Money Profile: Anthony Bourdain

[YVRRocketSurgery]

My friend forwarded me this article on Anthony Bourdain.

We like Anthony Bourdain's food style and are kind of groupies in that we try to visit some of the places featured in his tv shows when we're travelling.

I'm not sure there's a lot of lessons learned from the article but I kind of find it's an interesting short read from the perspective of a successful person who frankly does not seem good or comfortable with money.

The article is one of a series where various people describe their experiences with money and personal finances. The company sponsoring the articles is Canadian so some of the articles have a bit of a Canadian slant to them.

 

[NW-Bound]

I enjoyed his shows, and read a couple of his books. In the above article, he told some personal info I did not see in the books. Bourdain is an interesting character. I would not see myself in his lifestyle, but he always seems like an honest guy, such as not cheating on taxes, etc...

About money, maybe he is right and I am wrong. I spend too much time thinking about money, and he just doesn't care as long as he has enough. I don't know if I ever have enough. I always like to have more, even if I am not going to spend it (I gave some away).

 

[Winemaker]

Being a big foodie, I've enjoyed his shows. Learning about his past and background, I have lost a lot of respect for him. Most likely, I'll watch something else instead.

 

[Meadbh]

Being a big foodie, I've enjoyed his shows. Learning about his past and background, I have lost a lot of respect for him. Most likely, I'll watch something else instead.

What was it about his past and background that has made you lose respect for him?

 

[Nemo2]

I'd never (consciously) heard of the guy, (not a foodie, don't watch TV), but reading the article and seeing the title Kitchen Confidential rang a proverbial bell.......checked the bookshelf, and have a copy sitting in the middle of an unread pile.

 

[Midpack]

Good article, well written. I knew he was a very late bloomer career wise, so the financial story comes as no surprise.

Food and travel, what's not to like? I watch/read most of what Bourdain puts out, even his PBS Mind of a Chef, DW is not a fan. He's actually a decent human being who can be pretty vulgar and I cringe once in a while, but if you can see past that, he's a unique, surprisingly eloquent writer/narrator and he gives us access to the greatest chefs in the world. He's refreshingly candid, not PC at all, I like that whether I agree with his views or not.

And while he travels to fashionable upscale locations, he spends just as much time in neglected places you will never see in other travel shows - in other words it's not just a fluff travel infomercial like most other travel shows. He's interested in all cultures, I find that way more interesting than other countries through a western culture lens.

 

[donheff]

I have liked Bourdain ever since I read Kitchen Confidential. Nothing in this article is a surprise after that. He was a dissipated youth but seems like a nice enough guy.

 

[Winemaker]

What was it about his past and background that has made you lose respect for him?

" ...until I was 44 ,I never even had a savings account."

"Weed was a major expense."

" ...the fact that I'd been smoking weed heavily since I was 14..."

"...I was constantly in debt."

"...I hadn't filed taxes in about 10 years."

"it had been a decade since I'd communicated with American Express in a timely manner."

Not my idea of a responsible adult, IMHO. I'd rather help a local irresponsible than support a "changed" public person who gloats about his extensive drug use.

 

[bmcgonig]

" ...until I was 44 ,I never even had a savings account."

"Weed was a major expense."

" ...the fact that I'd been smoking weed heavily since I was 14..."

"...I was constantly in debt."

"...I hadn't filed taxes in about 10 years."

"it had been a decade since I'd communicated with American Express in a timely manner."

Not my idea of a responsible adult, IMHO. I'd rather help a local irresponsible than support a "changed" public person who gloats about his extensive drug use.

Makes me like him even more that he says that weed was a major expense. Just the fact that he admits to it and doesn't care. I saw one of his shows once where he was learning juditsu and getting his butt kicked. But he was by far the oldest guy in the class and trying really hard and doing way better than I would be doing being the same age. I really do like his "don't give a damn" style.

 

[Dawg52]

I've always enjoyed his shows. Didn't know much about his past but not surprised. He seems like a free spirit type. But seems to have matured.

 

[MRG]

Makes me like him even more that he says that weed was a major expense. Just the fact that he admits to it and doesn't care. I saw one of his shows once where he was learning juditsu and getting his butt kicked. But he was by far the oldest guy in the class and trying really hard and doing way better than I would be doing being the same age. I really do like his "don't give a damn" style.

+1
Couldn't have said it better. Many people have learned from the school of hard knocks.

 

[Bestwifeever]

He is a very lucky guy--obviously talented in many areas but the dominoes could have tipped the other way for him. I have to say I'm not very familiar with him and have not to my recollection seen him--I know his name and that he is a chef, have heard of Kitchen Confidential, but that's it.

