Pondering Lost Fandom at The Tail Section
Tail Section readers, there is a strong possibility that you will hate me. If not hate, then probably a strong dislike. At best, a vague annoyance. But, here I am, on The Tail Section, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. John and Don are already on board, doing a more than solid job of bringing Lost coverage to The Tail Section and believe me, we’re going to do our best to uphold the high standards of TTS. Since I am a writer on BuddyTV and a fan of Lost, I will also be writing about Lost here in this space. The problem, though, is obvious. I am not on your level. My Lost fandom is woefully insufficient compared to the average Tail Section reader. If I try to expertly analyze Lost theories, deconstruct an episode, anything, I will be (justly) ripped to shreds. So, I pose this question: How can I contribute here at The Tail Section?
Really, the only thing I can come up with is for me to go back and rewatch the first three season on DVD. I’ve seen every episode of Lost, but even so, have been firmly entrenched in “casual fan” mode. This will not do. I have never formulated my own theories (though I have, on multiple occasions, vehemently crotch-kicked the cliche purgatory theory other casual fans have put forth in conversation), my Easter Egg knowledge is non-existent, and I have not investigated Lost’s thematic connections to philosophy, science, etc. In terms or where you’re all at, I am way, way behind.
Re-watching every episode on DVD: doable? I want to do it, I really do, because I love the show and it definitely lends itself to multiple viewings. However, to re-watch the first three seasons is no easy task. We’re talking 46 hours of television, and that’s without commercials. And, even if I were to watch every episode again (which I think would be necessary to delve into Tail Section-level fandom), how far does that really get me? I’m still countless hours of on line discussion, article reading, theory formulating, and philosophizing away from getting to where I’d like to be. Is it worth it at this point?
I’d always assumed that, years from now, I’d find someone (girlfriend, family member, futuristic robot with human feelings) that had never before seen Lost and re-engage with them by watching the series in its entirety on DVD. Time is valuable. As a TV fan, can I justify watching Lost again when there are other series (like The Wire, Friday Night Lights, Dexter, Weeds, and many more) that I’m not yet caught up on? Saving the joys of Lost for the future is an attractive idea to me, selfish though it may be.
John and Don’s Lost knowledge trumps mine significantly, and they’ll be providing all of you with continuing Lost content, the likes of which you’ve gotten used to here at TTS. As for me, whenever you see my name on the by-line, the story will almost always be from the perspective of an outsider. I won’t pretend to be an expert, but rather give my two cents as a casual fan.
That is, unless I get a wild hair in my ass and decide to fully immerse myself over the next few months in the world of Lost. I’m almost scared to do it because I love the show so much already that, if I start to really get into it and all of its on line glory, I may never get out.
This has, I suppose, mostly been a long-winded way of saying that my TTS posts will be from the perspective of a casual fan, but (hopefully) in a way that will resonate and be enjoyed by you Tail Section loyalists. We’ll soon find out whether or not that’s possible.
I liked your opening statement, and I guarantee that I won’t hate you.I don’t suggest watching seasons one to three again, though, because while there is so much stuff you can catch on those second-watchings, watching it again doesn’t really mean you will catch the visions in the smoke monster, I’d leave that up to fans to point out.
I think I would appreciate some wacky theories from you. I mean, the best thing to say while talking about Lost is your own opinion. While Don did that awesome mystery analysis thing about the healing properties, I’d like to see you(or anyone, for that matter) post more theories, while trying to keep it original(not repeating the ordinary theory you read on message boards every day). The wackier the better, I always say.
While Doc was great, there was alot of stuff he didn’t do. There is one thing even the most casual viewer can do, it’s write fan-fiction. Though, I don’t read alot of fan-fiction, I’ve read my fair share. Posting some story about life at the beach camp in between episodes would be cool, and it would be easy for you to do without rewatching all the episodes. It would also add a little touch to the TailSection that even the Doc didn’t put her.
Looking forward to read your posts.
Comment by doug — December 6, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
I do recommend watching the first three seasons again on DVD, as consecutively as possible. As required reading after each episode, read the lostpedia page on that episode and then listen to the Official Lost Podcast for that episode. As you watch episodes, write down hypotheses you have about what’s going on. It doesn’t matter whether you already know them to be discredited by future events on the show, write them down anyway. Then cross them off when you actually get to that point in the show, and note why the hypothesis has been falsified (partially or completely). Do the same for answers that the producers give in the podcasts.
And then here’s the important part: before posting some idea / hypothesis / “theory” you have about the show, check to make its sure it’s consistent with what we’ve already seen on the show or been told about it. Too often in Lost discussions, people bring up discredited theories, and it’s really frustrating to wade through that crap to get to useful posts.
