs and careers and their is a quote given in the article from The Yuppie Handbook(1984) "work had to be personally meaningful, emotionally satisfying, and a vehicle for self-expression". From this quote it follows on that a Yuppie liked to be kept busy and therefore media was best presented to them in print as it was more effective then television because they could read on the go. However it wasn't just a good career ethic the Yuppie culture created, it was also a way of life and a sense of style. With a certain decor being used, such as postmodern art, stainless steel sub-zero refrigerators, tiled bathrooms, wood floors, pastel colours and potted plants. Then as wells as Yuppies playing a part in developing a certain decor culture, Yuppie consumers also played a key role in the emergence of new age music, such as " an alpha-state, impressionistic fusion of jazz, acoustic and classical styles". This shows that Yuppies were major consumers at the time had a successful career, wanted the top quality material goods and started new trends.
The article finishes by explaining that at the end of the Yuppie era, the term Yuppie became known as and associated with greed, self-absorption and a lack of social conscience as they became obsessed with status. Therefore, people didn't want to be associated with the term and would not admit to being one. However, I think the Yuppie culture still exists today, it may no longer be called the same or be as dominant as a specific culture but the modern age of living is still around and sought after. There is a good quote at the end of the article that states "today many Americans still live the yuppie lifestyle, or wish they did" and I think this is an interesting way to view the new era of Yuppie culture.
The article finishes by explaining that at the end of the Yuppie era, the term Yuppie became known as and associated with greed, self-absorption and a lack of social conscience as they became obsessed with status. Therefore, people didn't want to be associated with the term and would not admit to being one. However, I think the Yuppie culture still exists today, it may no longer be called the same or be as dominant as a specific culture but the modern age of living is still around and sought after. There is a good quote at the end of the article that states "today many Americans still live the yuppie lifestyle, or wish they did" and I think this is an interesting way to view the new era of Yuppie culture.
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