Tweens posting tell all video diaries on YouTube is nothing new. It’s unfortunate that Jessi has been exposed to some of the things she discusses at such a young age (she’s 11), but that has little to do with the meme itself. However, it does relate to her ability to behave in this manner without full awareness of what she was exposing herself to. Specifically, her parents had absolutely no idea what she was up to online, and regardless of their individual Internet prowess (or ignorance), they seemingly ignored some red flags that should’ve alerted them to dig a little deeper.

First, the fact that she was spending so much time on a web cam that’s connected to the Internet. Now, I don’t expect them to fully understand the culture and inner workings of the Internet, it’s not their thing and I get that. But, if your 11 year old daughter is spending time on a camera attached to something you don’t fully understand, isn’t that a clue that you might want to engage with her? Yes, it can be difficult as someone approaches the teenage years, but still…Some of this could have gone a long way.

Let’s face it, her parents aren’t solely to blame. Everyone involved carries some of that weight. /b/ is certainly responsible for a good portion of the outcome here.

But none of this is what confounds me. What confounds me is that we are all somehow involved in the perpetual meme play that drives this sort of thing in one way or another. I’m not saying this directly drove the bullying and harassment of Jessi Slaughter, but the need for “watercooler” conversations in the forms of links to memes that can be shared to friends does help push this sort of thing along.

My initial reaction to /b/’s involvement here was, “Well, what do you expect from /b/?” But that’s not right. In fact, it’s dismissive in a way that allows this type of behavior to persist. Granted, not all memes are harmful. But an anonymized crowd’s decision to punish an 11 year old girl, regardless of what she’s said or done online, is a frightening concept, and it’s something that we as a culture need to recognize and address.

I particularly love how this random shot of the sun, taken midday, produced a spectrum of red, white, and blue. It was one of those “by chance” moments that worked out really well in the end. Here’s a screenshot of the clip I’m referring to:

Not all of the attention is favorable, especially with reports of antenna issues with some units when held left-handed, and Steve Jobs/Apple’s response. On top of it all, Google’s Android OS is enjoying increased prominence as well, with the high demand for the Evo 4G, and the release of the Droid X. Things are certainly heating up in the smartphone race, and it’s exciting to watch.

Dee was kind enough to get me an iPhone 4 as a combination Father’s Day/birthday gift, and I’ve been pretty impressed with it thus far. I decided to take the improved 720p HD video recording (and editing) aspect of the phone for a spin, and here is the result. All video was shot in camera, edited, and then uploaded to Vimeo and YouTube.

Note: I uploaded this video to both services as a means to test out each one for videos such as these. You’ll need to click through to watch in full HD.

Take a look:

Vimeo

Watch in HD on Vimeo

YouTube

Watch in HD on YouTube

What do you think? Did you pick up an iPhone 4? What’s your take of its video capability?

p.s. Special thanks to Amelie, for being a willing (and adorable) subject. I imagine there will be more videos like these in our future.

Rep. Joe Barton’s apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward this morning smacks of concessions, and moreover, was a total embarrassment.

Quite frankly, Barton’s actions align with something that has troubled me throughout the first year and a half of the Obama administration — Republicans do not want to let go. I can’t blame them. But at some point they need to stop acting like someone will eventually step in and say, “Oh, you were right. Obama, you’re out.” It’s not going to happen.

Yes, I’m aware that he placed a caveat by prefacing his statement with a claim that he speaks for himself, and not for the Republican Party. However, he also inserts agenda into his “opinion” by claiming that the same “shakedown” could occur to citizens as well as corporations. The truth is, Obama and Hayward came to an agreement, and despite criminal investigations, BP is still on the hook for damages that have been done to the gulf coast, it’s inhabitants, etc. They needed to be held accountable, and the decision to put $20 billion towards recovery was an attempt at good will, not a shakedown. It’s called accountability, folks.

I know this is completely unrelated, but it astounds me that we are capable of rallying together to find solutions to annoyances like the Vuvuzela bzzzz during the World Cup, yet we are unable to collectively sort through the damage occurring daily to the gulf coast eco-system. Don’t even get me started on the people complaining about their ability to afford the iPhone 4 despite such horrors as AT&T server failures or delayed shipping.

Update: Barton made another statement this afternoon, clarifying his remarks from this morning. He insists that he holds BP responsible, and does not want his apology to cloud that. Whatever, the damage is done. Let’s not ignore that Oil & Gas industries were the #2 contributors to your campaign funds.

“What the ‘eff just happened here?”

The final episode has come and gone, and as expected it’s cracked the LOST fanbase right in half. The great polarization has impacted many, and even within the halls of Fanboy Planet the lines have already been drawn. I’m curious to get Lon’s take on the series and the final episode, although I believe the final outcome will be moot in the end. We’ll see.

I’m going to forego a detailed recap, but we did learn a few things. The sideways was nirvana, or the afterlife depending on where you stand spiritually. The whole series centered on Jack, his trials involved in accepting his role in a very important sequence of events, and his trouble letting go of things after the fact. It was the story of a group of people who came together to prevent the end of humanity, and how they met up after they died to reminisce and let go of the most import period of time in their existence.

Where the great divide is formed lies in one’s need for answers. The producers have long said that they would answer what needed to be answered, nothing more and nothing less. This doesn’t sit well with many folks, but what happened happened. Right?