You know what, just read every single article you can on Lostpedia. Also, be sure to proofread your postings for spelling and grammatical errors. Welcome, and good luck.
Comment by hexonxonx — December 6, 2007 @ 4:54 pm
Don’t bother. Don’t post. I already hate you. But do whatever.
Comment by Homermoose — December 6, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
Oscar, thanks for your honesty and humility.
1. Unlike many others here, I don’t “HATE” BuddyTV because I like diversity (Of course, that’s when complaints come in about “recycled posts” on both sites). I’m not going to lie - I want exclusive content on the TailSection, and exclusive content on BuddyTV; at the same time, I’m not going to bitch about it - after all, I’m getting it for free.
One request/suggestion - if BuddyTV decides to continue double posting between the two sites, could you at least let us know which audience the article was originally intended for on both sites?
2. You want excellent and wacky theories alike? Go to the Fuselage - some theories are so crazy there they will say the writers intended for Desmond to be like Jesus because the sand on his hand looks like a stigmata, others will unhealthily stare at screenshots for hours and notice that Juliet put in too many toothpicks for a grilled cheese sandwich (and question why put in toothpicks in a sandwich if it’s grilled cheese if it’s not needed for those kinds of sandwiches). However, others have legit theories that are correct, because they theorized that Claire and Jack could be half-siblings because of an Ana-Lucia flashback.
Regardless, I welcome you and like your postings. You’ll get haters from those like Homermoose and from Node, but you won’t hear anything hateful from me. Thanks for coming.
Comment by sk8rpro — December 6, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
i dont hate you guys. anything lost related is always welcome, especially during these very trying times.
Comment by samsneed — December 6, 2007 @ 7:29 pm
I could NEVER hate another Lost fan, brutha. I think that you are gonna be just fine. You have John and Don to cover the extreme stuff….such as deep rooted theories and easter eggs. It sounds to me like they are more than qualified to handle that end. No, I wouldn’t try to kill yourself to get on the level of crazy fans like us. You say that you really want to be involved with this site…..and it sounds like you would be happy to be on the normal level of Lost-obbsessiveness. Having said that, I think that you should simply watch all three seasons of Lost over again and really pay attention while you are watching. I think that you would be a great contributor by just having a good grasp of what is going down on the show. You don’t have to have big theories or pick up on all the literature references or know about all the easter eggs. You’ll be fine, dude.
Comment by Joe D. — December 6, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
Well, you could always double check your facts at Lostpedia.com
But besides that, be fun, be a part of the community, and dont take offence to people who dont give you the time of day just because your not the last guy.. its not their fault that the world turns. Doc is great, but hes not gone, we can have the best of both worlds and it seems people arent looking at it that way.
Anyways, welcome to TTS, I personally expect a writer for a Lost site to be a huge guru, an aficionado, a LOST expert, but I’ll welcome the idea of a newcomers thoughts about the LOST world. Still, you have to prove it.. remember, we’ve got Darkufo, BuddyTV… http://WWW.LOSTPEDIA.COM .. and many other great 24 hour a day die hard fans and writers to pay attention to, but as long as you can show me something new, something interesting, and something that shows you checked your facts while remaining truly open to counter theories, then welcome aboard!!!
And to everyone else, its not the writers faults that TTS changed its logo from the one we love, changed the layout.. we loved, and added friggin awesome date.com ads…which I obviously love… So although TTS has turned… in a direction, the individual writers aren’t really to blame, they are just anxious like you and I to report lost and speculate with the whole scooby gang!
Comment by mac_ad — December 6, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Rewatching the first three seasons is only the beginning my friend, heh heh. I myself have watched every season three times through in the past year not to mention my favorite episodes that I’ve reviewed several times over: (The Pilot, Walkabout, The Moth, Exodus, Man of Science Man of Faith, Orientation, Lockedown, ?, Three Minutes, Further Instructions, Flashes Before Your Eyes, Enter 77, The Man From Tallahasse, The Brig, The Man Behind the Curtain, and of COURSE Through the Looking Glass)
…ok I hate to brag but I’ve pretty much watched it all several times. Not saying that makes me cool or anything, if anything it makes me a loser with nothing better to do. But anyways, knowing Lost is not just knowing a “show” it’s knowing a place and a state of mind (not to go all Zen on ya’ll). You have to see the patterns and the clues in all that you view. Really watching it the second time is what STARTS your visions of the big picture as it is and as it might someday be. You need to FEEL Lost deep down inside and let your mind run wild piecing together the clues and the possibilities of where this story could bring us in the next three years.
And by the by…The Wire, Friday Night Lights, Dexter, Weeds???!!! Are you F-ing kidding me??? This is a Lost page here!! WE have no time for such weakling shows!! (well, maybe in the off-season).
