Hot Topic - All about the music?

[LadyLucretia]

I know what you're thinking -this topic is done to death, stop the elitist bitching, etc. But this thread is not about any of the clothing Hot Topic sells, or the people who shop there, or it's effect on subculture. It's about Hot Topic's slogan, "All about the music."

It occurred to me that not many people may be aware of Hot Topic's approach towards "supporting" the music. As an event promoter I've become aware of it, and it really is information that needs to get out there, because they are openly proclaiming themselves as music-centered when it's pretty far from the truth.

Why do I say this? See evidence below:

1. Drop Dead Magazine (www.dropdeadmagazine.com) is a DIY deathrock magazine run by a largely unpaid staff. They managed to get a distribution deal with Hot Topic, to have the magazine sold in their stores. However, after several months, fans were writing them asking why DD Mag wasn't at their local Hot Topic. Turns out Hot Topic only planned on selling the mags in stores where enough people *requested* it. Not only did they not specify what constituted "enough" people, they defeated the whole purpose of the deal, which was to expose people to DD Mag who wouldn't otherwise have known about it.

2. Any club promoter will tell you that it's tough to find places to flyer where it will be noticed by goths. Hot topic seems like a natural choice to at least get goth-friendly people who might be curious. But rather than allow flyers in the front window (like many independent record stores do) or have a poster board in the store, HT has a flyer binder. You leave one flyer in the binder, and if someone *asks* to see the binder, they might see your flyer. Again defeating the whole purpose of flyering, which is all about visibility.

3. Hot Topic often acts as a "tour sponsor" for bands. We booked one such band - 45 Grave. We were told by 45 Grave's manager that flyers listing all their tour dates, including ours, would be posted on the sign outside HT's in our area. We were looking forward to the exposure. As the date of the show grew closer, we still weren't seeing posters in any of the local HT's. We asked multiple store managers about it, who all said they never received the posters. There were never any posters actually posted, to our knowledge.

I work with both NY Decay (the folks behind DD Mag) and an independent promotions team in my area who run a night on a non-profit business model. We are definitely the "small guy" in the music industry, and a business like HT has the ability to give us far more exposure than we could afford on our own. And it would cost them next to nothing, and take very little effort, but time and time again the support has not been there.

I think people can shop wherever they want, be it HT, the Gap, or a goth boutique. But when a store claims to be "all about the music" and then doesn't back it up, I think that's a legitimate reason to reconsider whether you want to support a store that is quickly becoming yet another faceless corporation.

[Miss Cogs]

Hmm, I noticed the same thing as well. I think their solgan goes as far as selling band t-shirts, a very select selection of CDs, and some band posters. At least that is what it is like in Washington. I've even questioned them about their solgan, as where they started pointing around the store and saying, "See?" If they are promoting something, it's usually a CD at the desk that's hidden with all the crap they have up there.

It seems more like to me, that they are more about sellinf the clothing. They do have a lot of band T-shirts. I will not doubt that. But they should change their slogan. Frankely, I believe that if they are going to say its all about the music, then they should have more of a music selection then a clothing selection. Their windows should also be plastered with flyers of bands as well. =p

[LadyLucretia]

Originally Posted by Miss Cogs

It seems more like to me, that they are more about sellinf the clothing. They do have a lot of band T-shirts. I will not doubt that.

And you know, 5-7 years ago every Hot Topic carried Bauhaus, Cure, Siouxsie, and Sisters tshirts. Nowadays you're hard pressed to find even one Morrissey shirt in black. It's all top 40 bands, or metal bands, very little that's actually underground.

[HellforgedX]

They got a lot of Metallica... (inser Beavis and/or Butt-head lagh here).

But seriously, they're just another mall store, and mall stores don't care about what people actually want, only about what the average joe will glance in and buy. I haven't been to a Hot Topic in about 5 years. Support local business!

[delicti]

Hot Topic used to be all about the T-shirts (even small shops had trouble getting Reptile House goods), but now there's no reason to shop there at all.

