The Death of an Icon

Anthony Bourdain. You sob. I loved you man, I loved your shows, I loved your irrelevant slant on all things food. You were my hero man. You dipped your grease covered pen into a gravy ink well and gave life and flavor to words. Now, with the simple flick of a wrist you took it all away.

What?? Some of you are reeling right now. What are you talking about? How can you slam our leader like this?

Bourdain sold out. He sold out like the restaurant critic who gets free meals. He took money over integrity. I’m talking about the Chase card product placements.

Yes yes, it’s just a credit card, what’s the harm? Chase is one of the big shark banks. They gobble up smaller banks like chum. They impose outrageous fees, and they are known for dropping credit limits below someone’s balance and collecting the penalty fees. In short, they are part of the reason this country is in the financial situation it is. The harm of the product placement lies in the connection an audience has with the persona on screen. Anthony has always had the working man in his pocket. The common man. The guy who thumbs his nose at the establishment. The person who may, with every ounce of his or her ability, save money until they can travel to a place he says is cool. And now by doing the Chase ads as product placements, he has forever associated himself with the very establishment he loves to mock. And by doing so, he mocks us.

Anthony, you lost me man. For the sake of a dollar, you threw legions of your fans on the rocks. You have become the very shill you make fun of. The Rachael Ray, the Sandra Lee, the Zimmern guy.

Good luck when you have to go back into the heat of a kitchen man. Good luck.

 


Posted on February 8th, 2010 in Banter, Critic's Corner by .
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