Thrift Shop: a celebration of the lower class

"Thrift Shop", performed by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, defies the hegemony of the dominating class by giving status to codes of the lower class. "Thrift Shop" is a manifesto on the glories of bargain hunting, starting with the hook which describes the experience as "f--- awesome" and the bridge which describes the clothing as "incredible" (or at least making the wearer look incredible). and The song lyrics glorify characteristics of Holt's LCCs as outlined in Distinction in America.

[Hook]

I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up
This is fucking awesome

 [Bridge]

I wear your granddad's clothes
I look incredible
I'm in this big ass coat
From that thrift shop down the road

Many of the settings and objects in the video exemplify LCC taste. Holt found that LCCs want to have lots of space in the house and yard and desire luxury goods, whereas HCCs consider abundance and luxury crass. The materialist taste of LCCs manifests itself in the first major scene of the video, in which Macklemore is shown getting into what looks to be a luxury car in the driveway of a mansion. Macklemore's giant fur coat and the clothing he describes wearing in the club scene (leopard mink and gator shoes) is another example of LCC taste: the coat (despite its cost) is showy and ostentatious--a clear cry for attention.

The clothing that Macklemore re-claims for himself (from your "grammy, your aunty, your momma, your mammy") is a symbol of creating pseudo-identity using consumer goods. These clothes are hand-downs from other people. By combining these cast-offs Macklemore makes a new identity that looks cool but is not authentic. Contrast that, of course, with the aesthetic taste of HCCs, who value authenticity in their style.

Macklemore is just concerned with saving money, though, regardless of the style and even of the quality (buying a cheap coat even though it smells like piss). The lyrics emphasize how cool the clothes look despite their costs. This focus getting the most value out of your dollar is a value of LCC. Bargain hunting is an activity that people with lower cultural capital tend to value; it's an example of using utilitarian means to achieve ends.

Finally, the video and song challenge hegemony by glorifying an activity indicative of lower cultural class status. In "Thrift Shop", paying $50 for a Gucci t-shirt earns criticism from Macklemore, not praise. He calls out the owner as a "ignorant bitch" who is getting "tricked by business". Additionally, this lyric argues that the man with a expensive, brand-name shirt is just as victim to the culture industry and false consciousness as anyone else because the shirt is mass produced. Macklemore criticizes a man for wearing the same shirt as six other people. Neither person has achieved authenticity. Both reclaiming "unique" pieces and wearing mass-produced items fall under the culture industry. However, Macklemore challenges the value of authenticity, and the values of HCC in general. His pride in his LCC elevates the status of LCCs to that comparable to HCCs.

Side note: I have no idea what the woman in the video is supposed to represent in terms of class and culture, but her presence is hilarious.