Anthony Bourdain’s State Department Smorgasbord
off-guardian.org
by Lorenzo, June 10, 2018 Anthony Bourdain’s suicide in June 2018 will cement his reputation as a progressive celebrity with a unique acumen for explaining the world to his fans. CNN’s obituary say…

“A few days ago I watched the Nicaragua episode of Anthony Bourdain. What a remarkable document of imperialist propaganda.” https://twitter.com/Dr_Sportello/status/1286127819781738498

https://twunroll.com/article/1286481484866560001#

over 100 employees at an anthony bourdain-branded restaurant sue for wage theft & he publicly vouches for management

Anthony Bourdain on the u.s. joining up with NATO to invade Libya: "I'm really glad we helped out in Libya. That was a cool thing for us to do."

At one point, one young man, who had helped storm the Gaddafi compound, sat down with me to eat American style fast food chicken at KFC knock-off, “Uncle Kentacki”. “This is the taste of freedom”, he said, joyously, un-ironically—and with considerable pride. There was something beautiful in that. https://anthonybourdain.tumblr.com/post/50670679641/libya

Hmmm why would a woke food critic soyface at American imperialist shitculture? I wonder what else he's done for his bourgeois friends like Hillary:

https://off-guardian.org/2018/06/12/anthony-bourdains-state-department-smorgasbord/

So despite what he euphemized as the “rationing” of Gaza, Palestinians could still enjoy all the Colonel’s secret herbs and spices—so how bad could the “rationing” be? Better yet, Bourdain invited his viewers to consider the case of Libya after the 2011 NATO War. With Gaddafi dead and the “State of the Masses” destroyed, Bourdain beamed about the fresh produce for sale available to local restaurants (unfortunately, the Jamahiriya’s bread subsidies are gone). “But Revolution has brought changed tastes. Libyans, especially young Libyans, hunger for more than just freedom,” he said via voiceover. And what fruit has ripened sweetest on liberty’s vines? Kentucky Fried Chicken—or at least, a knockoff version, to hold Libyans over until Uncle Sam’s greatest brands can storm the shores of Tripoli like the Marines of yesteryear. Bourdain met some young Libyans who had participated in the insurgency at a new counterfeit KFC franchise, and they all snack on fried chicken. While the “uncertainty of the situation” means that legitimate franchised outlets are a ways off, Bourdain gushed that the “Kentaki” fried chicken experience is “awesome” as a corny background track unironically chants the words “American dreams” over and over. On paper, what Bourdain offered here is a paean to the power of the American military and multinational corporations, set to a cheesy tune whose only lyrics are “American dreams” on repeat. Remember Brian Williams rhapsodizing about “the beauty of our weapons” when Trump bombed Syria? What Bourdain did here is only a degree removed from that. His viewers are the sort of people who would normally scoff at this, but such is the unique power of a salesperson like Bourdain. He was so impressed by the ersatz KFC that he expounded on it at length in various places:

  • cilantrofellow [any]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I largely agree, but there is an unfortunate reality that a lot of these highly flawed people serve as gateway role models for libs. FDR, Pope Francis, etc. all are seen as these great champions of the poor and workers and socialism, and telling people they actually are bad can turn off people who have really only dipped their toes into the left without getting the full sense of the program. Bourdain does suck, but people know him as the Kissinger hater, which is a nice sentiment to push.

    Anyway yeah this is not to push back at it being here you’re preaching to the choir and anyone who isn’t familiar should be. But essentially I would advise against blasting this out on a rose twitter thread with your hammersickle account.

    Edit: I’m not saying this as a mod lol I wish i could take the M off here

    • Huldra [they/them, it/its]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I think theres an opportunity to show how liberals will use token resistance and hostility to single isolated parts of capitalism and imperialism for clout and leftist legitimacy but support whole heartedly those systems in reality.

      • cilantrofellow [any]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Opportunity sure but is that how you win sympathetic liberals over initially though? I feel like you don’t make friends by saying “you know that thing you really like that got you to talk to me? That thing is garbage and you’re a mark for liking it. Also join my club where we hate on other things you like.”

        Maybe think of it like a bay leaf: don’t throw it away before it’s marinated the broth. After that make sure it’s composted.

        • Huldra [they/them, it/its]
          ·
          3 years ago

          idk this rings a little of like, allowing awful opinions in and not challenging them as hard in order to keep people there, like if someone gets more mad at you than Bourdain for pointing out that he called vegans and vegetarians privileged self indulgent terrorists who he loves to scam at his restauraunts with shitty food he doesnt even respect then idk what to do about that person.

  • trepeeeeeman [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    i'm kinda torn between this being pretty excessive, but also schadenfreude because of how often rose twitter and the chapos especially have gone on huge stupid rants about things like millennial women reading YA books.

    • p_sharikov [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      stupid rants about things like millennial women reading YA books

      Lol, I must have missed that one. What were they saying?

  • REallyN [she/her,they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I'm not going to say you are wrong, but reading half this shit translates to sarcasm in my head. It's really weird to me for a world class chef who loves trying food from all around the world to be like "fuck yeah we brought them KFC and freedom"