The Low Self-Esteem of the "Lost" Creators

Some of my classmates in high school had a saying: “People who make fun have low self-esteem.”

Granted, they just said it to make fun, but the sentiment is still true. People often tear others down to make themselves look better…

Which would explain why the executive producers of “Lost,” Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, feel the need to attack other shows…

It started with the Winter Press Tour. Lindelof and Cuse were clearly stung by the critics’ and audience’s reactions to the first batch of “Lost” episodes. The fans were angry because much of the cast was MIA while the show focused on the Others. And after posing a ton of questions in the season finale, by the time “Lost” took its break, none of them—or any others—had been answered.

In the meantime, while “Lost” was off the air, another serial had become the new “it” drama. And “Heroes” didn’t wait to answer questions, moving at a breakneck pace that fans loved—and wanted a little more of on “Lost.”

So at the press tour, Cuse finally had the chance to respond to the criticism. He could’ve just explained that those first episodes were not meant to be separate from the rest and that the hiatus hurt the flow. He could’ve just said that everything would make sense later. He did say those things, but he chose to add one other comment. He chose to say that the resolution of the “Save the cheerleader, save the world” story on “Heroes” didn’t live up to all the hype.

I remember thinking when I read this, “At least they tried, pal.” But Cuse and Lindelof were not done yet…

Last week, the duo was stung by the reaction to the Paolo-Nikki episode. Fans hated these characters from the very beginning because they saw them as taking away from the characters they loved. So last week, the show solved the problem by eliminating them from the canvas.

But did Damon Lindelof simply say that they were respecting the fans’ wishes? Did he just admit they had made a mistake with these characters? No.

Instead, Lindelof took a shot at another show, telling “TV Guide”: “The easiest thing would’ve been to forget they ever happened, like the cougar on ‘24.’ But that’s not ‘Lost.’”

Forget that it ever happened? Not even last year’s five Emmys have made people forget the worst moment in “24” history…

For those of you who don’t know what Lindelof is referring to, in season two, Kim Bauer was running through the woods trying to get to safety from the nuclear bomb that was in Los Angeles, when she began being pursued by a cougar. Running away from it, she got her foot caught in a trap. A mountain man (played by Kevin Dillon of “Entourage”) rescued her and took her to his cabin, where he tried to get her to stay with him.

As my second favorite Canadian, RT, said, what did they want? For the cougar to have its own spin-off?

“24” has abandoned many storylines in its five and a half seasons, but unfortunately, the cougar was not one of them. So why would Lindelof bring up such a bad comparison?

Remember what I said about tearing down others to make yourself look better. What better way for Lindelof to do that than by bringing up the reigning Emmy winner’s worst moment?

The sad thing is that of all the shows the people from “Lost” should not attack it’s “24,” because without “24” there would be no “Lost.” Up until the success of “24,” no network would touch a serial drama like “Lost.” It’s almost as if they’re biting the hand that fed them.

I have always respected “Lost” for listening to the fans. I just wish they would come out and admit their shortcomings instead of attacking others. Or better yet, I wish they would just concentrate on their own show instead of worrying about everyone else’s…

Maybe they need a boost of self-esteem…