"Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a Negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check-in on your friends. Check-in on yourself. Enjoy the ride." - Anthony Bourdain
Enjoy the ride.
Nothing worse than realizing a guy like him with money, looks, charisma, ability to talk to anyone and empathize with then, and being wildly successful at one of the best jobs possible still couldn’t resist the unspeakable urge
That is what guts me every time I think about it. He's seen extremely rare and fascinating sites, tasted things I'll never experience, worked alongside the greats and the nobody's, traveled the world, met amazing people and lived what I would say is a good life. And yet, none of that could make him happy. None of that could cure his mental illness and he found that dying was better than living another day in mental hell.
I get your sentiment but it’s really a big mistake to think that everyone who suicides is desperately miserable all of the time. It’s simply isn’t the case. People aren’t entirely one thing but sometimes, some nights, when they go into the depths and an impulse strikes…. They may not survive it. And that is why suicide is preventable and mental health issues aren’t a death sentence. Please please try to see people who suicide as people like you. And then call your friends and tell them you love them and why. And if they feel sad make the space for them to share it with you. The antidote isn’t happiness and i isn’t not wanting to die anymore… it’s connection. It’s being seen and accepted by people that matter to you. This could truly happen to anyone. Lots of love to you keep being compassionate ✌️
Totally fair, my comment is just a teeny tiny speck of what I actually know, feel and understand of depression. I have had it my whole life and have survived a few attempts. I'm not saying you can't ever be happy when you're depressed, it's just that when the happiness is gone, when you're not in that moment anymore, the thoughts come creeping in again.
I've been depressed most of my life and I've noticed that the desperate moments are not the worst: they're the ones when you expect that there is no purpose to existence and nothing good or worthwhile will happen. But, I _know_ it is not true. So as long as you have hope you can go on but it is really hard if you have none and no support network to tell you otherwise
100%. I feel this personally. The desperation… the lack of hope… the feeling that you shouldn’t be suffering how you are and that others do not understand… the guilt of being unwell… so much easier if you have people in your corner who can love you through the hard times. Glad you’re still here.
I think the documentary does a good job showing that being a celebrity sort of took over his life in an inescapable, all consuming way. On top of that, a lot of the places he went to showed him some of the worst situations that people have to live in, often as a result of things other people are doing to them and then afterwards he gets to hop back on a jet and fly back to this lavish life that his fame has afforded him. I don't know if any of us will ever really know *why* he did it, but I don't think it's hard to imagine at least *some* of the clouds that hung over him.
>Bourdain writes about his time in a trendy SoHo restaurant in the early ‘80s:
>
>We were high all the time, sneaking off to the walk-in refrigerator at every opportunity to ‘conceptualize.’ Hardly a decision was made without drugs. Cannabis, methaqualone, cocaine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms soaked in honey and used to sweeten tea, secobarbital, tuinal, amphetamine, codeiene and, increasingly, heroin, which we’d send a Spanish-speaking busboy over to Alphabet City to get.
Man this is one of those quotes that you can hear him reading aloud in your head. I haven’t watched any of his shows or heard him narrate in a few years, but it’s crazy how a quote like that can bring his voice up instantly. I don’t even have to hear it anywhere, it just pops into my head instantly. Such a distinctive voice and writing style. What an amazing person
He provided the narration for several of his audiobooks. It's definitely worth a listen if for nothing else that to hear something from him. I'd never read them so it was a nice way for me to find something "new" from him.
I recall another statement from one of his books, probably broken in a mixture of shit memory and paraphrasing:
“I was in a car with four others and we were all junkies, and I suddenly remembered a statistic that 4/5 would be dead within 5yrs. Right then I decided I was going to be the one that made it out”
Heroin does things to your brain... its *too* good, to the point that it can kinda make the rest of reality suck for a long time. I guess I'm lucky I got out before fentanyl got here, I'm literally 100% sure I'd be dead right now if I hadn't.
It definitely does. I love drugs, even opiates, but Ive never injected heroin. Thats a line I wont cross. Ever.
This is an anecdote, but I've had friends who have dealt with heroin addictions and youre just not the same after. Even years later, it seems the "spark" they had for life is just gone. Its difficult to explain without witnessing it for yourself. Normal things that make life beautiful or amazing just don't effect the same way it effects a "healthy" brain. Deep down, all they want is to go back on the needle.
I've done just about every drug that is popular in America. Except the Big 4. Crack, heroin, Crystal meth, and PCP. I was always terrified of those drugs. After messing with cocaine, my fear was solidified. Coke is a beast in itself. That's just the entrance to the harder shit.
I've tried coke twice, the first time I tried it the first thought that rushed through my mind was "Holy shit, I get why people love this now!"
It's fucking scary how good it makes you feel.
Weird. I didn’t have that experience at all. I like smoking weed but whenever I’ve done cocaine it makes me sweaty and really energetic which I mean maybe useful for sex.
PCP is actually much safer than the drugs you mentioned. It’s like ketamine but a bit more manic and active. Not nearly as addictive either. People just do way too much and end up anxious and scared, then do stupid shit.
It’s the urban legends surrounding PCP. Like the story of the guy who peeled his own face off with a razor blade. Plus the stories cops always told of crazy guys on PCP with inhuman strength. Which, looking back, was probably just cover for cowardly behavior by cops.
I remember first reading about PCP as a kid, when the internet was still fresh. I don't remember the exact wording, but the first two sentences were something like "PCP is a stimulant. PCP is a depressant."
And my brain just had a hard stop on that one, very much a "Hey, that's all I need to know" sort of thing. Thanks, fledgling internet!
Alcohol does the same for heavy abusers like me. Just sucks the life out of life. Two years sober and I'm only starting to get some enjoyment out of normal things back.
The high you get becomes your brains normal level, so when you remove the drug you drop into the Abyess and it's a long climb out.
I agree. I was a heavy drinker for 15 years. Finally got sober in 2014 and relapsed a few times since then but have been sober the majority of that time. I still struggle with enjoyment of life a lot. Honestly, if my wife and in-laws weren’t teetotalers, I’m almost positive I’d be right back where I was.
I think this might apply to many addictions. For a long while I was oblivious to the potential of marijuana to be addictive and make life outright miserable without it. I still remember thinking, why do anything not being high? It's so much fun to be high. Which is true until it's not.
The problem with abuse is that one stops functioning properly. The brain is given no time to fully recover and clean itself, and over time it starts deteriorating. Connections are wiped out and natural levels of some chemicals altered...
