I know there are multiple Lost enthusiasts out there, and I need your help. My wife has been watching Lost with me (2.5 seasons in the last 2.5 months), and while she enjoys the show, she has had, from the beginning, some misgivings about the violence and sometimes the sexual innuendo in the show. Well, a combination of General Conference and an episode that was particularly bad pushed her over the edge, and she has decided to stop watching, despite the large investment of time we have already put into the show. Now I'm in a fix because I still want to find out what happens. Here's what the conversation inside my head has been like. The two participants are Good Alvin (GA) and Not-So-Good Alvin (NSGA).
NSGA: This sucks.
GA: Good thing the kids didn't hear you talk like that.
NSGA: Don't start with me.
GA: She's right, you know.
NSGA: Maybe.
GA: Maybe? Have you forgotten all those lessons on the media you received as a young man? If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, praiseworthy,...
NSGA: Praiseworthy! Lost is a genius piece of work, and it's received critical acclaim.
GA: You're grasping at straws.
NSGA: What about interesting? Shouldn't interesting be in that article of faith somewhere?
GA: Nice try.
NSGA: It's not THAT bad. We fast forward through the worst parts.
GA: So you're admitting that there are bad parts.
NSGA: A few.
GA: Don't you remember the lessons on justifying 'just a little sin'.
NSGA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
GA: Would you let your kids watch the show?
NSGA: No, but Miriam's only 3.
GA: What if they were teenagers?
NSGA: 18 is still a teenager, right?
GA:Look, if you were honest with yourself, you would admit that the show is against your principles, and you would stop watching.
NSGA: OK, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, you want to be honest? Tell me, do you intend to obey all of God's commandments?
GA: Naturally.
NSGA: You ready to start driving the speed limit? How about the Word of Wisdom? There's no way all of those snacks we've been eating are legal.
GA: Now, that's not fair. I never said I was a saint. Just because we're not perfect in all things doesn't mean we can't be better in some things.
NSGA: I'm just saying that not even you can avoid those chocolate mint brownies in the fridge. Eating them may not be part of treating our body like a temple, but sometimes it's OK to enjoy something that's not good for you.
GA: But TV is different, it stays in your mind longer.
NSGA: Longer than those brownies stay in your gut?
GA. Fine. You want to eat brain sugar...go ahead. Tammy never said you couldn't watch Lost on your own. You have your free agency.
NSGA: Maybe I will.
GA: Fine. [Storms off]
NSGA: [Sigh] Brownies are much more enjoyable when you have someone to share them with.
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5 comments:
I have had similar misgivings to the content of Lost. I have sworn off the show more than once. During those periods where I abstain from watching lost, I read recaps of the episodes on http://lost.about.com
Click on the "Episodes" tab for recaps, theories, and other goodies about every episode of every season.
I've written out, and then deleted, two lengthy comments. Neither of them said what I wanted to say.
I don't think there are absolutes required of us in this life. I think that if your better self is telling you Lost is inappropriate, you should listen to that better self.
However, I don't think that watching Lost, or having a desire to watch Lost, is something to necessarily feel guilty over. I think that in most complex entertainments, where there are aspects of both good and bad, the answer is complicated (more complicated than the simple "poop in brownies" metaphor allows). I think there are ideals toward which we can gradually grow, but that we shouldn't feel bad, or beat ourselves up, or consider it a sin (at least not more than our whole lives consist of sins of falling short of God's perfection), if we are not fully grown to the ideal right now.
Third time was a little closer, but not much. Sorry if it sounds confused, but that's how life is, I guess.
You know, I do remember one or two episodes where I was slightly uncomfortable with sexual content (maybe it's worse than I remember--it's just so hard to notice when all the TV commercials they show during each episode are so much worse).
I think the more challenging question for me has been resisting the urge to become an apologist for characters who have clearly committed grevious sins. Consider Kate, Jin, Echo, Ben, and so on. I find myself rooting for some kind of redemption. Something just doesn't seem right about it.
I am going to be Not so good Alvin for Halloween.
And i like peter's thoughts—I think a lot of this life is about dealing with a lack of the absolutes that our minds crave.
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