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Anthony Bourdain suicide...

Starting to be some speculation that his GF, Asia Argento (who is a major #meToo advocate who claims Weinstein raped her) broke up with him for another man or was cheating on him with another man. Of course, these things happen all the time especially when one person is much older than the other (61 to 42). Perhaps that set him off. Regardless, RIP
 
Starting to be some speculation that his GF, Asia Argento (who is a major #meToo advocate who claims Weinstein raped her) broke up with him for another man or was cheating on him with another man. Of course, these things happen all the time especially when one person is much older than the other (61 to 42). Perhaps that set him off. Regardless, RIP

Weren't they together filming just a few days ago?
 
I do think that one part of the divide in our country is that a significant segment of people have an ethos that we should bend over backwards to understand and appreciate "different" peoples but they only apply the ethos to people outside the US. So they constantly preach we need to understand people in other countries when they themselves don't bother to understand lots of people in the US and not only that but they outright look down on them.

If you apply your "we need to understand different people" ethos only to some people then your ethos isn't actually "we need to understand different people."

ETA: To be clear, those comments aren't meant to apply to AB, whose show I didn't watch and thus can't judge. I've seen it in lots of others though.

:rolleyes:
 
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I'm shocked this thread has such long legs. I've never heard of this guy! Of course, I wouldn't watch CNN if you paid me, but still....

RIP
 
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Weren't they together filming just a few days ago?
yeah....she went to Rome and he to Paris. Photos of her strolling along were published by some dude, an Italian reporter. Upon the announcement of his death, the guy took the photos down. Highly speculative but just wondering what triggered him to take his life
 
I'm shocked this thread has such long legs. I've never heard of this guy! Of course, I wouldn't watch CNN if you paid me, but still....

RIP

I don't have cable. But they're offering a package with 10 channels (plus local channels) for $22 per month and I think I'm going to break down and get it for football season (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and NFL Network).

I looked at the list of channels and despite that fact that I"m having a hard time filling out my list of 10, I'm going to take a pass on all three big cable news outfits (CNN, MSNBC and Fox News). When I see them now (on someone else's TV when I'm visiting them I mean) I wonder why I watched them so long. They're simply bad and they're anti-intellectual too.
 
yeah....she went to Rome and he to Paris. Photos of her strolling along were published by some dude, an Italian reporter. Upon the announcement of his death, the guy took the photos down. Highly speculative but just wondering what triggered him to take his life

Could be. Could be he was an egomaniac on hgh and many drugs and figured this was his way to show the world.

Ldn
 
I never heard of him either.

I had never heard of him until 5-6 years when he got a show on CNN (which is back when I had cable). CNN promoted him constantly and their website (which is supposed to be for news) did also.

If you've never had CNN TV nor read their website there's a good chance you've never heard of him.
 
I don't have cable. But they're offering a package with 10 channels (plus local channels) for $22 per month and I think I'm going to break down and get it for football season (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and NFL Network).

I looked at the list of channels and despite that fact that I"m having a hard time filling out my list of 10, I'm going to take a pass on all three big cable news outfits (CNN, MSNBC and Fox News). When I see them now (on someone else's TV when I'm visiting them I mean) I wonder why I watched them so long. They're simply bad and they're anti-intellectual too.
Agree on cable news. Who is offering that package?
 
I don't have cable. But they're offering a package with 10 channels (plus local channels) for $22 per month and I think I'm going to break down and get it for football season (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and NFL Network).

I looked at the list of channels and despite that fact that I"m having a hard time filling out my list of 10, I'm going to take a pass on all three big cable news outfits (CNN, MSNBC and Fox News). When I see them now (on someone else's TV when I'm visiting them I mean) I wonder why I watched them so long. They're simply bad and they're anti-intellectual too.

It is too bad. At one point i found cnn credible. As a network it has become unwatchable.

For the record i never watched fox news.

LdN
 
I had never heard of him until 5-6 years when he got a show on CNN (which is back when I had cable). CNN promoted him constantly and their website (which is supposed to be for news) did also.
If you've never had CNN TV nor read their website there's a good chance you've never heard of him.

He was also a bestselling author.
 
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Agree on cable news. Who is offering that package?