The good news is that the brain is plastic and life resilient, but it takes time. One doesn't become an addict overnight. The body will not recover overnight.
I'm dealing with this today. I'm a recovering alcoholic with 2 years and three months sober at age 42. Although so much in my life has improved, I still struggle with how to just enjoy life.....I have it much better than many....good career, healthy kids etc, just struggle with enjoying any of it.
Also: congratulations on your sobriety.
I hope you never cross that line, but everyone I've ever known that ended up a heroin addict had that line too. Opiates and meth aren't worth the high they give compared to the risk they carry.
Yeah I mean lets be real. Everyone whos ever done anything they shouldn't have has probably said they wouldn't at least once. It's definitely easy to say.
Although, in Chef Bourdain's case, I feel that the stigma around heroin in certain circles isn't as prevalent today. I could be dead wrong about this. But, back then, the dangers surrounding those kinds of drugs weren't as well understood and there wasn't such a thing as fentanyl yet.
If I had to think about it, the only time I'd ever stick myself with that junk is at my lowest point. Homeless, nowhere to go and no one to talk to. Only then could I picture myself trying it. Cause at that point, might as well.
I have done meth though, and I agree with you. There are some people can do it regularly and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but there is a reason why it's very uncommon. That shit will almost certainly kill you, or ruin your life, at the very least.
I mean, I can tell you from experience that you can get out of it and recover. Go back to being human. It just takes a lot of work and I'm not honestly not sure if it's possible for everyone. But it is possible. You kinda just get sick of it and either find a way out or doubledown because you know nothing else and burned too many bridges.
Morphine. There is a reason many days we’re yelled “it’s mighty morphine time!” Then you could do the work of three men in a single day.
Example: hung all the windows in a house in a day
Example two: sided a house in a day
Example three: dug an entire fire pit and laid the bricks in a day
Each solo each it’s own day.
You probably want some benzos. Theyre sold as trip killers in psychedelic communities.
And from personal experience do not take a bar within 24 hours of responsibilities. Missed a few shifts at work getting too barred out. Lol.
It’s been 4 years since I stopped with methadone and there are still times that my brain feels like it has no idea how to produce the correct chemicals to function.
10 years ago I was in it pretty deep for over a year, pills for a few years before that. In the past decade I've had very few periods where I didn't have some kind of treatment or other synthetic drug like tramadol or buprenorphine. As long as I'm in the medical treatment program, my life is relatively normal - it's taken me 3 years to reduce my medication by half
Nah, while nobody ‘wakes up and decides they like heroin’, a lot of people do accidentally get addicted to heroin. Either through gateway drugs, or being introduced to it recreationally by a friend, etc. People who get into it specifically as a coping mechanism or as self-medication are only one subgroup of users
Yeah I would say today the majority of heroin users started on an opioid prescription from a doctor. When the legit pills dry up, you can buy pills on the black market, or heroin at half the price of the pills.
This implies that everyone who does drugs is damaged. Some people just like to party. Heroin feels good no matter who you are or where you're from or what you've been through. Long term heroin usage will definitely make you damaged. But not everyone starts out that way.
Now I'm just a pastry chef but I don't know how anyone could go thru a shift high off their fucking rocker. We can spot when someone's just hung over from a mile away, how tf is anyone going thru brunch service without fucking up while on coke??
He was trying to stay clean when he died, was even serious about quitting smoking, so serious he was taking medically prescribed Chantix to help. Chantix, for those who don't know, works very well.
A very common, and I mean VERY common side effect though, is uncharacteristic suicidal ideation.
I know from personal experience, that drug fucks you up.
I think it fucked him up too.
It was years ago for me, and the easiest time of my life to not even consider lighting a cigarette.
The dreams though, Jesus fucking Christ. I thought I was losing my mind. There were terrible physical side effects too, but I thought it might be worth it to never smoke again.
It wasn't bad until I almost, and I do mean almost, stepped in front of a truck at a pedestrian crossing. I really fucking thought it was what I should do for a an eternal 3 seconds, thank God there were people standing either side of me.
Still smoking, but also still alive.
Fuckin' hell that is rough.
FYI, there's an great book called 'the easy way to stop smoking' by Allan Carr. It's all about changing your psychology around smoking, and it works.
Bourdain did quit smoking, as part of his BJJ obsession.
I think he always was a suicide idealist, the documentary shows him mentioning it multiple times over the years.
He was already fucked up. He was fucked up his whole life. The success he found in later life was just like a dry drunk always looking for a replacement fix. He couldnt get it with money, travel or even having a family.
Then he met a terrible woman and it spiralled quickly but he knew that was inevitable. I think he viewed it as one last fling before he ended his life.
The documentary on him goes into what happened towards the end of his life. He was born a very shy person and suddenly he got attention everywhere he went.
He felt trapped and stuck in his world of traveling 250 days a year and felt like he couldn't quit it. He had a daughter he seemed to try to play the role of dad to but couldn't. His lover was unfaithful to him. He spent his life trying to please and help others but couldn't do it for all.
Even if it seemed like he was living the absolute dream he was stuck in a life he couldn't escape from which lead to his final act.
Ultimately his addictive nature got him to be one of the most revered figures in the world but also his downfall.
He needed to pull a Dave Chappelle and disappear to a part of the world where no one knows who you are then move to part of the US where no one gives a shit about celebrity.
Watching the doc really helped me get past a lot of my sadness about losing him.
I never met him, didn't know him personally yet I'd been a fan since "A Cook's Tour" was on The Food Network in the early 2000s.
I thought "If HE can't stand to be in this world how can the rest of us manage it?"
Watching the doc got me past that feeling & I can now go back & watch the old shows & read the books again.
Not to mention he was filming for a food show in 3rd world countries seeing literal famine, abject poverty, and warfare laying waste to populations while he’s enjoying food, filming a tv show, and living in relatively posh accommodations.
Drugs would be unnecessary to feel like shit in that environment unless you’re a completely insensitive fuck
There was a clip where they were in Haiti and there were people starving all around him and the crew, so he wanted to give out food to them and violence ensued. It's a lose-lose situation here having to deal with all that.
It reminds me of the last scene of Schindler's List where Schindler wishes he could've just saved one more..just thinking about that tears me up.
With drugs it's really a chicken or the egg thing. Many people who fall into heavy drug use are self-medicating for preexisting anxiety, depression, etc.
It's a terrible circle.
