The series finale of ABC’s LOST is a week and a half old and is still the hot topic of conversation between a fair amount of viewers and media outlets. Sleep has been interrupted. Forums are still buzzing. So many hypothetical and analytical questions remain wide open for discussion, intentionally or otherwise by producers. However, one question that would probably never have entered the minds of viewers has already managed to be answered: What would have happened if the passengers of Oceanic flight 815 landed on the Jersey Shore?
LOST in Da Jersey Shore, from the minds of Jen Kucsak and Richard Salazar, merges LOST’s sci-fi drama with blinged-out hijinks similar to those seen on MTV’s Jersey Shore. It is silly, it is overly dramatic, but it still manages to draw out more laughs than groans. The basic idea seems to be that there couldn’t be two shows more different from the other, and yet they come together in light of their stark extremes. The creators of the show’s dysfunctional marriage have done their homework. From “Desmond”‘s accent, “Sawyer”‘s pop cultural analogies, and “Sayid”‘s black wife-beater to “Snooki”‘s hair bump, “The Situation”‘s narcissism, and a prevailing shade of burnt orange, the cast of each respective show proves convincing in their newfound comical format. The hybrid plot, as well, has gone from plane crash to “entering the Numbers” and “saving the world”… sound familiar?
While LOST isn’t necessarily a religion, its massive cult following will include a brand of fan that will likely find this display – for lack of a better word – sacrilegious. That’s what makes it funny. Personally, we prefer the phrase charmingly irreverent, but also hold to the belief that humor can be found in most anything – even in the sanctity of a layered television program. When the Fruity Pebble-flecked buttercream frosting (that is, the Jersey Shore peeps) tops things by taking the passengers’ lives for a tailspin, it is just…all so ridiculous. It is also appreciated that any attempts at from-the-gut laughter are free from obscene jokes and dumber than the normal standard of dumb humor. But even then, some people can’t take a joke. Expect that some might think this a disgrace to the characters and the story. But there is the LOST fan out there who will not need convincing that the show’s vortex of drama would be considered a joke in any other format. That fan may be starring in this production, for all we know.
And of course, when you gather together the millions who find “reality” television laughable in general…well then, you’ve got yourselves an idea.
Check out LOST at Da Jersey Shore on its official YouTube channel.