Anthony Bourdain

[Galway Eagle]

Dead at 61

Truly sad that so many think suicide is the only answer.

[MUBurrow]

Saw this in a tweet today and thought it summed it up:

"Anthony Bourdain had one of the only shows on tv that tried with all its might to teach Americans not to be scared of other people."

[WarriorDad]

RIP

[JWags85]

Horrible and tragic.  And just another example of how deep this stuff can be.  Too many people cant comprehend why the rich/successful/famous can struggle with depression just like anyone else.  RIP to a truly creative man.

[Goose]

Very sad to see the news. Very much enjoyed his show, and became a fan of him as a person.

[jsglow]

Horrible and tragic.  And just another example of how deep this stuff can be.  Too many people cant comprehend why the rich/successful/famous can struggle with depression just like anyone else.  RIP to a truly creative man.

Because mental illness remains a closeted disease.  We've all got to work on that.  Make it a priority.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Those suffering from suicidal ideation are fighting a daily war....a war that is lost if they lose a single battle. Glow is right, too many try to endure this alone....and not enough of us reach out to others to help.

Oddly enough, the CDC released this report this morning: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6722a1.htm?s_cid=mm6722a1_w. We were talking about it in my office when we heard the news.

[real chili 83]

There's a house in the neighborhood that has had 7 suicide attempts between H&W. Tough stuff.

[MU82]

Never once saw his show or read his books. I knew the name, just as I know the name of other celebrities whose work I have never sampled. He could have rung my doorbell, and I wouldn't have known who he was when I opened the door.

I wish he weren't dead. I wish nobody committed suicide. But I am not "sad." I was sad when my mom died and my dad died and just recently when a friend of mine died. Just because a person is a celebrity, he or she doesn't "deserve" extra sadness from us. I was a lot sadder when my best friend died than when Lady Di died.

Sorry if all that sounds callous, and I know folks are just trying to have a conversation here. But famous people are just people. It is no "sadder" when they die.

I'm not saying any of y'all are like this, but there are people more sad when a celebrity they've never met - a man or woman who might have been a d-bag who told them to go to hell - than when people they actually knew died. It's weird.

I tend to feel sadder for the unknowns - like I remember feeling sad about the guy who died in the plane crash with Payne Stewart. Millions didn't mourn him.

[warriorchick]

One of my friends made a great point.

It wasn't that long ago that people would whisper about cancer.

Imagine if we could make the same progress in regards to discussing mental health.

[tower912]

Everybody dies.  What does a person do in life?  Did they try to make the world better?  Did they build up or tear down?  Were they a giver or a taker?   Did they love themselves more than others or others more than self?  Is there something to be learned from how they lived or how they died?
  Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.   Ask for help.

[JWags85]

Never once saw his show or read his books. I knew the name, just as I know the name of other celebrities whose work I have never sampled. He could have rung my doorbell, and I wouldn't have known who he was when I opened the door.

I wish he weren't dead. I wish nobody committed suicide. But I am not "sad." I was sad when my mom died and my dad died and just recently when a friend of mine died. Just because a person is a celebrity, he or she doesn't "deserve" extra sadness from us. I was a lot sadder when my best friend died than when Lady Di died.

Sorry if all that sounds callous, and I know folks are just trying to have a conversation here. But famous people are just people. It is no "sadder" when they die.

I'm not saying any of y'all are like this, but there are people more sad when a celebrity they've never met - a man or woman who might have been a d-bag who told them to go to hell - than when people they actually knew died. It's weird.

I tend to feel sadder for the unknowns - like I remember feeling sad about the guy who died in the plane crash with Payne Stewart. Millions didn't mourn him.

With all respect MU82, thats kind of unfair.  You just said you had no clue who he was and now are attempting to police other's grief who clearly enjoyed his myriad contributions to popular culture and the food world.  Would you be "more sad" about the death of a friend than a random who lived in your neighborhood?  Yes, cause that friend added something to your life.  That friend could have been a real jerk to many people, but he was your friend and you appreciated what he added to your life.

Now is it sad when people react stronger to a celebrity dying than those close to them?  Sure, thats some misguided priorities.  But acting like people cant feel sadness for losing someone who provided something to their lives, be it a TV show they loved, a book they read, songs and albums they listen to over and over, thats more than callous to me, its frankly kind of demeaning.

[Warrior Code]

Never once saw his show or read his books. I knew the name, just as I know the name of other celebrities whose work I have never sampled. He could have rung my doorbell, and I wouldn't have known who he was when I opened the door.

I wish he weren't dead. I wish nobody committed suicide. But I am not "sad." I was sad when my mom died and my dad died and just recently when a friend of mine died. Just because a person is a celebrity, he or she doesn't "deserve" extra sadness from us. I was a lot sadder when my best friend died than when Lady Di died.

Sorry if all that sounds callous, and I know folks are just trying to have a conversation here. But famous people are just people. It is no "sadder" when they die.

