३ ऑक्टोबर, २०२२

"I’d have loved it if I were 17. The author goes all in on Bourdain’s angst, his instinctive distrust of authority, his hero-worship of talented outsiders like..."

"... Hunter S. Thompson and Iggy Pop and William S. Burroughs. The older me, the one who prefers wine to fizz, wishes [the author] had more to say about things like: a) the elite and vernacular food worlds pre- and post-Bourdain; b) how Bourdain walked a moral tightrope across the conventions of travel writing and reporting, no mean feat for a wealthy white man in skinny jeans; and c) the sense that he was at the vanguard, more so than even the most scrutinized actors, of a new type of American masculinity. Here was an outdoor, rather than an indoor, cat... "

Writes Dwight Garner in "Anthony Bourdain’s New Biography: Light on Subtlety, Heavy on Grit 'Down and Out in Paradise,' by Charles Leerhsen, is an unvarnished account of a turbulent life" (NYT). 

Garner walks a moral tightrope reviewing a book that is not the book that he would like to read. To what extent is a reviewer obliged stick to whether an author did a good job of what he decided to do?

There's also this: "Bourdain grew into his looks; his was the kind of face that inspired Talmudic levels of study among women." And: "We learn he Googled the name Asia Argento — the Italian actress with whom he had a torrid, messy affair — several hundred times in the last three days of his life, after she rattled him by appearing in public with another man. Their text messages are printed in the book. 'You were reckless with my heart,' Bourdain wrote, before he hanged himself." 

Rattled. Indeed. It sounds as though he had become an obsessive stalker.

By the way, I like the book title — "Down and Out in Paradise" — if it is a play — it must be — on the Orwell title "Down and Out in Paris and London."

४२ टिप्पण्या:

Temujin म्हणाले...

OK, I admit it. I googled 'Asia Argento' and now I cannot stop.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

“Their text messages are printed in the book.”

How did THAT happen? The only way I can think of is that the Personal Representative (Executor) agreed to this. I also recall at the time that his estate was relatively small.

Kate म्हणाले...

If an author did not convince a reviewer of their perspective on the biography, then it's fair game to complain. I actually know nothing of Bourdain, but if I did, then he's a story to me. I want to see my version of his life explained.

However, maybe this is just an Old Guy thing. No one gives a shit anymore what the 17 y.o. -- the future of humanity and our society -- thinks. Like yesterday's post, it's an instance of Boomers w disparaging tunnel vision.

Jamie म्हणाले...

So the reviewer wishes the author had written an altogether different book about subjects the reviewer is interested in. I suppose there's nothing too new there. But it's his job, so.

Jean Kerr, whose husband was a theater reviewer back in the day, said something like, "When my husband sees a bad play, he says to himself, 'This is a very bad play. Why is that?' I say to myself, 'This is a very bad play. Why was I born?'"

I guess it's a valid point of review that the book apparently leaves out some things that are undoubtedly part of the story of Bourdain's life. But - entirely without reading this book - it sounds to me as if it was written for Bourdain's cult, so to speak, the people (maybe especially women? I do like the line about that Talmudic study of his face and confess that I found him strangely attractive) who want to know more, and more intimately, about the man rather than his "ethics" or his being an avatar of new masculinity or whatever.

Kevin म्हणाले...

Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Starting Nick Nolte, Bette Midler, and Richard Dreyfus.

Kevin म्हणाले...

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

Song by Eric Clapton

Kevin म्हणाले...

Garner walks a moral tightrope reviewing a book that is not the book that he would like to read.

You just described the whole of the American media.

Their opinion of what should be done obscures their ability to report on what is actually being done.

Heartless Aztec म्हणाले...

Google makes it so easy to internet stalk - but it's usually just turning the rock over to look at the other side. Obsessive but essentially harmless to everyone but himself...

Howard म्हणाले...

No matter what level of handsome a man may be, if he reaches well into middle age with the physique of his athletic 19-year old self, he is exceedingly good looking to the ladies. However, you need to stay close to your generational lane because you can't complete with objectively handsome and physically fit young men. The story of Icarus comes to mind.

