bob@cadovax.UUCP (Bob "Kat" Kaplan) (04/17/85)
I hear a lot of people talking about Yuppies in a general sense but rarely mentioning anything particular. It seems all we know about them is that they buy Volvos, vote in their own best interests, and lack all historical perspective. But aside from supporting the Swedish auto industry and electing Ronald Reagan, the the ways of the Yuppies are a mystery to many of us. The interesting thing is that Yuppies are generally spoken of disparagingly (on this net and elsewhere) but I never hear any Yuppies defending themselves. This leads me to ask whether Yuppies really exist, or are they just another media creation? I don't know any Yuppies, and neither do any of my friends. We have a guy at work here who says he's a Yuppie but I think he's just kidding, and anyway he only drives a Camaro. Until I learn otherwise, I will continue to believe that they don't exist. -- Bob Kaplan "Our love burns like fire, then turns to ashes."
mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora) (04/20/85)
>/* bob@cadovax.UUCP (Bob "Kat" Kaplan) / 12:47 pm Apr 17, 1985 */ >I hear a lot of people talking about Yuppies in a general sense but rarely >mentioning anything particular. It seems all we know about them is that >they buy Volvos, vote in their own best interests, and lack all historical >perspective. > >But aside from supporting the Swedish auto industry and electing Ronald >Reagan, the the ways of the Yuppies are a mystery to many of us. > >The interesting thing is that Yuppies are generally spoken of disparagingly >(on this net and elsewhere) but I never hear any Yuppies defending themselves. >This leads me to ask whether Yuppies really exist, or are they just another >media creation? > As far as I can tell, the term is used in at least two ways: 1) Yuppies are a shallow bunch of conformists who are only interested in material things, eating fashionable foods, keeping up with the Jones', etc. 2) Yuppies are the first large group to reject the superstitious notion that there is something inherently wrong with being primarily interested in one's own goals, rather than those fo parents, religion, society, humanity, etc. Incidentally, I know many that fit into each of these categories. Michael Sykora
maa@ssc-bee.UUCP (Mark A Allyn) (04/22/85)
> I hear a lot of people talking about Yuppies in a general sense but rarely > mentioning anything particular. It seems all we know about them is that > they buy Volvos, vote in their own best interests, and lack all historical > perspective. > > But aside from supporting the Swedish auto industry and electing Ronald > Reagan, the the ways of the Yuppies are a mystery to many of us. > > The interesting thing is that Yuppies are generally spoken of disparagingly > (on this net and elsewhere) but I never hear any Yuppies defending themselves. > This leads me to ask whether Yuppies really exist, or are they just another > media creation? > > I don't know any Yuppies, and neither do any of my friends. We have a guy > at work here who says he's a Yuppie but I think he's just kidding, and anyway > he only drives a Camaro. > > Until I learn otherwise, I will continue to believe that they don't exist. I moved to a neighborhood in Seattle, Wa. which is said to be a 'Yuppie' neighborhood. After living there only a few months, Iearned that the neighborhood contained a high percentage of gays. In another setting the Boston, Mass, I observed the same phenomenon. Maybee yuppie means gay??????
richard@apple.UUCP (Richard Johnson) (04/24/85)
No, no no. Gay yuppies are referred to as "guppies". ----------------------- Richard Johnson Apple Computer, Inc. USENET: [dual,ios,nsc,voder]!apple!richard CSNET: richard%apple@CSNET-RELAY ARPA: richard@apple I face the music and dance.
rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo) (04/25/85)
Keywords: >> I hear a lot of people talking about Yuppies in a general sense but rarely >> mentioning anything particular. It seems all we know about them is that >> they buy Volvos, vote in their own best interests, and lack all historical >> perspective. >> The interesting thing is that Yuppies are generally spoken of disparagingly >> (on this net and elsewhere) but I never hear any Yuppies defending themselves. >> This leads me to ask whether Yuppies really exist, or are they just another >> media creation? > >I moved to a neighborhood in Seattle, Wa. which is said to be a 'Yuppie' >neighborhood. After living there only a few months, Iearned that the >neighborhood contained a high percentage of gays. > >In another setting the Boston, Mass, I observed the same phenomenon. > >Maybee yuppie means gay?????? There is a separate label for Gay (male) young urban professionals, Guppy. (Seriously, I have heard that word used, but somewhat tongue-in-cheek.) However, just about all my gay friends are not sufficiently conspicuously consumptive to qualify for Yuppydom/guppydom. Much to down-to-earth despite any stereotype of San Francisco gay men. -- Rob Bernardo, Pacific Bell, San Francisco, California {ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!ptsfa!rob _^__ ~/ \_.\ _ ~/ \_\ ~/ \_________~/ ~/ /\ /\ _/ \ / \ _/ \ _/ \ \ /
bob@cadovax.UUCP (Bob "Kat" Kaplan) (04/25/85)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.singles,net.motss
Subject: Re: Yuppies
> Maybee yuppie means gay??????
