---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A different kind of pleasure surfaced in…"
description: "\"A different kind of pleasure surfaced in the aftermath, the pleasure of seeing the towers fall time and again, the experience of being entranced by the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg"
---

#  A different kind of pleasure surfaced in the aftermath…

![“A different kind of pleasure surfaced in the aftermath, the pleasure of seeing the towers fall time and again, the experience of being entranced by the visual spectacle, and then also the very graphic forms of public mourning for exemplary citizens (taking place at the same time as the refusal to…” quote by Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg)

> “A different kind of pleasure surfaced in the aftermath, the pleasure of seeing the towers fall time and again, the experience of being entranced by the visual spectacle, and then also the very graphic forms of public mourning for exemplary citizens (taking place at the same time as the refusal to mourn the undocumented, the foreign, gay and lesbian lives lost there, for example). I am not sure that the guilt over the pleasure re-installed the good citizen.”

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Reflection on the paradox of finding aesthetic pleasure in destruction while mourning marginalized lives.

**In simple terms:** Enjoying spectacle can coexist with awareness of social injustice.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and critique conflicting emotions.

Themes

pleasure mourning spectacle politics

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

analysis philosophical

When to use this quote

- war coverage
- public memorials
- media consumption
- activist discourse

Key Concepts

aesthetic theory social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What responsibilities come with consuming violent imagery?
- How can we honor forgotten victims?

A Different Perspective

Risk of desensitization to suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aftermath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aftermath/) [Fall Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-time/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Good citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-citizen/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Mourning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourning/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/)

## Related quotes

> [The pleasurable part of public mourning can also lead to a sense of self-sanctification that justifies in advance any war effort, whether or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-pleasurable-part-of-public-mourning-can-also-lead-to-a-sense-of/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [You keep leading me on and I fall for it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-keep-leading-me-on-and-i-fall-for-it-every-time/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Thorns of a rose Cut into my hand Deep under my skin There it stays Even when I let go The blood and scars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thorns-of-a-rose-cut-into-my-hand-deep-under-my-skin-there-it-stays/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We fall down, and We get up…But this time I don't think I'm getting up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mann/we-fall-down-and-we-get-up-but-this-time-i-don-t-think-i-m-getting-up/)

Victoria Mann

> [“If you will fall down then next time you will go in the hall of fame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-teris-bit-ns/if-you-will-fall-down-then-next-time-you-will-go-in-the-hall-of-fame/)

[Pēteris Bitāns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-teris-bit-ns/)

> [Why can't we fall one more time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-can-t-we-fall-one-more-time/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ Drake\] All my exes live in texas like I'm george strait or they go to georgia state where- tuition is handled by some random… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/drake-all-my-exes-live-in-texas-like-i-m-george-strait-or-they-go-to/)

[Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/)

> [“How soon do you think it is? Time will tell me. When it's autumn, the leaves fall. When the time comes, I'll know it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-richard/how-soon-do-you-think-it-is-time-will-tell-me-when-it-s-autumn-the/)

J.R. Richard

> [The sooner you fall behind the more time you'll have to catch up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sooner-you-fall-behind-the-more-time-you-ll-have-to-catch-up/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Folks fall down all the time.. The key is to get back up ASAP”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sereda-aleta-dailey/folks-fall-down-all-the-time-the-key-is-to-get-back-up-asap/)

[Sereda Aleta Dailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sereda-aleta-dailey/)

> [I keep running back to you but I fall every time I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-keep-running-back-to-you-but-i-fall-every-time-i-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sooner-i-fall-behind-the-more-time-i-have-to-catch-up/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The exemplary vanguard role of the Communists is of vital importance. Communists in the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies should set an example…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/the-exemplary-vanguard-role-of-the-communists-is-of-vital-importance/)

[Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/)

> [Many women have made the mistake of changing their beliefs to accommodate their work; it must be the other way around. No circumstance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/many-women-have-made-the-mistake-of-changing-their-beliefs-to/)

[Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/)

> [Truth be told, there are lots of companies that provide exemplary phone support. DirecTV, Virgin America and Apple are a few that regularly exceed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/truth-be-told-there-are-lots-of-companies-that-provide-exemplary/)

[Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/)

