About Tony Bourdain
Well, when I would watch Anthony Bourdain's shows all those years ago, it never occurred to me that there would someday be a biopic about him. But now, here it is! It's called Tony and draws from his Kitchen Confidential bestseller to portray a formative summer in Provincetown early in his adulthood. We love P-town, so that's reason enough to see it, which is actually getting good reviews. Why actually? Well, biopics are hard to do well, so I'm always skeptical going in. I guess that the reason this film even happened was that for many young people, Bourdain was a towering figure and even a role model. I think it was his irreverence in an uptight age that appealed to so many kids. For me, someone in his peer group, he was a type, and certainly not one begging for worship: a guy heavily influenced by the gonzo journalism and life of Hunter S. Thompson and also by the punk music scene of the late 70s - early 80s. What made him special, though was that he transcended this persona to bring in not only sophisticated takes on food but also on the creative and sometimes political spheres of society. He knew stuff, and successfully wove it into his show. So, in honor of the new flick, I'm reposting here some cheeky reflections about him I jotted down on this site in 2014, years before his tragic suicide.
About Tony Bourdain
1. No one has been that drunk that often on camera since Dean Martin. And I heard Dino was faking it sometimes, so Tony wins. We're talking blotto and 'faced. But he's a fun drunk, so it's entertaining. I read somewhere that he barely drinks at all when he's home for a few weeks between shows, so what he does is clean out, binge, clean out, binge, and repeat. Seems to work for him. He appears pretty healthy.
2. As much as I would like to think of myself as a bad boy in Bourdain's mold, the truth is that my wife and I travel more like Rick Steves: We go to interesting places, catch some culture, history, and art, then explore the city on foot with plenty of time for shopping, cafe sitting, and people watching. Not so hip, but it's the truth.
3. Bourdain's bad boy act has earned him a lot of viewers, though many people can't stand the sight of him and avoid his shows like an airborne virus. Certainly, he's a bit impressed with himself, with frequent takes, often shot from below and in slow motion, showing him strolling through an exotic land- or city-scape modeling his Ray Bans.
4. For a chef and food expert his critiques when eating surprisingly often amount to nothing more than "Wow, that's good." That's preferable, though, to his celebrity-chef voice-over voice. "This is chef so-and-so, and no one in the world right now is doing more interesting things with baby turnips, and he's doing it right here in his foodie stronghold outside of Portland, Oregon, where staggeringly hip people with ink and beards have raised food snobbery to high art." And, yes, we've heard 75 times that Tony likes meat on a stick.
5. It's actually when he's on the streets where the vendors and small shops that sell that meat on a stick, that Bourdain is at his best. He's not a food snob himself, and he really gives a good sense of what street life is like around the world, especially in Asia. He also goes on these adventures with a variety of non-food people, which is also good.
6. His interactions with non-food people really make his shows interesting and successful. He talks to artists, writers, journalists, musicians, business people, and in those conversations you can learn more about the strengths and troubles of a region than you will ever learn on most news shows. Bourdain is a true humanist and an empathetic listener, which is a nice contrast or complement to Punk Bourdain. This is the secret sauce of the show.
7. And finally, he really is a good writer, even if some of his shtick is formulaic. I find the formula amusing, so I'm on board.
8. And one more thing. His energy and industry are impressive. I thought for sure after No Reservations he would quit the travel game and do things closer to home. But, no, then he showed up on CNN. You go, Tony!
1. No one has been that drunk that often on camera since Dean Martin. And I heard Dino was faking it sometimes, so Tony wins. We're talking blotto and 'faced. But he's a fun drunk, so it's entertaining. I read somewhere that he barely drinks at all when he's home for a few weeks between shows, so what he does is clean out, binge, clean out, binge, and repeat. Seems to work for him. He appears pretty healthy.
2. As much as I would like to think of myself as a bad boy in Bourdain's mold, the truth is that my wife and I travel more like Rick Steves: We go to interesting places, catch some culture, history, and art, then explore the city on foot with plenty of time for shopping, cafe sitting, and people watching. Not so hip, but it's the truth.
3. Bourdain's bad boy act has earned him a lot of viewers, though many people can't stand the sight of him and avoid his shows like an airborne virus. Certainly, he's a bit impressed with himself, with frequent takes, often shot from below and in slow motion, showing him strolling through an exotic land- or city-scape modeling his Ray Bans.
4. For a chef and food expert his critiques when eating surprisingly often amount to nothing more than "Wow, that's good." That's preferable, though, to his celebrity-chef voice-over voice. "This is chef so-and-so, and no one in the world right now is doing more interesting things with baby turnips, and he's doing it right here in his foodie stronghold outside of Portland, Oregon, where staggeringly hip people with ink and beards have raised food snobbery to high art." And, yes, we've heard 75 times that Tony likes meat on a stick.
5. It's actually when he's on the streets where the vendors and small shops that sell that meat on a stick, that Bourdain is at his best. He's not a food snob himself, and he really gives a good sense of what street life is like around the world, especially in Asia. He also goes on these adventures with a variety of non-food people, which is also good.
6. His interactions with non-food people really make his shows interesting and successful. He talks to artists, writers, journalists, musicians, business people, and in those conversations you can learn more about the strengths and troubles of a region than you will ever learn on most news shows. Bourdain is a true humanist and an empathetic listener, which is a nice contrast or complement to Punk Bourdain. This is the secret sauce of the show.
7. And finally, he really is a good writer, even if some of his shtick is formulaic. I find the formula amusing, so I'm on board.
8. And one more thing. His energy and industry are impressive. I thought for sure after No Reservations he would quit the travel game and do things closer to home. But, no, then he showed up on CNN. You go, Tony!
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