Is Rogue vogue, my friend, Mr Bourdain?

rogue mag, dec 2008

Bald Eagle loves reading. One particular favourite is Rogue, a magazine which he purchases whenever he travels to the Philippines. “I love the articles,” he claims. “They’re very informative.”

I can’t deny that fact, even if they chose to feature Angel Locsin, an actress and model who revealed quite a bit in the December issue.   After all, a magazine that carries an interview with chef Anthony Bourdain has to be wholesome enough to be shared with my grandmother.   Waitaminute.   Did I put Anthony Bourdain and wholesome in the same sentence?

I admit I was amused while reading the interview on the potty (no interruptions, I guarantee).  If you don’t want to click on the above image to read the interview (or THIS), I’ll reproduce his opinion on food bloggers here:

“I don’t think there is any question that they are replacing the traditional food press.  They can, of course, be annoying.   And they’re easy to make fun of.   The food is getting cold and they’re writing notes, asking questions, taking photographs.  That’s excessive.   When you collect food experiences like butterflies, you’re not enjoying it the way it should be.  Eating should be a submissive act, you shouldn’t try to control the experience.”

Hmmm.  People, other than Bourdain, make fun of us?  And I thought they were just being friendly.  Except for that one time when a flurry of smiling waiters surrounded our table, probably because I was holding a big-ass camera, and waited for my next move.  I dropped a knife, and watched them plunge under my table.  Mass cunnilingus.

And for your information, Mr Bourdain, I don’t write notes.  I key it into my mobilephone.  The letters “abc” are missing, though…the key fell off from my Nokia one day, so it now takes twice the time to do it.  As for taking photographs, okay, I’m guilty as charged.  But one day, I’ll need proof that the worm was actually in that salad – how else am I going to get rich?

I wholeheartedly agree with his last two sentences.  Ultimately, eating should be fun.  Not a chore.  Always share experiences like these with people you love, and you’ll never go wrong.  Throw in some alcohol, and it’s a foolproof plan to get laid.

******

They say it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow.  Despite loving pink, hearts and hugs, I’m looking forward to enjoying a belated Thaipusam for Thamby Bubbly Brunch (TTBB) with good friends tomorrow.  Beats getting flowers and chocolates any time, any day.  Y’all have a wonderful V-day and say hi to the good saint for me!

******

Past issues of Rogue can be viewed at our residence.  Tissue not supplied.

25 thoughts on “Is Rogue vogue, my friend, Mr Bourdain?

  1. Happy V-Day!!!!

    Taking notes help us provide an more accurate account…and I dont see why it would interfere with the experience. Instead, taking notes made me more aware of what I’m having and allowing me to enjoy the whole process even more!

  2. Geez, I wonder what kind of food bloggers he hangs out with, if at all, or whether he has really. (I know a food blogger entertained him when he was in the Philippines… so… what’s up with that, Bourdain?) I guess I am really not that consummate a blogger (who writes? Can’t it fit in my head? I don’t take notes at restaurants. My food is never cold when it shouldn’t be. I have a point and shoot 🙂

  3. Well, we sure did listen to Mr. Bourdain, did we not, my dear? Dumped our respective better halves for untraditional pre-Valentines dinner and dessert together… Flowers and chocolates be damned when you can romance a lyrical lady with the faddest food and the latest goss… 😛

    Food comes first? Agreed. But for me, more so the very excellent company my Lady Lemongrass makes. 🙂

  4. Lol… I can’t stand the guy. His presence as a celebrity critic irks me especially as the guy isn’t very knowledgeble about food to begin with. His favourite dish is Roast Bone Marrow at St. Johns which lets be honest is something you can do at home with half a brain attached.

    ‘The food is getting cold and they’re writing notes, asking questions, taking photographs.’

    I never write notes. I am old fashioned – I store everything in the noodle I like to call a brain. And why shouldn’t I ask questions? I want to know the provenance of my food or how it has been cooked. Plus how long does it take to snap a photo or two while the food is being described to me.