The concept of the show is pretty interesting. It’s sort of like what would happen if Luke, Leia, Han, Obi Wan, Chewy, R2, and C3PO met up in the afterlife, helped each other remember those times they stopped the Empire from destroying the galaxy, and then ultimately help each other let go of the things that bind them to their mortality, preventing them from becoming one with the force. This is a beautiful thing to contemplate, especially considering our own lack of understanding around our own individual existence, mortality, and what exists in the great beyond…unless you’re too busy asking questions like, “Why does the force exist?,” “Lightsabers, how do they work?,” or “Why are some people eligible to be Jedi while others aren’t?”

The dreaded midichlorian scenes in the prequel trilogy were written for those folks, and thankfully LOST never went there.

“What are the rules, exactly?”

Do we really need to know? There is enough evidence within the series to surmise what these rules are, how they were formed, and why they were formed. But do we need a numbered list of the rules? No.

Seriously. Here’s what you really needed to know. Jacob’s adopted mother, as guardian of the island, was able to create rules for the island and its inhabitants. She displayed this with her decree that Jacob and his brother were unable to harm each other. In making Jacob the guardian, she passed this power to Jacob. Jacob’s frustration with his brother’s abuse of power while playing Senet (e.g. making up the rules as he went along) led to the creation of several island rules, some we know and others we don’t. We don’t need to have a formal list of island rules read off to us. We don’t need to know that every third Friday of the month is Ankh cleaning day. What we needed to know is that he was creating the rules, and that his rules contributed to the series of events that brought the LOSTIES to the island.

This entire story was the result of mistakes made by both Jacob and his mother – she commits matricide, Jacob abuses his power and role time and time again. Jack is the one meant to set things right and facilitate the arrival of the true island guardian – Hurley.

Jack’s arrival on the island, his trials, and his eventual rise to heroism were the focus all along. The added bonuses come in the form of metaphysical and spiritual overtones; a degree of pondering that existed in subtext from the onset. Think about it, Jack was a character that from the very beginning could be described by his own self-prescribed ethos, “live together, die alone.” He believed this, to his core. In fact, it’s his belief in this that makes him capable of carrying out his arc to completion. However, he was wrong in the end. In this story, we subscribe to the school of thought that in death, we are capable of being re-united. His reconnection with the rest of the LOSTIES is what helps him eventually let go of his own mortality, release the flesh he once served, and move on to whatever is next. Beyond death. Together.

In a way, the reveal that the flash-sideways was, in fact, nirvana actually informs the very style of the show from the very beginning as well. Jumping in time often lead to interesting juxtapositions between off island interactions and the events taking place on the island. It’s almost as if someone were recalling these events and drawing the kind of conclusions that one can only make with the added benefit of total and complete hindsight.

Multiple viewings should prove interesting, and I cannot wait to get started. I’ll continue to process this finale, and I’m going to rewatch from scratch. As I do, questions will be pondered on the blog along the way. Additionally, I’ll post more insights on The End once they’ve completely gelled. For now, I feel like this six year journey has come to a suitable end, and cannot recall a better experience regarding a concluding TV series.

The one episode I’ve been looking forward to since we began this whole adventure, and I manage to forego the liveblogging. Disappointed? Sure. But in some ways this may be better. While the episode aired, I wasn’t sure what to make of each development, but the details completely engrossed me every step of the way. Looking back, it would’ve been nice to capture my immediate reactions to each twist, but it feels like this episode deserves a deeper look at things. So here we go, let’s dive in.

His name is Jacob.

We knew this, but what we didn’t know is that he didn’t arrive on the island alone. Across the Sea begins with Jacob’s mother landing on the island post-shipwreck. We witness her give birth to twin sons with the assistance of an unknown woman living on the island. She names one of the boys Jacob, and then subsequently meets her demise at the hands of her would-be protector. Jacob and the unnamed twin (dare I suggest, the Bad Twin?) are both raised by their mother’s murderer, and from that point on we come to know her only as “Mother.”

Is it any surprise that the tale of LOST begin with matricide? Considering the strong thematic loops of children with mommy complexes and daddy issues woven through each season? Let’s speak of weaving. The yarn that has been used to weave this tale all generates from the events that take place within the space of Across the Sea’s runtime.

Birth. Death. Faith. Science. The rules. Betrayal. The con. The guardian. Children with special powers. The candidates. The game.

All of these things, and many more, begin here. Did you miss them? Let’s run through some of the more subtle aspects of the episode.

The game.

One of the most damning complaints I read about this show is the supposed changing of rules “on a whim” from season to season. I hear this more often than I care to admit, and quite frankly the more I dive into why people feel this way, the more it becomes clear. They weren’t paying close enough attention.

There. I said it. Now, I know this is going to open up a can of worms, but here is my attempt to explain. A brief word of caution to those of you whose eyes glaze over whenever the subject of film/tv theory comes into play, I’m about to reference some very complex stuff in a very light manner. It may cause the following reactions: “Huh?” or “What the fuck is he talking about?” I’m not going to waste time diving into details, so simply ignore the following paragraph and move on, we’ll get to the good stuff in a second.

