Why do people bash Hot Topic?

They have some sweeeeeeeeet threads. They should expand to Europe.

 

they also used to have kermit the frog iron on patches.

and they had some flogging molly vinyl the time I went there in a bunny suit, but, wouldn't you know it? no pockets.

 

They bash hot topic because their clothes make people look they are trying too hard to stand out.

 

Yeah Hot Topic is kinda weird. The stuff they have is weird and most of it is cheaply made.

 

i like some of their clothes. i have some shirts, skirts, dresses. a really cute black and white kinda naughty maid meets alice and wonderland dress
and a sweet violent femmes shirt i got there.

 

because people are obsessed with individuality to a ridiculous degree, and the people most obsessed with it are usually the least "individual."

example: its VERY common to hear "i used to want to get a tattoo, but then everybody got them. now its more original NOT to have one." the statement is made by a lot of people rather frequently. setting aside the fact that the statement is blatantly untrue, it is revealing about the motivation. the person in question never wanted to get a tattoo to beautify themselves, or to express themselves, they wanted to get a tattoo to stand out, to "be different" for the sake of it.

similarly, people dress a certain way often for the same reasons. because its trendy but fringe, they want to stand out and be different. but instead of just being themselves and accepting that for what it is, they try to fit an image, fill niches. often these fringe fashions or trends start taking off because more and more people become attracted to them and start picking up on it themselves. these "individuals" get upset by this because then they look like they aren't truly individual, but just another face in a sea of monotony, practically forgetting that they were not responsible for setting the trend anyway, even if they were an early adopter.

they are truly less concerned with being themselves and dressing how they are comfortable and in a style they think is attractive, and more concerned with being "an individual"

people liked the whole goth/punk/etc edgy look. so much so that some stores started opening up to cater to this style, with clothing and other merchandise to fill the niche. hot topic simply happens to be one of the most successful of them. in my opinion there is virtually no clothing there i would wear, but i do like some of it even if its not for me. most of it i dislike though (novelty tshirts and such). because its become a large, financially successful company, they are often accused of making such fashions "mainstream." surely they helped contribute to it, but did not cause it.

it is exactly the same as any other mainstream clothing store, the clothes just look a little different than those from, say, aeropostale. the ideas are the same though, and the price, and so on.

i dont particularly like hot topic, and find most of the people who shop there religiously to be obnoxious, but i dont see any reason to think of the company itself or its patrons as inherently stupid or ridiculous.

i think the folks who resent it, and similar phenomena such as no longer liking a band once it becomes popular, and so on, are simply uncomfortable with themselves and incapable of actually being an individual. being an individual has nothing at all to do with being out of the ordinary, it has to do with being how you are most comfortable, being true to yourself. someone can follow all the major trends and be more of an individual if its what they truly like than if they follow certain trends just to fill a role (like trying to be goth, or trying to be a hippy, or getting a tattoo because it's "badass" or not listening to music because its popular)

 

word.

and nesta is right on the money.

 

mallz are kool!!!1!

 

you can shop at hot topic and not be into the goth scene. theres some variety there. yes, alot of gothic/punk etc kids go there, and its directed advertising is for that group, however there is a selection of pretty cool stuff.

 

I like hot topic,too.


-hides-

 

HOT POCKETS ..... laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

 

You really are the perfect woman, aren't you?..

 

the 150 dollar rediculous pants etc they have are cheaply made, i will def agree with that

 

$150? Most of the pants for guys (skinny-fit, hell yeah) were less than $40.

 

I wear leaves and coconuts.

 

I'd say "i try"..but I don't.

- I have got some decent quality things from HT- I can't really afford the damn place tho.
Aw, A friend got the cutest onsie for Rory(well more for hubby than her)-from there-
it was bright yellow and said The Doors- she rocked it for awhile too

 

some of their shit is cool, some of its lame, but leaves and coconuts are just ballin

 

Gotta love The Doors.

 

I dont know maybe I have the wrong impression, but the first two words that come to mind when i hear "hot topic" are: pozer and fourteen.

No offense

 

it's an obvious point, but, I'd like to point it out that no self respecting punk would be caught dead there.

just the EXISTENCE of $25 t shirts with a big anarchy symbol is the height of self parody.