(NRO) – I was a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, which aired on CNN. It was a fascinating mix of food travelogue to places ranging from West Virginia to Antarctica, liberal political activism, self revelation, and Bourdain’s personal libertine excesses — CNN allowed him to smoke pot on camera, for example, a wrong thing to do — all spiced with his caustic humor. I disagreed with nearly everything Bourdain said beyond recipes, but I really looked forward to his programs.
But this season, I noticed the show was losing air. Bourdain seemed listless, like he was just going through the motions. The sizzle was gone. Last night, I watched his Hong Kong show, and it was almost boring, without joy.
And now, he has hanged himself in Paris during one of his shoots. Memory Eternal!
Bourdain’s self-destruction follows fast on the heels of designer Kate Spade. These celebrity deaths — people who have reached the pinnacle — highlight a terrible and growing suicide crisis in this country. CONTINUE