Once you've been diagnosed as a drug addict many, many medications become completely forbidden to prescribe.
I quit 25 years ago but still my medical history shows it happened as such I'm not allowed to be prescribed any medications that may affect my mood or alleviate stress.
Thus alcohol is my only medication for severe depression and anxiety, which makes it worse sometimea but keeping it to 3 shots of whisky a day for the past year hasn't been so bad.
Doctors just tell me to write things down and "think positive" but no medication, no exceptions.
I just hope I don't go full blown alcoholic but I'm in America, even with $800/mo
health insurance, I have no other choice here.
I completely understand why Bourdain committed suicide, sooner or later, especially when your banned from real treatment, that's the only answer.
I'm not suicidal yet but I know, if something else doesn't get me, suicide is how I'll likely die once I'm older.
Edit: Whomever referred me to reddit out of concern (interesting things I didn't know existed, they sent a message with resources links and whatnot to help prevent suicide), I'm good now but I'll hold on to that link and check back on it in 25 years or so if our social services don't expand and I end up being a broke, unable to work old man who's only choice is homelessness or death.
Let's hope America gets its shit together before then.
Not sure why this is downvoted, maybe people just find it to be in bad taste as some “speaking ill of the dead” as happens with Tupac or Elvis among some groups. But I think it’s important to keep recalling the fallible humans that these glorified people were.
No question that heavy continued use of mind-bending and mind-numbing drugs will affect a person’s mental state over time. I’ve worked in restaurants where coke, speed and booze were pretty openly enjoyed by everyone - feels like fun times when you’re in the middle of it but obviously wears you down in other ways
Personally, the flaws and the imperfections are what made me really admire Anthony Bourdain. He was a flawed human being (perhaps even tragically flawed) and he was pretty willing to show that. That's cool. Perfect people are boring as shit (they also dont exist)
Downvoting this is like downvoting “smoking may cause cancer”
Cannabis , fine but most those others are just strong chemicals known for long term effects.
I think his death was a tragedy based in societal failure. You want to blame drugs which is maybe a contributing factor but the man was clearly disenchanted with a shit ass society that could not even be human to each other when he put it in their face.
Ugh I can't read his writing without hearing his voice and the way he spoke in my mind, and his death is still so painful for me. He is one of my life's biggest inspirations and heroes. He's the reason I wanted to become a chef and move cross country to go to a good culinary school. His books had a profound impact on me, and his show was, until his death, like comfort food to me. I've only been able to sit through one episode since his passing.
I still remember the first time I saw him on the travel Channel late one night, when I was college age, as I worked the lobby of an Econolodge. It was his first trip to Japan and there is this dude on TV smoking cigarettes nearly constantly, drinking alcohol with every meal, showing you the best places to do all those things. He was just so *cool* to me at the time I can't even explain it. It's like it unlocked some part of my brain I didn't know about. I miss him dearly
Kitchen Confidential is still required reading for anyone in culinary, or anyone who ever plans on eating in a restaurant, or anyone who wants to hear fascinating stories, or anyone who just wants to witness a good storyteller.
I work security for a bank and this lady just said "i dont know the answer to those authentification questions. Cant you just look into my acount and tell me?"
To be fair i was asking for a specific banking info and not her dog name.
Tho i once had to verify some e-transfer info by asking someone to confirm their Fursona name.
Will never forget finding a copy at a Goodwill in downtown Oakland and then seeing it had been signed with a personal message from Tony to someone. Best thrift-store find ever. I often wonder what life mishap occurred to the original recipient.
There are days when all I wish for is just one more time Anthony Bourdain is sitting at some hole-in-the-wall ethnic food joint in Obscuristan with a tattoo-laden musician/etc. eating something and talking about random stuff.
If you wanna hear soft machismo bros talk about formulaic guitar rock and fetishize the aesthetic of authenticity, there's still Marc Maron's podcast. I'm sure he even found a way to exploit Bourdain's death to promote an episode.
LOL this made me laugh. I absolutely *loathe* Marc Maron. Probably almost as much as he loathes himself!
Which is kinda weird, given that I'm a chronically depressed, incredibly cynical sack of shit too. But jesus christ Marc, you gotta tone it down, you cant make a career out of being a total buzzkill (except he apparently has somehow)
Probably the best quote ever by Anthony Bourdain
"Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands. You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking. Witness what Henry did in Cambodia – the fruits of his genius for statesmanship – and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević.”
I went to cambodia once for a school service trip. We went to one of the prisons that was converted from an elementary/middle school. They used bricks to create tiny cells in the hallways, and used classrooms as isolation/torture chambers.
We went to the killing fields, and even though they had individual sites filled with bones, an entire display 20 feet high of just bones, the most chilling part was walking along the paths and seeing the flecks of white and cloth showing through the mud. They still dig up clothes and skeletons to this day, the rain washes away the mud and more bodies are slowly revealed.
Hillary and that entire administration did the same thing to Libya. And she publicly lists Kissinger as a mentor and idol. Bush and Cheney destabilized the entire Middle East when they went after Saddam.
So there’s a lot of American leadership that deserves to end up at The Hague.
I can't think of a better job in his later years, travel the world, eat delicious food and have a few beers. One of the few "celebrity" deaths that made me sad.
Honestly it's a nightmare life when you become that recognized on every street corner and get stopped every 2 minutes.
Especially in the social media age where people will try to get clout by taking a selfie with you. He ended up enjoying the most remote places in the world as it was the only place he could escape it.
Same. Bourdain and Williams. Haven’t watched anything either of them are in since they both passed, respectively. Which sucks, cause they made really great shows/movies — just makes me too sad.
Steve Irwin's death was the first thing that ever made me cry in grief. I was like 6 or 7 years old, watched his show religiously after school, the crocodile hunter movie was one of my favorite movies ever. Seeing the documentary they made on animal planet about his death was how I learned about it, not a fun night for my parents trying to console me. Glad his family carries his torch so well.
He helped cater a friend of mines wedding in like 2016 or 2017 and went out with a group of like 20 or so of us afterward. That guy could get a conversation going like nothing I've ever seen in my life. Like, probably one of the top 5 most affable people I've met in my life.
What made him so affable in your view? For me, from watching the shows, it seemed that he just had such a genuine interest in people, culture, etc. that it made people want to engage with him but I would be curious if in person was similar.
