New York (CNN)Anthony Bourdain, a gifted storyteller and writer who took CNN viewers around the world, has died. He was 61.
CNN confirmed Bourdain’s death on Friday and said the cause of death was suicide.
“It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” the network said in a statement Friday morning. “His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.”
Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series “Parts Unknown.” His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning.
I always thought his shows were a little dark, mildly depressing and noticed that he drank a lot!! When I read that he killed himself, I first thought, well I’m not surprised. I didn’t read too much into his beliefs, but in one of his books he talked about mental health a little.
I saw an interview in which he credited BJJ for giving him the discipline to change aspects of his personal excesses. I heard from a friend in the entertainment business that he always travelled with his gi and would drop in to BJJ clubs wherever he landed.
I really enjoyed his work and I got a sense of the real guy behind the glitz in some of his interviews and writing. Sad. He seemed like an interesting guy.
I really enjoyed his book “Kitchen Confidential”. I’m not a foodie but it informative, funny and enlightening. I gave it to my niece, who was working in a kitchen at the time and it boggled her Mind.
I’m sure he’ll be missed by many. Perhaps it was an issue with Clinical Depression? If so, very sad and a warning to others to seek Professional and medical help.
[QUOTE=BKR;2982966]Cowardly assholes when it counted most.[/QUOTE]
The dark side be damned. I have to agree. In what state did you expect to leave the living?
In my daughter’s case the lady was Hindu. A religion wherein suicide is particularly an abomination.
[QUOTE=hungryjoe;2982972]The dark side be damned. I have to agree. In what state did you expect to leave the living?
In my daughter’s case the lady was Hindu. A religion wherein suicide is particularly an abomination.[/QUOTE]
Most religions extol life and the protection of life as a virtue. It has been a while since abnormal psych, however, most often suicide isn’t about escape it is about giving the ultimate FU to whoever or whatever a person is perceiving as hurting them. At least that was the prevailing theory when I was in University some 20 years ago. We would prefer to think that the pain or whatever was simply overwhelming and so they chose to go out on their own terms(and for a few cases that may in fact be the case, dying with dignity and all that) but the vast majority it isn’t.
Without seeing the note, there is no way of knowing exactly what or who or why Bourdain decided to go down this route. Feel sorry for the kid, but honestly he was gone 250 days of the year, and I was pretty sure his ex who had custody had long since moved on and was with team mate Eddie Cummings.
[QUOTE=Michael Tzadok;2982975]Most religions extol life and the protection of life as a virtue. It has been a while since abnormal psych, however, most often suicide isn’t about escape it is about giving the ultimate FU to whoever or whatever a person is perceiving as hurting them. At least that was the prevailing theory when I was in University some 20 years ago. We would prefer to think that the pain or whatever was simply overwhelming and so they chose to go out on their own terms(and for a few cases that may in fact be the case, dying with dignity and all that) but the vast majority it isn’t.
Without seeing the note, there is no way of knowing exactly what or who or why Bourdain decided to go down this route. Feel sorry for the kid, but honestly he was gone 250 days of the year, and I was pretty sure his ex who had custody had long since moved on and was with team mate Eddie Cummings.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=BKR;2982977]He has history, if you care to look.[/QUOTE]
I know he does. I just forgot about the kid. If everyone in his life is an adult, I don’t care so much if he gives the world the final finger. Having a kid though totally changes things.
[QUOTE=Michael Tzadok;2982978]I know he does. I just forgot about the kid. If everyone in his life is an adult, I don’t care so much if he gives the world the final finger. Having a kid though totally changes things.[/QUOTE]
Agreed
When people kill themselves, it often feels like a better option than the alternative and they think that other people will be better off without them. Shit runs in my family. My cousin and brother in law did it. I’ve been close more than I’d like to admit. I keep myself going on sheer spite.
[QUOTE=ghost55;2983073]When people kill themselves, it often feels like a better option than the alternative and they think that other people will be better off without them. Shit runs in my family. My cousin and brother in law did it. I’ve been close more than I’d like to admit. I keep myself going on sheer spite.[/QUOTE]
Yep, that’s the gist of it. Their minds are telling them that they are not good enough, they don’t deserve what they have, it will never get better and that they are bringing down everyone around them with how they feel. They think that by ending it, everyone around them will be better off because they won’t have to deal with them any more. They think that people will be able to finally move on. They don’t feel like they are dyeing because they feel like they are dead already.
Sometimes their is gilt or daemons also plaguing them. In Anthony’s case, he talked extensively about guilt from things he had done while he was a heroine addict and how he treated people. He didn’t go into too much details. I always got the impression that their was some pretty bad stuff he was involved in. I saw interviews where he said that he had some times where he felt like life was great, but most of the time he was sad and felt alone. That he would be in some place on the other side of the world but had no one around him and just felt alone. He also did lots of pills and alcohol from what I understand.
I think these are different circumstances from the murder suicide people. Theirs are more a fit or rage. Usually someone with impulsive behaviors already who don’t think about consequences very often. Lots of inmates fit similar profiles.
Also, most people would agree that if you can’t understand the mentality of someone suicidal, consider yourself blessed. And if you can understand, you should probably be talking to someone about it.
Mental illness is a bitch. Bourdain died of depression. I wouldn’t brand it cowardice. This is the same sort of thinking that puts mental illness apart from other sorts of illnesses. Nobody says “if only he weren’t such a coward, he would have fought off that cancer.”
[QUOTE=NeilG;2983140]Mental illness is a bitch. Bourdain died of depression. I wouldn’t brand it cowardice. This is the same sort of thinking that puts mental illness apart from other sorts of illnesses. Nobody says “if only he weren’t such a coward, he would have fought off that cancer.”[/QUOTE]
QFT
“He just does not try hard enough” and “He is just lazy” are other infamous sentences.
Depression, ADHD, autism spectrum, etc. are neurological facts and if they knew how to make a 100% individual diagnosis instead of using questionnaires (HighRes fMRT and brain neurotransmitter tests cost A LOT of money), and reliable medical treatment instead of psychological therapy (the exact processes are not even known well enough to provide meds that are individually helpful since there are several different mechanisms involved - it is a freaking trial and error!), they’d probably do it.
Additionally, the three diagnoses mentioned are out of the norm, but probably genetically induced syndroms (most lasting forms of depression, as well as ADHD and autism, are not “curable” - think AIDS or MS with life-long treatment necessary), i.e. not even necessarily pathological - depending on the definition. Again, medicine here is not even able to tell for sure yet.