It’s no secret that studios, whether you’re referring to television or movies, follow a formula. Writing for the screen is not an adapting or evolving field, it’s a science. In fact, it’s so well mapped that any variation from the formula stands out in some very obvious ways. The best variations (and the ones that often get lauded by formal institutions) typically find ways to mutate the formula without ever actually straying too far from the formula. It’s the appearance of subversion that compels those working within the system, and these supposed subversions re-invigorate the field because they are seen as “fresh” by the viewer, while re-enforcing the same old rules that many have been playing by for ages.

If you just scratched your head, don’t worry. Let’s keep pushing forward.

The thing that compels me about LOST is that this is actually the first time that a TV series has been crafted with the fanboy in mind under studio blessing. Sure, there was enough formula baked into the show to get the initial thumbs up, but the creators of the show had a gutsy plan all along, took a chance, and happened to come out the other side. I mean, this is a show that actually demands some understanding of subtextual content. It assumes some familiarity with books outside of the main plot, and invites those unfamiliar with these concepts to dive in and uncover some very interesting stuff along the way.

Many scoff at this, and chalk it up to “bad writing.” Sure, it doesn’t hand you every required beat along the way, but look at the experiment at play here. It’s pretty compelling. Plus, the episodes themselves still somewhat stand alone, but I’m 100% certain that those who dug a little deeper are going to walk away feeling like they got more out of it than just the casual viewer.

So when I happen to bump into someone towing the “bad writing” line these days, I typically just shrug. But not after Across the Sea. Now, I finally feel like we are getting some proof that this is what has been happening all along. Those who didn’t pay attention are continuing down the path they set out on, and I will bet you anything they will grow continually more disappointed as the series wraps. In fact, this little detail actually plays so well into the core of the show that it makes me snicker a little bit…

“Ok, ok, enough already. We get that you’re a nerd. Whatever. Why did you title this section ‘The Game?’”

Oh, alright. So much of the show has been dedicated to discussing “the rules” throughout the seasons, but so many people have wondered what those rules actually are. We’ve long known that our dear LOSTIES have been nothing more than players in some grand game on the island, but we’ve been a little confused about what the rules of the game are, what’s at stake, and who is playing. Hell, we didn’t even know who the team captains were for several seasons now. But slowly over the course of the each season, details were revealed. The tapestry has started to unravel. My guess is, when all is said and done, those interested in connecting the dots will find that this whole thing is a case of infinite regression, brilliantly layered so that each detail is connected back to that one, beautiful, MacGuffin. I’m getting ahead of myself.

The game being played on the island is a real-life version of the Egyptian game called Senet. The game is very similar to chess, in that each player manipulates pawns on a board that typically comprises of 30 squares. The object of the game is move all of your pieces off of the board before your opponent.

How did I arrive at all of this? In Across the Sea, the Man in Black, as a boy, discovers a game on one of the island’s many beaches. He shares his discovery with his brother Jacob, and the two of them begin playing. There are rules to the game, and over time Jacob learns that his brother is essentially making up the rules as he goes along to his advantage. When confronted about this, the Man in Black tells Jacob:

“One day you can make up your own game, and everyone else will have to follow your rules.”

This is not unlike two children discovering a copy of Chutes and Ladders without the instructions. It looks compelling. There are pieces to play with, and a board with an intricate design. Without instructions (and had they never played a board game) they would need to improvise. This is essentially what happens with the twins and their game on the island. I did some poking around and discovered the ancient Egyptian game of Senet. The connection is obviously intended, and the details around the game are widely unknown. It was commonly placed in the tomb of the departed as a talisman to help guide them to the afterlife. The rules of the game are somewhat unknown, although two competing sets of rules have been deciphered.

But here is where things transform from merely referencing historical information into the series. The developments between Jacob and the Man in Black evolve into a real-life version of Senet. Both boys are informed of a life-giving power that lives deep within the island – a MacGuffin of epic proportions. In fact, this MacGuffin is so biblically loaded that I have to say it might be the most compelling one yet.

This light, however you may feel about it, is essentially the essence of all wonder. To understand it would defeat the purpose. It is, what I believe, the sort of understanding one can only achieve through death. It’s the classic struggle. Man creates religion in an attempt to define himself, to give reason to death and add purpose to living. But ultimately, it’s a futile effort that can only be resolved in death. In order to prove any of it, one must experience it. And if experienced, then they won’t be able to share their newfound knowledge. And what if they were wrong? What if a religious person dies only to learn that there is no God? Does that mean their life was for naught? Or is that a lesson in and of itself?

Anyway, these types of things are not ours to answer, and nor is the light on the island. We aren’t meant to know what the source of the light is, or what it does, or how it came to be. What is important, like those loaded and heady religious questions, are the lessons and stories inherent. Is it more important to be right about the correct god to worship, or that you learned to treat others with dignity and respect? I digress.

This sort of thing bothers many who seek strictly answers, but for me it works just fine. To take issue with the light one must also take issue with other MacGuffins as well, including Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase, The Maltese Falcon, Rosebud, and the case of explosive white light in Kiss Me Deadly. In each of these examples, the story told far outweighs the MacGuffin itself. Hell, even the original Star Wars has a MacGuffin in some sense. You could argue that the entire back story including the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire and the fall of the Jedi, while enticing, was better left untold in an effort to serve the story of Luke, Leia, and Han as they save the galaxy. Lucas attempted to define these MacGuffins with the prequel trilogy, how well did that work out for you as a viewer and fan of those films?

