Any crime, because it draws attention to the fragility of the law, is abject, but premeditated crime, cunning murder, hypocritical revenge are even more so because they heighten the display of such fragility. He who denies morality is not abject; there can be grandeur in amorality and even in crime that flaunts its disrespect for the law—rebellious, liberating, and suicidal crime. Abjection, on the other hand, is immoral, sinister, scheming, and shady: a terror that dissembles, a hatred that smiles, a passion that uses the body for barter instead of inflaming it, a debtor who sells you up, a friend who stabs you.
– Julia Kristeva, Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection
More Abject Kristeva
Just found this. Bravo, Brian. Abjection is a terrific theory.
I wish I were teaching it now, so I could use your gifs.
Most of these GIFs are found elsewhere… Though I have been having fun trying to link up passages with images… Especially when serendipitous associations follow.
I hope it goes without saying that should you ever teach Abjection I will be a most eager student.
Gifs have forever altered how I see movies. These, in particular, are really impressive. You have inspired me to get back in the gif game.
GIFs do that for me too. I need to spend more time making, as opposed to simply trolling my favorite sources of imagery.