Has anyone seen Gummo?

I have not seen said movie. But based on how you describe it, and after reading a little bit about it, it seems very much in line with the "dark side of the human condition", as well as the notion that "we may not like what we see, but that's just the way it is". The nonlinear, meandering, and anti-heroic narrative (as it seems to be) also seems to testify to the fact that life is inherently just that, and most of the time there are no noble plot devices or schemes, despite how much we might love our conventional fiction. To me, it sounds analogous to Kubrick's vision of the world and humanity (although maybe a tad less cynical and ironic). And I think when confronted with such raw, bitter, and (painfully) honest realities (instead of the sterilized and absolute ideals that sadly permeate so much of fiction), people would tend to lash out or criticize it as being "reprehensible" and the like. Tragedies and disasters bring out the best and worst in people, as they say, but utter devastation that shatters hopes and dreams and seems impossible to recover from (even if only initially) doesn't often lead people to better ways.

Mind you, I again have not seen the movie, but I am quite intrigued.

i've seen it and can't say what's possibly repugnant about it's morality either.why didn't you ask those who originally sparked the discussion?