The point is, the light exists, and it is this existence that resulted in the series of events leading to the LOSTIES arriving on the island.

Every game has rules, so what about the rules for this game? Well, to that I say, what did we learn from Mother? First and foremost, she is the guardian of the light. She tells Jacob and his brother that she is prepping them to accept this role, but it will only be passed to one of them. She gives us the first clues with two very important lines of dialogue:

In response to the Man in Black’s question about death:

“[It's] something you will never have to worry about.”

This is both evidence of her preference of the Man in Black over Jacob, and the rules of the island. She intended to pass guardianship over to the Man in Black, and once this is done he would likely live forever without worry of death, just as she has done for countless lifetimes.

In response to the Man in Black’s claims to being like the humans, whom she described as treacherous and capable of great evil:

“I’ve made it so that you can never hurt each other.”

This is evidence of the guardian’s ability to create rules on the island.

Her plan was to raise the two boys as her own contingency plan, her exit strategy if you will. Lifetimes spent guarding the light likely leads to a desire to move on, but the only way to do so is to establish a successor. I believe she hoped to set the Man in Black up as the next guardian, and betray Jacob’s loyalty in an effort to drive him to kill her. This would forever release her from her duties on the island.

Her plan backfires, as the Man in Black’s own inquisitiveness leads to the potential corruption of the light, and the possible destruction of all life. So she switches the roles, making Jacob the guardian and the Man in Black her murderer. Two very important things come of this turn of events, and here they are.

The ritual of the smoke.

In her initial description of the light, Mother tells the boys not to go down the tunnel and into the light. The Man in Black asks her about what is down there, and she explains that it is the brightest light you’ve ever seen. Later, when passing guardianship over to Jacob, she tells him that down there is “Life, death, rebirth.” She makes him promise that he will never go down into the light. He asks if he’d die, and she tells him:

“You’d be worse than dying, Jacob. Much worse.”

My question to you is, how does she know all of this? The answer? Experience. I’ll elaborate, but hold that thought.

When Mother learns of the Man in Black’s plan to tap the light, she visits him under the guise of saying goodbye. She ultimately double-crosses him, fills the well full of rocks, and razes his village killing all of his fellow companions.

She does this alone.

When the Man in Black awakens, he discovers her double-cross and seeks her out. She enters her home and silently sets about doing something when the Man in Black plunges a sword into her heart from behind. She ultimately dies, but we learn so much from this sequence.

1. She doesn’t say a word before the Man in Black kills her.

2. The way he kills her is precisely how Dogen instructed Sayid to kill Faux Locke:

“As soon as you see him, plunge the sword into his chest. If you allow him to speak, it’s already too late.”

3. The sword the Man in Black uses to kill Mother is the same sword Dogen gives Sayid to use on Faux Locke.

When she falls, she whispers the word “nothing,” which makes me wonder if she has somehow learned something (or nothing) from this turn of events. Perhaps there was no release? Did she expect one?

When Jacob learns of his brother’s actions, he takes him to the light and tosses him in, thus creating the smoke monster we know and fear/love. Or love to fear. Whatever.

So I ask, how did Mother know what was in the light cave? How did she know what would happen to Jacob, and subsequently the Man in Black, should they venture into the cave? How did she kill all of the Man in Black’s companions, etc? Why did Dogen instruct Sayid to kill Faux Locke in such a way (and with the same weapon)? Why did Richard receive the same instructions about killing Jacob? And better yet, why did the “don’t allow him to speak” rule not factor in when Ben killed Jacob?

Well, I believe Mother went into the light at some point. I believe she was also a smoke monster, and this gave her the power to destroy the village and fill the well. I believe that she knew that there was only one way for her to die (at the hands of another, silently, and having been stabbed in the chest), and I believe she entered that room knowingly while being purposefully silent.

I think Jacob somehow learned about the smoke monster killing ritual (and we may see this happen). I believe the “worse than dying” fate Mother mentioned is actually a reference to absolute power, and ultimately absolute corruption. Given the Man in Black’s outlook on humanity, I believe he assumes that Jacob also entered the well in an attempt to gain the powers of the smoke monster, and this is why he instructed Richard with the same ritual. I think he may have been a little surprised to see Jacob die after conversing with Ben, because in death his brother proved that some people are capable of avoiding such temptation.

With great power comes great…screw that, it’s payback time.

So let’s talk about power, the wielding of said power, and the corruption of the soul. Like I mentioned, I think that becoming smokey is akin to gaining absolute power while becoming absolutely corrupted. But it’s not as simple as that. Recall the Man in Black’s words about creating the rules of the game? In becoming the guardian of the light, Jacob has also been given absolute power in a way, and that power is the ability to create and manipulate a series of rules that must be followed on the island. As with everything in LOST, there are always parallels. We are in the midst of a season with two timelines. There is always a counter to every philosophy represented (science vs. faith, etc.). The concept of twins, opposing colors, and conflicting ideologies is prevelant on the island. So why wouldn’t we have two forms of absolute corruption?

My theory is, in gaining the guardianship role, Jacob has been given the ability to make and change rules on a whim. He has subjected his followers to this whimsy, and it has been referenced to some extent by Ben in a conversation with Charles Widmore regarding the rules being changed. Was he referring to Jacob changing the rules, or Widmore changing the rules? I’m going to stick with the former.

