[Originally Posted June 10th 2018 on Wordpress]
DISCUSSION:
When we tend to use the term "philosopher", images of Socrates, Rene Descartes, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jean-Paul Sartre surfaces vividly in our minds. The archetypal paternal image of a wise and withered sage with a long white beard in a long robe contemplating the more befuddling abstract aspects of life. This Socratic conceptualization of a philosopher is so salient and stereotypical it could be confused for being a Jungian archetype reverberating throughout the collective consciousness of humanity. However, this stale image of a philosopher while appeasing to our stereotypical notions from aesthetics standpoint does not complete the whole picture.
DEFINITION OF A PHILOSOPHER:
noun
a person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.
a person who is deeplyÂ
versed in philosophy.
a person who establishes the central ideas of some movement, cult, etc. [4].
Particularly sub-definition #3 should suggest that our notion of what defines a philosopher should stretch beyond a narrow scope of what that individual should appear to be. While we tend to look for the stereotypical markings and attributes of a philosopher in dusty leather-bound books in libraries, it does not accurately represent the whole picture. I would be so bold to assert that the rebellious celebrity chief, the late Anthony Bourdain was a philosopher in his own right. From a culinary and even cultural standpoint.
As anyone who has ever watched his television shows or who has read his books would know he had a list of stanch core values that would unwavering and applied to culinary exploits and experiencing other cultures. Reject your comfort zone and experience the more obscure avenues that the world has to offer. If you are in Ho Chi Minh, why retreat to the comfort of an American or European based restaurant chain when there are a myriad of establishments offering local fare? There is little to no point then in visiting Vietnam if you are unwilling to have an authentic experience from a cultural and dietary standpoint, this is something that Mr. Bourdain demonstrated in the spades. He did not shy away from eating organs or body parts that Americans typically throwaway or veer away from the outlandish or bizarre. As an impromptu cultural anthropologist, he adopted cultural relativism to the highest degree to respect the traditions of the cultures of the countries that he visited. Even if it drastically veered away from the sensibilities of the average New Yorker. In a sense Anthony did engender ideas that were key to specific culinary movements, is certainly a big influence on the majority if not all self-proclaimed cosmopolitan foodies and cultural thrill seekers.
His respect for other cultures was combined with a cavalier disdain for picky eaters and ethically nuanced dietary restrictions. He has rejected ethical vegetarianism as a " first world luxury" [4]. Even was poised to proclaim the vilest thing he has ever eaten to be a McDonald's Chicken Nugget [5].
Such assertions are a radical departure from the values of the typical American dinner, however, a man of such audacious dietary preferences would have to reject familiarity and safety to discover the roads less traveled by. Which believe it or not was most likely influenced by Anthony's love of Punk rock music. Any regular viewer of his former Travel Channel program: No Reservations would typically see him wearing T-Shirts representing various Punk rock groups, e.g.) New York-based late '70's punk rockers the Dead Boys. The adoption of Punk Rock ethos in Bourdain's culinary craft and preferences was quite salient. For him to reject safe and familiar as boring and uninspired fits right into the Punk Rock movement's rejection of society's status quo. Essentially cultural and culinary rebellion. Why get at Applebees and other chain restaurants for the rest of your life when there are some more challenging but more rewarding options? Well obviously not everyone subscribes to this way of thinking, however, for those who reject safety and what is familiar certainly revere Bourdain's rebellious abandonment of such secure and soft underpinnings. It is easy to eat at Ruby Tuesday's for the average American, however, to eat a living Octopus in Korea town in Los Angeles, is a much more drastic endeavor. What really sums this who point up and understanding Mr. Bourdain's crass sensibilities, I feel the below George Carlin quote is suiting:
"Â What are you gonna do, play with your prick for another 30 years? Read People magazine and eat at Wendy's til the end of time? Take a fuckin' chance! " [6].
Regardless of whether or not you felt this man and his core beliefs about food and culture were pretentious or extreme he still made a major impact on American culture. In my opinion in a positive manner. Was above all honest. He never veered away from discussing his time as a heroin addict when he was a SOHO chef decades ago. He has been very open about his derision towards celebrity chefs such as Guy Fieri who champion comfort and American familiarity over advancing the craft of cooking. No one whether you hate him or love him dispute Anthony's authenticity, that is something rare in the majority of American pop-culture figures. That's why he was so entertaining. It was refreshing to hear the culinary equivalent of Johnny Rotten say "Fuck IHOP" as the "Pancake man" his on his way. Now just for transparency purposes, I have and most likely will eat at IHOP again, however, that is beyond the point. He just as much as how the Grunge group Nirvana brought punk rock to the masses via an auditory medium, Bourdain manifested it in the culinary. In my humble opinion even showing people that there is another option is a huge deal. His televisions programs were like the Lonely Planet travel guides on steroids. I am going to show you where people are eating obscure body parts and are chugging moonshine. Not quite what you would expect.
FOOT NOTES:
1. (VIDEO) https://youtu.be/DXNq4PyfNqE
2. https://invertedlogicblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/10/philosophical-rants17-a-philosopher-by-another-name-anthony-bourdain
3.http://www.dictionary.com/browse/philosopher
4.https://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/anthony-bourdain-thinks-vegans-are-self-indulgent/
5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2018/06/09/anthony-bourdain-laid-it-all-on-the-table-our-food-and-our-humanity/?noredirect=on).
6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246645/quotes