Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Anti Yuppie Graffiti in Berlin (Yups & Downs)


This is something I've seen a lot in Berlin. On the surface it looks like Anti Yuppie graffiti - anyone can see that. Graffiti by people who hate yuppies.
But I have my suspicions. Could it be that the culprits are the yuppies themselves? Is it possible that this angry brigade wishing to cleanse Berlin of all yuppiness are in fact none other than the yuppies they claim to hate?
My theory then, is that this is nothing more than some sort of urban "exterior design" sport enjoyed by genuine yuppies who are disappointed that the vibrant and slightly dodgy inner city areas they moved to have started to look too tidy and well, normal. Gotta keep up appearances! Gotta keep the place looking "urban"! Undercover urban yuppie activists - that's it.

Here's a favourite of mine. Near a car park in Prenzlauer Berg.
One or two yuppie-type cars there, clearly driven by the yuppies responsible for this very "authentic" urban scrawl.


And the person responsible for this one is clearly someone used to writing a lot of CHEQUES.


Here's rather half-hearted attempt in Kreuzberg, written with Tipp-Ex, from the office dear!


A nice little stencil number with made up language.
So LAST YEAR, so YUPPIE!

I think I'm onto something.