Readers of 1980s and early 1990s novels such as Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero, American Psycho, or Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City, or Story of My Life are likely to discover that yuppiedom is a more or less prominent feature in all these works. This Bachelor’s thesis is devoted to the analysis of yuppiedom in Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho. (NB: Although my primary focus is a fictional work, the yuppie also figures in non-fiction, which will be cited later in this thesis). I shall discuss the typical yuppie-looks, for I argue that attire functions as an extension of the yuppie persona and that it is the first criteria which has to be met in order to convey to what sort of group the yuppie belongs. This idea leads to my second point, which is group identity. Group identity is intertwined with yuppie attire, as I argue that in the novel, yuppies function as a group and therefore need to fit in with a certain look. Yet, there is more to the yuppie than meets the eye. I shall extend my analysis by discussing the portrayal of yuppies and their habit of consuming luxury merchandise. The listing of luxury brands throughout the novel cannot be denied. Therefore, I see this attribute as an integral characteristic of the yuppie. In the last chapter of my thesis I discuss how the novel’s yuppies behave in close, personal relationships. I shall demonstrate that yuppies do tend towards conventional forms of relationships, i.e monogamous relationships and marriage. However, it will be shown that these relationships are mere façades.
Is there such a thing as a modern day yuppie? Or is it an 80ies thing?
Dear Arthur:
Thank you for your comment. I have asked myself the same question and I think yuppies still exist, but they would not necessarily be called “yuppies” anymore, and they have other pursuits (in terms of career choices). I also think that they do not “look” the same as they did in the 80s. If there is a 2009-yuppie, I am guessing that he/she is probably working in the creative field. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary describes the ‘yuppie’ as being “a young college-educated adult who is employed in a well-paying profession and who lives and works in or near a large city -” (1455). Nowadays, nearly everyone would fit that profile, so it is hard to answer this question. The yuppie is an “80s thing”-as you put it, in the sense that the term was coined in the early 80s, and-in my opinion-because many 80s and 90s films, newspaper articles, etc., portrayed typical/stereotyped yuppie characters and thus, made aware of them-mostly in a derogatory way. I noticed that some people do not know what a yuppie is, but when I try to explain, they usually know someone in their circle of friends who would fit that profile. (Young, well-off, etc) I find the article by Liz Hoggard “The new yuppies: They’re back – and this time they’re green” very convincing.
Here’s an excerpt:
In my opinion, the key aspects of yuppiedom have to remain the same. (‘young’ and ‘professional’) But the yuppie’s looks, interests, political views, and consumer behavior, are subject to change.
I hope this answers some of your questions.
Best,
Laureen
Girls you are both wrong.
The generic 80s Yuppie is alive and well and not this ‘green’ and ‘Eco-Friendly’ rubbish that Lizz Hoggart whould have you believe, They are called students, or hippies. Both of which make me sick.
I am what you would call a 21st century Yuppy, Im am young (25), educated, Professional (Project Manager), well groomed, well dressed, welll spoken, and very presentable to the community. I spend most of my spare time working out or dinning/drinking in the most exclusive bars in the city. I keep a close group of friends who are also sussessful in there own professions. What makes the Yuppie different to students or people in similar professions or status is that we go the extra mile. We train harder, we work the extra hours, we eat in the hottest places, we drink and socialise with people who we can feed off, we are arogant and selfish ( both of which i do not believe to be bad qualities), we are show offs but do this in more suttle ways, such as a nice watch or car, we dont want to grow up and we want everything now.
I am a modern day Yuppie and proud.
I will now take the time to read you thesis
Take Care
Dear Jord
Thanks for posting your thoughts on the subject matter and thanks for taking the time to read my thesis.
To me, the text seemed convincing when it was suggested that yuppies (if one can still use that therm) go through a certain change/adaptation: I agree that yuppie-career choices have changed (PR, art, advertising).
Since I concerned myself with fictional yuppie characters, I cannot make any sweeping statements about “real” yuppies, but I could not help but notice that going green and being eco-friendly among the well-off appears to be a new, hip lifestyle.
Jord may be a yuppie with all these wonderful attributes, however his spelling (and grammatical usage) is so poor that I’m amazed he has a job. Ah, the dumbing down of America. Consume and die like a fish at the end of a bowl.