David Mulch chimes in:

Al Swearengen:
[on Bullock and his affair with Alma] He don't know if he's breathing or taking it in through fucking gills; he is that fucking cunt-struck. They're afloat in some fairy fucking bubble, lighter than air. Him, her snatch and his stupid fucking badge.

Lurker21 म्हणाले...

Too early in the morning and the week and the millennium for "whiteness" talk ...

Carol म्हणाले...

"if he reaches well into middle age with the physique of his athletic 19-year old self"

Looks pretty good next to the younger guys with their fat, tats and ball caps (and shorts).

Esteban म्हणाले...

What moral tight rope did Bourdain walk? He engaged people on their terms without being condescending. He looked for what made us the same instead of dwelling on our differences. He wasn't perfect, but none of us are.

Ron Winkleheimer म्हणाले...

I would occasionally watch Bourdain's show, the one I remember is when he went to a Louisiana farm and helped kill a hog for a whole hog barbeque, which got him quite a bit of criticism. Quite a few of his fans are moral morons because they had no problem with the killing and eating of the hog, but felt he shouldn't have taken part in the killing because that made him morally culpable. But what really sticks out in my mind is that he used the occasion to bash Paula Deen. He praised the food on the farm as "real southern cooking" as opposed to what Deen did. My first thought was that a guy from NJ was going to pontificate on what "real" southern cooking is! Then I thought the Southeast is a large area with several distinct cuisines. Hell, we get into arguments about dry rubs vs sauce on ribs.

Lloyd W. Robertson म्हणाले...

I was saddened by Bourdain's suicide. Randy Newman was inspired by what he knew about Frank Sinatra to write "It's Lonely at the Top." In a weird showbiz story, he got a chance to pitch the song to Frank--just Randy on piano. "You'd think I'd be happy, but I'm not." Frank, er, turned it down. Frank was a doer, not a thinker. He more or less believed in his songs: even if there are hundreds of affairs, love gives life meaning, and is a real solace in an often heartless world. Randy, even when Disney made him rich, has always had this detachment: can't we learn from all this, see things from different perspectives, and isn't the learning a "better way of life" than just being jerked around by sentiment, maybe with some macho strutting (and abject flattery from the posse) thrown in? More of a song writer than a singer, although he insists on singing his songs. I say this as a fan of both artists.

I just recently discovered the lyrics for songs on the Steely Dan album "Gaucho" (1980). They were well established and rich by this time. Some of the lyrics give voice to a rich dude, living in a beautiful condo, who is attempting to date young women who, for example, have never heard of Aretha Franklin. "Is it OK if this beautiful young man I just met sleeps on your floor?" "No, it's not OK, I'll drop him off at the freeway." Donald Fagan married for the first time when he was about 40, and the marriage has apparently lasted.

rastajenk म्हणाले...

Asia Argento sounds like a cheese.

Humperdink म्हणाले...

A revealing Bourdain quote: "God was never mentioned so I was annoyed by neither church nor any notion of sin or damnation."

Ho goes on later in life to commit suicide. Died without hope.

Andrew म्हणाले...

I don't know why, but the suicide of Bourdain hit me hard. Just like that of Robin Williams. Some people seem to have found their place in life, where their gifts could thrive, and bring joy to many people. There's something tragic, and disillusioning, when you find out how unhappy they really were. And when you think that they must have known a hundred people they could have easily reached out to, but they chose not to. Very sad.

Jim L म्हणाले...

Will Garner garner any attention with this review?

Achilles म्हणाले...

The internet makes it so you can make yourself stalkable.

People make themselves stalkable because they want to be stalked.

Achilles म्हणाले...

Stalk is a word that starts to sound weird after you say it several times.

I wonder if there is a word for that kind of word.

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Now I've googled Asia. Not good looking at all and has horrible (as if there were any other kind) all over her torso.

What a mistake! Not worth shedding a tear over her, much less committing suicide.

Richard म्हणाले...

