Friday, December 30, 2016

Anthony Bourdain on Political Correctness

Bisley: What concerns you about Trump?

Bourdain: What I am not concerned about with Trump? Wherever one lives in the world right now I wouldn't feel too comfortable about the rise of authoritarianism. I think it's a global trend, and one that should be of concern to everyone.

Bisley: You're a liberal. What should liberals be critiquing their own side for?

Bourdain: There's just so much. I hate the term political correctness, the way in which speech that is found to be unpleasant or offensive is often banned from universities. Which is exactly where speech that is potentially hurtful and offensive should be heard.

The way we demonize comedians for use of language or terminology is unspeakable. Because that's exactly what comedians should be doing, offending and upsetting people, and being offensive. Comedy is there, like art, to make people uncomfortable, and challenge their views, and hopefully have a spirited yet civil argument. If you're a comedian whose bread and butter seems to be language, situations, and jokes that I find racist and offensive, I won't buy tickets to your show or watch you on TV. I will not support you. If people ask me what I think, I will say you suck, and that I think you are racist and offensive. But I'm not going to try to put you out of work. I'm not going to start a boycott, or a hashtag, looking to get you driven out of the business.

The utter contempt with which privileged Eastern liberals such as myself discuss red-state, gun-country, working-class America as ridiculous and morons and rubes is largely responsible for the upswell of rage and contempt and desire to pull down the temple that we're seeing now.

I've spent a lot of time in gun-country, God-fearing America. There are a hell of a lot of nice people out there, who are doing what everyone else in this world is trying to do: the best they can to get by, and take care of themselves and the people they love. When we deny them their basic humanity and legitimacy of their views, however different they may be than ours, when we mock them at every turn, and treat them with contempt, we do no one any good. Nothing nauseates me more than preaching to the converted. The self-congratulatory tone of the privileged left—just repeating and repeating and repeating the outrages of the opposition—this does not win hearts and minds. It doesn't change anyone's opinions. It only solidifies them, and makes things worse for all of us. We should be breaking bread with each other, and finding common ground whenever possible. I fear that is not at all what we've done.

Via Instapundit: Link

25 comments:

chickelit said...

Bourdain should stick to making sourdough bread in San Francisco.

ndspinelli said...

chick, Did you read what he said?? Bourdain says this often. He is an east coast liberal but he is open minded, a rarity. He sees issues from different perspectives. He abhors PC.

chickelit said...

I don't think Trump is going to be authoritarian in the sense that he fears. This is non obvious, I get that.

chickelit said...

Another prediction: After the left exhausts its stupid Trump=Hitler meme, they will soften it to Trump=Mussolini in order to liken him somehow to machismo/fascismo. They will never quit and need to be followed relentlessly as they walk back every step.

Trooper York said...

Bourdain is an anomaly because he actually has contact with working class people. Restaurants are the ultimate democracy where you status is determined by merit not your heritage.

By that I don't just mean the workers or dishwashers and busboys. It is the people you deal with as a chef/owner. Liquor delivery guys. Con Ed workers. Regular working class guys.

He doesn't live in the academic/media bubble so he sort of gets it. Good for him.

ricpic said...

Does Obama even know he's doing a Mussolini when he sticks his chin out and up? He might not. My guess is he's as pig ignorant regarding European history as he is of American geography -- and proud of it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I get the sense Obama was trying to sabotage Trumps relationship with Putin and Putins reaction is to let everybody know he's onto it. Putin is onto Obama.

Trooper York said...

Putin and Trump will be fine. They will cut a deal.

ricpic said...

"Comedy is there, like art, to make people uncomfortable......."

This is an example of the received wisdom which just isn't so. Does Mozart make you uncomfortable? Bach? Elvis? Even the supposed in-your-face comedians like Carlin and Louis CK play to hip audiences who lap up their supposed transgressions. In other words they comfort their targets.

ricpic said...

Obama's scrambling like mad to start WW III. And no, I'm not exaggerating.

Amartel said...

I like Bourdain's show but he's still full tilt progressive. I still remember his meltdown when he was in Lebanon for a show and the Syrians bombed the place. There was a travel advisory in place but Bourdain went anyway because he's kind of a war correspondent ... in his head. Anyway, CNN was showing a clip of Bush at a banquet on a loop and Bourdain just hated on Bush the whole time. How dare he keep eating that roll at that banquet instead of getting Bourdain out of there immediately! Bourdain's an addict with an addict's approach to logic. You just have to keep that in mind. He's saying what the times call for to promote his brand. This is just like Bill Maher (who Bourdain purports in the article to abhor) who occasionally drops a truth bomb about "women" or "Muslims" and then every needy right winger will be all, "See, he agrees with US!" like the right needs agreement from these silly motherfuckers.