It was refreshing to read such an honest article--I don't think many people would share as much without sugarcoating it, which he doesn't do.

 

[Jack_Pine]

Agree, his past is meaningless, at least to me. Like his candor about his lack of skill in navigating the financial world.

Appreciate his shows because I learn about the culture as well as the food.

 

[MichaelB]

He is a very lucky guy--obviously talented in many areas but the dominoes could have tipped the other way for him. I have to say I'm not very familiar with him and have not to my recollection seen him--I know his name and that he is a chef, have heard of Kitchen Confidential, but that's it.

Yeah, we only hear from the graduates of the school of hard knocks, not the ones that didn't make it.

Didn't he had a TV show about traveling the world eating strange food? That sounds like fun.

 

[Midpack]

Didn't he had a TV show about traveling the world eating strange food? That sounds like fun.

Not focused/confined to "strange food," but several shows I know of:

• A Cook's Tour
• No Reservations
• Parts Unknown
• The Layover
• The Mind of a Chef

There were some others, but more mainstream fluff.

 

[Cassius King]

I personally like Bourdain. I like his candor, free spirit and living life mentality. Wish I could implement more of that into my own lifestyle. Cheers!

 

[MRG]

Yeah, we only hear from the graduates of the school of hard knocks, not the ones that didn't make it.

Didn't he had a TV show about traveling the world eating strange food? That sounds like fun.

Bourdain or Zimmerman? I thought Zimmerman had the "Bizarre Food" show.

 

[MichaelB]

Bourdain or Zimmerman? I thought Zimmerman had the "Bizarre Food" show.

Could be. I've never seen either but the name sounds familiar.

 

[NW-Bound]

...Not my idea of a responsible adult, IMHO. I'd rather help a local irresponsible than support a "changed" public person who gloats about his extensive drug use.

Not that I condone his past behavior, but I took his admission of drug use as candor and honesty, not gloating. He could have said "I did not inhale". His behavior was self-destructive, and he could easily end up in the gutter a homeless man as some posters noted, but he did it to himself and not somebody else.

I did not watch all of his different series, but it was not all about strange food like Zimmerman's Bizarre Food show. He complained that the producer made him eat bad food for publicity stunt, and he hated it.

 

[easysurfer]

Bourdain or Zimmerman? I thought Zimmerman had the "Bizarre Food" show.

I'm more of a Zimmerman, "Bizarre Foods" (BF) follower. Gotta like a guy who at a rat and justified, that wasn't a city rat so wasn't as bad .

There were some episodes on BF where they both appeared together when they were on the same channel.

From the article, Bourdain being broke in early life may have saved his life not able to afford all the drugs.

 

[Danmar]

My daughter loves this guy and has watched his shows for years. She says Bourdain reminds her of me. I'm flattered but his financial background and early lifestyle couldn't be more different than mine.

I also enjoy his shows and watch them whenever I can. I like his apparent attitude and personality.

 

[Sojourner]

"Weed was a major expense."

" ...the fact that I'd been smoking weed heavily since I was 14..."

...

Not my idea of a responsible adult, IMHO. I'd rather help a local irresponsible than support a "changed" public person who gloats about his extensive drug use.

Not to get on a soapbox here, but it's a well known scientific fact that marijuana is one of the least addictive drugs and is virtually impossible to overdose on -- unlike some of the more socially acceptable drugs, like alcohol and nicotine. So it's a bit unreasonable to judge someone's character based on their past use of weed, particularly when they are clearly a successful, respectable, accomplished person. Not to mention the fact that it's now legal for recreational use in 9 states in the U.S.

 

[H2ODude]

Enjoy his shows immensely. Always think to myself when one of his shows comes on, "Now there is someone I'd love to sit next to on a plane and have some drinks with!" Have to admit I couldn't eat some of the more bizarre things he has.

 

[rodi]

Not my idea of a responsible adult, IMHO. I'd rather help a local irresponsible than support a "changed" public person who gloats about his extensive drug use.

On the "Parts Unknown" series he's been very open about his drug habits when he was young... It's not just weed and cocaine - he was on heroin for a while IIRC. The fact that he came through and put the addiction behind him is a good thing... That's something that a lot of people are unable to do. I find him interesting. Don't want his lifestyle, (past and present), but find him entertaining to watch and get some great ideas on food to try. That said - I would *never* try to outdrink him. LOL.

Everyone has a story and many are stories we can learn from. If I only focused on people who never made mistakes I would learn a lot less.

 

[Fedup]

I enjoy his shows because it's not just about food. He takes you into areas you wouldn't be able to go to.