Kevin Smith Clerks At A Hot Topic

It seems that even Kevin Smith wasn't immune to working as a store clerk, the job most teens go through as right of part-time passage. However, the experience only added to the filmmaker's ability to create cult hits like Clerks and Mallrats. Perhaps that's why Kevin recently decided to take a trip to the Ocean County Mall over in New Jersey. With Mallrats 2 still in development, the filmmaker got to see how teenagers and their consumeristic hobbies have changed when he returned to a Hot Topic and even got to work behind the store's cash register.

Kevin took to Facebook earlier this week to celebrate his return to all things millennial when he visited a Hot Topic where his cousin works. He uploaded a live video of himself in the store as he shopped with his mother and even rung up a purchase or two. The lucky lady who had her purchase rung up by the filmmaker even spared a minute to speak with Kevin's fans as she told him he "took a long time" to finish the transaction. Of course, Kevin took the critique and turned into a decently NSFW innuendo which had others in the store cackling.

While some fans may be wondering whether Kevin really did visit the store for research purposes, it appears the trip was spurred on by something far more important. Kevin and his mother went to the store to celebrate her recent release from the hospital as she'd been receiving in-patient treatment for some time. In a separate post, the filmmaker explained, "My Mom is out of the hospital! To make her feel younger than her 70 years, I brought her to @hottopic and bought her teenager t-shirts (like this one, featuring the late, great #AlanRickman)."

And, if you're curious as to which purchase was Ms. Smith's favorite, she'd likely say it's her new 'Netflix & Chill' t-shirt. As for Kevin, it seems he just enjoyed getting to revisit a period of his past when he was a literal 'mallrat.' But, if you're interested in following Kevin's career and about to apply for a job at your local Hot Topic, you might want to do as Kevin says and not as he does in his video. The filmmaker goes out of his way to show fans everything cashiers shouldn't do while working with customers when he rings up a mock transaction with his mother.

But, really, who ever said Kevin needed bedside manners when it comes to ringing up purchases? Fans are far happier to see the filmmaker be himself and take out any (and all) of his frustrations on today's "new-fangled" cash registers.-