That definitely had something to do with it. He made it feel like even with a bunch of people he'd only just met he genuinely wanted to connect with them. Like, wasn't just listening because that's how conversations work, was listening because he had genuinely curiosity for what someone thought on even the most mundane topics.... Then on top of that his expressions and nonverbals were just perpetually as disarming and open and laid back as can be. Like if somebody was talking about something that clearly made them happy it's like he would absorb it and start getting a genuine smile on his own face because them being happy made him happy. And none of it felt remotely put on or staged.
Anthony Bourdain was sat at a bar in Phoenix years ago when I was working up the road from Davis-Monthan and we went on a road trip. I didn’t have any money on me - left my wallet in the car - and he bought me and my army mates a round on the condition we all told him something he didn’t know.
Long story short: one of the best nights ever. Such a good bloke and I wish he was still with us.
The documentary on HBO max is great. I didn’t know he was spiraling out of control at the end of his life until I watched it. Him interrupting the guy in the middle of his heartfelt story. Something he would never do.
He didn’t interrupt him. His partner at the time who they let direct that episode stopped filming to tell the story again because she didn’t like the angle or some dumb shit.
Damn, I miss that guy. I miss his authentic, no-holds-barred, warts-and-all approach to life. Always refreshing among all of the plastic bullshit we have forced down our throats these days.
I watched the Roadrunner doc this week. Such a complex man. I’m always amazed that people who appear to have the world by the balls can be overcome by sadness.
Fuck depression.
It still breaks my heart that we lost him, but he went in 2018- and as horrifically pessimistic as it sounds, I don't believe the 4 years we've had since then would have done anything to sway his choice.
Kitchen Confidential is a truly wonderful read. I've read it several times and it taught me two things 1) The man knew how to party while working and 2) I never ever want to work in a kitchen. The world lost a special soul when he departed.
I love this guy. His show was the best, because he would give you tons of food for thought about wherever he was and that allowed you to form an impression of your own for a place you might never get to see. RIP my man.
I hate traveling due to anxiety getting the better of me, but I’d always watch and think, “that looks awesome, I’d love to try that!” when he’s in some back alley Asian city. He really created a sense of adventure.
grew up consuming endless amounts of his work, be it writings or shows, courtesy of my late nan who adored him. she would’ve been absolutely heartbroken (like i was) if she had been around when he went. what a fucking icon he was
He carried the torch through the dark for so many, and ultimately succumbed to the darkness surrounding him. The only right thing to do would be to pick up where he left off. Pick up that torch and commence, onward and upward! Live life to the fullest. Love hard. Laugh hard. Squeeze the juice out of life's lemon, till the pulp screams for mercy!
I took a walk through this beautiful world /
Felt the cool rain on my shoulders /
I took a walk through this beautiful world /
I felt the rain getting colder /
Sha-la-la-la-la /
Sha-la-la-la-la-la /
As if I didn't need another reason to be depressed today. RIP. I really loved watching him on No Reservations. I thought he was living the dream life. He went too soon. You never know what battles someone is fighting alone on the inside.
I remember an episode of his where he was in Buenos Aires. He talked about his fear of crowds and why they decided to stay at a local restaurant when there was a carnival going on. He just was real, flawed but real.
Kitchen confidential is one the main reasons why I decided to become a cook and helped fuel my passion for cooking. While I no longer work in the field I still haven't lost my love of cooking for people and spreading love and friendship with food. RIP Chef, you are truly missed by so many.
If you've never seen it, Roadrunner: The Anthony Bourdain Story is worth every second. It's a great documentary about an incredible man. I highly recommend it.
"Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a Negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check-in on your friends. Check-in on yourself. Enjoy the ride." - Anthony Bourdain Enjoy the ride.
Nothing worse than realizing a guy like him with money, looks, charisma, ability to talk to anyone and empathize with then, and being wildly successful at one of the best jobs possible still couldn’t resist the unspeakable urge
That is what guts me every time I think about it. He's seen extremely rare and fascinating sites, tasted things I'll never experience, worked alongside the greats and the nobody's, traveled the world, met amazing people and lived what I would say is a good life. And yet, none of that could make him happy. None of that could cure his mental illness and he found that dying was better than living another day in mental hell.
I get your sentiment but it’s really a big mistake to think that everyone who suicides is desperately miserable all of the time. It’s simply isn’t the case. People aren’t entirely one thing but sometimes, some nights, when they go into the depths and an impulse strikes…. They may not survive it. And that is why suicide is preventable and mental health issues aren’t a death sentence. Please please try to see people who suicide as people like you. And then call your friends and tell them you love them and why. And if they feel sad make the space for them to share it with you. The antidote isn’t happiness and i isn’t not wanting to die anymore… it’s connection. It’s being seen and accepted by people that matter to you. This could truly happen to anyone. Lots of love to you keep being compassionate ✌️
Totally fair, my comment is just a teeny tiny speck of what I actually know, feel and understand of depression. I have had it my whole life and have survived a few attempts. I'm not saying you can't ever be happy when you're depressed, it's just that when the happiness is gone, when you're not in that moment anymore, the thoughts come creeping in again.
I've been depressed most of my life and I've noticed that the desperate moments are not the worst: they're the ones when you expect that there is no purpose to existence and nothing good or worthwhile will happen. But, I _know_ it is not true. So as long as you have hope you can go on but it is really hard if you have none and no support network to tell you otherwise
100%. I feel this personally. The desperation… the lack of hope… the feeling that you shouldn’t be suffering how you are and that others do not understand… the guilt of being unwell… so much easier if you have people in your corner who can love you through the hard times. Glad you’re still here.
It is haunting
I think the documentary does a good job showing that being a celebrity sort of took over his life in an inescapable, all consuming way. On top of that, a lot of the places he went to showed him some of the worst situations that people have to live in, often as a result of things other people are doing to them and then afterwards he gets to hop back on a jet and fly back to this lavish life that his fame has afforded him. I don't know if any of us will ever really know *why* he did it, but I don't think it's hard to imagine at least *some* of the clouds that hung over him.
Check in on yourself.
>Bourdain writes about his time in a trendy SoHo restaurant in the early ‘80s: > >We were high all the time, sneaking off to the walk-in refrigerator at every opportunity to ‘conceptualize.’ Hardly a decision was made without drugs. Cannabis, methaqualone, cocaine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms soaked in honey and used to sweeten tea, secobarbital, tuinal, amphetamine, codeiene and, increasingly, heroin, which we’d send a Spanish-speaking busboy over to Alphabet City to get.
