hot topic! (not): DVD release party details

So, the Hot Topic jaunt was a bit of an adventure but not exactly in the way I had planned.
First off, I had to get there. This may seem like a trivial detail to you, but I have very strict parents who pretty much never let me do anything and still treat me like a 12-year-old child instead of somebody who has graduated from college and has had a driver's license for several years.
Telling the truth is (most of the time) out of the question. In fact, it's often easier to not say anything. So I originally planned to just sneak out by the time Mom fell asleep, and jet off to the mall. Blasting the Twilight soundtrack all the way there, of course. I even downloaded some songs from the score just for the occasion!
But of course Mom took forever to go to bed, insisting on cutting her nails, trimming her bangs, fussing with her foot file, all manner of shit that she NEVER usually does before bed and of course she had to pick this night to do all of them! All the while the clock was ticking and the Hot Topic salesperson had told me over the phone to get to the mall by 9PM or the mall would close and I wouldn't be able to get in. It was already 8:45 by the time Mom clambered into bed and it's usually a 25 minute drive to the mall...so I was at my wit's end. I dressed quickly but she called out to me to ask me a question, and she has a nasty habit of yelling at me from her bed every so often before she falls asleep, so I didn't think she would be fully asleep by the time I escaped. I settled for a white lie.

"Hey Mom, I'm going to Blockbuster to rent a DVD."
"Whaaaa? It's 8:50!"
"So...?"
"No, you stay at home!"
"Mom, you let Kevin (my older brother) rent movies all the time."
"No, we have to clean house tomorrow!"
"So...?"
"You're a girl, it's so late at night!"
"So...?"

That went on for quite a bit longer and finally I just TOLD her, "I'm GOING!!!!" and left. Then in my rush to pull out of the driveway, I stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake, and that was kind of a...yeah I hope Mom didn't hear that through her bedroom window.

I drove like a Cullen to the mall, and got there at 9:20. Seriously, I drove faster than I've ever driven before, and I am usually a pretty slow driver, so it was a big deal. I think I averaged 80 mph. Then, panicked, I finally ran into the mall and it turned out that the Hot Topic lady had lied. It is quite possible to enter the mall even after 9pm, or 10pm, or 11pm...whenever, as long as the Hot Topic was still open. You just had to find the right mall entrance.

It was OK with me though. I rolled up my striped knee socks, donned my improvised Cullen baseball cap (a blue and white baseball cap that originally said Tufts School of Engineering on it, which I covered with masking tape and drew a "C" on with Sharpie), and got ready to bond with fellow Twilighters.

I spotted them immediately, a pair of vacant-eyed, hoodie-wearing girls sitting on a bench outside the store. As far as I could see, the two girls were the only fans there other than me. The Hot Topic staff had lowered the metal grill thingy over the store entrance and said they would open at 10pm.

I introduced myself and tried to start a conversation about Twilight--the fidelity of the movie adaptation, the appropriateness of the casting, the cinematography...anything, really. Maybe even bring up my blog and suggest that they take a look, since I'm always trying to expand readership. To my dismay, the girls weren't very responsive, and one of them even mistakenly referred to Rpatz as "whats-his-name...Edward Pattinson."

I turned away for a moment as I choked in horror.

Those two should start a blog called Dumb People Who Like Twilight.

A trio of three tween girls showed up, and I decided to try my luck with them. One of them had worn a Team Edward hoodie and styled her hair to look like Alice, so I complimented her haircut and tried to make small talk.
They were enthusiastic enough when I asked to take a picture of them. The Alice-haired girl even wore golden brown contacts...she was really into it! And one of them wore a "Cullen crest" pendant. But I soon found that not only were they not able to keep up intelligent conversation, but their fandom was also very superficial and merchandise-based. Seriously...none of them wanted to engage with the themes or plot/logic discontinuities or ANYTHING!

Those three should start a blog called Vapid Tweens Who Like Twilight, Funded by Irresponsibly Lax Suburban Parents.

I quickly realized that my hopes of bonding with fans of like intellect/maturity were a lost cause, and settled for putting in my headphones and listening to the soundtrack some more.