The new masculinity, rescued from Beirut by Marines. Used to be a piece on youtube by Bourdain about that venture. Things were a mess. "Any concert promoter could have done a better job" of arranging the rescue. Until they got onto the landing craft. Then everything was smooth. Surrounded by the old masculinity for protection so the new masculinity can do its thing. Give me a freaking break. if you want to say the favored live in a cocoon--to mix a metaphor held up by the grimy coal miners and so can fancy themselves and advertise themselves as anything they want...say so.

Jefferson's Revenge म्हणाले...

Howard is correct and that continues beyond middle age. I find it's about a 20 year window in age, maybe 25 years.

But I would say that handsome need only be average and physically fit above average but not perfection. They keys are dressing like a successful adult, being in a relevant social circle and good, old school manners. And a nice kind smile goes a long way.

I am happily married for 40+ years, married above my weight class and have never strayed but I know the above to be true.



Unknown म्हणाले...

The title is most certainly a nod to down and out in Paris and London. If you read bourdain’s book kitchen confidential (which I highly recommend), you know that orwell’s book had a huge influence on him.

Martha म्हणाले...

First wife Nancy Putkoski and second wife Ms. Busia-Bourdain, who controls his estate, cooperated with the author. The book’s most revealing material comes from files and messages pulled from Mr. Bourdain’s phone and laptop, both of which are part of the estate. Appears they wanted the role actress Asia Argento played in Bourdain’s unraveling exposed.

Unknown म्हणाले...

The title is most certainly a nod to down and out in Paris and London. If you read bourdain’s book kitchen confidential (which I highly recommend), you know that orwell’s book had a huge influence on him.

William म्हणाले...

Maybe a variant of the suicide by cop thing. Suicide by Asia Argento. A self destructive man seeks out a woman who will help him reach his full self-destructive potential.....I'm reading the McCullough bio of John Adams and have been for months. John Adams was an honorable man who made mostly good decisions throughout his life. He had a successful marriage and, so far as is known, never cheated on his wife. It's a dull book. John Adams lived through interesting times, but he was a dull man....Anthony Bourdain was not a dull man. He didn't accomplish much beyond eating well and staying in shape, but I'm sure this bio would be more fun to read than that of John Adams. I can't figure out what's the appropriate moral to be drawn from this.

Big Mike म्हणाले...

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

@Kevin, sung by Clapton, but the song was written 99 years ago, in 1923, and the most famous recording was by Bessie Smith in 1929. It’s not just a depressing song, it’s a Depression song.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Asia was a weird chick.

Bourdain was a decent-looking man, but no Paul Newman.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

"Stalk is a word that starts to sound weird after you say it several times."

Also, if you use it in the context of talking about food, you end up thinking about celery.

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

"Down and Out in Beverly Hills... Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out..."

But "Down and Out in Paris and London" is -- in the Paris part — about working in a restaurant, and "Down and Our in Paradise" tracks " "Down and Out in Paris..." up to the "Par," so I'm sure the reference is to the Orwell book.

The song "Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out" goes back to 1923, and the Orwell book came out in 1933. "Down and out" had to be a pre-existing idiomatic phrase.

The OED traces its earliest usage to boxing:

a. Of a boxer, fighter, etc., that has been knocked to the floor and is unable to continue fighting; ‘out for the count’.
1894 Daily Picayune (New Orleans) 3 Mar. 6/6 Knuckles dealt Cornu a stiff swing on the jaw and Cornu went down and out.
1913 Lake County (Indiana) Times 26 May 3/3 He hit Tex Russell..in the side of the head and put him down and out.

The more general usage goes back to 1901:

3. Of a person, country, etc.: completely without resources or means of livelihood; reduced to destitution or vagrancy.
1901 ‘H. McHugh’ John Henry 31 Say! I was down and out—no kidding!
1922 G. M. Trevelyan Brit. Hist. 19th Cent. xxiii. 375 France was down and out.
1923 J. Cox (title of song) Nobody knows you when you are down and out.
1933 ‘G. Orwell’ (title) Down and out in Paris and London....