## More by Judith Butler

> [I don't think we have to have a personal relation to a life lost to understand that something terrible has taken place, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-don-t-think-we-have-to-have-a-personal-relation-to-a-life-lost-to/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [We need a legal and political understanding of the right of the refugee, whereby no solution for one group produces a new class of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/we-need-a-legal-and-political-understanding-of-the-right-of-the/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [When we say gender is performed, we usually mean that we've taken on a role or we're acting in some way and that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/when-we-say-gender-is-performed-we-usually-mean-that-we-ve-taken-on-a/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [Cameras help to minimize collateral damage, and very often, without a camera a missile cannot fire. Certainly, without a camera a drone can't function,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/cameras-help-to-minimize-collateral-damage-and-very-often-without-a/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [I would say that I'm a feminist theorist before I'm a queer theorist or a gay and lesbian theorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-would-say-that-i-m-a-feminist-theorist-before-i-m-a-queer-theorist/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [Very often, if you just get the question: "Well, are you a Zionist?" if you say no, it's assumed that you want the destruction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/very-often-if-you-just-get-the-question-well-are-you-a-zionist-if-you/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [Sexual harassment law is very important. But I think it would be a mistake if the sexual harassment law movement is the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/sexual-harassment-law-is-very-important-but-i-think-it-would-be-a/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [Genocide is not a legitimate option. It's not ok to decide that an entire population has no right to live in the world. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/genocide-is-not-a-legitimate-option-it-s-not-ok-to-decide-that-an/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [“Let's face it. We're undone by each other. And if we're not, we're missing something. If this seems so clearly the case with grief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/let-s-face-it-we-re-undone-by-each-other-and-if-we-re-not-we-re/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [The pleasurable part of public mourning can also lead to a sense of self-sanctification that justifies in advance any war effort, whether or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/the-pleasurable-part-of-public-mourning-can-also-lead-to-a-sense-of/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [“There is no life without the conditions of life that variably sustain life, and those conditions are pervasively social, establishing not the discrete ontology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/there-is-no-life-without-the-conditions-of-life-that-variably-sustain/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [“That the power regimes of heterosexism and phallogocentrism seek to augment themselves through a constant repetition of their logic, their metaphysic, and their naturalized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/that-the-power-regimes-of-heterosexism-and-phallogocentrism-seek-to/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [I think that public grieving is a good thing. People need to be grieved; loss needs to be acknowledged publicly, because it helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/i-think-that-public-grieving-is-a-good-thing-people-need-to-be/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [Maybe we need to start with the rethinking of what is "west" and what is "non-west." It seems to me that there are any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/maybe-we-need-to-start-with-the-rethinking-of-what-is-west-and-what/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [It will not do to say that international law is the enemy of the Jewish people, since the Jewish people surely did not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/it-will-not-do-to-say-that-international-law-is-the-enemy-of-the/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

[Explore all 248 Judith Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

## More Aftermath quotes

> [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/)

[Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/)

> [“She might have been there for you in the aftermath, but I was there when everything came crashing down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-duke/she-might-have-been-there-for-you-in-the-aftermath-but-i-was-there/)

[Megan Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-duke/)

> [Most people may not think about it, but the aftermath of war is very costly. Costly not just in lives, but the treatment. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-inouye/most-people-may-not-think-about-it-but-the-aftermath-of-war-is-very/)

[Daniel Inouye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-inouye/)

> ['Life's That Way' was an extraordinarily difficult book to write, because it wasn't written as a book. It was written as a journal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/life-s-that-way-was-an-extraordinarily-difficult-book-to-write/)

[Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/)

> [It's common knowledge that every act has an aftermath factor. It can be positive or negative. Whatever the result its always important that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-matobo/it-s-common-knowledge-that-every-act-has-an-aftermath-factor-it-can/)

[Frank Matobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-matobo/)

> ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/)

[Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/)

> [In the aftermath of 9/11, people had not a good time, but a deep, profound, rousing time, woke up from their ennui and isolation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-people-had-not-a-good-time-but-a-deep/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [They were anticipating a different kind of immediate aftermath of the fall of Baghdad, it turned out to be not exactly as they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/they-were-anticipating-a-different-kind-of-immediate-aftermath-of-the/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [In a brilliant fusion of fact and fiction, Jayne Anne Phillips has written the novel of the year. It's the story of a serial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-a-brilliant-fusion-of-fact-and-fiction-jayne-anne-phillips-has/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [In the aftermath of 9/11 and in the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, few questioned the idea that the United States was likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-and-in-the-build-up-to-the-invasion-of-iraq/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [In the aftermath of any war or genocide, healing and reconciliation are ultimate aspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-di-giovanni/in-the-aftermath-of-any-war-or-genocide-healing-and-reconciliation/)

[Janine di Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-di-giovanni/)

> [I wish I had been more mature. I wish I had handled the immediate aftermath of the accident involving my family better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-wish-i-had-been-more-mature-i-wish-i-had-handled-the-immediate/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [But I don't know what to him about the aftermath of killing a person. About how they never leave you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/but-i-don-t-know-what-to-him-about-the-aftermath-of-killing-a-person/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [We need to have a modicum of faith in people's common sense, creativity and will to survive and prosper even in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/we-need-to-have-a-modicum-of-faith-in-people-s-common-sense/)

[Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/)

> [ I can't think of any time we had a discussion \[with Dre\] about the aftermath of what happened the night before. We just had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-le/i-can-t-think-of-any-time-we-had-a-discussion-with-dre-about-the/)

[Michel'le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-le/)

[Browse all 218 Aftermath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aftermath/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A different kind of pleasure surfaced in the aftermath, the pleasure of seeing the towers fall time and again, the experience of being entranced by the visual spectacle, and then also the very graphic forms of public mourning for exemplary citizens (taking place at the same time as the refusal to mourn the undocumented, the foreign, gay and lesbian lives lost there, for example). I am not sure that the guilt over the pleasure re-installed the good citizen.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Judith Butler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in-the-aftermath-the-pleasure/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aftermath"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in-the-aftermath-the-pleasure/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/133/judith-butler-1374_aftermath_a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in_1327514.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A different kind of pleasure surfaced in the aftermath, the pleasure of seeing the towers fall time and…” — Judith Butler",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Judith Butler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A different kind of pleasure surfaced...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in-the-aftermath-the-pleasure/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/a-different-kind-of-pleasure-surfaced-in-the-aftermath-the-pleasure/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