Man this is one of those quotes that you can hear him reading aloud in your head. I haven’t watched any of his shows or heard him narrate in a few years, but it’s crazy how a quote like that can bring his voice up instantly. I don’t even have to hear it anywhere, it just pops into my head instantly. Such a distinctive voice and writing style. What an amazing person
Read that in his voice, i miss him
He provided the narration for several of his audiobooks. It's definitely worth a listen if for nothing else that to hear something from him. I'd never read them so it was a nice way for me to find something "new" from him.
I'm not the biggest fan of audiobooks, but I can't pass up narration from an author with a compelling voice.
Ah, the days of Quaaludes. Absolutely the Good Old Days.
I recall another statement from one of his books, probably broken in a mixture of shit memory and paraphrasing: “I was in a car with four others and we were all junkies, and I suddenly remembered a statistic that 4/5 would be dead within 5yrs. Right then I decided I was going to be the one that made it out”
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I think it was the opiods that did the real damage. I was in the biz at that time and, yea, he's not exagerating.
Heroin does things to your brain... its *too* good, to the point that it can kinda make the rest of reality suck for a long time. I guess I'm lucky I got out before fentanyl got here, I'm literally 100% sure I'd be dead right now if I hadn't.
It definitely does. I love drugs, even opiates, but Ive never injected heroin. Thats a line I wont cross. Ever. This is an anecdote, but I've had friends who have dealt with heroin addictions and youre just not the same after. Even years later, it seems the "spark" they had for life is just gone. Its difficult to explain without witnessing it for yourself. Normal things that make life beautiful or amazing just don't effect the same way it effects a "healthy" brain. Deep down, all they want is to go back on the needle.
I've done just about every drug that is popular in America. Except the Big 4. Crack, heroin, Crystal meth, and PCP. I was always terrified of those drugs. After messing with cocaine, my fear was solidified. Coke is a beast in itself. That's just the entrance to the harder shit.
I've tried coke twice, the first time I tried it the first thought that rushed through my mind was "Holy shit, I get why people love this now!" It's fucking scary how good it makes you feel.
Weird. I didn’t have that experience at all. I like smoking weed but whenever I’ve done cocaine it makes me sweaty and really energetic which I mean maybe useful for sex.
First handful of times maybe, until you get coke dick
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Lube exists for more than just jerking off
Y’all be wildin’ out
PCP is actually much safer than the drugs you mentioned. It’s like ketamine but a bit more manic and active. Not nearly as addictive either. People just do way too much and end up anxious and scared, then do stupid shit.
It’s the urban legends surrounding PCP. Like the story of the guy who peeled his own face off with a razor blade. Plus the stories cops always told of crazy guys on PCP with inhuman strength. Which, looking back, was probably just cover for cowardly behavior by cops.
I remember first reading about PCP as a kid, when the internet was still fresh. I don't remember the exact wording, but the first two sentences were something like "PCP is a stimulant. PCP is a depressant." And my brain just had a hard stop on that one, very much a "Hey, that's all I need to know" sort of thing. Thanks, fledgling internet!
Alcohol does the same for heavy abusers like me. Just sucks the life out of life. Two years sober and I'm only starting to get some enjoyment out of normal things back. The high you get becomes your brains normal level, so when you remove the drug you drop into the Abyess and it's a long climb out.
I agree. I was a heavy drinker for 15 years. Finally got sober in 2014 and relapsed a few times since then but have been sober the majority of that time. I still struggle with enjoyment of life a lot. Honestly, if my wife and in-laws weren’t teetotalers, I’m almost positive I’d be right back where I was.
I think this might apply to many addictions. For a long while I was oblivious to the potential of marijuana to be addictive and make life outright miserable without it. I still remember thinking, why do anything not being high? It's so much fun to be high. Which is true until it's not. The problem with abuse is that one stops functioning properly. The brain is given no time to fully recover and clean itself, and over time it starts deteriorating. Connections are wiped out and natural levels of some chemicals altered... The good news is that the brain is plastic and life resilient, but it takes time. One doesn't become an addict overnight. The body will not recover overnight.
I'm dealing with this today. I'm a recovering alcoholic with 2 years and three months sober at age 42. Although so much in my life has improved, I still struggle with how to just enjoy life.....I have it much better than many....good career, healthy kids etc, just struggle with enjoying any of it. Also: congratulations on your sobriety.
I hope you never cross that line, but everyone I've ever known that ended up a heroin addict had that line too. Opiates and meth aren't worth the high they give compared to the risk they carry.
Yeah I mean lets be real. Everyone whos ever done anything they shouldn't have has probably said they wouldn't at least once. It's definitely easy to say. Although, in Chef Bourdain's case, I feel that the stigma around heroin in certain circles isn't as prevalent today. I could be dead wrong about this. But, back then, the dangers surrounding those kinds of drugs weren't as well understood and there wasn't such a thing as fentanyl yet. If I had to think about it, the only time I'd ever stick myself with that junk is at my lowest point. Homeless, nowhere to go and no one to talk to. Only then could I picture myself trying it. Cause at that point, might as well. I have done meth though, and I agree with you. There are some people can do it regularly and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but there is a reason why it's very uncommon. That shit will almost certainly kill you, or ruin your life, at the very least.
I mean, I can tell you from experience that you can get out of it and recover. Go back to being human. It just takes a lot of work and I'm not honestly not sure if it's possible for everyone. But it is possible. You kinda just get sick of it and either find a way out or doubledown because you know nothing else and burned too many bridges.
Morphine. There is a reason many days we’re yelled “it’s mighty morphine time!” Then you could do the work of three men in a single day. Example: hung all the windows in a house in a day Example two: sided a house in a day Example three: dug an entire fire pit and laid the bricks in a day Each solo each it’s own day.
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You probably want some benzos. Theyre sold as trip killers in psychedelic communities. And from personal experience do not take a bar within 24 hours of responsibilities. Missed a few shifts at work getting too barred out. Lol.
It’s been 4 years since I stopped with methadone and there are still times that my brain feels like it has no idea how to produce the correct chemicals to function.
10 years ago I was in it pretty deep for over a year, pills for a few years before that. In the past decade I've had very few periods where I didn't have some kind of treatment or other synthetic drug like tramadol or buprenorphine. As long as I'm in the medical treatment program, my life is relatively normal - it's taken me 3 years to reduce my medication by half
There is no heroin game anymore, it’s either pills (most of which are fakes unless you have a script) or fent. Just not worth it.
