Originally posted by mayonaise
yeah, thats how a lot of things go, especially with pop culture. things that start out as underground often start to become mainstream, and eventually gain more of a pop status - like punk and alternative. i guess everyone has a selling point 
I agree... Hot Topic is a public company (HOTT:NASDAQ), and thus while their image is to the "scene", their true duty is to better the shareholder's profit. You can't get any more basic than that... They are legally obligated to follow that doctrine above all else, and, believe it or not, the WHOLE reason they're selling that stuff is to make a profit off of YOU, the captive consumer with tastes that Hot Topic has cultivated from you and into you.
I just pray that Hot Topic stays far away from the junglist scene... I don't want to see it popularized...