Anyways, we are being forced into questioning corruption in a lesson that plays out with two essential players. Make no mistake, there is a reason for the sympathetic portrayal of the Man in Black in Across the Sea, we are meant to feel for him just as we are meant to feel for Jacob in his role as guardian. The question being, which is more important: doing the right thing for all humanity (e.g. protecting the light at any cost?), or doing the right thing for you (e.g. the Man in Black wanting to leave the island)?

The answers aren’t easy. Where mythology and religion are concerned, they never are.

Deus ex machina, right? Um, no.

As I mentioned, the most commonly contested issue with LOST is the writing, and within the same breath deus ex machina is typically mentioned. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, here is the definition as listed on Dictionary.com:

Knowing that they would come under fire, especially given the circumstances surrounding their chosen MacGuffin, Damon and Carlton carefully plotted out these developments from day one. The character of Sawyer is, in his own way, a humongous clue pointing directly at the events in this episode. Our LOST characters have been entangled in game changing, rule bending conflicts with one another from the very beginning, so thematically everything here has been plotted out.

The stones, however, are the clearest clue. Since the arrival of Adam and Eve, everyone in LOST fandom has postulated the origins of the two mysterious skeletons. Who are they? How did they get there? What role did they play? These questions took the forefront most often, but behind all of these were questions about the black and white stones found on the bodies. What do they symbolize? Why were they left there? Yadda yadda.

The simple truth is, Damon and Carlton knew from the get-go that we would arrive at the story of Jacob, Mother, the Man in Black, and the island’s lifegiving light source in the cave. This yarn is the parable the birthed the island mythology, shaped the interactions with all unfortunate souls who land on it’s beaches, and influenced the schemes and double-crosses that have made up the bulk of the series runtime. So while many thought the meaning behind the bodies would somehow prove the writers’ plans, myself included, it was the actual context of the stones themselves that provided this clue — ultimately foreshadowing the game, the rules, and the events in Across the Sea.

So, does the light act as a deus ex machina here? One could make the case, but in my humble opinion they would be wrong. The use of the lifegiving light source is akin to another favorite MacGuffin of mine, the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Ark is presented as a religious artifact from the offset, and the events in the final sequence were foreshadowed in the very early stages of the film. Indiana Jones explains the myth, and the beliefs commonly associated with it, and then goes off on an adventure to find the lost relic. Those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the plight of the Isrealites require this explaination to both set the stage and assist in the acceptance of the spiritual events that occur when the Nazis defile the artifact.

In LOST, we aren’t given this level of detail regarding the light in a cave, because the primary conflict at play in LOST is already familiar to each and every person alive. This conflict lives in the questions that fill the void between science and religion, and humankind’s inability to understand the purpose and meaning behind their existence. To provide exposition here would have defiled the concept altogether. Imagine a sequence where, instead of talking about blind faith and logical science, Locke says:

“Do you know what it means to question your existance, Jack? Well, I have been questioning mine in the same way everyone else questions theirs. I’ve been looking for proof of a higher power. Can you identify with that need to understand? Well, I know what this place is. I’m doing what I’m doing because I’ve seen a light on this island that is the very essence of life itself, and that light is somehow involved in our very existence. It’s telling me what to do, Jack. I need to listen.”

Instead of exposition dialogue, Damon and Carlton chose to express this universal conflict through the personal histories of each character. What emerges is the duality of mankind, capable of both good AND evil, and influenced by faith AND science. We’re complex, and there is an ongoing game similar to the version of Senet on the island that is being played within each and every one of us daily. The light, those stones, and every reference to trust, faith, and religion has served as the definition of the conflict that we will face in the climax of the series. Man of Science vs. Man of Faith. Man in Black vs. Jacob.

The LOST-pocalypse continues with a Hurley episode! Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

10:04pm — Umm…the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory influenced teaser for next week’s episode was awesome. AWESOME.

10:02pm – Shit. Faux-Locke now has everything he needs: A pilot (Lapidus) and Sun. Obviously Desmond’s retrieval of the manifest was for good reason, and one of those reasons was killing John Locke.

9:55pm — Note: If Faux-Locke takes you to a well, don’t go near it.

9:49pm — Libby and Hugo finally getting their date! Oh, and the kiss brought back the memories! And there is Desmond, orchestrating things.

9:44pm — The more I think about it, the more I believe Lapidus is #108. Sun communicating with Lapidus was a pretty interesting moment. Oh snap! Hurley didn’t see Jacob! Jack’s arc has always felt like “letting go” was the correct end, I wonder if we’ll see him die soon. Michael can’t move on because of what he did…interesting. So wait, in a way some of the LOSTIES have been in purgatory…sneaky, sneaky Darlton.

9:40pm — It’s pretty fascinating to see the lines being drawn here. Richard doesn’t trust Hurley. Hugo says Jacob told him to go talk to Locke, and Jack trusts him! What’s best? We don’t know if Hurley really saw Jacob!!

9:36pm — So, Hugo asking Libby out is freaking adorable. My wife just reminded me to focus on why Libby is there “voluntarily.” Ooh, Jacob is following Faux-Locke and Desmond. Interesting.

9:34pm — This is crazy, the connections are criss-crossing…string theory anyone?!