I'm not saying any of y'all are like this, but there are people more sad when a celebrity they've never met - a man or woman who might have been a d-bag who told them to go to hell - than when people they actually knew died. It's weird.

I tend to feel sadder for the unknowns - like I remember feeling sad about the guy who died in the plane crash with Payne Stewart. Millions didn't mourn him.

MU82

First of all, I am sorry for your recent loss. That is never an easy thing and I wish you peace. That said, I don't know anyone who would be sadder over a celebrity than a close loved one. I do, however, know people who have had genuine emotional responses when someone whom they have never met dies. It's not unusual, in my opinion. A writer/actor/musician/etc. can have tremendous impact on your life without you ever having to meet that person face-to-face. For example, I had a real, visceral reaction when Robin Williams died. I never met him but I don't think it's weird at all that I "miss" him. Just my perspective.

[Galway Eagle]

Never once saw his show or read his books. I knew the name, just as I know the name of other celebrities whose work I have never sampled. He could have rung my doorbell, and I wouldn't have known who he was when I opened the door.

I wish he weren't dead. I wish nobody committed suicide. But I am not "sad." I was sad when my mom died and my dad died and just recently when a friend of mine died. Just because a person is a celebrity, he or she doesn't "deserve" extra sadness from us. I was a lot sadder when my best friend died than when Lady Di died.

Sorry if all that sounds callous, and I know folks are just trying to have a conversation here. But famous people are just people. It is no "sadder" when they die.

I'm not saying any of y'all are like this, but there are people more sad when a celebrity they've never met - a man or woman who might have been a d-bag who told them to go to hell - than when people they actually knew died. It's weird.

I tend to feel sadder for the unknowns - like I remember feeling sad about the guy who died in the plane crash with Payne Stewart. Millions didn't mourn him.

Generally I agree with you. I don't follow celebrities and really don't care for their beliefs or death or what have you. I feel like this is different due to his show. Something it taught me was each person has a story worth telling about their life and that far and wide we are not all that different despite looking for more reasons to dislike everyone. Am I sad? No, today was like any other day there was no hole in my heart but I think it's a shame that someone who was so committed to showing us true daily life and culture for so many around the world is gone.

[Pakuni]

The fact a fellow human being struggled with a mental illness to the point he or she saw death as preferable to enduring life as they experienced it is sad, whether you know that person or not.
The fact a fellow human being could not find the treatment, support, resources or whatever else might have been necessary to overcome - or at least accept - the illness is sad, whether you know the person or not.
And the fact we lost a person who contributed to the culture , and for many made living on this planet a better experience, is sad, whether you know that person or not.
Of course it's weird to grieve more for an unknown celebrity than a member of one's won family. But there's nothing wrong with grieving someone who made some impact on your life, regardless of how small or trivial, or whether you knew the person or not.

[Jockey]

Never once saw his show or read his books. I knew the name, just as I know the name of other celebrities whose work I have never sampled. He could have rung my doorbell, and I wouldn't have known who he was when I opened the door.

I wish he weren't dead. I wish nobody committed suicide. But I am not "sad." I was sad when my mom died and my dad died and just recently when a friend of mine died. Just because a person is a celebrity, he or she doesn't "deserve" extra sadness from us. I was a lot sadder when my best friend died than when Lady Di died.

Sorry if all that sounds callous, and I know folks are just trying to have a conversation here. But famous people are just people. It is no "sadder" when they die.

I'm not saying any of y'all are like this, but there are people more sad when a celebrity they've never met - a man or woman who might have been a d-bag who told them to go to hell - than when people they actually knew died. It's weird.

I tend to feel sadder for the unknowns - like I remember feeling sad about the guy who died in the plane crash with Payne Stewart. Millions didn't mourn him.

Gotta say that, generally, I agree with you. I am sad only in the same way I am sad whenever anyone dies unnecessarily. I took the heat for expressing that just as you have here.

But, his was a show that I think you would really enjoy. I think we have pretty similar views about people in this world and how we should treat others. Food was ostensibly what the shows were about but in reality they were about people and what all of us want in life and treating everyone with respect.

Give a couple shows a try (on Netflix) - I think you will get a lot out of them.

[Babybluejeans]

Bourdain was a unique individual who brought a level of punk rock and poetry to an area (food) that is too often full of vanilla characters (Bobby Flay, anyone?). If you don't know who he is, try reading his very first essay he wrote for the New Yorker back in 1999: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/04/19/dont-eat-before-reading-this. Of brunch culture, he writes, "Nothing demoralizes an aspiring Escoffier faster than requiring him to cook egg-white omelettes or eggs over easy with bacon. You can dress brunch up with all the focaccia, smoked salmon, and caviar in the world, but it’s still breakfast." Eggs are eggs, aren't they?