Amartel said...

"Putin and Trump will be fine. They will cut a deal."

We'll hand over Obama in exchange for ... um, whatever else Putin wants.

ndspinelli said...

Bourdain did a show this past year. It was in the southwest US and he was shooting different firearms w/ some Republicans. He LOVED it. And, he had a good discussion about guns and how where he comes from guns are taboo. As Trooper said, restaurants are a meritocracy, and not only are you immersed in blue collar culture, but it's also like the fucking UN. I would hang out in the kitchen @ the Drake Hotel in Chicago when I worked as a house dick. A fascinating experience. There were chefs to dishwashers from Europe, South and Central America, Mexicans, PR's, and Asia. They all found a way to communicate. And they all love to drink!

ndspinelli said...

Amartel, In that same Lebanon show Bourdain was very candid. He admitted he was anti-military and his exposure to the Marines profoundly changed that. The Marines evacuated him and his crew from this sudden war zone. There were genuine scenes of him in the smoking area of the ship just banging heaters and talking trash w/ Marines. He vowed at the end of the show he would never bad mouth the military again, admitting he had been wrong for a long time. His praise for the Marines was visceral.

You are right, Bourdain is an addict, something he is quite open about, and does see the world from that prism. Some of his views I don't like. But, he is a free thinker. I love the way he hates on vegans. Batali is a preachy, close minded, liberal.

chickelit said...

Will the Midwest experience a boom in tourism as coastal elites seek to mend fenceposts? Or will the left continue to see them as Matthew Shepard h8ers?

Methadras said...

Hey Anthony, remember that it's your fellow leftists that exclusively engage in the political behavior that they do. It's ALL on your side. All of it.

Amartel said...

Yah, I saw that southwest show years ago. He visited Alice Cooper at his restaurant and shot the shit (literally) with Ted Nugent. I do like his show and he does go further than most acknowledging that people with a different notions about the size and scope and role of government might not be entirely unhuman beings. There was one show where he was somewhere in southeast Asia and encountered a super hard case right wing jungle dwelling militant guide who just laughed at his pansy socialist ass the whole time which he acknowledged was a fair cop. Like I said before, I like his show so it makes it more irritating when he suddenly out of nowhere spews random progressive bullshite.

edutcher said...

Bourdain sounds like he may even have a road to Trump Tower moment in his life.

chickelit said...

I don't think Trump is going to be authoritarian in the sense that he fears.

We get rid of the authoritarian in 3 weeks.

ricpic said...

Does Obama even know he's doing a Mussolini when he sticks his chin out and up? He might not. My guess is he's as pig ignorant regarding European history as he is of American geography -- and proud of it.

He needs to cross his arms to go Full Benito. He'd also have to like girls, but you have a point.

His uncle liberated Auschwitz, remember?

That's right, his uncle, he was the man from UNCLE. And his girlfriend was, uh, Morgan Fairchild.

Yeah, dat's da ticket.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Well said Anthony.

The Dude said...

You misspelled Morgan Freeman.

ampersand said...

Progs are liars. They have no issue with authoritarianism as long as they wield the whip.
They had no problem urging Obama to bypass constitutional authority and they had those disgusting displays of pledges when he was first elected. Also they had no problem supporting a despicable old crone who had a history of siccing the government on the little people who stood in her way. Ask Billy Ray Dale, Peg Bargon or Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

chick, Did you read what he said??

Hah ahahahaha like that'll ever happen! Preconceived notions are much better - esp. when complaining about the politically correct. Let's be as closed-minded as they are!

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It's hard for a guy who eats eyeballs and testicles for a living to be closed minded.

Chicken, what's been your most exotic meal?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Sounds like Bourdain misses the good old days and needs to do a line. There's merit in what he says, but going off on Bill Maher is over the top. Most liberals don't control the Democratic machine, or write for the New Yorker. There's a good few of them in red states, also. He's confusing power machines for rank-and-file grassroots folks. And making a political point that's wrapped up in what he doesn't get about the left... or the right. The bizness men he rubs elbows with are NOT an entire portion of the left. He's making a partisan point about open-mindedness based on what the elites he's surrounded by do.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Ask Guy Fieri how tolerant Bourdain is of hoi polloi.