9:33pm — Holy shit!! Connect Four! Recall way back in Season 2, Libby was in the institution with Hurley while he watched another patient play Connect Four…The mirror!! BTW — I really like the rich Hugo, using his money to get access to Libby.

9:30pm — Why is Desmond behaving the way he is? Does he know something we don’t know? I mean, aside from the two sides of the chess board. Onward to Miles and Hurley discussing dead people…I think these two need a heart-to-heart. I don’t know that Michael was Michael…

9:26pm — “The island was done with her. Makes me wonder what’s gonna happen when it’s done with us.” <– ZOMG!! BEST LINE EVER!! Hugo blows up the Black Rock…”I’m protecting us.”

9:23pm — Speaking of Desmond…I’m a little shocked that Sayid captured him. For some reason I loved the, “I have nowhere to run to, brother.”

9:22pm – Desmond, in Hurley’s restaurant? I don’t believe that he’s here to eat fast food…he has to be nudging Hurley for some reason.

9:20pm – So, Hurley and Richard want to blow up Black Rock. I don’t know why, and I wonder whether Michael is really Michael, or if it’s Faux-Locke…

9:17pm – Another note: I find it interesting that everyone is looking out for Hugo’s “best interests.” His Mom. Jack. Ilana. And now here’s Michael. Again, looking out for his best interests. Oh shit, Ilana is dead!?

9:13pm – Spanish Johnnies is the Mexican equivalent of Chili’s.

9:11pm — OK, Hurley wins “Man of the Year” and has woman problems. A blind date leads to…LIBBY! They are connected. I’m so excited, are we to find out why she was institutionalized? Wait! She’s in treatment here too?!

9:00pm — My daughter is fighting bedtime. The TV is paused on Hurley winning a “Man of the Year” award.

The LOST-pocalypse is poised to tell us Richard Alpert’s story! Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

10:03pm — At the core of the show lies an epic battle between Jacob and the Man in Black. I love that it extends as far as a philosophical debate to mythical (and possibly Biblical) proportions. Seeing more of these two in their tug of war? Do want. Now.

10:02pm — “She said one more thing. Something you have to do. She said you have to stop the Man in Black. Or else we all go to hell.” AND, he was listening! Looks like Hurley arrived just in time to save Richard from his mistake.

9:58pm — And he returns to the necklace…and he changes his mind?! Who shows up? Hurley. Sent by Isabella? This scene is pretty remarkable. So if we trust that Hurley sees actual dead people (and everything we’ve seen to date leads us to believe this to be true), then Isabella isn’t a trick by Faux-Locke. Rather, a move by Jacob to keep Richard on the right path? For what it’s worth, I don’t want to see Alpert go over to the dark side.

9:57pm – One thing is true, the Man in Black tempts exactly like the devil would. The necklace is the seed of promise, and a reminder of Richard’s choice.

9:54pm — The backstory of LOST was just summed up with the description of a bottle of wine. Hilarious.

9:52pm – Time for another classic Jacob talk. “No one comes in unless I invite them in.”

9:45pm – Jacob can kick some ass. Ha! Jacob’s tough love lesson is remarkably similar to a baptism. “I want to live!”

9:43pm – Interesting that the Man in Black repeated, verbatim, the instructions that Dogen gave Sayid when prepping him to kill Faux-Locke. “Drive this deep into his heart. Do not let him say a word. If you let him speak, it’s already too late.” Same knife, too.

9:37pm – THE MAN IN BLACK RETURNS! “That probably means he has her.” Wow, this is a serious case of conditioning. “I need to know that you love me. Do you love me?” So here’s the thing, Richard was one of the earliest people to be manipulated by the Man in Black to try and kill Jacob.

9:33pm – Note to self: One skill worth learning is lockpicking. Seems to come up time and time again. Fascinating, the first thing to appear to Richard post-Smokey is a boar — seems religiously loaded, no? And here comes Smokey as Isabelle…first thing she re-enforces is the “island is hell, devil is on the island theme.” OK, that’s just plain jacked up, now Richard lost Isabelle a second time? Psychologically, this has to mess with someone.

9:26pm – Oh man, Richard’s first day on the island was a doozy. First a storm, then shipwrecked, then his captain tries to kill him, then finally Smokey shows up and wastes everyone except Richard. I think he deserves a little mental instability, all things considered.

9:21pm – OK, this padre goes down as the shadiest priest in the history of mankind. Selling Richard as a slave to Magnus Hanso — BLACK ROCK, BABY! So, in another twist of fate, The Black Rock hit the statue on the head. Crazy. Strike that, Magnus is crazy. While he slays his captive slaves, here’s the passage from the Bible that Richard was reading.

Luke 4:31-37

³¹And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

³²And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

³³And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

³⁴Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

³⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

³⁶And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word [is] this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

³⁷And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

9:18pm – Whoa! I don’t think I’ve ever known a padre to refuse absolution. “No my son, I’m afraid the devil awaits you in hell.”

9:15pm — Anyone else find it interesting that even Richard’s past includes crimes committed for a loved one? Is Isabella his wife or his girlfriend? Either way, his willingness to do anything for her well being led to the death of an innocent doctor. Richard lands in jail, wrongly convicted for an accidental death. Was that Luke 4:37 earmarked on his Bible? In English, nonetheless.

