Yappies Create Buzz
50plus Online Magazine (www.50plusMag. com) reports an unprecedented reaction to its recent editorial “Yesterday’s Boomers are Today’s YAPS”
(PRWEB) February 4, 2005
“It was like it suddenly dawned on everyone that we are right,” says Gary Geyer, editor of 50plus Online Magazine (www.50plusMag. com).”You hear a lot of talk these days about baby boomers, but honestly, I don’t know of any so-called “baby boomer” that has actually referred to him or herself as a baby boomer. It’s a term we don’t identify with.”
Actually, the term “baby boom” was first coined in 1980, 34 years after the post-war baby boom began. Landon Jones, a writer and editor at Time Inc., described in his book, Great Expectations: America and the Baby Boom Generation, ” the monumental effect that boomers had on virtually every American institution throughout their lives such as media, education, politics and consumerism.”
Baby Boomers were a force to be reckoned with.
What about now? Are baby boomers still a force to be reckoned with?
“Emphatically, yes,” says Geyer. “But the tag “baby boomer” is meaningless to us and really, everyone else. Today the term seems archaic. It described who we were then, not who we are now.”
“Incidentally, a term we dislike even more than ‘boomer’ is ‘aging boomer',” adds Geyer.
“Our ages today are about 50—65, give or take a few years on both ends. Not yet seniors, we’ll admit to being “pre-seniors”.
So, hereÂ’s what we at 50plus Online Magazine (www.50plusMag. com) are proposing: From now on, stop calling us boomers and start calling us by a term we can identify with.
Are you ready? We are YAPS. Y-A-P-S. Youthful, Active, Pre-Seniors. (You can call us “Yappies”, if you like.)”.
Here's what YAPS are like:
“YAPS are not like our parents (who actually are seniors). YAPS are youthful in appearance and attitude. We try to stay active. We exercise, watch our diet and eat healthier than those Gen X-ers half our age. As the NY Times has pointed out, the average age of the 5 directors nominated for Academy Awards this year is 60.
YAPS still like rock ‘n roll (classic rock, not rap or hip-hop), are fashion conscious, get nipped and tucked when need be and have romantic inclinations.
YAPS lead active sex lives and are ViagraÂ’s prime market. We are prominent in the work force, are politically motivated, surf and shop the internet, read, listen to CDs, play video games (no kidding), take vacations, frequent restaurants, travel, buy luxury items (more than any other demographic) such as plasma TVs, new cars, boats and houses. We help provide for our children, spoil our grandchildren, and today more than ever, take care of our aging parents.
And in case you havenÂ’t realized it, YAPS are a demographic.
The YAPS demographic is growing faster than you can shake a stick.
When you consider that every 7 seconds someone turns 50, that means the “YAPPIE” population increases every 7 seconds. The mind boggles at our numbers and the power we can (still) yield.
Sadly, we are a virtually untapped market. So marketers, wake up and start tapping. We are tired of being ignored. YAPS will spend upward of three trillion dollars in 2005 on anything and everything that prolongs our (forgive me) yappiness.
We do NOT roll over and play dead once we turn 50. We are still that “narcissistic, self indulgent group” we were when we were baby boomers, and we still believe the world owes us a living. We are alive and kicking, so you better not ignore us.
We are now demanding pop-culture status
We believe the time is right for we “former boomers” to be recognized, appreciated and have our very own pop designation.
There were hippies, yippies, and yuppies. Now, make way for us. 2005 is definitely the year of the YAPS!
Long live the ‘Yappies!’
About 50plus Online Magazine (www.50plusMag. com).
50plus Online Magazine is an online magazine directed to a “Yappie” audience. The focus is on contemporary issues approached from a 50+ perspective. ”We’re quite different than most other sites or publications geared to the mature market. Although we have many senior readers, a good many of our articles are written with the youthful, active, pre-senior audience in mind.”
Articles featured this month (besides the YAPS editorial) include:
Rod Stewart: Some Guys have All the Luck Double-Edged Grief: When Grandparents Experience the Death of a Grandchild. A (Not so) Crazy Alternative to Assisted Living: A Long Cruise.
Gary Geyer is founder, editor and publisher of 50plus Online Magazine as well as President and Creative Director of Alive & Kicking Advertising—a marketing company that specializes in the 50+ market.
Please call or email with inquires about advertising and promotion opportunities.
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