Spectrum (see link). I don't know if they're offering it to me only because I've been without cable for four years or not. A couple of autumns in those years I got Sling TV for football (Sling has CNN but not MSNBC or Fox News) but I found that there was a lag in watching football. The game on my TV screen would be at the end of the 3rd quarter but online where it lists play by play the game would be well into the 4th quarter.

https://www.techhive.com/article/32...arte-tv-streaming-but-restrictions-apply.html
 
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I thought the same thing. You could tell that he had some dark side to him just the way the he talked and acted. And he did cross the line on too many occasions with some political speak versus focusing on the show.

As for suicide and mental health, etc....throwing more money at it isn't doing anything. And blaming pharma as the devil isn't correct either. Big Pharma has created more miracle drugs that have saved millions of lives over the past few decades. At some point, people and society have to take personal responsibility for themselves. I don't blame the doctor for people getting hooked on opiods. And I don't blame big pharma for creating painkillers. Most doctors don't want to prescribe painkillers but patients come in, complain of pain (real or not) and demand that they give them a script. In today's society of litigation, doctors would rather just say yes then face some type of lawsuit so they write the script. Blame the lawyers and politicians for a society that is now almost 100% about how not get sued.,


Wow it gets deep here in a hurry!;)

First of all it is sad that this very talented chef died so early.

You bring up some valid points. The problem is that all of the topics discussed here are very complex and multi faceted. The impact is so wide spread. I definitely don't blame the doctors.
 
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To be clear, I didn't actually watch AB's show so my comments about celebs & politics were more general and come from other celebs I've found annoying. I have no idea how much or how little AB injected politics into his show.

Some people (myself included) don't like it when a celeb ventures outside their field to lecture us about politics. I've been thinking about why that is.

Just pointing out a hole in your argument here. Going by your reasoning that people shouldn't venture outside of their field to talk about politics only those who have worked for or in the government should be talking or sharing opinions.

The vast majority of the talking heads on CNN/Fox etc. have no real background in the area besides covering it for media purposes. Yet they're given the green light to speak with authority on a variety of political topics and what they said is held as truth to a great majority of Americans. How is an actor or athlete any different than these individuals who have no real world experience working for the government?
 
He was also a bestselling author.

That is how I first heard of him - way before the 'celebrity chef' concept was widespread. His book, Kitchen Confidential, was going to be made into a movie starring Brad Pitt (directed by David Fincher) - this was going to be their follow up to Fight Club (but the movie never happened, but it was made into a TV series with Bradley Cooper - lasted only one season).
 
Just pointing out a hole in your argument here. Going by your reasoning that people shouldn't venture outside of their field to talk about politics only those who have worked for or in the government should be talking or sharing opinions.

The vast majority of the talking heads on CNN/Fox etc. have no real background in the area besides covering it for media purposes. Yet they're given the green light to speak with authority on a variety of political topics and what they said is held as truth to a great majority of Americans. How is an actor or athlete any different than these individuals who have no real world experience working for the government?

I'm not necessarily saying it should never happen but more along the lines of, if you get famous for X and then suddenly shift to Y then you're using your X fame for non-X purposes.

If you got famous in the first place for speaking out politically then that's one thing. But if you got famous for making movies that appeal to a wide variety of people while being apolitical and then use that fame to get political it feels deceptive. You're getting people to like you under false pretenses.

If you wanna be political then be political from the start, including when you're not famous and powerful and when being political could harm your rise to greater fame.
 
I'm not necessarily saying it should never happen but more along the lines of, if you get famous for X and then suddenly shift to Y then you're using your X fame for non-X purposes.

If you got famous in the first place for speaking out politically then that's one thing. But if you got famous for making movies that appeal to a wide variety of people while being apolitical and then use that fame to get political it feels deceptive. You're getting people to like you under false pretenses.

If you wanna be political then be political from the start, including when you're not famous and powerful and when being political could harm your rise to greater fame.

So Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronald Reagan, Al Frankin et al. are deceitful individuals then? All used their celebrity fame and turned it into political careers.
 
I do think that one part of the divide in our country is that a significant segment of people have an ethos that we should bend over backwards to understand and appreciate "different" peoples but they only apply the ethos to people outside the US. So they constantly preach we need to understand people in other countries when they themselves don't bother to understand lots of people in the US and not only that but they outright look down on them.

If you apply your "we need to understand different people" ethos only to some people then your ethos isn't actually "we need to understand different people."

Wait wut? Really?

