Terraform, June 22, 2015

“Trending Hot Topic” by Kate Losse

Reviewed by Eric Kimminau

“Trending Hot Topic” by Kate Losse seems (to me) to try too hard to be “edgy.” The story was about the never-ending search for a mall rat store company to stay relevant and to stay in tune with their perceived audience (in this case an aging goth audience). Their answer was to become a meme “manufacturer,” just as they were in the days when their customers went to their mall stores to buy their trend-setting logos splashed across their latest purchase, ergo making them “hip” and at the same time creating and spreading new memes.  Trend-setting internet companies strive to stay relevant and in-tune with their perceived audiences, I get that. “Trending Hot Topic” takes this to a level where it becomes mainstream and acceptable even in the snootiest of settings. A sad commentary on the trend towards Idiocracy. I just didn’t get it. Rather than try to pull it together, it’s a jumble of concepts that, for me, get lost in trying to translate them into a relevant story. I fully expected to get a “Brawndo! Its got Electrolytes!” but instead got a Hot Topic Slurpee from 7-11.

Eric Kimminau is a BBS geek turned IT professional for a Fortune 10 global IT company.