No, then it would be "guppie."
--
Bob Kaplan
"Just because I'm handsome doesn't mean I'm not intelligent."sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (04/25/85)
That's an interesting observation. Some (read: well-to-do,
upper-middle-class) gay people have been responsible for much of
the "gentrification" in inner cities beginning in the late 60's.
Back then, these places were opportunities which most people
wouldn't touch. Having a bit more disposable income than a
typical family (no kids, you see) and a bit more spare time,
they worked to shape their environments into their image of
the good life.
Today's young, professional straight couples actually have a lot in common
with gay couples: they are putting off having families, have become
more sophisticated in their tastes, and have the money to indulge them.
There's not much difference there, except sexual preference! Some
wags, probably before the coinage of the Y-word, have called them
"straight gays." Other people see the "yuppie" phenomenon as just
another example of the great morass of straights rushing in to
exploit what gay people have pioneered. :-)
--
/Steve Dyer
{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer
sdyer@bbnccv.ARPArlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Dr. Emmanuel Wu) (04/29/85)
> No, no no. Gay yuppies are referred to as "guppies". > Richard Johnson Apple Computer, Inc. Which leads into yet another new classification: the GRUPPIES. What are gruppies, you ask? Well, if a large percentage of the yuppie population consists of slightly overaged ex-hippies who have discarded the college days hippie value system in favor of a more middle-class variety, then the gruppies are the ones who want both the middle-class life AND the old days of their misspent youth. Examples of contrasts: Yuppies own BMWs, Volvos, etc. Gruppies still own the same beat-up VW Bug. Yuppies listen to Fleetwood Mac, Lionel Ritchie, Kenny Rogers, etc. Gruppies still listen to the Grateful Dead. Yuppies do cocaine. Gruppies are still doing whatever it was they were doing 15 years ago. (Even if they've abstained, they still have the flashbacks) Yuppie stereo systems contain the finest audiophile components in sleekly designed rack-mounted cabinets. Gruppies may have the same sorts of systems, but they are mounted on wooden boards supported by cinder blocks. (Under which they keep their Grateful Dead albums.) Yuppie residences contain all sorts of modern furniture. Gruppie residences contain the same furniture used back when they were in school, loaned (?) to them by their parents. Yuppies eat Le Menu's cooked in their microwaves. Gruppies eat only that which is "organic". Like Fritos. Yuppie bookshelves are stocked with tomes like "Megatrends", "In Search of Excellence", "The One Minute Manager", and "How to Make a Killing in the Stock Market" Gruppie bookshelves (also consisting of wooden boards supported by cinder blocks) contain books like "Sun Signs", "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", "Steal This Book". And "How to Make a Killing in the Stock Market". Yuppies live in condos or townhouses, or they rent apartments. Gruppies rent houses. Yuppies play Trivial Pursuit. Gruppies meditate. Yuppies play racquetball. Gruppies meditate. Yuppies sometimes light candles at dinnertime. Gruppies burn incense. An important yuppie life decision might be "Should I get a microwave oven or a VCR?" An important gruppie life decision might be "Should I go to work?" --- So where do I fit into my own classifications, you may ask? Well, I own a VCR, but it sits on a wooden board supported by cinder blocks. And I don't own a microwave. Which means that, in my conventional oven, it takes a lot longer for the Le Menu's to cook. -- "to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight and never stop fighting." - e. e. cummings Rich Rosen ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr
ec120bgt@sdcc3.UUCP (ANDREW VARE) (04/30/85)
Other people see the "yuppie" phenomenon as just > another example of the great morass of straights rushing in to > exploit what gay people have pioneered. > If the gays pioneered a yuppie lifestyle, perhaps AIDS is living proof that gay's "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" attitude eventually WILL lead to their destruction, just as a yuppie lifestyle woven only of materialism (and NOT sexually transmitted lethal diseases) leads to a society devoid of spiritual consciousness. Another problem is differentiating between yuppies and preppies. Not an important problem, mind net, but a problem nonetheless. Sure, bermudas from Beans can be construed as prep, but do they wreak of yuppie? Somehow prep is more of a socially accepted term, and yuppie is definitely derogative. FOOD FOR THOUGHT MAY ALL LIVE LONG AND PERSPIRE Andrew T. Vare
orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (04/30/85)
> > Examples of contrasts: > > Yuppies own BMWs, Volvos, etc. > Gruppies still own the same beat-up VW Bug. > > Yuppies listen to Fleetwood Mac, Lionel Ritchie, Kenny Rogers, etc. > Gruppies still listen to the Grateful Dead. > > Yuppies do cocaine. > Gruppies are still doing whatever it was they were doing 15 years ago. > (Even if they've abstained, they still have the flashbacks) > > Yuppie stereo systems contain the finest audiophile components in sleekly > designed rack-mounted cabinets. > Gruppies may have the same sorts of systems, but they are mounted on wooden > boards supported by cinder blocks. (Under which they keep their > Grateful Dead albums.) > > Yuppie residences contain all sorts of modern furniture. > Gruppie residences contain the same furniture used back when they were > in school, loaned (?) to them by their parents. > > Yuppies eat Le Menu's cooked in their microwaves. > Gruppies eat only that which is "organic". Like Fritos. > > Yuppie bookshelves are stocked with tomes like "Megatrends", "In Search of > Excellence", "The One Minute Manager", and "How to Make a Killing in > the Stock Market" > Gruppie bookshelves (also consisting of wooden boards supported by > cinder blocks) contain books like "Sun Signs", "Zen and the Art > of Motorcycle Maintenance", "Steal This Book". And "How to Make a > Killing in the Stock Market". > > Yuppies live in condos or townhouses, or they rent apartments. > Gruppies rent houses. > > Rich Rosen ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr Guess I'm a Gruppie!! Except that I never owned a book like "Sun Signs" as I have always considered astrology a bunch of nonsense. And I still don't care about "How to make a Killing in the Stock Market". How those Yuppies would want a "One Minute" book baffles me: what's the point? Give me "Kapital: Volumes I,II, & III" anyday! tim sevener whuxl!orb
urban@spp2.UUCP (Mike Urban) (05/01/85)
In article <2804@sdcc3.UUCP> ec120bgt@sdcc3.UUCP (ANDREW VARE) writes: > >If the gays pioneered a yuppie lifestyle, perhaps AIDS is living >proof that gay's "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" attitude >eventually WILL lead to their destruction, just as a yuppie >lifestyle woven only of materialism (and NOT sexually transmitted >lethal diseases) leads to a society devoid of spiritual consciousness. Maybe I'm just a little slow today. Would you care to rephrase this argument in two or more sentences? That way I can attempt to follow what appears to be, in this form, a completely disjointed morass of sanctimonious assertions. On a different note, I'd be interested if someone could tell me where the term "yuppie" originated (i.e. who first used it? Time Magazine or the like?) The first time I remember hearing it was on a Mark Russell comedy special a couple of years ago. -- Mike Urban {ucbvax|decvax}!trwrb!trwspp!spp2!urban "You're in a maze of twisty UUCP connections, all alike"
sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (05/01/85)
> If the gays pioneered a yuppie lifestyle, perhaps AIDS is living > proof that gay's "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" attitude > eventually WILL lead to their destruction, just as a yuppie > lifestyle woven only of materialism (and NOT sexually transmitted > lethal diseases) leads to a society devoid of spiritual consciousness. > Watch those apostrophed plurals, Andrew! Seriously, can anyone one out there figure out what he's saying? I'm not sure myself, but it smells pretty rank nonetheless. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA
houts@reed.UUCP (Bill Houts) (05/03/85)
In article <2804@sdcc3.UUCP> ec120bgt@sdcc3.UUCP (ANDREW VARE) writes: > >If the gays pioneered a yuppie lifestyle, perhaps AIDS is living >proof that gay's "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" attitude >eventually WILL lead to their destruction, just as a yuppie >lifestyle woven only of materialism (and NOT sexually transmitted >lethal diseases) leads to a society devoid of spiritual consciousness. > > >Andrew T. Vare I've heard the "lonely-voice-crying-out-in-the-wilderness" routine one time too often. I beg you, Andrew, not to embarrass yourself on the net with any more "John the Baptist" impressions. You might try taking your act over to net.religion, though. I'm sure you'll find many spiritually conscious brethren over there who'll delight in mouthing your empty homilies. -- Bill Houts (a.k.a. Captain Chaos) Cosmic Color Control tektronix!reed!houts "This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not BICKER and ARGUE over who killed whom!"
dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) (05/03/85)
In article <336@bbnccv.UUCP> sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) writes: >> If the gays pioneered a yuppie lifestyle, perhaps AIDS is living >> proof that gay's "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" attitude >> eventually WILL lead to their destruction, just as a yuppie >> lifestyle woven only of materialism (and NOT sexually transmitted >> lethal diseases) leads to a society devoid of spiritual consciousness. >> >Watch those apostrophed plurals, Andrew! Seriously, can anyone one >out there figure out what he's saying? Now that you ask, I can't figure out what he's saying either. But when I first read the original article, I read perhaps the first two lines of the paragraph before deciding that the rest probably wasn't worth reading. I heartily recommend this approach - it saves much time that can then be used to read and reply to well-reasoned articles.
fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) (05/03/85)
>> Other people see the "yuppie" phenomenon as just >> another example of the great morass of straights rushing in to >> exploit what gay people have pioneered. Yuppies enjoy reading, semi-classical music, art and gourmet food. Most yuppies do NOT enjoy hunting, fishing or drunken brawling. This means that most yuppy men are sissies, according to the standards of Palatka, Florida (the rural small town where I grew up). Being sissies, they have much in common with many gays. :-) Frank Silbermann
wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly) (05/04/85)
> On a different note, I'd be interested if someone could tell me > where the term "yuppie" originated (i.e. who first used it? It was probably originated by the same people who gave us "computer literacy." You know, THOSE people. Let's listen in as a couple of "them" decide how to spend their day off: "Geez, this is a slow Saturday! What're we going to do for the rest of the day?" "I've got an idea; let's invent a new stereotype." "Great! Then we can decide which of our friends and acquaintances fit the stereotype!" "OK. How's this: a fleegmore." "Fleegmore?" "You bet. A fleegmore is someone who owns a station wagon and eats a lot of hot dogs. Fleegmores are known for being stupid bozos who don't know enough to filter their drinking water to keep out the flouride." "I get it. And as a consequence, aging fleegmores all turn into game show hosts. Or maybe liberals." "Same thing. Let's see: John's definitely a fleegmore. Well, what are you going to do. And Sally: she's a BORN fleegmore, if I ever saw one ..." -- Bill Ingogly
hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (05/07/85)
In article <148@unc.UUCP> wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly) writes: > >> On a different note, I'd be interested if someone could tell me >> where the term "yuppie" originated (i.e. who first used it? > >It was probably originated by the same people who gave us "computer >literacy." You know, THOSE people. Actually, the original term was "yumpie" from the acronym for Young Upwardly Mobile Professional. Don't know who coined it or who corrupted it. -- -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
kehoe@reed.UUCP (Dave Kehoe) (05/27/85)
One of my friends recently bought a compact digital disc player, and didn't buy any discs. That, to me, is a true yuppie. It's SO quiet!
paloma@sdcc12.UUCP (paloma) (05/31/85)
Heard at the S.F. Bay to Breakers run (chanted by a San Jose area team called the Yuppies): BMW, MBA, GOP Election Day There was another verse, but I don't remember what it was. p.s. this one's for you, rich -- Cindy Paloma UCSD Academic Computing Center, C-010 La Jolla, CA 92093 [...]!sdcsvax!sdcc3!paloma paloma@ucsd.arpa