You think that the fact that "a significant segment of people" in the US believe that education and perspective about the world we live in is key to making the USA as great as it can be are causing a divide because they (apparently) don't take the time to learn about those in our country that don't think education and perspective about the world we live in is a key to making the USA as great as it can me?

Wowza. Ok, so what do you think it is about the latter group that the former group doesn't understand?
 
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Wait wut? Really?

You think that the fact that "a significant segment of people" in the US believe that education and perspective about the world we live in is key to making the USA as great as it can be are causing a divide because they (apparently) don't take the time to learn about those in our country that don't think education and perspective about the world we live in is a key to making the USA as great as it can me?

Wowza. Ok, so what do you think it is about the latter group that the former group doesn't understand?

You have a lack of reading comprehension.

LdN
 
Wait wut? Really?

You think that the fact that "a significant segment of people" in the US believe that education and perspective about the world we live in is key to making the USA as great as it can be are causing a divide because they (apparently) don't take the time to learn about those in our country that don't think education and perspective about the world we live in is a key to making the USA as great as it can me?

Wowza. Ok, so what do you think it is about the latter group that the former group doesn't understand?

This post is kinda what I mean. Are you that ungenerous in your view of people across the world, most of which are far more "backward" in education and perspective than the people you don't like in the US?
 
I'm not necessarily saying it should never happen but more along the lines of, if you get famous for X and then suddenly shift to Y then you're using your X fame for non-X purposes.

If you got famous in the first place for speaking out politically then that's one thing. But if you got famous for making movies that appeal to a wide variety of people while being apolitical and then use that fame to get political it feels deceptive. You're getting people to like you under false pretenses.

If you wanna be political then be political from the start, including when you're not famous and powerful and when being political could harm your rise to greater fame.

To each their own, but I suspect you would enjoy life more if you stopped worrying and being offended so much by what other people say and think -- Even if you feel they're 'preaching' to you.

Live and let live.
 
This post is kinda what I mean. Are you that ungenerous in your view of people across the world, most of which are far more "backward" in education and perspective than the people you don't like in the US?

wut? I don't even know what that means. Ungenerous? "Backward" in education? People I don't like in the US?

What are you talking about?
 
So Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronald Reagan, Al Frankin et al. are deceitful individuals then? All used their celebrity fame and turned it into political careers.

I think it is deceitful in a way but at last those guys went into if full bore and became actual politicians where they have to do actual political stuff and take actual political heat. I respect that more than the ones that try to retain their celebrity privilege while also pontificating on politics.

Meryl Streep could go into actual politics instead of just telling others how it should be done. Why doesn't she do it?
 
wut? I don't even know what that means. Ungenerous? "Backward" in education? People I don't like in the US?

What are you talking about?

Who are you referring to in the 2nd half of this paragraph?

"You think that the fact that "a significant segment of people" in the US believe that education and perspective about the world we live in is key to making the USA as great as it can be are causing a divide because they (apparently) don't take the time to learn about those in our country that don't think education and perspective about the world we live in is a key to making the USA as great as it can me?"
 
I think it is deceitful in a way but at last those guys went into if full bore and became actual politicians where they have to do actual political stuff and take actual political heat. I respect that more than the ones that try to retain their celebrity privilege while also pontificating on politics.

Meryl Streep could go into actual politics instead of just telling others how it should be done. Why doesn't she do it?

Have you ever heard of "irony?" I doubt you have, so look it up.

You telling us how Meryl Streep should live/handle her life as a famous actress, and telling us she's doing it wrong because she's telling others (politicians) how their life "should be done" should ring like a bell when you read that definition of "irony."
 
Regarding all the comments about his ego - there's no doubt he came off as very pompous. What I always admired though was how he was able to connect with so many different types of people. Whether he was in Paris or rural West Virginia, I don't think he ever acted like he was better than anyone else.
 
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Who are you referring to in the 2nd half of this paragraph?

"You think that the fact that "a significant segment of people" in the US believe that education and perspective about the world we live in is key to making the USA as great as it can be are causing a divide because they (apparently) don't take the time to learn about those in our country that don't think education and perspective about the world we live in is a key to making the USA as great as it can me?"

You are the one that put people in two mutually exclusive buckets, so I guess the people in the second half are the people not being referred to in the first half. You tell me.
 
I think it is deceitful in a way but at last those guys went into if full bore and became actual politicians where they have to do actual political stuff and take actual political heat. I respect that more than the ones that try to retain their celebrity privilege while also pontificating on politics.

