How “Lost” Helped Foment Velvet Revolution in Iran
Jan 27th, 2010 by pedestrian
How this:
helped create this:
Seems our focus today is going to be nutty news agencies – we have too many of them in Iran.
Now before I go on, I think there’s much, much to be said about the disastrous ways that television has influenced our society for the worse. I too think there are “hidden agendas, meanings, and messages” behind almost everything we see and hear on our TV screens and for some very unique insights into this, I would sugges Stuart Hall.
But there’s “keen analysis” and then there’s just “mumbo jumbo analysis” of which RajaNews provides a handful.
RajaNews, the pro-Ahmadinejad news site features an article today about how the television series “Lost” has influenced velvet revolution in Iran.
The translation of the article is provided below (I have omitted some of the paragraphs which explain the story):
The black publishing house [I think they mean Wiley-Blackwell, the book's publisher] has recently published a book Lost and Philosophy which depicts the philosophical undertones of the TV series.
According to Fars [Farce News Agency], these days, watching American TV shows like Lost, 24 and Prison Break have become very popular with youth in Iran.
Shows of this sort do not openly preach any certain ideology, but they change the way society thinks, acts and behaves in accordance with certain agendas.
One such show is Lost, which has been airing from the American channel ABC, since 2004. Now, Ms. Sharon Kay, a professor of philosophy, has published a book “Lost and Philosophy” which depicts the philosophical undertones and hidden meanings behind this series.
When specialists and researchers with a focus on velvet revolution [i.e., the reporters at RajaNews] point out the agendas behind such artistic creations and TV shows, they are accused of being pessimistic or paranoid, but now, the publication of such a book, proves their point [that these shows are meant to influence velvet revolution by promoting certain philosophies.]
In this series, there are many allusions in characters’ names to famous historical thinkers. For example, there are two characters in this movie, named Desmond Hume and John Locke which refer to the British philosophers John Locke and David Hume. What is important is that John Locke has a book, Two Treatises of Government, and because of the certain religious and political views he puts forth in this book, he is known as the father of liberalism.
This goes to show that such series are made in order to promote a certain framework and a certain way of life and because of the advanced technology used to make such shows, they are able to strongly influence the hearts and minds of viewers.
It should be noted that the way of life promoted by such shows is the materialistic, profane lifestyle customary in America.
My fav. TV series of recent years is Sopranos and I spent a lot of money to get all the episodes. But never heard anyone in Iran mentioning this one…. just wondering
roozbeh, the sopranos has a smaller following in Iran. I don’t know what it is about Lost, and Prison Break (and Friends) that makes them so wildly popular. My guess is that you don’t have to understand all the dialogues to be able to understand the story.
Well, I can recommend this one (if only for James Gandolfini’s performance). I can even rent them to you if you want and make little money
Thanks roozbeh. But I think the transportation may be an issue! And I’m not a big Sopranos fan. Mad Men is the first tv show I’ve watched in years.
I like the tv-serie Heroes but I think this serie will also not be very popular, its a little Good, Bad and Uglylike.
“Heroes”? I hadn’t heard of that one. Is it about super heroes?
I have not watched Lost even once; if there is any tint of horror, terror, violence or suspense, I am out! My favorite Tv shows: Being Erica; The Office and 2 and a half men
I love TV; I especially like TV ads. TV tells you a lot about the society; if you look at it closely. But I don’t have time for it 
This was a really funny post … “mumbo jumbo” lol
I have a friend who always comments on how these Ahmadinejadists are glued to the mouths of Foreigners to self-criticize, in order to validate themselves under their (i.e. foreigner enemy intellectual) credit!
Naj, i’ve never seen lost either. I didn’t even know what it was until my friends in Iran started talking about it! Have you ever seen Mad Men? My favorite comedy series of all times hasve got to Bewitched, I Love Lucy and Frasier.
mm i would disagree – if you didn’t understand the dialogue, Lost wouldn’t make any sense at all lol (not that it makes a whole lot now.. there’s way too much going on).. i think it’s mostly the suspense and the fact that we’re all attached to the characters now
and it would be silly to think there isn’t a hidden agenda behind all of our tv, so i very much agree with you
[especially in terms of commercials].. we have to consider what’s not shown, how what is shown is filtered, where the funding is, etc..
one psychology course has made me very bitter unto the world
Dear Pedestrian,
today when reading “Los Angeles Times” I had to find out that Rajanews – and that means unfortunately your text here as well – is utterly wrong:
Today’s headline is
“IRAN: Intelligence officer alleges link between Germany and opposition” (January 27, 2010).
