Some things I’d like to think took inspiration from Timely Persuasion, but probably didn’t:
LOST – “Across The Sea”
The recent “Across the Sea” episode of LOST features two nameless main characters. Â The only named character in TP is Nelson, the alleged bad guy. But is he really bad? Â The only named character in this LOST episode is Jacob, the alleged good guy. Â But is he really good?
Carter USM – The Drum Machine Years
On this live concert album by my favorite band, Jim Bob introduces the song “Spoilsports Personality of the Year” by saying “This song goes out to … a younger me.” Messages from a future self are a recurring theme in TP. Is Jim trying to reach his 30-something self?
Mike Doughty – Sad Man Happy Man
In the song “Pleasure on Credit” Doughty sings “I’ve got fun fun persuasion, smart girl not the crazy one.” I have this image in my head of him sitting on his couch while riffing on possible lyrics and noticing his copy of TP lying unread on the coffee table, giving inspiration to these words. Probably not true, but fun to imagine as a dramatization.
Delusions of reference aside, I do realize that these are all more than likely coincidences. However, I also know that Damon Lindelof, Jim Bob, and Mike Doughty are all aware of TP — I just don’t know if they’ve actually read it. So maybe… 🙂