“Life itself is a quotation.”
“Crime butchers innocence to secure a throne, and innocence struggles with all its might against the attempts of crime.” - Maximilien Robespierre, French politician & revolutionary (1758 - 1794). See, don’t I look smart? I might even be able to fool you into thinking I know who Maximilien Robespierre is.
One of the criticims of Criminal Minds that I’ve written about is that the writers use quotes to try and sound smart.
The only possibly novel touch is the reliance on quotes from such historical giants as Beckett, Nietzsche, Faulkner and Churchill, men who don’t deserve the guilt of this association. (USA Today)
My point is why is it bad to sound smart? “When a thing has been said and well, have no scruple. Take it and copy it.” - Anatole France, French novelist (1844 - 1924). 
God forbid I should hear a quote from a literary genius on primetime tv. Would Shakespeare be rolling over in his grave? No, he’d want a cut of the profits. Hearing something that you’re feeling described by someone who has been immortalized for his writing makes the quotes personal and meaningful. (That was a huge run-on sentence! Kind of wordy, but do you know what I mean?)
The quotes chosen for Criminal Minds work two ways: They describe what the agents experience and provide some perspective. These types of human behavior are universal and timeless. This in turn helps the viewers connect with the story. These crimes can happen anywhere, at any time, to people like them. It could also mean that Criminal Minds fans are smarter!
By the way, the title quote is from Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentine novelist & poet.
What do you think about the quotes on Criminal Minds?
August 8th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Theophrastus wrote: “It is always possible to find a [local] observer, and the signs learnt from such persons are the most trustworthy.” Right on Katie–keep the quotes coming–we might learn something.
August 14th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I adore the quotes on Criminal Minds. I’m a bit of a quote junkie though
October 1st, 2007 at 6:29 am
[...] also takes exception to the use of quotes by literary giants such as Faulkner, Hemingway, and Conrad. “To me, this seems like a pretty [...]