Anthony Bourdain Dead at 61

[metalhead]

@Lexicus is correct.

The suicide rate for people under 20 has barely changed. It's every other cohort, and particularly those over age 45, who are seeing the steepest increase in suicide rates.

However it still could be social media-related, albeit not like one might think. If you're under age 20, you grew up with it. It's simply a part of life. People who didn't, probably aren't nearly as well adjusted to it.

It's likely due to a whole host of factors, of which technology may be one. But surely it's not the only one.

 

[Lexicus]

However it still could be social media-related, albeit not like one might think. If you're under age 20, you grew up with it. It's simply a part of life. People who didn't, probably aren't nearly as well adjusted to it.

That is actually a good point. My pet explanation is (huge surprise incoming) capitalism relentlessly grinding meaning in people's lives down into powder and selling it.

 

[civvver]

@Lexicus is correct.

The suicide rate for people under 20 has barely changed. It's every other cohort, and particularly those over age 45, who are seeing the steepest increase in suicide rates.

However it still could be social media-related, albeit not like one might think. If you're under age 20, you grew up with it. It's simply a part of life. People who didn't, probably aren't nearly as well adjusted to it.

It's likely due to a whole host of factors, of which technology may be one. But surely it's not the only one.

dude what's the scale? I know it's not percent! per 100,000 people?

 

[metalhead]

Yep, rate is deaths per 100,000.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Loved Bourdain, this is a sad day. I have visited a dozen restaurants he personally recommended and was never disappointed. He was a real one.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Right, that withdrawal and isolation is hard for anyone outside to see. We might lose touch with a friend or a colleague and not think anything is unusual. They stop showing up for the weekly game, they aren't on Facebook much anymore, they missed the big summer barbeque. It happens. We're busy. They're busy. Maybe you get an email or a text - "What's up? Sorry, can't make it this weekend " - and it isn't until you compare notes with some friends that you realize nobody has actually seen so-and-so for 6 months. Or maybe you get together with the old gang from the hometown or from college and everybody asks what so-and-so is up to and you all realize that none of you have spoken to so-and-so in years.

Withdrawal and isolation can be hard for anyone outside to see but oftentimes it is obvious and people are too self-absorbed to care. I don't mean that as an indictment of the human race or anything, it's just a fact that we tend to only care about ourselves and miss a lot of what is going on in other's lives.

I've told this story before but it's relevant -

When I took quantum physics at community college, there was only 3 people in my class* and the other two guys were actually close friends. They hung out a lot in person and every single day they played MMO's together. One of the guys had serious issues with depression and was on a lot of medications and in therapy and was quite open about his struggles. Then, three weeks before the end of the semester he disappeared. His bff had not heard from him online or in person. This went on for two weeks and the bff had not bothered to inquire about his missing buddy. I was worried about our missing classmate and got his phone number from his bff and called and got no response. Then, knowing his background and the fact that this kid was about to flunk out of his final semester at community college, I went to campus safey.

They drove to his house for a wellness check and he had completely withdrawn from the world and was suicidal. His own parents didn't realize he had stopped going to school or that he was contemplating suicide. The wellness check was a catalyst that got him to see his therapist and begin to come out of suicidal state. He called me back the next day and sincerely thanked me for reaching out. He said it was the nicest thing someone had done for him. He came back to school and aced his exams (this wouldn't have been possible for most people - the kid was a genius) and transferred out to university on schedule.

Honestly it's one of the things I've done that I'm most proud of. But the point is that often times the signs are there, you just have to pay attention. If your friends drop off the face of the earth then by god say something! It's not hard, just pick up the phone or drop by but don't leave them hanging as if no one in the world cares about them.




*The college almost cancelled the course due to low enrollment but the three of us would not have been able to transfer the physics credits without having completed the three-course sequence so they kept it open for just us. Which is why community colleges are awesome.

 

[Farm Boy]

Never heard of him until just now. Seems like a class act in hindsight. Sorry to hear.

 

[luiz]

The press is being unusually discrete about the whole thing for obvious reasons, but it looks more and more as Bourdain's suicide was a case of a mad love story gone wrong. His girlfriend, who multiple friends stated he was "crazily in love with" had just been photographed with another dude hours before, and posted a pic online with a shirt saying "F-you" and a caption "you know who you are". I think people are not covering this angle because nobody wants to appear to blame the woman for his death, specially the woman being who she is. But I don't think this should be regarded as blaming the woman - fighting with your boyfriend does not make one guilty of suicide.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

That's really rough. Jeeze. And I feel terrible for his girlfriend, she is not responsible for his suicide but I'm sure as news of this spreads she'll be a target for trolls online.

 

[Kyriakos]

I didn't know of him at all. In fact i think that the first time i saw him - without knowing he was a celebrity - was a week ago, in some video with SOAD's Serj:

That's really rough. Jeeze. And I feel terrible for his girlfriend, she is not responsible for his suicide but I'm sure as news of this spreads she'll be a target for trolls online.

Hm, his ex girlfriend is Asia Argento?
She is the daughter of horror director Dario Argento; not exactly a nobody. Moreover, she must have been 20+ years younger than Bourdain.

 

[Berzerker]

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...bill-clinton-in-newly-released-interview.html

In an interview, published more than a month after his death, Anthony Bourdain called former President Bill Clinton a “gropey, grabby disgusting” person and slammed the Clintons for how they handled the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

The 61-year-old went on to say it was “unforgivable” the way the couple had shut down the accusers.

“The way they efficiently dismantled, destroyed, and shamelessly discredited these women for speaking their truth,” he said.

I guess he wasn't a fan of Bill and Hillary...good for him.

 

[sophie]

I'd say right on cue, but...you're a full month late to the party, dude.

 

[Berzerker]

The article just showed up on my yahoo page... Did someone else already post the interview in the thread? I didn't read thru it all before posting it.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...bill-clinton-in-newly-released-interview.html





I guess he wasn't a fan of Bill and Hillary...good for him.

I feel bad for you that this is your takeaway. Bless your heart

 

[Berzerker]

you mean my takeaway should be he was a fan of Bill and Hillary?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

It's just like, so much I don't care

 

[Berzerker]

he cared

 

[Broken_Erika]

It's just like, so much I don't care

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-But; Her Emails!

 

[Berzerker]

actually Bourdain condemned her for how she treated Bill's victims

 

[metalhead]

Well this was the reminder of Anthony Bourdain's death we all needed.