NEW YORK, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Chuck Failla, president of a successful Manhattan based financial planning firm, is tired of being called a Yuppie. Failla, like many recovering Yuppies, has found religion.
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"Yuppie is out. What's in is the Scuppie -- the Socially Conscious, Upwardly-mobile Person," says Failla.
Failla's goal is to have Scuppie take its place in the American lexicon as the natural evolution of the Hippie-Preppie-Yuppie progression. To accomplish this, he has launched a national promotional campaign and is currently penning "The Scuppie Handbook: A Practical Guide to Living Well while Doing Good."
"Gordon Gekko has gone green," says Failla. "Vast hordes of Scuppies already roam the urban and suburban landscape. You can find them at the local Starbucks, listening to World music and earnestly asking the barista whether the espresso is ground from free-trade beans."
These days, more Americans not only want to live well, but want to also do good (or at least do no evil). They still love money and conspicuous displays of affluence. But now, the way to achieve status is to trade in the Beemer for a Toyota Prius, spend $50,000 putting solar panels on the roof, shop at Whole Foods for $7-a-bunch organic endive, and acquire a chic new wardrobe fashioned entirely of hemp, soy fiber, and recycled tires, Failla says.
"These are people who, although they may not yet realize it, are desperately yearning for an updated moniker that better encapsulates their ultimate altruistic-yet-stylish way of life," Failla says.
Failla coined the term Scuppie one day at his Manhattan office when a coworker overheard one of his phone conversations.
"She asked whether I had picked up a new client. When I explained that I was doing some pro-bono work for a homeless organization, she shot a skeptical glance at my Armani suit and Rolex, and responded, only half-jokingly, that she couldn't believe a 'Yuppie scum' like me would do anything for free," says Failla, "That momentarily threw me for a loop, but then I had an epiphany."
Failla responded to his accuser, "Hey, it's entirely possible to be socially conscious and desire upward mobility at the same time."
Scuppie was born.
You can also read more Scup-a-ganda and check out some funny Scuppie graphics at http://www.scuppie.com/.
Editors: Failla available for interviews; cfailla@att.net; 212-307-3261- office, 917-856-7787-cell.
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