Give your paper an effective title…. - Announce the topic - Announce your take on the topic - Get the reader’s attention

“Thrift Shop” “Why I Like Thrift Shop” “I’m a Hella Happy That’s a Bargain”: A Response to Mackelmore’s “Thrift Shop” Announce topic Announce your take on the topic Get the reader’s attention

Construct a powerful introduction…. Get the reader’s attention Orient the reader Conclude with a thesis

Start with an anecdote: The first Saturday of every month, Goodwill has a 50-percent-off sale, and my mom and I are at the doors every Saturday when the store opens. Start with a question: What clothing store groups its items by color? Start with a quote: “One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come-up,” sings Mackelmore in “Thrift Shop,” a song about…. Start with an interesting fact: Goodwill clothing stores bring in $4 billion in revenue each year (“Goodwill,” 2012).

AVOID General attention getters…. I like a lot of songs, and different songs have meant different things to me at different points in my life.

 What song are your responding to?  Who wrote it?  When was it written?  What is it about?

I like a lot of songs, and different songs have meant different things to me at different points in my life. Right now I like the song “Thrift Shop.” It’s a really powerful song. I spent $2,370 dollars on my daughter’s clothes last year. She wanted only name brands – American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Aeropostate– and we fought constantly. This year, in large part due to the song “Thrift Shop” things have changed – for the better. Written by Mackelmore (otherwise known as Ben Haggerty) in 2012, “Thrift Shop” is a rap song that describes the benefits of shopping at second-hand stores, like Goodwill. It’s my favorite song right now because it has transformed my daughter’s attitude about clothes.

I like a lot of songs, and different songs have meant different things to me at different points in my life. Right now I like the song “Thrift Shop.” It’s a really powerful song. I spent $2,370 dollars on my daughter’s clothes last year. She wanted only name brands – American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, or J. Crew – and we fought constantly. This year, in large part due to the song “Thrift Shop” things have changed – for the better. Written by Mackelmore (otherwise known as Ben Haggerty) in 2012, “Thrift Shop” is a rap song that describes the benefits of shopping at second-hand stores, like Goodwill. It’s my favorite song right now because it has transformed my daughter’s attitude about clothes, and it’s saved me a lot of money.

 Focus on one main idea (use topic sentences)  Use plenty of detailed evidence ▪ Personal evidence ▪ Evidence from the song ▪ Evidence from a source  Synthesize evidence

My daughter wanted only fancy clothes. She liked to spend a lot of money on things with brand names. But Mackelmore’s song changed that. He convinced her to buy cheaper things with more character. And that was a change I felt good about. My daughter thought buying second-hand clothes was a crime until Mackelmore made it seem cool. “You want me to wear what?” my daughter asked me when I brought home a long, green corduroy jacket from Goodwill for her. “It’s nice,” I told her. “It’s J.Crew, and it only cost $5.00.” She sneered at me and tromped to her room. But a week later, she was knocking on my door – literally. “I’d like to try on that coat,” she said. When I asked her why, she replied, “One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come-up.” I asked her what she meant, and she said, “It’s a line from ‘Thrift Shop.’ Check it out.” I did, and I liked what I saw. The song conveys the message that buying expensive clothes marks a person as “ignorant” and without originality. Mackelmore raps, “That shirt’s hella dough / And having the same one as six other people in this club is a hella don’t.” My daughter told me the song was on everyone’s Ipods, and it was “cool. ” She added, “Goodwill is cool.” I said, “Hallelujah!”

“Thrift Shop” has saved me money over the last year, and not just a little, but a lot. I checked my clothing receipts December of I spent $525 on clothes for Lisa. It sounds like a lot, and it is. The average teenage girl (or her parents) spend $200 a month on clothes (Wilson, 2012), so at $525, I was $325 above average. But shopping at Goodwill this last year put me well below average. In December of 2012, Lisa and I spent only $75 for clothes, all of which came from Goodwill. I came in $125 under the national average and far below the amount I’d spent previously. My budget is singing a very happy song thanks to Mackelmore. He says thrift shopping is “fucking awesome,” and I’m inclined to agree. Plus, I’d add that his song, despite the foul language, is “awesome” because it’s saved me a lot of “dough.”

 Reiterate your point  Then provide closure by… *returning to a point you made earlier or closing a story you started earlier *Suggest a so-what? (why does this matter?) *Produce one last, relevant quote

A song can mean many things to different people. “Thrift Shop” is important to me for a very specific reason. It changed my daughter’s attitude about clothes. This is what it means to me. It might mean something different to someone else. “Thrift Shop” changed my daughter’s attitude about clothes. Mackelmore sings that he’s “stuntin’ and flossin” and savin’ [his] money.” In truth, I don’t know what “stuntin’ and flossin” are, but I do understand the saving money part. When I shop with my daughter at Goodwill and she tosses a $2 shirt in the cart, a line from Mackelmore’s song pops joyfully into my head: “I’m a hella happy that’s a bargain.” Thank you, Mackelmore. Thank you!

 Must include the song  Must include one outside source