Bourdain, service industry and life on the bedrock.

Heroin epidemic

I took to writing this morning after a colleague has posted several times on facebook about the death of Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain, 61, was found dead Friday in his hotel room in France, where he was filming a new release for his award-winning Parts Unknown series for CNN. French sources confirmed the cause of death was suicide.

First of all, it would not be right to stop short of honoring Mr Bourdain, although in all honesty, he is one of those celebrities, that has really become alive to me upon his death. He was there, I know he was a father in storytelling about modern cuisine and street food alike. However, his impact was less than some other celebrity chefs whom we had been informed about during our training years at the Cooking school.  

Recent articles being written by the Guardian, by the NewYorker.com, and by the thestar.com all mention his controversial character, either as a general comment or on a specific instance.  They give the reader understanding that the celebrity’s death could have partially been driven by a nuance of these seemingly awkward encounters he may have faced throughout his career coupled with his drug addiction to opioids. A CNBC report goes as far as claiming that this suicide was planned and blames it on allegations of having threats for apparent ‘misconduct’ when dealing with sensitive things in Azerbaijan. 

Having mentioned Mr Bourdain and the great accomplishments of his days, this draws me to reflect on a metaphor for his life, as being similar to a theatrical performance. Growing up watching shows, I would be intrigued, when after a performance there would be the whole cast behind the curtain, and they would ‘play’ with the audience by closing the curtain and reopening it for a number of times, each time receiving big applauds from the audience who would be praising them for their talent and efforts displayed during the show. The effect it had on me would create a curiosity of what the characters were like behind the curtain. This is seen to be similar to the private life behind Anthony’s glimmering reality, where 'behind the curtains' another story would unfold, one that only essentially came to life, once he took his own life.

In any case, another great man has gone down in history who as a huge success and also of international fame, whereas the dark shadow that hung over his shoulder, presumably right through this success, in the end, got the better of him, leading him to his death.

Would the life of Anthony Bourdain be a witness to the harsh reality of critics that he had to face in his life as a celebrity? Would Anthony's life be considered that of a role model for an aspiring young professional today who seek to live the celebrity life? Maybe a deep analysis is warranted for to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff in his life and to appreciate the contribution by which Anthony narrated his stories for love of food, cultures, and commensality

With these reflections in mind, then it may be more understandable, that the glamorous world of celebrities, namely those in the service industries, together with having to endure through the enormous pressures of day to day life in their respective food outlets, also face the insurmountable pressure of the media and of the wider society.

Mental health is a real stigma, it is more common than one would like to accept. According to WHO, 1 in 4 persons, at some point in their life would experience a depression. Although, this is not necessarily a clinical depression for which certain criteria, like duration, intensity and frequency must be met. The one in four would experience a difficulty coping with daily chores and experiencing feeling the blues. It is also said, that apart from the chemical imbalances that cause depression, the environment also makes a difference, and so high intensity and sometimes low reward environments, such as kitchens that are stressful are bedrocks where depression grows.

It is with honoring the man who made it until the end of the line with the success that I lift my glass in salute of a life lived in greatness. Although this lifestyle of a celebrity also sheds light on a reality which sometimes is the largest means of income for a country as is Malta. So having considered this, to what effect are aspirants of the culinary world is warned of such realities. There is always the desire to be a celebrity, which could become a reality in this industry, however, does this world present itself not without its dangers of living the ‘high’ life, where long hours, stressful conditions, drugs, and alcohol are present in a very vibrant way.