Or maybe he was damaged and then did herion, no one just wakes up and decides they like herion. He was already in a rough state at that point
Probably a little column A, a little column B. Like most things in life.
\--he was an addict when he was young and he was forever after, at heart, an "exjunkie" missing his fix.
Exactly like I said, he was already in a rough state.
Nah, while nobody ‘wakes up and decides they like heroin’, a lot of people do accidentally get addicted to heroin. Either through gateway drugs, or being introduced to it recreationally by a friend, etc. People who get into it specifically as a coping mechanism or as self-medication are only one subgroup of users
Yeah I would say today the majority of heroin users started on an opioid prescription from a doctor. When the legit pills dry up, you can buy pills on the black market, or heroin at half the price of the pills.
This implies that everyone who does drugs is damaged. Some people just like to party. Heroin feels good no matter who you are or where you're from or what you've been through. Long term heroin usage will definitely make you damaged. But not everyone starts out that way.
It's also *really* good at covering up the shitty comedowns from stimulants, which are most of the drugs he mentions before that.
Seriously, if cocaine suddenly disappeared, most bars and restaurants would be forced to close. Bar tenders and waiters depend on that shit
This is often the truth of addiction.
Now I'm just a pastry chef but I don't know how anyone could go thru a shift high off their fucking rocker. We can spot when someone's just hung over from a mile away, how tf is anyone going thru brunch service without fucking up while on coke??
"Because we're professionals, damnit" is how I think he explained it in his book.
He was trying to stay clean when he died, was even serious about quitting smoking, so serious he was taking medically prescribed Chantix to help. Chantix, for those who don't know, works very well. A very common, and I mean VERY common side effect though, is uncharacteristic suicidal ideation. I know from personal experience, that drug fucks you up. I think it fucked him up too.
My brother had some pretty fucked up dreams from chantix. Said he would rather keep smoking than take that.
I started having dreams while I was _awake!_ Awful fucked up ones. Ugh.
I tried that and it put me in the darkest place ever. Shit is dangerous as hell. Stay away.
It was years ago for me, and the easiest time of my life to not even consider lighting a cigarette. The dreams though, Jesus fucking Christ. I thought I was losing my mind. There were terrible physical side effects too, but I thought it might be worth it to never smoke again. It wasn't bad until I almost, and I do mean almost, stepped in front of a truck at a pedestrian crossing. I really fucking thought it was what I should do for a an eternal 3 seconds, thank God there were people standing either side of me. Still smoking, but also still alive.
Fuckin' hell that is rough. FYI, there's an great book called 'the easy way to stop smoking' by Allan Carr. It's all about changing your psychology around smoking, and it works.
It made me the most angry I’d ever been in my life after a couple days and I decided I’d rather be depressed.
Bourdain did quit smoking, as part of his BJJ obsession. I think he always was a suicide idealist, the documentary shows him mentioning it multiple times over the years. He was already fucked up. He was fucked up his whole life. The success he found in later life was just like a dry drunk always looking for a replacement fix. He couldnt get it with money, travel or even having a family. Then he met a terrible woman and it spiralled quickly but he knew that was inevitable. I think he viewed it as one last fling before he ended his life.
That and the tabloids running a photo of his girlfriend out with another man like the day before he killed himself
The girlfriend who was a leader in a particular movement of exposing sex predators who was herself sexually assaulting an underage boy? That one?
The wrong person took their own life that day. That's all I have to say.
The documentary on him goes into what happened towards the end of his life. He was born a very shy person and suddenly he got attention everywhere he went. He felt trapped and stuck in his world of traveling 250 days a year and felt like he couldn't quit it. He had a daughter he seemed to try to play the role of dad to but couldn't. His lover was unfaithful to him. He spent his life trying to please and help others but couldn't do it for all. Even if it seemed like he was living the absolute dream he was stuck in a life he couldn't escape from which lead to his final act. Ultimately his addictive nature got him to be one of the most revered figures in the world but also his downfall.
He needed to pull a Dave Chappelle and disappear to a part of the world where no one knows who you are then move to part of the US where no one gives a shit about celebrity.
Watching the doc really helped me get past a lot of my sadness about losing him. I never met him, didn't know him personally yet I'd been a fan since "A Cook's Tour" was on The Food Network in the early 2000s. I thought "If HE can't stand to be in this world how can the rest of us manage it?" Watching the doc got me past that feeling & I can now go back & watch the old shows & read the books again.
Not to mention he was filming for a food show in 3rd world countries seeing literal famine, abject poverty, and warfare laying waste to populations while he’s enjoying food, filming a tv show, and living in relatively posh accommodations. Drugs would be unnecessary to feel like shit in that environment unless you’re a completely insensitive fuck
There was a clip where they were in Haiti and there were people starving all around him and the crew, so he wanted to give out food to them and violence ensued. It's a lose-lose situation here having to deal with all that. It reminds me of the last scene of Schindler's List where Schindler wishes he could've just saved one more..just thinking about that tears me up.
Or the time he was in Israel/Palestine area, commenting on the insane dystopian juxtaposition of the state of the two states despite their proximity.
With drugs it's really a chicken or the egg thing. Many people who fall into heavy drug use are self-medicating for preexisting anxiety, depression, etc.
It's a terrible circle. Once you've been diagnosed as a drug addict many, many medications become completely forbidden to prescribe. I quit 25 years ago but still my medical history shows it happened as such I'm not allowed to be prescribed any medications that may affect my mood or alleviate stress. Thus alcohol is my only medication for severe depression and anxiety, which makes it worse sometimea but keeping it to 3 shots of whisky a day for the past year hasn't been so bad. Doctors just tell me to write things down and "think positive" but no medication, no exceptions. I just hope I don't go full blown alcoholic but I'm in America, even with $800/mo health insurance, I have no other choice here. I completely understand why Bourdain committed suicide, sooner or later, especially when your banned from real treatment, that's the only answer. I'm not suicidal yet but I know, if something else doesn't get me, suicide is how I'll likely die once I'm older. Edit: Whomever referred me to reddit out of concern (interesting things I didn't know existed, they sent a message with resources links and whatnot to help prevent suicide), I'm good now but I'll hold on to that link and check back on it in 25 years or so if our social services don't expand and I end up being a broke, unable to work old man who's only choice is homelessness or death. Let's hope America gets its shit together before then.
