Anthony Bourdain Has Died

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All you really know is that you, personally, were able keep that in mind and pull through by thinking of others. There's no reason to think that people who kill themselves are having an experience comparable to your own and therefore needed only to do what you did.



All you really know is that you, personally, were able keep that in mind and pull through by thinking of others. There's no reason to think that people who kill themselves are having an experience comparable to your own and therefore needed only to do what you did.
Well, comparable situations are all that psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and people who man hot-lines have to go by. The entire industry of medicine and psychology is based on looking for patterns of commonality and effective treatments for those patterns. What often stalls those considering suicide is hearing the stories of others in the same boat or talking to those who've been there.

I'm not arguing with anyone, just saying that thinking about those left behind and the effect that your intentional, self-inflicted death will have on them is one very effective mechanism for reconsidering suicide (given that time is allowed to think about it before acting on pure impulse) and can lead to thought processes that can become coping mechanisms - it's one of the first things any hot-line counselor will bring up when dealing with a potential suicide.

P.S. Conspiracy theories are already beginning around Bourdain's passing.



We all have our own opinions on suicide and depression and mental illness and all that jazz, and if you're so compelled to start a separate thread around the topic feel free - but I want to request that we don't use this thread for that stuff.



We all have our own opinions on suicide and depression and mental illness and all that jazz, and if you're so compelled to start a separate thread around the topic feel free - but I want to request that we don't use this thread for that stuff.
Okay.

Remembering Anthony - one of the funniest moments of his show was when he was recovering from a hangover and he said, "This morning my head feels like the inside of Andrew Zimmern's toilet!"



Well, comparable situations are all that psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and people who man hot-lines have to go by.
This is an odd response, for a few reasons:

First, because my contention is that your situation isn't necessarily comparable, so saying comparable situations are all mental health professionals can go by isn't a response to that.

Second, because I'm fairly certain that all the other things you're saying (see below) are wildly at odds with what these same mental health professionals would say about people contemplating suicide.

Third, because actual psychiatrists and people manning hot lines are not remotely comparable, so you can't take something you know about the latter group and lump them in with these other groups, as if they were all of equal standing in this field, or even were necessarily trying to do the same thing.

I'm not arguing with anyone, just saying that thinking about those left behind and the effect that your intentional, self-inflicted death will have on them is one very effective mechanism for reconsidering suicide
This is demonstrably not all that you're saying:

Having been up and down the flagpole a few times myself, I find it hard to be compassionate toward people who commit suicide when they have someone depending on them.
It's one thing to want to check out, but it's basically an act of base cruelty to do it when there is a child looking to you for protection, guidance and support.
People should need a license and extensive background check to have children.
people who commit suicide made a cognitive choice.
If you'd said thinking of family can help prevent suicide, that would have been totally reasonable and unobjectionable. What you actually said was that suicide is a "cognitive" (IE: intellectual) choice, and a cruel one, and you seem to be basing this on the mere fact that you've fallen on hard times and not killed yourself. But you simply don't have any good reason to think that whatever you experienced is comparable to what actually suicidal people experience.

Basic human empathy doesn't just mean expressing sympathy for others. Sometimes it means recognizing that you can't know what they're feeling, and in those scenarios it is deeply unsympathetic, and even kind of self-aggrandizing and self-flattering, to assume that whatever superficially similar experiences you have must be the same as their own.



We all have our own opinions on suicide and depression and mental illness and all that jazz, and if you're so compelled to start a separate thread around the topic feel free - but I want to request that we don't use this thread for that stuff.
Seconded. Saw this after my reply, but any other replies will be moved/spun off/whatever.



Since I was a fan of both Bizarre Foods and Bourdain's No Reservations show when they were both on the Travel Channel - I always remember one time where the shows were on back to back. I believe they were both doing Coney Island. I don't remember the order exactly, but as Zimmern was ending his show, Bourdain comes walking along into Zimmern's camera shot introducing the start of his show and they get into a bit of faux arguing about stepping on each others feet, then take off together for some culinary delights as they shared the second hour. It was an original, memorable and unexpected moment in television as I've never seen two different TV shows overlap each other in such a way.



You can't win an argument just by being right!
I don't think I saw that one. I just realized with a crushing blow that I will only ever see reruns. I'm surprised food network isn't already cashing in and airing marathons. Good thing I'm a chronic rewatcher.

