Media Mindfulness

It has been said that if you think you are watching a show about a bunch of plane crash survivors, you are watching the wrong show. The show in question, of course, is Lost. The surprise breakout on ABC is most definitely not your average program, and the one thing that keeps me interested is my view that Lost’s island is a metaphor for the mediated reality we find ourselves in. The island’s environment, inhabited by ghosts and “the others,” is like a dream space in which objects produce their own space, similar to the acoustic-like, all encompassing ecology of media where we currently live. The plane is our civilization, crashed, destroyed, in pieces. The survivors must learn to cope with their new environment, just as we have to adjust to ours.
My thoughts on Lost is spurned by the announcement by McFarlane Toys that it will be creating action figures based on the series. As you you can see from the prototype of “Charlie,” these will most likely be the most boring action figures ever, “action” being the misnomer of the century. With Sharpie in hand, looks like Charlie is the 21 Century equivalent of Rodan’s “The Thinker.” Most funny about the press release is the promise that we can own a piece of the show’s “mythology,” as if an ennui could be molded in plastic.

SPAWN.COM >> TOYS >> MOVIES >> LOST:

McFarlane Toys’ Lost Series 1 captures six fan-favorite characters from the series’ first season. Each 6-inch Lost figure comes with a detailed base and photographic backdrop, capturing an episode-specific moment in the character’s story. In addition, each package includes a detailed prop reproduction central to the character’s story, enabling fans to “own” a piece of the show’s mythology.

“Lost - The Complete First Season” (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)

“Lost - The Complete Second Season” (Touchstone / Disney)