But all in all, opinions of the beginning Lost fan are always welcomed if for no other reason than to look at you and remember the way we used to be when we first chose to delve into the mystery pool that is Lost-fandom
Comment by B*Locke — December 7, 2007 @ 1:55 am
By the way if you guys really need a writer that bad…
I’m always here…
Comment by B*Locke — December 7, 2007 @ 1:57 am
maybe having a casual fan alongside the more hardcore contributors would be a positive
Comment by shaun — December 7, 2007 @ 4:23 am
I think Shaun stumbled onto something. Bring the casual fan’s point of view. Let us know what you liked, didn’t like about episodes or news without the indepth analysis. You might help some of us ween off our addiction.
Comment by MerlboroMan — December 7, 2007 @ 5:30 am
Welcome to our TTS camp Oscar!
I’m with Sk8rPro, and very much appreciate your gracious LOST TTS self-introduction that is both honest and humble.
Time is everyone’s burden to both relish and manage … “We either Live Together, or Die Alone”.
My suggestion is that it would be best for all, particularly you, if you allocated your valuable time as sort of our TTS Content Coordinator/Master/Cartographer. Even without all the other LOST sites, TTS has piles of wonderful content that is continuously growing and evolving every day such that it is simply not possible to absorb it all, or even most of it.
SOooo, I personally would appreciate it if you provided quick updated summaries and mapping to TTS, perhaps other, content including Easter Eggs, Fan News, HLyons Baby Talk, JVince Spoilers, Marcus Darkus, Jimmy12 …, Gartism, Tailhook, as well as our many other TTS personalities, episode discussions, and everybody/thing else. A TTS fan forum for Q&A’s may also be welcomed by most TTSers.
imho, you don’t need to spend endless hours re-watching every episode and reading everything, simply be our TTS Content Coordinator/Master/Cartographer.
Namaste - RichPundit
Comment by RichPundit — December 7, 2007 @ 5:48 am
I appreciate the honesty as well, Oscar, even though, as you said, it was a long winded staement that could have been summed up in a paragraph and thereby saved you valuable Lost rewatching time.
I’m not a “hater” (up there with “meh” as tops on the dumbest in geek lexicon) as some have described me. I merely appreciate consistent, fresh and thoughtful theories and analysis from people who actually LIKE the show. I don’t think that’s too much to ask and there has been a noticeable lack of it since Doc left.
That said, I’m a bit confused as to what exactly you will be contributing to this site as a casual viewer seemingly attempting to rewatch the first three seasons on DVD? Will you be providing analysis on these past episodes as you watch them and futilely trying to find something we may have missed? Will you be posting on future episodes as someone ill-informed of the intricate mythology of Lost? I’m not tryign to be an ass. Really. I’m just wondering.
Comment by Node32774 — December 7, 2007 @ 6:12 am
Welcome Oscar!
Personally, I think it’s wonderful that a ‘casual viewer’ will write about LOST!!!
While I certainly enjoy delving into the Easter Eggs, theories, literary references allegories, etc., I’ve long held the opinion that most of the elaborate theories, though fun to ponder, are taking things too far. Why? Because at the end of the series, the ‘casual viewer’ will need to be able to understand the mysteries of LOST. If it takes we hardcore people ten pages to outline an elaborate hypothesis, I have trouble seeing how that hypothesis is going to be neatly and easily communicated to the ‘casual viewers’. Sure, Darlton will throw in some really cool stuff that only we hardcore folks will get, but the main themes of the show need to be neatly delivered at some point for folks who are perhaps a bit healthier about their television.
Also, some of us may not be seeing the forest for the trees as we examine every leaf on them! You may be in a great position to point out something new!
So welcome casual viewer!
Comment by KeepingAwake — December 7, 2007 @ 7:40 am
I can’t see anybody hating you, dude. Most admirable that you posted truthfully, asking our opinion. Sounds good, dude. Look for ward to readin what you have to write.
Comment by Cerberus — December 7, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Here’s what I would do:
1) Revamp the Web site. Take off all old material and give it a new look.
2) Provide good information daily during the season and at least twice a week in the off season.
3) Don’t point us to Buddy TV or another Web site. Simply copy and paste it here if you have to.
4) Use your readers. There will be people who pick up on Easter Eggs and other stuff and will tell you about it. Present that as news.
5) Quit apologizing. It’s boring and wasteful.
6) Be innovative. Whether you are a diehard fan or not, you still have an imagination.
7) Please don’t watch all the DVDs and report on them. Do it on your own time, but spare us the yawn-fest.
