NOT Topic

Ok, so when I walked past the Hot Topic store at my local mall last month and saw Justin Bieber t-shirts & other paraphenalia prominently displayed, I cocked my head a bit and thought hmmm...interesting choice for a store that is supposed to be a retail refuge for "alternative" kids. After a moment of thought, I dismissed this anomaly by reminding myself that Bieber was discovered in a unique way and mentored by a rap artist. I mean, that's sort of alternative, right? Besides, Hot Topic exists to make money, as any parent who has gone in to buy anything for their child in there knows all to well. I admit that I have dropped quite a few dollars in there for my kids (and myself to be honest - where else can you find cool band tees like that in Dallas?) Oh, and I always make sure to give $1 to the Hot Topic foundation to support keeping music programs in schools. That is completely off topic for this blog, but I thought the idea was worth mentioning.
A week ago I learned that the Bieber anomaly was not, well, an anomaly. Hot Topic will be restructuring its stores, limiting the "gothic", "alternative", and "oppressive" merchandise in order to prevent "scaring away" people from its dark aura. What? People who want sunshine and daisies aren't the ones who have kept Hot Topic successfully in business in malls across the country. I understand that the store can seem dark, even satanic to some parents as they gasp when their tween wants to enter the store for the first time. This is when parents need to remember not to judge anything by its appearance. This is the time for parents to learn more about "alternative" music and lifestyle and ask their kids what appeals to them about these things.
As one who grew up listening to The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Cult, and many other bands who paved the way for those currently displayed on the t-shirts at Hot Topic (that is, until they are ousted by Bieber), I can assure parents that often these "alternative" bands sing about issues that are more real to angst-ridden teens than Bieber's "baby, baby, baby, oooooh...." This is nothing to fear; on the contrary, music and art can help tweens, teens, and adults work through the issues that face them. Many of the bands that seem very dark at first glance are very deep, sensitive, and insightful. Heck, I know of several (such as AFI) that are completely drug-free and vegan! How's that for a good role-model for your teen?
I worry that the wussification of Hot Topic is just another symptom of the ultra-conservative trend in American culture right now. Instead of uniting, many people are becoming more polarized and obsessed with that which divides us instead of what makes us all human beings. So where are all the "alternative" kids going to shop now? Shall they become Aberzombies too? No, real punk kids will do what punks have done all along - make thier own t-shirts with spray paint or whatever they can get their hands on and not overpay a huge corporation that has sold them out.