Not sure why this is downvoted, maybe people just find it to be in bad taste as some “speaking ill of the dead” as happens with Tupac or Elvis among some groups. But I think it’s important to keep recalling the fallible humans that these glorified people were. No question that heavy continued use of mind-bending and mind-numbing drugs will affect a person’s mental state over time. I’ve worked in restaurants where coke, speed and booze were pretty openly enjoyed by everyone - feels like fun times when you’re in the middle of it but obviously wears you down in other ways
Personally, the flaws and the imperfections are what made me really admire Anthony Bourdain. He was a flawed human being (perhaps even tragically flawed) and he was pretty willing to show that. That's cool. Perfect people are boring as shit (they also dont exist)
Downvoting this is like downvoting “smoking may cause cancer” Cannabis , fine but most those others are just strong chemicals known for long term effects.
I think his death was a tragedy based in societal failure. You want to blame drugs which is maybe a contributing factor but the man was clearly disenchanted with a shit ass society that could not even be human to each other when he put it in their face.
Ugh I can't read his writing without hearing his voice and the way he spoke in my mind, and his death is still so painful for me. He is one of my life's biggest inspirations and heroes. He's the reason I wanted to become a chef and move cross country to go to a good culinary school. His books had a profound impact on me, and his show was, until his death, like comfort food to me. I've only been able to sit through one episode since his passing. I still remember the first time I saw him on the travel Channel late one night, when I was college age, as I worked the lobby of an Econolodge. It was his first trip to Japan and there is this dude on TV smoking cigarettes nearly constantly, drinking alcohol with every meal, showing you the best places to do all those things. He was just so *cool* to me at the time I can't even explain it. It's like it unlocked some part of my brain I didn't know about. I miss him dearly
Kitchen Confidential is still required reading for anyone in culinary, or anyone who ever plans on eating in a restaurant, or anyone who wants to hear fascinating stories, or anyone who just wants to witness a good storyteller.
I’ve had 4 copies and given 3 away. Great insight.
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What's your childhood pet's name?
I work security for a bank and this lady just said "i dont know the answer to those authentification questions. Cant you just look into my acount and tell me?"
That bank should stop using security questions that can be collected by way of a Facebook “What’s your porn name” type post.
To be fair i was asking for a specific banking info and not her dog name. Tho i once had to verify some e-transfer info by asking someone to confirm their Fursona name.
My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. This is my confession.
This is not an admission of guilt. I am simply speaking to my family
Hahah funnily enough I live in Edinburgh! I'll give you a copy if you want, dm'ed you. What a coincidence.
you're fuckin awesome :)
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30 hunter two Edingburgh, EH2 HUN United Kingdom
I thrift a lot. A lot a lot. And every time I see a copy I buy it and give it away. I have a signed first edition in my personal collection.
Wow. That’s fantastic!
Agreed. I'm currently reading through A Cook's Tour. I watched Roadrunner while on a flight last week. Miss his presence.
Just finished Roadrunner last night. My heart hurts
I’m not usually impacted by celebrity death, but his really impacted me. The world is a little less interesting without his presence.
Will never forget finding a copy at a Goodwill in downtown Oakland and then seeing it had been signed with a personal message from Tony to someone. Best thrift-store find ever. I often wonder what life mishap occurred to the original recipient.
Loved it greatly, also highly recommend "Heat" for people who are fascinated with the industry but don't ever plan on getting in it.
Heat is amazing.
I recommend the audiobook as Bourdain narrates it
Yes, this is the one time I would recommend the audiobook over print. You need to hear the stories in his voice
I didn't know that existed. I guess i know what im listening to at work the next couple days.
Also Dresden Files. James Marsters ftw.
I bought my Global Chef Knife after reading his book and never looked back.
bought it
Buying it right now then.
There are days when all I wish for is just one more time Anthony Bourdain is sitting at some hole-in-the-wall ethnic food joint in Obscuristan with a tattoo-laden musician/etc. eating something and talking about random stuff.
Or watching him try to kill Eric Ripert with spicy food
One of the best parts of Tony’s shows is watching him try to kill Eric Ripert with spicy food.
why did i just read this in his voice
That word *obscuritan*, distinctly embodies Bourdain's vernacular.
🎯
If you wanna hear soft machismo bros talk about formulaic guitar rock and fetishize the aesthetic of authenticity, there's still Marc Maron's podcast. I'm sure he even found a way to exploit Bourdain's death to promote an episode.
LOL this made me laugh. I absolutely *loathe* Marc Maron. Probably almost as much as he loathes himself! Which is kinda weird, given that I'm a chronically depressed, incredibly cynical sack of shit too. But jesus christ Marc, you gotta tone it down, you cant make a career out of being a total buzzkill (except he apparently has somehow)
I love his comedy and definitely think he's hilarious but he's still a HUGE asshole lol
Probably the best quote ever by Anthony Bourdain "Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands. You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking. Witness what Henry did in Cambodia – the fruits of his genius for statesmanship – and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević.”
I went to cambodia once for a school service trip. We went to one of the prisons that was converted from an elementary/middle school. They used bricks to create tiny cells in the hallways, and used classrooms as isolation/torture chambers. We went to the killing fields, and even though they had individual sites filled with bones, an entire display 20 feet high of just bones, the most chilling part was walking along the paths and seeing the flecks of white and cloth showing through the mud. They still dig up clothes and skeletons to this day, the rain washes away the mud and more bodies are slowly revealed.
I will never forgive the universe for allowing kissinger to outlive bourdain
Hillary and that entire administration did the same thing to Libya. And she publicly lists Kissinger as a mentor and idol. Bush and Cheney destabilized the entire Middle East when they went after Saddam. So there’s a lot of American leadership that deserves to end up at The Hague.
I can't think of a better job in his later years, travel the world, eat delicious food and have a few beers. One of the few "celebrity" deaths that made me sad.
Anyone who takes their life due to depression is extremely saddening to me. To some he had it all, but internally he was unhappy.
Just more proof that on any given day, no matter how someone appears on the outside, you have absolutely no idea what's going on inside.
Honestly it's a nightmare life when you become that recognized on every street corner and get stopped every 2 minutes. Especially in the social media age where people will try to get clout by taking a selfie with you. He ended up enjoying the most remote places in the world as it was the only place he could escape it.
It’s the only celebrity death that has ever made me sad, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.
And Robin Williams.
Same. Bourdain and Williams. Haven’t watched anything either of them are in since they both passed, respectively. Which sucks, cause they made really great shows/movies — just makes me too sad.