As 10pm approached, a few more straggled in--a frumpy mom and her shockingly similarly frumpy daughter. The kind of girl who you can tell doesn't get out much, probably has never kissed, and sits alone in her high school cafeteria. But maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. Most people who are so into Twilight, that they would have nothing better to do on a Friday night than come to a suburban mall's DVD release event, would be the escapist fantasy-book-reading type. I know this sounds coarse but let's get real here. Many of those "types" are not the type who maintain their personal appearance very well, or dress well, or are outgoing, or charismatic, or bodily fit. (Or maybe it was just my luck at this particular Hot Topic. Maybe I should've gone to Borders. But I bet this scene was repeated in thousands of other Hot Topics across America: the Twilight PR machine builds up expectations and encourages fans to unite, in numbers and pocketbooks, to anticipate the DVD release and all bond over buying it together. But really, it's not a glamorous event, or even that fun; it's just random weirdos milling about in the same store, not really making eye contact; and a convenient way for Hot Topic to ring up more merchandise.)

It's kind of sad, and a huge let-down emotionally for me, that I was the only true fan there. Meaning, I was the only one with a creative bone in my body (I made that fucking hat!!) and the only one who IS a fan but can still intellectually distance herself from the franchise (granted, it doesn't take many brain cells to do that).

Finally the Hot Topic workers lifted the grate and let us in. All 15 of us. The lady in combat boots, fishnets, and electric blue eyeshadow stopped me and asked to see my "Hot Topic Party Invitation." I said I didn't have one but I had spoken to a staff member on the phone this afternoon who'd said as long as I came by 9pm I would get in. She narrowed her eyes at me, looked at the rest of the line, looked at me again, and decided it wasn't worth it, grudgingly letting me past the grate.

Hot Topic: 0
Me: 1

Once inside the store, though, there was nothing to do except look at Hot Topic stuff (fishnets, studded belts, slutty shit), fill out a raffle form, and stand around. 2 more hours of this shiz?! I've already taken my picture with the life-sized cardboard Edward, what if my head explodes of boredom before midnight? What if Mom wakes up and checks my bed, checks the driveway, flips out, and calls me? Would she believe that I spent 3 hours at Blockbuster?

Finally a reprieve: trivia every half-hour (prize = $5 HT gift card), which I was sure I could lock up like whoa, and they were selling the Twilight Director's Notebook by Catherine Hardwicke. So, I could at least pass the time by reading something (without buying it, of course).

I won one of the trivia rounds, yay! The winning question I answered was, "What momento of Bella's does Edward hold on to?"

Answer: the lemonade bottle cap from lunch

And one that I was SURE, almost 100% positive I had right, but they said I got wrong: "What was the name of the restaurant Edward took Bella to?"

I said La Bella Italia, but the girl said I was wrong...Imma look into it. But I had already won a prize, so I thought I should let the other tweens have at it.

I took some pictures of the particularly funny fan merchandise. By funny I mean stupid, most of the time. For example, they have tons of Twilight t-shirts with pics of Edward or Bella and a movie quote, but they pick the most random or meaningless quotes possible...I can see the appeal of the "I <3 Boys who Sparkle" t-shirt, but why would you ever wear a t-shirt that says "I'm Not Scared Of You"?

They make Edward pillowcases. Looks like a low thread count though...






Finally it was almost midnight and we dutifully let ourselves be herded and lined up for the DVD purchase. I knew better than to bother to talk to the others in line, so in went my headphones and up went the volume. I noticed ahead of me in line that the three vapid tweens had put their allowance to work and were wearing some new Hot Topic pants: low-slung purple cheetah print skinny jeans with zippers. Of course they had no butts but plenty of muffin top, so you can imagine what kind of eyesore that was.

Last night was the first time it occurred to me in an actual real/visceral way that perhaps I shouldn't "care" so much about Twilight--and that I am actually feeling a little over it. That was kind of depressing. I shouldn't go alone to these things.

I went up to the counter and forked over my credit card. The "Hot Topic Exclusive!" DVD came with a poster, so that was cool I guess. And inside our DVD boxes apparently was a "special collectible item"--a small film cell, a piece of film from a roll of film reproduced from the movie. When I opened it later I saw that I got one from the scene of Edward and Bella separating in the Cullen garage. Maybe I can eBay this shiz?

I got my over-priced DVD and drove home, but not before getting lost twice. When I pulled up to the driveway I cut the headlights to not disturb Mom and I hoped I wouldn't smash into anything and she wouldn't wake up. I didn't. She didn't.

Mission accomplished!