Anthony Bourdain: A large proportion of food critics are bent
Chef-turned-writer Anthony Bourdain – currently in Australia for the Sydney Writers Festival – discusses with Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes:
- Corrupt restaurant critics: “I don’t have a lot of tolerance for people who have other agendas, who are settling personal scores, who are taking backhanders, who are in any way bent, which is to say a very large proportion of the food writing, or food criticism community.”
- Masterchef: “I’m for competitive reality shows. Anything that increases interest in cooks and chefs and foods and restaurants is good for society, even at its sillliest.”
- Writing for David Simon’s HBO drama Treme, which is about to go out in Australia on Showtime.
- Social media – Hijacking his own 1m+ Facebook page and how he talks to his 400,000 Twitter followers.
- Matt Moran’s experience at US food venue Beard House: “I can’t imagine he wasn’t disappointed with who showed up, which was no-one of importance, which was business as usual there.”
Thanks, Tim. That’s a great interview of a great man.
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No reservations is definitely one of the best shows on TV (FTA and STV). Great that he is in Australia
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Nice one Tim – Anthony is a legend and it’s amazing to have him speaking to mUmbrella
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I have one spare ticket to see Anthony and AA Gill talk tonight at Town hall at 6PM.
Based on this, it should be provocative.
Reply ASAP if interested.
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Fantastic interview. Well done! Would have loved to see him talk tonight…
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Is there anybody who can take Mr. Bourdain to task and get beyond the girlish fawning and press him to get belyond the uber cool motherhood statements, peppered with street talk that seem to be all that he spouts?
On the competitive nature of cooking shows he says some thing like
“I’m for competitive reality shows. Anything that increases interest in cooks and chefs and foods and restaurants is good for society, even at its sillliest.”
That statement may be ok and excused from someone who does not know or understand the workings of commercial television but from Tony its just propping up by his association his livelyhood. Coles and the other sponsors are the main game. The food world, cooks, competitors are just the free fuel who fan the fire and pick up the crumbs of “free publicity” to those willing to take thier pants off and bend over to the sponsors line. For some the spoils are major but for you and me who shop for food it means that the price of staples will forever be dictated by the big corporate food giants. Look at the Milk price, low now but the long term effects will be devastating…
Sadly blogs like this are too ephemeral to try to pretend to be discussing serious sublects, no time to explain the concentration of large corporate food monopolies …..
its not that cool is it?
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The interview was to a celebrity chef who has never spoken of those things you mention, George. I hope you take the opportunity to press those questions to him tonight.
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I have consumed Mr Bourdains written word but nothing he has cooked.
What a combo Bourdain and A.A.Gill together. Can I suggest Jeremy Clarkson
for compere?
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@jean cave
nah. Ant and AA are opinionated, Clarkson’s just an asshole. A boring asshole at that.
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Despite that they are good mates
http://dimapics.com/gallery.ph.....&lng=
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Anthony Bourdain is god. Have you read his book? He has done more white powder than an olympic skier…
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does anyone have a spare ticket for Medium Raw @ SWF tomorrow? willing to purchase 1 or 2 tix…
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