Go to a local store and support them - they'll probably even let you special order things through them, which you're never going to see at a big-box store.

[Gothic/wFries]

I am brand new here, and I have no idea who I'm about to piss off by saying this.

I forgot how much I hate Hot Topic/malls. Thanks for reminding me.

Why would you say Hot Topic is against MUSIC, and does not back up it's claims to support it when clearly this is ADVERTISING? "All about music" is an advertising gimmick, not a gaurantee for every shitty flyer for every shitty band in america to be plastered on the fucking window.

You based this solely on your publication and organization. You and your group/mag do not sum up music or the industry as a whole. Also, why do you think you have a right to bash any store for not wanting to support you regardless of there advertising slogan?

Hot Topic is a succesful business they do not owe you or your mag/flyers a spot on the shelf because there advertising gimmick is "all about music".

Why do you care? We are talking about HOT TOPIC here.


In all honesty the only thing I can think of that pisses me off more than stores like Hot Topic, is people bitching about stores like Hot Topic thinking anyone has the time to waste to care.

[Necropolis]

Really, the only thing I can add is that Hot Topic is ridiculous and honestly, what could you expect from a store like that?

[KontanKarite]

Promoting is a bitch. We usually try to get the free city mags to post things about ConFuzion and such as well as dolling out the mad bulletins and messages on myspace, mojo, meetup, ect.

Being on the promotion street team is a complete labor of love, man.

[LadyLucretia]

Originally Posted by Gothic/wFries

"All about music" is an advertising gimmick, not a gaurantee for every shitty flyer for every shitty band in america to be plastered on the fucking window.

Yep, only shitty tshirts for every shitty Top 40 band in America get plastered in their windows!

Expecting much from Hot Topic at this point is foolish, as you pointed out. But if they are going to make promises to bands, distributors, and promoters - they are extending that service, it's not about being "owed" anything other than what they themselves promised. When they habitually break contracts it's just bad business, even in terms of their own profit margins.

As KontanKarite said, promoting can be a bitch, and when anyone hinders your efforts it's frustrating. I know that "hot topic sucks" is the most overdone topic, but I felt this was from a different perspective. If you felt it was such a waste of your time to think about, you could have just skipped over the thread.

[Gothic/wFries]

Originally Posted by LadyLucretia

If you felt it was such a waste of your time to think about, you could have just skipped over the thread.

No.

Ok, so you are saying that I should have predicted this thread was a waste of time before reading it?

Seriously, that is flawed logic.


Also it certainly is not a waste of my time to think about how annoying this thread is and express my oppinion about it, which was not what I said in the first place. However it is a waste of everyones time to listen to people bitching about shit everyone already knows is retarded. Which I stated above.

[LadyLucretia]

Originally Posted by Gothic/wFries

No.

Ok, so you are saying that I should have predicted this thread was a waste of time before reading it?

However it is a waste of everyones time to listen to people bitching about shit everyone already knows is retarded. Which I stated above.

So, "everyone already knows it's retarded," but you weren't able to figure out from the title of this thread that it wasn't something you were interested in reading about again?

Honestly you seem overly annoyed and worked up over what is just another opinion on the internet, and I'm starting to wonder if it actually has anything to do with the topic.

[Gothic/wFries]

I've made my point.

[LadyLucretia]

Originally Posted by Gothic/wFries

I've made my point.

::gives you a cookie::

[Gothic/wFries]

Haha.

Seriously though, don't take such offence. Not everyone is always going to agree with you.

Thanks for the cookie.

[ForgetThisLostLenore]

I really dislike Hot Topic, but there are no local stores here. None. This is kind of a town run by rap and hiphop. So I either make my clothes buy them elsewhere make them so pretty. But I have a few shirts, mainly Nightmare before Christmas and Invader Zim, that came from there. But I don't know if they do it anywhere else, but here, they also sell keychains and buttons and mints for $1 that "support the music and art"

[badteccy]

Originally Posted by LadyLucretia

I know what you're thinking -this topic is done to death, .

You're right.