Cap, what are the conspiracy theories about him? I haven't Che ked the idiocy of FB lately.



My fellow Roman Catholics come out with the most amazing load of rubbish sometimes. We’re at a training session last night, Bourdain’s name comes up & one of the eucharistic ministers (!) goes on a looooong riff about gay men. First, I don’t know if Bourdain was gay & 2nd I could care less if he was. (I don’t think he was.) This woman would not shut up then. Any time someone brought up the bad luck of someone in the news, she would ascribe homosexuality tendencies to that person. Dios mio, I almost ran out of there when we were done.
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Well he was married and had a kid so not sure where the gay thing came from.

Was getting off a plane when I saw the news about this on the airport TV at the exit gate. Was a terrible way to start a vacation. Ive been a big fan since A Cook’s Tour and always appreciated Bourdain's ability to be straight forward and pull no punches yet be passionate and respectful at the same time. In his honor I went to Muncan Meats in Queens and loaded up on the cured goodies then did the same at Bari in Chicago. This Soppressata is for you my friend...
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Well one can be gay & have a heterosexual marriage & children. Many wives have been deceived by their husbands. And vice versa for all I know. But, I take your point. So far as I know, Bourdain wasn’t gay. I forgot to mention in my post that the woman was trying to infer that he committed suicide because he was gay. It bothered me that my fellow Catholic would not leave the dead in peace.



Well one can be gay & have a heterosexual marriage & children. Many wives have been deceived by their husbands. And vice versa for all I know. But, I take your point. So far as I know, Bourdain wasn’t gay. I forgot to mention in my post that the woman was trying to infer that he committed suicide because he was gay. It bothered me that my fellow Catholic would not leave the dead in peace.
I have a question about Catholic beliefs. Do Catholics believe that if someone commits suicide they don't go to Heaven but spend eternity in Purgatory?



I dont give a rat's a** if he was gay or not gay. I quite liked him and few shows i have seen. As a chef, I am a fan of Alton Brown. Travel shows, dont watch it that much, but i do enjoy Simon Reeves.


But he was a fun guy. Sad loss.
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I have a question about Catholic beliefs. Do Catholics believe that if someone commits suicide they don't go to Heaven but spend eternity in Purgatory?
No.



I have a question about Catholic beliefs. Do Catholics believe that if someone commits suicide they don't go to Heaven but spend eternity in Purgatory?
Not purgatory. More like hell. I grew up Catholic. Suicide is a one way ticket to hellfire according to my experience with the church and school.



I'm not saying Anthony is going to hell. I'm just saying what I was told and what I've read. But suicide is a very aggressive act. I've had friends that've committed it. I've toyed with the notion a few times when things got unbearable. These things pass, though. You have to believe in something other than yourself. You have to fatih in humankind. You have to believe there are good people. No one is perfect. Ever. You can't be letdown by everyone, even though a sick mind will gravitate towards thinking that everyone sucks sometimes.



Not to get off track here, but I recommend a jesuit priest by the name of Father Anthony Demello.

You'd swear the guy isn;t even catholic. Like...at all. He's very spiritually based..and psychologically challenging. His big focus is self interest and how to accept that everyone is self interested, regardless of charity or striving for sainthood.

Extremely interesting lectures. Youtube has all of it. He died suddenly very young of a heart attack. It's been questioned whehter or not he was murdered by a higher up who didn;t like his teachings, and to save face.

Who knows? Who cares?

What he has to say is some of the most valuable perspective I have ever encountered in my life, and it's been right in front of the ole' nose the whole time, ya nom sayin?



I'd like to think of Anthony in a great big smorgasbord in the sky!...And he's surrounded by a never ending array of the most tastiest foods ever created since the dawn of time, all while being in a very exotic location. Just like his show!

Heck he's probably eating a Bronto burger right now with Fred Flintstone.



You can't win an argument just by being right!

Heck he's probably eating a Bronto burger right now with Fred Flintstone.
Let's just hope it ain't flaaaame broiled, I said a'!
lol. That will probably be his inscription on his headstone if he has one.

I'm still sad about his death before anyone wants to call 'too soon' but I don't think he'd want me sitting in the corner crying.

I echo the thoughts above regarding suicide. Probably the worst thing a catholic can do.