9:10pm — Jack is firmly a believer these days, but he doesn’t trust Richard. Alpert’s lost his mind. I love that this is playing out like a tale of horror and suspense. Richard’s story opens with horseback riding…why do I feel tones of Cloud Atlas here?

9:00pm — I suspected that Jacob gave Illana information regarding the candidates, but I didn’t expect that he would guide her to “Ricardo.” Naturally, Richard is still a doubting Thomas…WHOA! “You’re all dead.” Ha! Darlton are toying with us. “This is hell.” Well, not knowing might be hell for some.

Finally! The LOST-pocalypse brings us our first Ben episode! Tonight could promise to be huge!! Here are the rules, the liveblog begins below:

9:41pm — So Jack has changed his tune. Now he’s following blindly. The fuse burned out! Looks like Richard has been converted once again. Here’s the interesting thing about LOST, when do we know definitively that each Lostie has fulfilled their purpose? Was convincing Alpert to live the only reason Jack was there? We shall see.

9:37pm – I KNEW Jack would use this situation to barter for answers!

9:33pm – And we’re back in the Black Rock, and Richard is messing with Arzt’s super unstable dynamite…and he’s spilling the beans about Jacob’s gift. Everlasting life. Richard is unstable, Jacob’s death has really impacted him. Obviously Jacob’s love compelled Richard in a way that has only led to disappointment. He, like Ben, was promised clarity and purpose. So basically, was Jacob just a really bad manager?

9:30pm — Arzt’s cynicism is pretty funny. Here we go, Ben is making his move. I bet even in the flash-sideways timeline Ben ends up breaking Alex’s heart. Wait, Ben’s reaction to the “you’re a real killer” line was a little like Jack’s reactions in LA X. Is he having triggers of recollection?

9:26pm — Alpert steered Jack and Hurley to the Black Rock…why? Wait, now Richard has lost faith in Jacob? Why? Now he has to die? Why? How many more times can I ask why?

9:22pm — East India Trading Company. Hmm, Black Rock anyone? I find it interesting that the stars are aligning for Ben’s upheaval of Principal Reynold’s control over the school. There’s the evil Ben Linus we know and love. Back to the island, I love that Miles just used “jabonies” in reference to Nikki and Paolo. Miles knows where the diamonds are, is this significant too? Whoa, his little insight about Jacob caring up to the moment of death hit Ben.

9:20pm — Hurley is stalling, obviously. Oh hello, Richard! “Where’ve you been?” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” “Try me.” “No, not yet.” Where was he? More island secrets?! More locations?! So, back to Linus’ fate. Now he’s being tasked with digging his own grave. Is this the end of our dear Mr. Linus?

9:15pm — Ilana the protector. So who will be the replacement for Jacob? Still no word on who is 108. Here’s a thought, could 108 be Lapidus?

9:12pm — Whoa, so the island was actually a factor in Ben’s past. I’d been operating on the premise that they never turned up on the island at all, but it looks like Dharma still existed. So what happened to them?

9:10pm — Back on the beach. Ben’s game of discrediting people isn’t working. It’s crazy to see a character who had so much power reduced to such a state. Ben has a doctorate in Modern European History…significant?

9:07pm — Oh man! Now it’s Miles’ time to shine!! Ben isn’t going to like this one bit. I find it pretty interesting that although rough around the edges, Miles is an honest person at the core. “Jacob was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father.” Linus is in for some trouble now!

9:06pm – Ben the teacher. I think it’s amazing that Ben, Arzt, and Locke all end up teaching in the same school. Fascinating. Dr. Linus. Whoa, Locke is instigating a coup at the school…a shift of power in favor of Ben.

9:02pm – Ben does a pretty good job running. Torches!! Wait, he found the good guys (they are good guys, right?). Back to the beach?

The driving force behind this post was to discuss the band’s deft use of transparency to create viral videos, promote their work, and singlehandedly become a household name through the use of social media and the Interwebs. I’ll get to all of that, because it’s fun. But first, a primer.

Media companies typically wrestle with issues of transparency, and to say that they “don’t get it” is an understatement. There are exceptions to every rule, but most of these exceptions extend from businesses and brands whose core business is closely linked to their consumers and customer support. Before we dive into this, let’s take a look at some of the brands that have successfully jumped onto the transparency wagon in positive and impacting ways.

Transparency comes easily for those connected to their customers

I apologize in advance, but many of these examples incorporate uses of everyone’s favorite network du jour — Twitter. But truthfully, Twitter is a tremendous enabler of transparent practices, but there is a thin grey line between transparency and self-promotion and Twitter remains fairly agnostic when it comes to uses of its platform. More on this later. For now, let’s take a look at three different use cases in brand transparency.

Sometimes, it’s about personality. Wait, it’s ALWAYS about personality.

Starbucks has skin in the game because the majority of their consumer base engages directly with a Starbucks employee on a daily basis in order to consume their product. Training someone to brew the perfect espresso is only a part of the process, their baristas and managers are also trained to engage, be personable, and be transparent as core fundamentals for their business. Sure, they aren’t given the freedom to divulge company financials or upcoming sales promotions if linked to bigger accounts, but when was the last time you asked a barista for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, were told that it was no longer available, and then given a vague and divisive response when you questioned why? Never. The answer you get is, “We run that drink seasonally” but it’s often accompanied with sentiment and empathy along the lines of, “I know! So many people ask us for that one, but it’s only a seasonal drink. I don’t know why we don’t make it a year round drink, it’s so popular!”

