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Anthony Bourdain’s Message Already Forgotten?
The eulogies, tributes, and expressions of dismay and gratitude came quickly after the shocking news of Anthony Bourdain’s death. The many eloquent and wonderful things that were said about Bourdain I do not need to repeat. In all of those expressions of praise and loss, though, I fear one key element of Bourdain’s message was forgotten.
Much has been said about Bourdain’s irreverence, his go-anywhere, eat-anything spirit, and how he brought to light so many places and foods. These are part of who Bourdain was and what his shows were about. What is missing from these write-ups is one of Bourdain’s passions: his searing and abiding hatred of what big money corporatization has done to us all. The commentators didn’t want to address Bourdain’s anger about the forces that were destroying our food, our planet, and us. Those corporations don’t advertise here, so I am free to talk about it.
The War Against TGI McFunsters
The first time I ever heard of Bourdain was on a commercial for his (then) new show, No Reservations. The commercial promised a new kind of travel show that was about being a traveler not a tourist. That sounded interesting to me. The first episode of No Reservations was Bourdain’s manifesto. Don’t just go where the guidebooks and the mega-corporations tell you to go. Find the real heart of a city. Find a…