In the end, Bourdain revolutionized travel and eating journalism just around the time those two things merged - and then exploded - in the popular culture. His pieces, whether in writing or in his shows, were thought-provoking, contrarian, and always soulful. Few people try and even fewer succeed in delivering to the world those qualities. He did both. May we all be so lucky.

[MU82]

Several of you made very good points. And though I really felt I wasn't trying to claim that anybody here doesn't have a right to feel whatever you feel, I probably expressed myself poorly.

I apologize, and I'll check out of this thread now so those who feel sorrow from this loss can commiserate together.

[jesmu84]

Want to start to turn around mental health care? Needs 2 things. A cultural change in our approach to discussion/acknowledgement - which has improved significantly in the last few decades. And insurance for that care - which is going the opposite way.

We're heading for a time when coverage for mental health will be a luxury for the rich. And those that take low income or free patients will be too overwhelmed. So, that's nice.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Want to start to turn around mental health care? Needs 2 things. A cultural change in our approach to discussion/acknowledgement - which has improved significantly in the last few decades. And insurance for that care - which is going the opposite way.

We're heading for a time when coverage for mental health will be a luxury for the rich. And those that take low income or free patients will be too overwhelmed. So, that's nice.

There is also a massive shortage of psychiatrists in the US as well.

[DegenerateDish]

I think most of you guys/gals know I have twins (now 8 years old). After they were born, I started to really struggle with life. Not just the duties of a new parent, but even two years after they were born, just going through a work day was rough. I knew something was off but didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Finally my wife convinced me to talk to my doctor, and I was diagnosed with post partum depression. To this day, I’m glad my wife told me to speak up, and it was really hard to admit I needed help, but help was what I needed.

[warriorchick]

I think most of you guys/gals know I have twins (now 8 years old). After they were born, I started to really struggle with life. Not just the duties of a new parent, but even two years after they were born, just going through a work day was rough. I knew something was off but didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Finally my wife convinced me to talk to my doctor, and I was diagnosed with post partum depression. To this day, I’m glad my wife told me to speak up, and it was really hard to admit I needed help, but help was what I needed.

Thank you for sharing your story, Dish.

I was in therapy as a middle-schooler.  My family had moved to a new city, and I was having trouble making friends and was getting seriously bullied at my new school.  Thank goodness my mom checked the box next to "cries a lot" when filling out the forms at the pediatricians's office.  Not surprisingly for the time, my parents told me not to tell anyone that I was seeing a therapist.

The father-in-law of one of my closest friends took his own life after suffering from depression for half a century. At the funeral, his wife insisted that everyone stick to the story that he died of a heart attack.

We will not get rid of the stigma until we get rid of the shame.

[muwarrior69]

Thank you for sharing your story, Dish.

I was in therapy as a middle-schooler.  My family had moved to a new city, and I was having trouble making friends and was getting seriously bullied at my new school.  Thank goodness my mom checked the box next to "cries a lot" when filling out the forms at the pediatricians's office.  Not surprisingly for the time, my parents told me not to tell anyone that I was seeing a therapist.

The father-in-law of one of my closest friends took his own life after suffering from depression for half a century. At the funeral, his wife insisted that everyone stick to the story that he died of a heart attack.

We will not get rid of the stigma until we get rid of the shame.

...or the guilt that we could of have done something, anything to prevent it. I know the heartache of losing a child though not to suicide; but when you lose someone to suicide it just compounds the loss where one can find it almost impossible to find joy in life. We must support the survivors as well.

Here is a ranking by state of suicides.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/alaska-utah-top-list-of-states-with-highest-suicide-rates/

[Sheriff]

There is also a massive shortage of psychiatrists in the US as well.

I serve on the Board of a faith based non-for-profit community mental health center.  We will take patients regardless of insurance and income status.  Many clients are on Medicaid.  Funding from the state is pathetic because the legislature has other priorities closely aligned with their special interests.  We survive on philanthropy.  We are staffed with many highly qualified and dedicated therapists but we struggle to staff psychiatrists because they want Frasier Crane money and are not interested in working in a community mental health center.

[forgetful]

I think most of you guys/gals know I have twins (now 8 years old). After they were born, I started to really struggle with life. Not just the duties of a new parent, but even two years after they were born, just going through a work day was rough. I knew something was off but didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Finally my wife convinced me to talk to my doctor, and I was diagnosed with post partum depression. To this day, I’m glad my wife told me to speak up, and it was really hard to admit I needed help, but help was what I needed.

I occasionally give motivational/key note speeches to young professionals in science.  I remember the first time where I talked about suffering from debilitating panic attacks, and frequent depression, afterwards I had person after person coming up to me telling me how brave it was to admit this, and how much they appreciated me talking about my own challenges.  This surprised me.

I viewed these issues as part of whom I am, they have both made me a stronger person, and better at what I do. I was shocked that it could be "brave," as I had thought/hoped that we had gotten beyond the stigma associated with such issues.