Bourdain’s Field Notes
Sometimes we do adventure shows. Sometimes historical. Other times political or even personal … or self-indulgent immersions in whatever or wherever is of interest to me at the moment.
But sometimes—sometimes we go back and do what we used to do all the time: straight-up, old-school, 100 percent pure, uncut, unapologetic food porn.
The shot sequence is pretty much the same as regular porn.
Wide shot of the randy delivery boy showing up at the house (or me approaching the restaurant). Medium shot of the lonely house wife displaying a frankly unrealistic enthusiasm for things that go beyond pizza (or me watching others get served a delicious-looking variety of dishes). Then a close-up.
I’ve had increasingly mixed emotions about the utility and morality of doing food porn over the years—especially when there’s always so much going on in the room beyond what’s on the plate. People often complain that I should stay away from politics and stick to food. But, of course, there’s nothing more political than food.
People eat what they eat for a reason.