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/01/iran-intellligence-officer-alleges-link-between-germany-and-opposition.html
As I though very rarely put a posting on the LATimes blog, it gradually and then with increasing speed dawned on me: The responsible – even if unvoluntary tortfeaser, unaware of his dark deeds – culprit was obviously me. I therefore did not want to put the responsibility for my – you might call them atrocious – violations of international law last. I thus immediately settled down to write and post the following confession including my deepest regrets and profoundest apologies:
PROFOUND APOLOGIES OF A GERMAN
FOR HAVING CAUSED THIS HALF YEAR
OF POST-ELECTION UNREST IN IRAN !
I am rather taken aback and extremely dismayed – to say the least – that the commentaries I had posted here on the online-blog of LATimes might have led to these immense and gigantic repercussions in Iran. The 15th-June-post-election demonstrations had brought about 3 million protesters on to the streets of Teheran. And all this, because the Iranian masses desired to do everything in their power to rally behind and around me, a German. Although the last thing I had intended to achieve and cause was this hitherto unprecedented peaceful uprising of the Iranian people.
All the same I feel obliged to thank LATimes to have informed me that it was all my fault as a German, that I am the German mentor of the Iranian people and the German instigator of skepticism, doubts and critical questions on the part of the Iranian masses.
Never in my life so far had I thought, that the fact of me being German would make me a collective and consummate combination of Spartacus, Lenin, Trotsky, Gandhi, Mao-Tse-Tung, Lumumba, Che Guevara, Castro, Nasser, Sandino, Zapata and Pancho Villa taken together – for the people in Iran.
After some reflection and second thoughts I have arrived at the conclusion that from now on, and that means e.g. next time, I will be more circumspect with my commentaries/letters to the editor and their impact on Iranian affairs, when writing here on the LATimes-blog.
Please accept my sincere apologies for having caused an uprising of a far weightier impact than The Ten Days That Shook The World or Insurgent Mexico (both witness accounts of the Russian and the Mexican Revolution by John Reed ).
Apologies !
Posted by: Publicola | January 27, 2010 at 12:10 PM
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/01/iran-intellligence-officer-alleges-link-between-germany-and-opposition.html#comments
In conclusion I hope you will not find too much blemish and blame with regard to me and my expeditious reaction to this exposure of the gravity of my disgraceful deed, if not offence.
All the best
Publicola
Hero is a show about people who have been given superpowers for some reason. Some are good, some are evil, and some gray. The 1st season started out really good, but the writing with each season has gotten worse and worse and the plot harder to follow.
Kind of superheroes, its about mutated people. link
inna, thanks for the info. I’ve never seen it, so I just assumed (from the posters) that it’s a beach show with a little suspense
LMOA! Publicola, on behalf of the Iranian people, I accept your apology!
oh! so kind of like x-men maybe?
Not exactly like x-men. One can teleport to any place on earth and time, he is Japanese and really funny. One is electric charged and can make nuclear things happen, a girl regenerates her body if it is harmed and so on. And of course they must fight evil, like x-men.
Thank you for your [legendary!] kindness
(and – as to/in my case – your exceptional patience) !
[[[an aside: I also duly informed LATimes - the German chief suspects are allegedly called "Yogi" and "Ingo" - about this miscreant and villain "Yogi" in the following newsflash-comment:
»RIDDLE SOLVED - "YOGI" IDENTIFIED
I should have mentioned that my best friends, my Alsation dog and my canary bird call me "Yogi"!«
Posted by: Publicola | January 28, 2010 at 12:08 PM
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/01/iran-intellligence-officer-alleges-link-between-germany-and-opposition.html#comments ]]]
“Lost ” >> Iran’s Green Movement
? Does this prove that America’s Negro civil rights movement of the ’50’s&’60 started because Martin Luther King, Jr. watched re-runs of “Amos and Andy”.
The IRI keeps searching for the causes of the Green Movement,but seems certain that the answer is more hangings.
“negro”?! BTL, couldn’t you come up with a better word?
Yes, I’m afraid there will be more hangings. Just writing it makes me vomit.