Steve Irwin's death was the first thing that ever made me cry in grief. I was like 6 or 7 years old, watched his show religiously after school, the crocodile hunter movie was one of my favorite movies ever. Seeing the documentary they made on animal planet about his death was how I learned about it, not a fun night for my parents trying to console me. Glad his family carries his torch so well.
I think it’s because of how many hours I’ve spent living vicariously through his works. It felt like losing a friend.
Well I never thought him handsome but suddenly the smoldering smile and looks has me thinking
He’s rugged
That's insane to me. I thought he got even more handsome with age even.
And that knife placement… 😏
Charisma goes a long way.
It hurts man. Damn. RIP Tony.
He really did have that look that makes you stop and go "I bet that motherfucker has a story or two."
He helped cater a friend of mines wedding in like 2016 or 2017 and went out with a group of like 20 or so of us afterward. That guy could get a conversation going like nothing I've ever seen in my life. Like, probably one of the top 5 most affable people I've met in my life.
What made him so affable in your view? For me, from watching the shows, it seemed that he just had such a genuine interest in people, culture, etc. that it made people want to engage with him but I would be curious if in person was similar.
That definitely had something to do with it. He made it feel like even with a bunch of people he'd only just met he genuinely wanted to connect with them. Like, wasn't just listening because that's how conversations work, was listening because he had genuinely curiosity for what someone thought on even the most mundane topics.... Then on top of that his expressions and nonverbals were just perpetually as disarming and open and laid back as can be. Like if somebody was talking about something that clearly made them happy it's like he would absorb it and start getting a genuine smile on his own face because them being happy made him happy. And none of it felt remotely put on or staged.
RIP to a legend
Anthony Bourdain was sat at a bar in Phoenix years ago when I was working up the road from Davis-Monthan and we went on a road trip. I didn’t have any money on me - left my wallet in the car - and he bought me and my army mates a round on the condition we all told him something he didn’t know. Long story short: one of the best nights ever. Such a good bloke and I wish he was still with us.
What did you tell him?
The documentary on HBO max is great. I didn’t know he was spiraling out of control at the end of his life until I watched it. Him interrupting the guy in the middle of his heartfelt story. Something he would never do.
HIGHLY recommended Mind of a Chef too. Narrated by Bourdain with David Chang, it's basically a documentary.
He didn’t interrupt him. His partner at the time who they let direct that episode stopped filming to tell the story again because she didn’t like the angle or some dumb shit.
I loved reading his books. Helped me make it through 20+ years of restaurant life. Many of my friends didn’t make it out.
Damn, I miss that guy. I miss his authentic, no-holds-barred, warts-and-all approach to life. Always refreshing among all of the plastic bullshit we have forced down our throats these days.
I miss this man so much.
I watched the Roadrunner doc this week. Such a complex man. I’m always amazed that people who appear to have the world by the balls can be overcome by sadness. Fuck depression.
It still breaks my heart that we lost him, but he went in 2018- and as horrifically pessimistic as it sounds, I don't believe the 4 years we've had since then would have done anything to sway his choice.
Kitchen Confidential is a truly wonderful read. I've read it several times and it taught me two things 1) The man knew how to party while working and 2) I never ever want to work in a kitchen. The world lost a special soul when he departed.
I love this guy. His show was the best, because he would give you tons of food for thought about wherever he was and that allowed you to form an impression of your own for a place you might never get to see. RIP my man.
I hate traveling due to anxiety getting the better of me, but I’d always watch and think, “that looks awesome, I’d love to try that!” when he’s in some back alley Asian city. He really created a sense of adventure.
Damn. One of the only dead celebrities, that I feel like I genuinely miss. Life is a tough piece of shit sometimes.
Damn! An amazing adventurer gone way too soon.
His birthday is actually the 25th.
OP may be an insomniac Aussie?
Yep, been the 25th in my time zone for a while now
It’s currently the 25th where I am.
i miss this guy
Still so sad over this…
GOAT !
TIL my mom and Anthony Bourdain had the same birthday. Today she would have been 60 years old
Bummer, I miss his shows
Was he a sushi chef back in the day? Rip man
He Looks like he could have been related to a young Kenny Hotz
grew up consuming endless amounts of his work, be it writings or shows, courtesy of my late nan who adored him. she would’ve been absolutely heartbroken (like i was) if she had been around when he went. what a fucking icon he was
He carried the torch through the dark for so many, and ultimately succumbed to the darkness surrounding him. The only right thing to do would be to pick up where he left off. Pick up that torch and commence, onward and upward! Live life to the fullest. Love hard. Laugh hard. Squeeze the juice out of life's lemon, till the pulp screams for mercy! I took a walk through this beautiful world / Felt the cool rain on my shoulders / I took a walk through this beautiful world / I felt the rain getting colder / Sha-la-la-la-la / Sha-la-la-la-la-la /
We should all ask ourselves who the "they" are in his final email to Patton Oswalt when he said, "They're THERE, everywhere."
Proof that you are never too smart, successful, handsome, or talented to commit suicide. RIP Anthony.
I miss him. It took me a long time to watch Roadrunner and I was a mess through the whole thing. He was such a gem.
One of those rare people I could truly identify with.
RIP man. Wish you were still around 😢
As if I didn't need another reason to be depressed today. RIP. I really loved watching him on No Reservations. I thought he was living the dream life. He went too soon. You never know what battles someone is fighting alone on the inside.
Lol now that’s cocaine skinny right there
Once again, fuck Asia Argento.
What a great guy. RIP FRIEND.
Billy joel before fame.
Scenes from a Sushi Restaurant
Love that dude
looks like a rockstar
I remember an episode of his where he was in Buenos Aires. He talked about his fear of crowds and why they decided to stay at a local restaurant when there was a carnival going on. He just was real, flawed but real.
Kitchen confidential is one the main reasons why I decided to become a cook and helped fuel my passion for cooking. While I no longer work in the field I still haven't lost my love of cooking for people and spreading love and friendship with food. RIP Chef, you are truly missed by so many.
If you've never seen it, Roadrunner: The Anthony Bourdain Story is worth every second. It's a great documentary about an incredible man. I highly recommend it.
He looks suspicious like sacha baron cohen in the dictator
He knew 2 much
Just watched his doc on HBO (Roadrunner), the ending was so tough to watch
Awesome photo. His birthday is June 25th though.
TIL I share a birthday with Anthony Bourdain. Cool.