Meryl Streep could go into actual politics instead of just telling others how it should be done. Why doesn't she do it?


Sounds like your real problem is you don’t like their politics. Not that they have politics.
 
I do seem to have trouble comprehending what he says (writes). I'm open to your help -- otherwise you're just being a douche.

You should check yourself before you wreck yourself. You, are the king of douche today. Hence my initial reply. Good luck.

LdN
 
Regarding all the comments about his arrogance - there's no doubt he came off as very pompous. What I always admired though was how he was able to connect with so many different types of people. Whether he was in Paris or rural West Virginia, I don't think he ever acted like he was better than anyone else.

Recognize the people he was interviewing were 9 times out of 10 chosen for the interview such that they wanted to be on the show and were given instructions. And most regular people that he would meet up with are of course going to kiss his but some as he is the reason they are getting to be on TV. So connecting with somebody that is putting you on TV when that is your job doesn't seem like an incredibly hard task.
 
I agree he was kind of dark. Seemed to me his ego Out-kicked his coverage. Perhaps this was all part of his self discomfort
Agree, Obli. He had a hint of darkness in his personality. Never understood him going after several of his Food Network colleagues. Seemed both petty and gratuitous to me. Maybe he had some depression or bi-polar issues going on?

Whatever the case, I loved his shows, and feel a lot of sympathy for his family. They how have a lot of grief and suicide-related baggage to deal with and, unfortunately, will have to do it under the glare of public scrutiny.
 
All thoughts shared thus far on the increase in suicide are great parts of the larger picture. My take is that while we've never been more connected as a society thanks to social media, we're father apart than ever in terms of the idea of community.

People who move for jobs lose the connections to their local community and friends they have developed. We no longer have families living in the same towns for decades or generations and we've lost the benefits that kind of network can bring. The "it takes a neighborhood to raise a child" philosophy has been replaced with the "don't tell me what to do with my kid" attitude. This creates divisions within communities and fewer opportunities for kids and adults to make meaningful connections.

I can also understand how middle aged males are the highest percentage of suicide. There are many areas, or ways, in which men are just expected to "deal with it" and/or "tough it out". Divorce for example leads to more men than women having their children taken away and their financial situations taking major hits regardless of fault thanks to the corrupt family court system.

Personally I had to ditch f'book as I was starting to feel depressed / jealous as people were posting the highlights of their lives. The realization I came to was that prior to social media I wouldn't have kept in touch with any of these former classmates etc. so why should I give a shit what they're doing. They have no impact on my life, and when I decided to stop the social media I did begin to feel better and refocus on improving my own lot in life.
 
Agree, Obli. He had a hint of darkness in his personality. Never understood him going after several of his Food Network colleagues. Seemed both petty and gratuitous to me. Maybe he had some depression or bi-polar issues going on?

Whatever the case, I loved his shows, and feel a lot of sympathy for his family. They how have a lot of grief and suicide-related baggage to deal with and, unfortunately, will have to do it under the glare of public scrutiny.
yes....I don't mean to hammer him in his death, but i always felt he was condescending to me, the viewer. Almost like, "you should be here....and you should know better." And it weird that someone with these kinds of problems would have this kind of attitude.

Having said that, this seems consistent with big time artists. They appear to be somewhat manic depressive, on the top of the earth one day and in hell the next. But it takes a big ego to drive that kind of success. And I always find that interesting because people complain about a LeBron James, Obama, Trump, Gates, Bezos....etc.
 
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Anyone who thinks people are committing suicide because they are jealous of what their friends are doing on Facebook doesn't understand mental illness.
 
yes....I don't mean to hammer him in his death, but i always felt he was condescending to me, the viewer. Almost like, "you should be here....and you should know better." And it weird that someone with these kinds of problems would have this kind of attitude.

Having said that, this seems consistent with big time artists. They appear to be somewhat manic depressive, on the top of the earth one day and in hell the next. But it takes a big ego to drive that kind of success. And I always find that interesting because people complain about a LeBron James, Obama, Trump, Gates, Bezos....etc.

Not to deviate too far from your post, but is the picture in your signature a legit quote? I too have seen the Cleveland episode of 'Parts Unkown'. It was really weird, but I think a large part of that was because I saw it for the first time within the last year or so and the camera work felt outdated. Growing up in Cleveland though, it too was one of my favorite.
 
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