[MIRON]

Hot Topic has scary people in it. I'm usually too afraid to go in and buy my WWE t-shirts.

[prophecyofdoom]

Bah. What's sad to me is I can remember when Hot Topic was awesome, at least to me... They used to carry lovely victorian style dresses and cool yet cheap jewelry... Once upon a time I could not walk in to a Hot Topic without emerging $40-$60 poorer with my arms laden with goodies... I keep going in, much like a starving person keeps opening the refrigerator, when they know nothings inside...

[raggedyanne]

They used to carry trench coats! I miss the trench coats!

[Ashlyea]

I've noticed that about Hot Topic recently as well, LadyLucretia. Also, hearing you talk about how they aren't backing up their slogan made me think of an idea.

Maybe someone could get a job at the nearest Hot Topic and work their way up through the ranks until they have enough power to change the way things are done (that is, if one hasn't been corrupted by power or some other thing). Then possibly the store could be changed back (if ever so slowly) to apparently what it used to be with the Siouxsie T-shirts.

Either that or you could petition, or ask very nicely or some other way. :/

Who knows? It just may work.

[Draconysius]

Originally Posted by Ashlyea

I've noticed that about Hot Topic recently as well, LadyLucretia. Also, hearing you talk about how they aren't backing up their slogan made me think of an idea.

Maybe someone could get a job at the nearest Hot Topic and work their way up through the ranks until they have enough power to change the way things are done (that is, if one hasn't been corrupted by power or some other thing). Then possibly the store could be changed back (if ever so slowly) to apparently what it used to be with the Siouxsie T-shirts.

Either that or you could petition, or ask very nicely or some other way. :/

Who knows? It just may work.

I highly doubt Snot Rocket will ever return to its former glory. They're hardly even a mallgoth's store anymore. Nowadays they're carrying less poseur stuff and more flat out scene crap that you could find at a gap for chrissakes.

[gothicusmaximus]

Originally Posted by Ashlyea

I've noticed that about Hot Topic recently as well, LadyLucretia. Also, hearing you talk about how they aren't backing up their slogan made me think of an idea.

Maybe someone could get a job at the nearest Hot Topic and work their way up through the ranks until they have enough power to change the way things are done (that is, if one hasn't been corrupted by power or some other thing). Then possibly the store could be changed back (if ever so slowly) to apparently what it used to be with the Siouxsie T-shirts.

Either that or you could petition, or ask very nicely or some other way. :/

Who knows? It just may work.

Were I somehow able to secure for myself a position of such eminence within Hot Topic's management hierarchy that to transform the corporation into one which actually provided outlets for the purchase of aesthetic and affordably priced goth clothing, I'd probably choose to leave the enterprise just as it is. I'd make more money pandering to rebellious pubescents than I would addressing the needs of the goth scene.
People bash Hot Topic, but I respect the company's administration as shrewd business men. Exploiting that agonizing struggle for identity which characterizes adolescence is a lucrative endeavor.

[Stormtrooper of Death]

Well I don't bloody like em' either. I learned DIY ethic and prefer to do everything myself. I have a band and we will do what Black Flag and every other DIY band did. We will post flyers every where in towns and I like doing it. I support a small DIY place in Pennsylvania and I made my studded jacket via them and the Salvation army. But anyways, people go there because it's the only place that has stuff like that. small businesses are being overrun by globalization.

[La_Mort_Heureuse]

This thread is interesting, and provides a different look at the issue. The arguments of the original poster are more fact-driven than the "Hot Topic is for tools" threads.

Gothic/wFries: Please lookup what a "contract" is before you say stupid things. You didn't know what you were talking about when you posted to this thread, and it shows. If you want to attack someone, don't make yourself sound worse in comparison. It counteracts your point.

[Clockwork]

Originally Posted by gothicusmaximus

People bash Hot Topic, but I respect the company's administration as shrewd business men. Exploiting that agonizing struggle for identity which characterizes adolescence is a lucrative endeavor.

It sounds so much more despicable when you put it that way :D
But still. Baggy tripp pants. Ew.