Latest
- Work
- A Thought I'll Probably Regret Soon
- "Telecommuting"
- Reality TV
- They All Want To Come Here
- Hair and Grime
- Just an example
- Salty Dogs Soon to Become Suburby Dogs
- Best Don't
- Best Do
Best of
Archives
- July 2004
- November 2004
- December 2004
- January 2005
- February 2005
- March 2005
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- February 2010
- March 2010
- April 2010
- June 2010
- July 2010
- September 2010
- October 2010
- November 2010
- December 2010
- January 2011
- February 2011
- March 2011
- June 2011
- July 2011
- August 2011
- September 2011
- November 2011
- July 2012
- October 2012
Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
The Yuppie
The online libertarian magazine Reason has listed "35 Heroes of Freedom", and included in the list is "The Yuppie", described below. From reason.com:
_________________
The Yuppie. This widely reviled Reagan-era social construct opened up to ordinary people countless pleasures and pursuits once reserved for the upper class, from "gourmet" food to good-looking cars to nicely designed furniture to fancy-pants literary devices to an obsession with Tuscany. In striving "upward," Yuppies spurred a massive exfoliation of choice at all levels of American society.
_________________
The list includes a range of people from all areas of the political spectrum, including Ted Turner, the Tiananmen Square martyr and Clarence Thomas, but the Yuppie description was so well put. Isn't it true though? I'm not going to chime in on the yuppie/gentrification debate too much but I will say a few words here.
I think it's safe to say that people who are "anti-yuppie" also generally believe the following points:
- Middle class and upper-middle class people should not be able to move anywhere they want, especially if it means to an urban neighborhood of poor white artists and minorities.
- Making money and being successful are desires that are wrong.
- Wanting quality material things---cars, furniture, clothes, etc---is also wrong.
- Poor, just-out-of-college white people are the only white people who deserve to live in poor, minority-dominated urban neighborhoods.
- There must be strict controls on the price of real estate if it occurs in an urban neighborhood. The rest of the world needs no such controls.
- The poor are more noble than people with money.
- Neighborhood economic improvement must only occur if nothing of note really changes and no one has to leave.
- Renting a home is more noble than owning one.
- The middle/upper-middle class person who moves into an urban neighborhood that's improving is directly responsible for those who have to move out because of increasing rent prices. As if the Yuppie is evicting people him/herself.
_________________
The Yuppie. This widely reviled Reagan-era social construct opened up to ordinary people countless pleasures and pursuits once reserved for the upper class, from "gourmet" food to good-looking cars to nicely designed furniture to fancy-pants literary devices to an obsession with Tuscany. In striving "upward," Yuppies spurred a massive exfoliation of choice at all levels of American society.
_________________
The list includes a range of people from all areas of the political spectrum, including Ted Turner, the Tiananmen Square martyr and Clarence Thomas, but the Yuppie description was so well put. Isn't it true though? I'm not going to chime in on the yuppie/gentrification debate too much but I will say a few words here.
I think it's safe to say that people who are "anti-yuppie" also generally believe the following points:
- Middle class and upper-middle class people should not be able to move anywhere they want, especially if it means to an urban neighborhood of poor white artists and minorities.
- Making money and being successful are desires that are wrong.
- Wanting quality material things---cars, furniture, clothes, etc---is also wrong.
- Poor, just-out-of-college white people are the only white people who deserve to live in poor, minority-dominated urban neighborhoods.
- There must be strict controls on the price of real estate if it occurs in an urban neighborhood. The rest of the world needs no such controls.
- The poor are more noble than people with money.
- Neighborhood economic improvement must only occur if nothing of note really changes and no one has to leave.
- Renting a home is more noble than owning one.
- The middle/upper-middle class person who moves into an urban neighborhood that's improving is directly responsible for those who have to move out because of increasing rent prices. As if the Yuppie is evicting people him/herself.
Web Counters