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

'Parts Unknown' - in which our hero eats good unusual food with unusual people in unusual travel destinations. God, how I lusted for Bourdain's job!

Howard म्हणाले...

It's a nice fantasy to lust after Bourdain's job however the shooting and travel schedules are maniacal I'm sure that was contributary to his ultimate demise.

It's quite easy to go to a rather poor country and hang out with the locals and eat their food and have adventures away from obese tourists and do it on a fairly leisurely basis and actually have way more fun because there are no schedules and deadlines.

n.n म्हणाले...

All's fair in lust and abortion.

Lurker21 म्हणाले...

Asia is weird. So was her father -- or at least his horror movies were. Sort of a Nastassja Kinski/Klaus Kinski thing. Nastassja may have settled down, but you can come up with other examples of eccentric, creepy or disturbed artists or celebrities and their equally messed up kids.

Guy becomes a celebrity. Snags an actress girlfriend. But he's a B lister and she's an A lister. Or in this case, she at least thinks she's a A lister and she thinks he's a B lister, so of course it doesn't last. But he's in love, or maybe his self-image is too tied up in the relationship. Maybe her self-image demanded dumping him, or maybe he was too clingy/stalkery, or maybe she just didn't love him.

Bourdain was a recovered drug addict. Hunter Biden scale.

In addition to his heroin addiction, he struggled with crack abuse as well, sharing a story in which he clawed through shag carpeting to find paint chips that he hoped were slivers of crack – and smoked them without ascertaining either way.

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

>Howard said...
It's quite easy to go to a rather poor country and hang out with the locals and eat their food and have adventures away from obese tourists and do it on a fairly leisurely basis and actually have way more fun because there are no schedules and deadlines.<

How well I know - I've done it (in 101 countries). My point was that I wanted to do it and be handsomely paid for it, like he was.

Readering म्हणाले...

Bourdain was an alcoholic. Destructiveness underrated.

Mark म्हणाले...

If a guy throws his own life away, why should others pick it up?

Meanwhile, how many others are influence by his example to do the same thing?

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

Bourdain’s West Virginia documentary is currently available for free on YouTube. Trust me: Worth an hour of your life.

“The stereotypes about West Virginia, it turns out, are just as cruel, ignorant, misguided, patronizing, and evil as any other. Every meal might have begun with saying grace, but there was nothing hypocritical about it. People do care about each other. Friends, family, and the community are held close.

“The men and women who come from families of four, five generations of coal mining are not naive about the promises of cynical politicians—or the inevitable future of fossil fuel. Their identities, their aspirations, and their situation are far more complex than one can imagine, and their needs are more immediate.

“There’s a reason why so many West Virginians love their birthplace so fiercely and have fought so long and so hard to preserve it. I hope this show gives you all a glimpse.

“I am intensely grateful for the kindness, hospitality, and patience the people of West Virginia showed to this ignorant rube from New York City who arrived with so many of the usual preconceptions, only to have them turned on their head.”

JaimeRoberto म्हणाले...

What moral tight rope did Bourdain walk?

I'm guessing something about being a wealthy white guy who traveled to poor countries. NTTAWWT.

Robert Cook म्हणाले...

"I can't figure out what's the appropriate moral to be drawn from this."

None at all.

Bob म्हणाले...

Can the singular process of Googling a celebrity former lover's name, by itself and with no malicious follow-through intended really be described as stalking? Argento is a celebrity, and the sex lives of celebrities are newsworthy or at least titillating, and thus likely to show up in a Google search. Why shouldn't the man take an interest in the details of her betrayal of him and the love they had one for another? It sounds as if, betrayed, he turned his violence inward in an act of suicide instead of outward in an act of homicide. That's stalking? How many of the millions of men who suicide each year chose that ending as an honorable alternative to homicide? Imagine the body count if suicidal men were instead homicidal. I'm reminded of Grendel's final words in the John Gardner novel of the same name: Poor Grendel's had an accident. So may you all.