Bourdain RIP

[Quickstatus]

Ill put this in the Travel thread because Bourdain was after all a travelling storyteller.

He was able to connect so many places to his audience, not in a "look what I discovered" kind of way but bringing the readers to a realisation that they needed to open their eyes to what is already in existence and to catch up to the present.

Much of travel blogging these days are all about pretty pictures with pretty people. So superficial and artificial. Bourdain brought something more - he helped us visualise the character of the heart beat that give life to these places.


From today's SMH:

 

[Must...Fly!]

Indeed RIP. When I heard about it last night I was very saddened, and didn't really want to leave the room, instead considering to get lost in a sea of No Reservations videos. Then I remembered the point of them all, so got up and went out. I found absolutely nothing interesting except for people trying to hawk me fake watches, but if you don't look you will not find. Which is pretty much, to me, one of the key themes of his fantastic productions.

My only regret is that I did not just blindly point and nod at a strange food on the street-side stall, preferring the safe, sweet option instead. In time,perhaps I will learn. If not, well, at least I follow half of his great example.

As for his death, it surprised me greatly as he has gone through a lot in his life. Apparently a Euro tabloid posted a photo of his girlfriend Asia Argento holding another man's hand, and I also read that she stopped following him on instagram. Funny how such things are taken out of all context, but I hope that his death was not triggered by those events.

 

[UP4014]

The lesson is, if you don't feel great, talk to someone before doing something.

I dropped off here for nearly a year after several friends committed suicide in a short amount of time, it can get to much, everyone gets depressed about things from time to time but dispair makea it hard to see the way out.

This site would have people willing to listen, let someone know. If you don't Know someone, don't be embarrassed, send me a message and I'll call. Better that than a thread on AFF about a past member!

Matt

 

[LadyC]

Very sad news indeed. I enjoyed watching a lot of his shows, saw him speak when he came to Melbourne 6/7 years ago and had read kitchen confidential. He inspired some of our travel adventures. He was obviously struggling with something and didn't manage to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hard to know. I’ve never met him but only as an audience member of his several shows plus one of his no reservation books - the one I referenced above.

Maybe he thought his time was up. He always seemed to be quite insightful into life than most.

Generally speaking , the assumption that suicide equates to depression is not always true. Perhaps he was happy to move on?

 

[RoMambai]

I'm not sure anyone is happy to move on. Not certainly someone with many years left in the tank and plenty to live for.

I was stunned when I awoke to the news. Anthony was my favourite travell foodie. I admired his rough hewn eloquence and devil may care attitude. He never tried to be anyone he wasn't. He was a little calloused, often cynical and always charmingly irreverent. They broke the mould when they made him.

 

[UP4014]

Hard to know. I’ve never met him but only as an audience member of his several shows plus one of his no reservation books - the one I referenced above.

Maybe he thought his time was up. He always seemed to be quite insightful into life than most.

Generally speaking , the assumption that suicide equates to depression is not always true. Perhaps he was happy to move on?

He was working on a new show. Yes I'll just commit suicide because I want to move on.

Please don't play down the reasons for suicide

 

[amaroo]

The man was outstanding at what he did - his shows were interesting, educational, and humorous. Very sad news, particularly for his young daughter.

 

[Quickstatus]

As we all are aware, the outward appearances are just that and a death of a person by suicide is consequently often a surprise and incongruent with the outward appearances.

I don’t presume to know the cause of death here (though reports are of an apparent suicide), and certainly cannot presume I know Bourdain’s thoughts if this was indeed suicide.

Im not playing down the reasons for suicide which are often complex - in fact to the contrary. Assumptions such as equating suicide with only depression actually makes the topic of suicide one dimensional and simplistic.

In any case I hope to be able to read more of his books. I wish he was around a lot longer. He shall be sorely missed. He was gritty, honest and real.

 

[RoMambai]

I'm no psychologist but I am staggered by any characterisation that delinks depression with suicide. To suggest that there isn't a causal connection 100 per cent of the time is wrong. It's akin to arguing that extremism only partially explains terrorism. You cannot have one without the other.

Not every suffering depression commits suicide but I'd bet London to a brick that every one who has taken their own life suffered depression at the time of carrying out the act.

 

[drron]

Well you would lose your bet.It is a much more complex situation.Sometimes it is a spur of the moment decision.

 

[RoMambai]

I don't argue with that. But it would occur in the context of depression even if the person or those around them are not aware of it.

 

[sjk]

I'm no psychologist but I am staggered by any characterisation that delinks depression with suicide. To suggest that there isn't a causal connection 100 per cent of the time is wrong. It's akin to arguing that extremism only partially explains terrorism. You cannot have one without the other.

Not every suffering depression commits suicide but I'd bet London to a brick that every one who has taken their own life suffered depression at the time of carrying out the act.

There's just so much chance of being wrong when one makes 100% blanket statements.

I'm very sad to see him go. I worked with Tony and his crew a couple of times in Japan, and one of the things that struck me when we all had dinner together was how hard it was to get him to talk about himself. He would keep throwing out questions like "What's it like to be a woman in Japan?", "What's it like to be an ethnic minority in Japan?", "What's it like to be gay in Japan?", and he would seem genuinely interested in the answers and recognise that everything can be a lot more nuanced than stereotypes first suggest. And then to think that Japan was just one of the many many places he visited... his knowledge must have been staggering.

My standard practice has been to look for an episode of No Reservations or Parts Unknown before visiting somewhere, and I've also chosen a couple of my destinations (and probably more than a dozen restaurants) based on his shows. I'm repeatedly impressed by how interesting his shows on US destinations can be, as well.

 

[drron]

I don't argue with that. But it would occur in the context of depression even if the person or those around them are not aware of it.

No.As a general physician in regional and rural areas I get to look after those that have attempted suicide and in a few sad cases where death is delayed or prolonged.Quite a few are not nor have been depressed and if you can obtain a Psychiatrist their diagnosis is the same-no clinical depression.

 

[Himeno]

Never heard of him.

 

[Quickstatus]

I learnt so much about travelling from watching Bourdain.
The most important insight is that the more you can connect with locals at the local level the more memorable and meaningful the experience.
Michelin Star experiences don’t count as much as the immersive local experience.

He was so at home sitting on plastic chairs eating street food - the seemingly mundane became a much desired experience.

And isn’t it the truth that often a post gluttony “go to” respite is the “meat in a tube”?

(Also lets get back to this thread about Bourdain. Let’s agree to disagree about the suicide subtopic. My mistake for even raising it. It’s not the tone I wish to set for a thread about the great man. )

 

[JessicaTam]

This is a thread to discuss the death of a person that many respected.
This is not a thread to disrespect other members.

Unhelpful posts have been removed.

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

My partner and I are genuinely upset by this news. No Reservations gave my partner the confidence to dip her toe in the water and come overseas with me. For me, Anthony embodied so many wonderful traits. He was living proof that a man could change who he was, from a bullying cough as a young chef to a global minded, insatiably curious explorer. I will always look up to him and hope that he has found his peace.

 

[Limewood]

Never heard of him.

Well you must have been living under a rock, Anthony was a traveling food guru legend known the world over the past decade and loved by all RIP.

 

[JohnK]

Yes sad news even though I haven't watched any of his shows.

The lesson is, if you don't feel great, talk to someone before doing something.

Depression is one of the least understood diseases. When you're feeling down the last thing you want to do is be around people to hear them say "Smile!".