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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   24222 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 6, 2026

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I didn't know Bourdain apart from his reputation as a chef, and let's face it, celebrity chefs are not role models for stable, happy lives.

But this seems to be rather harsh on the guy - "he's a sad loser"? Whatever his mental state or situation, he ended up killing himself. Let's not piss on the grave. You can criticise the globe-trotting lifestyle as much as you like, but we don't know the man's last moments.

I didn't know Bourdain apart from his reputation as a chef, and let's face it, celebrity chefs are not role models for stable, happy lives.

He's a role model in the progressive sphere for a lot of reasons. Honest blue collar work in a kitchen, diverse cuisine enjoyer, sneers at McDonald's, successful writer (the only way to get rich without exploitation under capitalism), had a show where he travels the world and advances the multi-cultural project.

All of these things are apparent virtues, but they weren't enough to save his life and maybe did him in instead. Maybe loser is the wrong word, but my claim is that the mental illness <-> lifestyle causal arrow might point both ways. What word would you use?

Have you ever seen anyone hold him up as such? Like, “I want to be like that,” or even “he had such an amazing life”?

Maybe this is generational, and I’m just not exposed to the Bourdain fan club, but it was easy for me to slot him into the tortured-aesthete archetype.

You frequently see his quotes on life thrown around as deepities, to the point that copypasta of them is a meme on twitter. Both Kitchen Confidential and No Reservations have a strong element of lifestyle-porn to them, imagine living that way like this fun interesting guy!

All the time. If I asked 10 of my progressive millenial friends to give me a list of 5 heroes who inspired them, at least 3 or 4 would include Bourdain. He occupies the same space as writers like David Foster Wallace

Man, that’s bizarre.

I don't see why. I'm not sure if you could rate his shows as 'insanely popular', but No Reservations ran for 9 season and 147 episodes, and it's spiritual successor, Parts Unknown, ran for twelve seasons and 104 episodes.

I don't know how that compares in the great scheme of things, but when you consider the two combined ran almost solid from 2005 to 2018, that's probably a longer career than some talk show hosts, nevermind all the other stuff he did. Hell, that's edging close to shows like Top Gear, and that show almost conquered the world.

Judge Judy ran from 1996 to 2021. I’m sure a lot of people approve of her…sass, or whatever. Does that qualify her as an inspiring hero?

I dunno, I’m sure someone would say it. But there’s definitely more than one kind of celebrity, and I didn’t realize Bourdain had that much admiration.

Read his books. He was heavily suicidal even while basking in the Kitchen confidential success. There are a lot of stories there.

He was extremely sad. For loser - it is not a good description. But how can you call a man that achieved tremendous success in things he didn't care about, and failed in everything he desired.

I think "seems to have it all" and then kills himself is a tragedy, as Tanista says. We never know, looking from the outside, what is going on inside.

If you read Kitchen Confidential - there is a restaurant mentioned next to his current where they go from time to time. You read the longing when he describes it - 3 stars, cause the owner don't care about fourth, the kitchen is quiet, professional, calm and not rowdy, they serve simple excellently prepared comfort food, and have great work life balance.

Not saying he didn't enjoy the frantic pace, but was obviously not fulfilled by it.

Happiness comes from within, not without. There is no amount of success or achievement or material wealth that will satisfy someone who is not able to accept himself.

But how can you call a man that achieved tremendous success in things he didn't care about, and failed in everything he desired.

A tragedy.

It's known that he killed himself mere hours after learning that Asia Argento, the woman he loved (and to whom he'd offered generous financial assistance by paying off the man threatening to sue Argento for sexually exploiting him when he was a young boy) was fucking someone else, and that she had so little respect for Bourdain that she didn't even bother being discreet about it. I don't know Bourdain, but it wouldn't surprise me if he thought of himself as a sad loser.

She sure seems to be a lot of trouble.

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