Lost: The Untold Story of the Hit Show’s Poisonous Culture

[spankmypirate]

‘Lost’ was a gripping, groundbreaking smash, but the show evolved into such a toxic production that even co-showrunner Damon Lindelof now says of his leadership: “I failed.”

In a powerful excerpt from her new book, @moryan opens the hatch. https://t.co/keq0ngrD9U
- VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 30, 2023

In her new book Burn It Down: Power,

Comments

[polynucleotide]

one of the writers who quit after season 2 and is featured in the article wrote his own statement afterward that can be found here: http://okbjgm.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/5/0/31506003/final_statement.pdf

some of his statements that are worth mentioning:

To the charge of hypocrisy, I plead no contest. I cashed the checks. I affected friendships. I handed out high praise (some deserved). I even sought to mend fences with those who broke them well after it should have been clear that the effort was demeaning. Sometimes hypocrisy is the only way people like me can survive people like them.

It's very easy, especially twenty years after the fact, to think 'well, it can't have been that bad or someone would have done something.' Let me say it loud and clear: it was that bad, and no one did anything because retribution was a constant and looming presence.

A show-runner I worked for in the 90s - one who was later written about and fired in the 2010's after multiple HR investigations - went as far as to brag to his writers that "it's not that

[mistycreed]

I've followed Javi on social media for several years now, and it makes me extra sad that he (and of course the other writers) was treated this way because he seems like a genuinely good person. Like, I don't know him-know him, but I have a friend who is a tv writer and he was incredibly supportive of her when she started out. He mentored her, and she still has a close relationship with him and his wife. And in following him during the WGA strike, he's been very vocal about the fact that the current system is working against new writers.

[pi_lady]

He also co-wrote The 100 episode in which Lexa dies. I remember him engaging with fans on tumblr, while Jason stayed silent.

[momsapplelie]

There is an even longer chapter in this book about Sleepy Hollow, and I can't wait to read it, even though I know I'm going to be furious the entire time.

Justice for Nicole and Orlando!!!

[thereinventions]

I looked up the summary and I need to get this book!

Fresh reporting sheds light on problematic situations at companies like Lucasfilm and shows like Lost, Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, Sleepy Hollow, Curb Your Enthusiasm and more.

[my_moloko]

Yes! I've been hearing about that as well. I really want to read this book.

[theactualworst]

That show shocked me by how much I liked it and then it just went downhill so fucking fast. It was like whiplash! All because of racism like ffs!

[doriiansz]

Fuck Cuse and Lindelof and every other racist misogynistic pos that worked on the show that added to the disgusting atmosphere. The audacity of a white man has no bounds 😡

[notoriousreign]

These motherfuckers, I feel so bad for the people who had to endure this. It was my favourite show growing up, but as time went on you could really tell something was off. As someone said in the last post, who tf cared about Jack getting his tattoo?? Fuck these guys lol.

[doriiansz]

I haven't seen the show since it ended back in 2010. I loved it and was one of the few who actually enjoyed the series finale. I was planning on rewatching the show, but reading about all the shit that went down bts makes me not to ever touch it ever again.

[notoriousreign]

I think I did a rewatch a few years after it ended, probably around when Evangeline got cast in Ant-Man, back when I still liked her lol. And same, I didn't hate the finale! But since then I stopped caring about it and just... as the years went on it's pretty obvious it was a horrible working environment for people. I can't look at the show fondly anymore.

[arilicious]

ugh, the Jack's tattoo episode was the WORST episode of the series lol

[eatmydustbinns]

That's so fucking disappointing and worse than I even imagined. Failing at leadership as well as being a decent human being. It's disappointing because I was a massive fan of this show, and my family even got into it. We loved it, and I remember my immigrant parents pointing out how it was so diverse and how nice it was to see non white American characters on tv.