Look, I don’t know what Dr. Artz did, either dropping the ball on posting to this site or losing people’s money. Don’t care. If you were stupid enough to give money to a stranger to go on a trip to Hawaii, you’re a moron. End of story. It’s not like giving money to Food for the Poor. You paid a guy to go to a top tourist destination. Who the hell does that? Seriously, quit whining.
What I liked about the Tail Section was getting the Easter Eggs, previews of episodes, some spoilers and to a lesser extent, theories. Everyday I click on this Web site to see the latest news. For those who like to chat, go right ahead, but the message board is bleeding into the news content and that has to stop. If it continues, I’ll have to go somewhere else. Again, quit complaining, quit whining and quit apologizing. Just provide the news.
Merry Christmas,
Frank fro mSouth Kakalaki
Comment by Frank from South Kakalaki — December 7, 2007 @ 10:31 am
You’ve only watched each season once?!?! I’ve seen all three about 5 times straight through and a few random episodes here and there and all the special features from seasons 1 and 2 DVD. Maybe I should write for TTS.
Comment by catemple1234 — December 7, 2007 @ 10:35 am
Any anti-DocArzt comments are both ridiculous and out of line here. Get a life, people.
Comment by Oscar — December 7, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
I like Frank’s point:
“6) Be innovative. Whether you are a diehard fan or not, you still have an imagination.”
Regardless of what Doc Artz did or said, you still have an opinion. Doc is gone, and I am happy you are here. Tell us what’s on your mind.
Also, catemple1234,
I’ve only watched each episode once, save for the seasons one and two finales and a few season one episodes here and there, mostly because I am in Canada and I can’t watch the episodes online, and I assure you I know everything about Lost there is that we’ve learnt so far. The number of times you’ve watched each episode doesn’t matter, what matters is your understanding of the themes and motifs of Lost.
Comment by Doug — December 7, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
Anyone who keeps this site active gets an “A” in my book. The only thing that keeps me from viewing though is the darn “Media Ads” that run. If you don’t nab ‘em in time they can shut your ‘puter down in fine manner LOL! I’m all for Oscar / John / Doc / whoever volunteers to fill-in as anchor man/woman/child.
Peace to all and good wishes! Sue/Shakopee MN
Comment by desertrose53 — December 8, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
This may be inappropriate, but… he’s back:
http://tvblog.ugo.com/index.php/tvblog/more/waxing_lost_tastic_where_do_the_mobisodes_fit_in_the_lost_universe/
Comment by BobJR — December 8, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Thank you, BobJR.
Comment by gusteaux — December 9, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
*removes RSS feed*
Comment by mike — December 10, 2007 @ 6:47 am
Hmm… I take it you’re Oscar Dahl? It not like your lack of knowledge has stopped you from posting in the past on BuddyTV. Heck.. your severe lack of pop culture breadth is half your charm. Its like watching the guy that goes out and stumbles all over the dance floor. He may not dance correctly, now or ever.. but at least he’s out there trying.
Comment by tailhook — December 10, 2007 @ 9:09 am
Doc,
I don’t pretend to know what you “did” or “did not” do. All I know is something “happened” that pissed off a bunch of people to where these chats are bleeding into the news. I visit the site daily for Lost buzz and have enjoyed it. All I know is jargon like this continues to pop up and we’re not getting the same quality reports like we use to. Let’s move on, seriously. And I really don’t give a flip if it is you posting or someone else. Just provide frequent, informative posts.
Comment by South Kakalaki — December 10, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
What happened to piss people off SK is that the quality of the content here took a nose dive after Doc left and it is my understanding that Doc offered to continue posting but his account was removed. Nothing against you SK, but more people came here to read Doc then they did to get the news. The news you can get anywheres. If all you want is the headlines, go to lostmedia.com or darkufo. Not telling you to ‘get away,’ by the way, just saying if that is what you’re looking for go there.
Comment by Razz — December 10, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
oscar, here’s an idea:
you should rent the DVDs and do a recap of the old episodes. doc arzt tried to do this but his recaps were really dull… like “sawyer and jack are arguing. now locke is making dinner”
you could look for the major themes and how they present themselves, notice little details like how haircuts and beard-lengths change from episode to episode, notice who’s directing each episode and comment on how their style evolved, that sort of stuff.
the hiatus is almost over but some good reflective content would be nice.
Comment by joe blow — December 10, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
no, faggo. i cannot read. will u teach me?
Comment by joe blow — December 11, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
Razz, thanks for making me look like a dick. Again, you missed the point. Change happened. Don’t really care about who, what, when, why or how. I would just like to read news (yes, and theories), and less whining and smack talk. This is my last post on the topic. It should be everyone’s last post on the topic. Move on.
Comment by Frank from South Kakalaki — December 12, 2007 @ 2:19 pm