Anthony Bourdain’s gruesome TV series Parts Unknown, the network has sunk to a disturbing new low in so-called entertainment. Bourdain’s show depicts barbaric and sadistic acts such as cutting open a live snake to remove its beating heart; wrestling a goat to the ground before slicing his throat and drinking the blood; and laughing callously about a chef ripping the intestines from a live duck.
The article below is written by Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns
How do we process heaping praise on a man who didn’t just eat animals but tortured and demeaned them for pleasure and publicity? Sentimental gush over the late Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018) in The Washington Post or The Wall Street Journal is expected, but gushing admiration by animal advocates? Yes, a claim has been made by some animal people that this voraciously sadistic celebrity was just a “flawed” human being on a journey toward “compassion” – a claim with no evidence – and that his suicide is a tragic loss.
Imagine a similar situation in other social justice movements where, for example, someone in the Civil Rights Movement or the #MeToo Movement pays tribute to “poor, flawed” Bull Connor or Harvey Weinstein. How would the victims of these men feel about that?
It’s one thing to feel sympathy for a fellow human being who is flawed as we all are; it’s another to publicly mourn over a man whose flaws, from the point of view of the animals he tortured without even the “justification” of “necessity,” were on the level of Ted Bundy.
Critiquing our strategies for helping animals is good, but harping on how it is our fault that most people still eat bacon cheeseburgers and reject animal rights is not good. The self-disparagement of “vegans” is a strain in our movement that has undermined it ever since I can recall. Fortunately, these voices (I hope) are a minority – the pushback against the pro-Anthony faction has been eloquent and strong.
Still, we must ask: How does it help our movement or animals when members with a microphone express long-winded sympathy and sorrow over the death of a man who flaunted himself making animals suffer and die? Who wasn’t just a media “slut” but a media sadist? Who despised what he called “veggens” and compared ethical vegans to terrorists? Was the suffering he intentionally inflicted and encouraged others to enjoy doing worth it if it “brought the people of the world closer together”? Was it okay as long as it wasn’t “factory farming”? How is he different from a trophy hunter?
Since, toward animals, Anthony Bourdain was a serial sadist, how could he be excused and even lauded as a kind of hero if the excusers’ own speciesism were not involved? It wasn’t women in a college dormitory or a family sitting in front of the TV or a girl on a hiking trail he savagely attacked with relish in a clear behavior pattern. It was “just animals.”
I can’t understand animal people praising him and wishing he were still here. From the point of view of his victims – and from my point of view as an animal rights activist– he was a monster who could never be missed.
Carla Jasper says
June 24, 2018 at 12:00 pmThank you Wayne for telling the truth and shining a light on this obscene and cruel behavior. At least the animals have your voice. We need more of you. Where the H@@@ are the rest of the civilized humans?
Mike Kuzma, Jr. says
June 26, 2018 at 1:02 pmThe rest of us are at dinner, eating yummy yummy meat.
Except for Paul, he’s over there, enjoying a veggie burger.
Paul Plante says
June 26, 2018 at 6:30 pmA fantabulous bean burger, Mike, YUM, YUM, good eating!
Mike Kuzma, Jr. says
June 26, 2018 at 7:17 pmWhile I do not indulge I will have you know that I keep TWO types of veggie burgers in my house so that my daughter’s vegetarian friend is never without a plate of food.
Top each their own, just stahp calling them BURGERS!!!! LOL!!!!
And it’s not the eating, it’s the aftermath of said eating I fear!!!!!!!!
“Clang clang goes the trolley, toot toot goes the Paulie…….”
With apologies to anyone with ears.
Stuart Bell says
June 24, 2018 at 2:34 pmIf you wish to ‘Honor’ someone, try God….not a liberal, heroin addict.
Joe says
June 24, 2018 at 6:07 pmAlthough I fully understand and appreciate sentiments you’ve expressed, Anthony Bourdain was a guest in places that he visited. He was reporting on cultures, how they lived, ate, and socialized. A documentary. He never pretended to be in judgement of a culture, rather a reporter on how things are. He showed great respect for diversity of culture. So I think you missed the point entirely. Joe
Don Green says
June 24, 2018 at 9:05 pm“Diversity of culture” is a crock. Though I am an agnostic, I hope there is a particular hell in which Mr. Bourdain’s guts are being torn out, eternally. PS. My political leanings are rather far to the Right.
Stuart Bell says
June 25, 2018 at 11:30 amAsian countries for Asians.
Black countries for Blacks.
but White countries for everybody?
That’s genocide.
Anti-racist is a codeword for Anti-White
Cookie says
June 25, 2018 at 3:27 pmHey, we have a parrot in our midst! Stuart Bell posts identical racist garbage in the comments sections of different articles. Don’t your sick racist friends have new ideas you can copy?
Cookie says
June 26, 2018 at 1:32 amHey, we have a parrot in our midst! Stuart Bell posts identical racist garbage in the comments sections of different articles. Don’t your sick racist friends have new ideas you can copy?
Stuart Bell says
June 26, 2018 at 10:35 amFree, White and Over 21, I do as I damn well please.
Susan says
June 25, 2018 at 3:30 pmThis again? I am so tempted to ignore this, but for the fact that I think silence is complicity. No, Stuart, White Supremacy = Bad.
Stacy says
June 25, 2018 at 7:35 pmI hope the one day Stuart has his DNA tested and the results show less than 100% White as the Driven Snow.
What do white nationalists do if their DNA test says, say 59% Nordic, 22% Southern European, 9% Pacific Islander, 7% Native American, and 3% Sub-Saharan African? Do they lop off body parts in the correct proportions and send them to the corresponding regions? That’s the only way I can think of for them to adhere to their racially correct beliefs.
Stuart Bell says
June 26, 2018 at 1:30 amhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_BU5hR9gXE
Susan says
June 25, 2018 at 3:21 pmI happened upon an episode of Parts Unknown, in which Anthony Bourdain was seen holding a trembling baby armadillo, who had just been chased down and caught by a local child. He seemed to lament that the armadillo appeared absolutely terrified. And then the baby armadillo was killed and eaten, without any further thought. Bourdain appeared to take a genuine and compassionate interest in the people and in the cultures he visited. Too bad he did not spare any of that compassion for the animals, in whose torture, he willingly and unapologetically, participated.
Kim Dize says
June 26, 2018 at 12:23 pmStacey….another Liberal.