Slovenian philosopher Slavoj iek is an academic superstar. But it’s his scruffy vitality and propensity for esoteric soundbites that have been seized upon by the media, rather than his ambitious fusion of Marxism and the theories of Jacques Lacan.
Astra Taylor’s frantic profile reveals the extent to which iek is both intimidated by the responsibility this celebrity brings and irked by the impact it has on his intellectual standing. But while iek emerges as a much more sympathetic character than he did in The Pervert’s Guide To Cinema, he’s still presented as an eccentric quote machine and, consequently, the significance of his ideas rather gets lost in the mêlée. Fascinatingly flawed.