Lost fans, as the title suggests, are lost. These poor people have undergone a metaphorical crash of their usual TV viewing experience and have been abandoned on a virtual island, surrounded by strangers, wondering what will occur next on this jarring roller coaster of a show.

Since the popular series began its allegedly all-revealing final season, a line in the sandy beach of the Pacific island has been drawn – no, not the recurring opposing ideologies of Jack and Locke. This time, it’s the audience that’s separated. On one side are the faithful fans, dying for explanations and eager to have their countless theories proven or nullified. On the other side are a group of people we will call “the Others,” composed of individuals who either watch or have merely heard of the show, but despise the opposing group. Recently, the Others, through the Onion, have released a video entitled “Final season of Lost promises to make fans more annoying than ever.”

What have the faithful fans ever done to the world to deserve such animosity? I will admit that Lost fans have pushed the limits of fandom by creating innumerable blogs and virtual communities, but this is nothing new – haven’t we all met a Trekkie? Trekkies, in my opinion, are the ones who put the word “fan” in fanatic – not Lost fans. Have people really suffered from listening to theories of purgatory and alternate dimensions? Doubtful. Rather, I would claim that mankind has benefited from dabbling in fiction that lies a little outside of its comfort zone.

Lost doesn’t belong in the fantasy genre any more than Grey’s Anatomy does. If you disagree, I challenge you to come up with a single event presented on Grey’s that you have personally experienced. I have been to many hospitals and have never had an elevator ride as exciting as the most mundane one on that show. The only difference between Grey’s and Lost is that Lost fans embrace the fact that they’re watching fiction, whereas Grey’s Anatomy can now be found in the motivation section of medical school applications.

Lost fans are not only nerds who believe in mystical connections between people, they are people who want to escape their everyday lives and dive into an alternate dimension where time travel and resurrection are ordinary occurrences.

Lost fans deserve the same credit as other TV-show admirers. What makes their existence more annoying than Heroes or Gossip Girl addicts? I remember losing an entire hour of my life listening to someone trying to explain how Jack Bauer gets through an entire day without ever using the bathroom. As boring as that conversation (i.e. monologue) was, I respect this avid fan for his passion rather than despise him for his persistence.

Lost fans of the world beware: a black smoke of hate is headed your way. And for those of you who are not interested in the show and find yourself having to hear someone’s perspective on it, let him talk. Who knows, maybe you’ll find out what the island is all about.