Uncanny Repetitions. Abu Ghraib in Afterthought

In this article we investigate the imagery that came to light with the Abu Ghraib scandal. We take up both the original photographs of humiliation and torture that were published by 60 Minutes and The New Yorker in 2004, and examples of the many varied responses that have since then emerged on the internet in the form of caricatures and imitations. In analysing this imagery we introduce the theoretical concepts of the uncanny and of repetition. By analysing both the form and the content of these various images, we argue that it is necessary to introduce a further theoretical concept: comedy. Drawing upon our analysis, we conclude by discussing what the Abu Ghraib images can tell us about the present state of Western culture.