People want brands they can trust. Trust starts with listening. Actions need to show that you’re listening.

Companies like Southwest Airlines have a long history with customer service, and the company has prided itself on their practices for some time. When Twitter first began making waves with transparent communication, the airlines were amongst the first to dive into the platform for better or worse. Many have used the platform to post updates to flight schedules and delays, which is certainly helpful, but the real boon has come from monitoring brand mentions and addressing customer complaints. I’ve witnessed lost luggage snafus, cancelled flight clarifications, and many more issues that can be extremely aggravating for travelers resolved in 140 character snippets. Last month Southwest took some serious heat from Kevin Smith over their weight restrictions and policies for passengers on the airline. Say what you will about the policies themselves, you cannot deny that Southwest handled the situation well by posting several responses to the situation, clarifying their policies publicly, and most importantly, being transparent about the issue. They took some heat, sure, but their responses signaled one very important message to their customer base — we’re listening to our customers, and our customers are being heard.

Note: Anyone claiming that Kevin received special treatment need only look at their track record and Twitter stream — there are a lot of helpful tweets prior to Kevin-gate.

The little details add value.

Full disclosure: I am no longer a Comcast customer because, frankly, they charge way too much for their product. But that’s a story for another time. While I was a customer, the company’s use of Twitter was undeniably one of the high points. Frank Eliason has really done some tremendous work establishing a voice for Comcast online, and for a company with as many customer service issues as they’ve had in the past, it’s been pretty transformative. My last days as a Comcast customer were surprisingly better than I’d anticipated. Visiting their local office to turn in equipment introduced me to a completely revamped customer service center. But this is all rhetoric, Frank’s team responds in real time to customer issues sent their way. I’ve had my box reset via DM, and had speed and feed issues/questions clarified in 140 character bursts (and more importantly without any annoying muzak). It’s not just the service, but the level of clarification that sets Frank’s work apart. There were several times that Frank could have simply responded with, “There was an outage in your neighborhood,” but instead took the time to give ETA and details. Being transparent made me feel more included, more important…bottomline, more valued.

The thin grey line between transparency and promotion

So what does this all mean? Media companies, traditionally, are completely isolated from their customer base. In fact, their community and consumers are all data points tied to financial summaries. The movie industry conducts audience testing, but it’s hardly a worthwhile sampling. Television tracks viewership, but that’s not a two-way form of communication. Most measurement in media is done from the perspective of performance. If a movie sells a lot of tickets, then it was popular. If a TV show gets good ratings, then it’s successful. And so on. The problem is, these forms of measurement do not inform the production process. It’s a closed loop with no real form of iteration.

This has been extended to the way most media companies view the web, social media, and transparency. All of these are conduits of promotion in the eyes of media companies, not an opportunity for growth via meaningful engagement. This is where I close the loop with the practices of OK Go. This band is defying most of the conventional uses of the Internet with regards to media. They’ve publicly acknowledged the issues facing them with regards to the practices of their label.

Their videos are rough while staged, and their fans get to see the lines still present in the finished product. When you watch their latest video, you’re not just watching the finished and produced product, as a viewer you are witnessing the moment at which the finished product was created while still enjoying the finished product. The viewer is the consumer, but is made to feel like a participant at the same time. By showing them the lines, OK Go includes their audience in the event, and ultimately uses transparency to break the fourth wall.

Their videos let their viewers see the lines.

Re-watch their latest video, and instead of focusing on the Rube Goldberg machine (which is marvelous), take a look at the rest of the stuff in the frame. Their bassist kicks off the video dressed in coveralls and goggles that are splattered with red paint. Broken TVs, pianos, and spare parts are littered around the workspace. This isn’t the work of a team concerned with a polished illusion, they want the process to be a part of the product. You can even catch glimpses of the band as they run into position for their next shot.

Audiences identify with this level of transparency, and it is this sort of the thing that transforms someone from a casual viewer into a a fan. This is how fandoms are grown.

In a media landscape still struggling to adjust to the transformations imposed by the growing influence of the web, only select artists, journalists, and content creators are truly grasping the importance of transparency when it comes to building a following. For the most part journalism, film, and music are still wrestling with this concept — and a major hurdle for most seems to be holding on firmly to the creative process. The traditional school of thought seems to be that art must be produced in private, the tricks of the trade must be guarded and concealed from the viewer, and the audience must not see the strings on the marionettes. To do otherwise would violate the cardinal rule of the trade, and prevent the consumer from enjoying the finished product.

The cold, hard truth is that publishing tools have all been openly distributed to the masses. Film, music, print — all of these methods of publishing are available to anyone interested in trying their hand at these trades. The differences between professionally trained content creators is simple — quality. Creators in this space are faced with balancing their creative processes with the ability to grow audiences, and many are uncomfortable losing any more advantage beyond access to publishing tools. This is why transparency is such an issue for many.

All of this said, those who appear to be more accessible, more open, and more interested in what their audiences have to say will grow stronger followings. But the first step is letting go, listening, and communicating. Unfortunately for some, that level of commitment is non-negotiable.