Lost and the Redefining of Online Fandoms
Two prominent members of that fandom—Jon Lachonis and Amy Johnston—offer an insider’s view of Lost fans in their book, Lost Ate My Life (ECW Press, 2008). While detailing numerous stories about the show’s creation and unique storytelling devices, Lachonis and Johnston also paint a behind-the-scenes picture of the various ways Lost has interacted with its fanbase and the reactions—both positive and negative—that the fanbase has offered back.
Many genre shows garnered significant fanbases in the past—the sci-fi series Star Trek, for instance, was saved from cancellation in the 1960s thanks to a successful “Save Our Show” write-in campaign—but it was the rise of the Internet that allowed such fandoms to truly nurture and grow in ways they could not before. The X-Files, which debuted on network television at the same time that the World Wide Web became popular, was the first show to tap into the power of the Internet when web-savvy fans helped transform the show from cult hit to mainstream success. Then there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which utilized “official” message boards frequented by stars and writers of the series and eventually manufactured a fanbase that still remains an online force years after the show itself ended.
The co-creators of Lost, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, were able to take what came before and exponentially raise the stakes with their own series. The two also benefited from being fans of sci-fi in general and shows like Star Trek, The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer specifically, making it easier for them to establish a relationship with similar types of fans. Taking a cue from Buffy, for instance, Abrams sponsored the creation of the Fuselage—a posting board similar to the Bronze Beta utilized by the Joss Whedon creation—for Lost. Fans who gathered there, especially in the early days, were often treated to visits by not only Abrams and Lindelof, but such actors as Terry O’Quinn (John Locke) and Dominic Monaghan (Charlie Pace). The Fuselage also spawned yearly fan-gatherings in Los Angeles in the same way that Buffy fans organized Posting Board Parties revolving around the Bronze.
Lost went further, however, than merely giving fans a means to socialize and interact with creators and cast alike—J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and showrunner Carlton Cuse also provided a multitude of discussion points to keep the growing fandom active and engaged. Episodes of the show were peppered with what are known as “Easter Eggs,” an assortment of hidden potential clues related to the ongoing mysteries of Lost. The first example occurred in the pilot episode when Shannon translates a recorded message from French into English. Her rendition was incomplete, however, in that she left out a reference to the “Black Rock,” the ancient slave ship seen at the end of the first season. While not taking away from the viewing enjoyment of average fans who did not know the full translation, more astute fans privy to the reference were able to enjoy the eventual revelation on a different, and equally satisfying, level.
One specific form of Easter Eggs on Lost are books—from the various novels that James “Sawyer” Ford is seen reading on the beach to the numerous tomes lining the shelves of the Swan Hatch. Some are easy to spot in certain episodes while others need a quick eye to identify, but all of the books seen on Lost have piqued the curiosity of the show’s fans. In fact, many fansites have formed Summer Book Clubs in order to facilitate debate regarding how they relate to the larger Lost narrative. Philosophical references throughout the seasons have also triggered more than their fair-share of online discussions between fans.
While Easter Eggs and Summer Book Clubs are just two examples of why Lost fans have such a prolific presence on the Internet, the larger reason is that Lost itself is a vast and complex mystery. J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have crafted a narrative that not only spurs debate but entices fans to postulate their own theories in regards to the island, the characters and just about anything else associated with the show. The World Wide Web is thus dotted with well-researched dissertations about Lost in addition to a vast array of conjecture revolving around everything from aliens to government conspiracies. Because there are so many layers to Lost, fans of the show are never at a loss to find something interesting to read and more often than not find themselves posting their own thoughts and viewpoints on message boards as well.
“The complexity and proliferation of mysteries in Lost have attracted a special breed of fan equipped with above-average intelligence and a burning desire to debate,” Jon Lachonis and Amy Johnston write in Lost Ate My Life. “The fans’ need for information from and in-depth discussion with people of equal or higher intelligence resulted in an outpouring of blogs and forums dedicated to picking apart the plot of Lost as it unfolds. The entertainment value of the show is the same as other prime-time dramas—but the sophistication and unpredictability of the episodes have made it rise above typical television fare, and it offers an ethos that goes far beyond anything else on television.”
Over the course of its six seasons on ABC, Lost not only raised the bar on what defines quality television but what it means to be a television fan as well. Given that the show has built such a large and diverse fanbase through the years, as well as the fact that the many elements of Lost could potentially be debated for decades to come, one can safely assume that fandom won’t be going anywhere soon even if the show itself ends—ensuring that at least one element from the Lost Legacy will never truly die.
Anthony Letizia (March 22, 2010)
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