Beyond being one of the most brilliant television shows ever conceived, Lost is, pure and simple, a fantastic motivator.
It has, after all, prompted an entire generation to revisit the philosophies of John Locke, David Hume and Jean-Jacques Rosseau. It’s made Einstein’s physics of time travel and Michael Faraday’s electromagnetic discoveries worthy of further review. It’s even brought the spiritual teachings of Ram Dass (a.k.a. Richard Alpert) back to the forefront of our collective consciousness.
Once you find Lost, you find yourself transported to a new world. And that new world is most definitely not an island. When Doc Arzt and Amy Johnston wrote Lost Ate My Life they nailed the subtitle—we are indeed a Fandom Like No Other. We lurk on websites with strange sci-fi sounding names, rolling our eyes at shippers (having nothing to do with ships) and hunting around for easter eggs (having nothing to do with Easter).
There are days many of us feel like traveling evangelists, preaching the gospel of Lost to anyone who’ll listen…pleading with them to simply try it…promising them it will change their lives. Because we know that after they pop in that first DVD, everything will change.
Suddenly they’ll find themselves at home on a Saturday night, reading a book about rabbits in search of a new home. Then before they know it, they’ll be explaining Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism, B.F. Skinner’s behaviorism and James Clerk Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetism to co-workers over lunch. They’ll no longer be part of the masses killing time on Facebook—they’ll be too busy Googling strange Latin phrases and images of ancient Egyptian deities.
Since Lost has so affected our daily lives, it comes as no surprise that it’s directly affected our creativity as well. Whether our previous passions included making art, music or jewelry, chances are our Lost addiction has spurred us on toward something new.
This website is a small contribution to the most incredible fan community on earth. Hopefully it will provide an opportunity for more fans to give back during this final season. Whether Lost has inspired you to start a podcast, blog or band, this site is for you. It features the best of everything we’ve been motivated since the series began.
On May 23 it all comes to an end. Until then, this hub of creativity will remain another outlet for fans to say thank you to many people who’ve worked so hard to give us such an extraordinary viewing experience over the last six years. The Lost writers and producers took on the arduous task of developing an intelligent entertainment vehicle in a wasteland of mind-numbing trash—and for that they deserve our praise. They have enriched our thought lives, stirred our souls and given us new passions to spur on our creative endeavors. We are forever grateful.
Mahalo,
Jennifer
*Listen to my Lost commentary as heard on Television Zombies.