  5. BRAVO woman.. very well said (written).. hehe.. but u see, even the great B agrees that we are fast replacing traditional food press.. yay! It’s too bad that even the ‘experts’ construe it as ONE or the other.. can’t we take ages to photograph as well as ENJOY our food? haha.. that’s why our lunch sessions last from 12noon till 5pm… ! hehe

  6. Ouch, Bourdain, annoying? But the ability to entertain with our cameras and amateurish concentration is a gift, and a force for celebrity tv chefs to reckon with! I enjoyed No Reservations as much as the next person, but I place the food experiences of the average non-pro as highly as I do his.

  7. this guy Bourdain came here to our little city of Rockford in Illinois
    and I really did not try to see him,I liked him a lot though, he is funny for one, after wards he also went to a fund raiser .

  8. Reading the statement he made, I dunno whether I should feel insulted or not. Hahaha…anyway…i do strongly believe that before Mr B goes for any shooting, I bet he also does his homework (could be on potty too!). But then again, I WANT HIS JOB!!! LOL!

  9. Pingback: Bourdain Does the Philippines: Redux « Cats Working

  10. ohhhhhhhhhh…….*rolling up sleeves*

    “Eating should be a submissive act, you shouldn’t try to control the experience.”

    Hmmm…try saying that to the director of your show lah when you dont get that perfect, oohh-that’s-so-freaking-awesome-award-winning take. ;P

    Not ALL food bloggers are annoying. Those I know are cool, knowledgeable and are more into their food than their blogs. In fact, they will give up their cameras for food. Now, THAT’s being submissive. Hence, food porn.

    Pardon me. Am just having No Reservations on that statement. ;P

  11. “And for your information, Mr Bourdain, I don’t write notes. I key it into my mobilephone.”
    This is what I did too… we are trying to share our experiences with other people… and some of them actually think that we are funny? annoying?
    P.S: Does your loved one complained about your spending more time with the camera and mobile phone than him??? I mean… while having a meal 🙂

  12. daphne: Happy V-day to you too! I agree with you on taking notes (although I must admit I’m not very good at that!). It allows us to be more aware of what we’re consuming, and we can go home and research it more.

    ryonn: Thanks for dropping a note! I didn’t meet him, though. That interview was lifted from a foreign mag.

    Manggy: I guess there’s no point in generalising about food bloggers since, from the comments above, it is obvious that we all have different styles. Anyway, you have a point…food shouldn’t be allowed to go cold…that’d be sinful.

    karen: You’re too kind. 😛 Last para? Part one, two or three? haha….Never mind, I can sorta guess. Happy week!

    LFB: Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! ^_^ Anyway, I like how we ended on the same note that we started. Makes sense?

    gen.u.ine.ness: The fact is, we’re great at multi-tasking. We take reasonably good photos in record time while the food is still piping hot and we manage to retain information till we put everything down to paper. So eat your heart out, Mr Bourdain (and thanks, gen.u.ine.ness, for highlighting all that stuff!

    cumidanciki: Our lunch sessions last so long coz we’re busy getting drunk, dear. 😀 But thank you, you’re too kind, fair maiden.

    550ml jar of faith: Well said! I have great respect for professional chefs and critics (I read some of them religiously), and it wouldn’t hurt that they respect what we do as well. Somemore, we’re not even paid!

    mareza: Yeah, he is pretty entertaining. 🙂

    Precious Sista: Now that’s a thought for you when you’re planning your new life in that distant land. A food show host….how about that, girl?

  13. Dharm: Happy V-Day to you too, ol’ chappie. So you were in VI on VDay, eh? Musta been a nostalgic trip for you.

    Henry Yeo: You’re getting more and more creative by the day. 🙂

    wmw: hehe….you shoulda included a link to that strip so that everyone can have a look at it too. 🙂

    lotsofcravings: Hahaha….yeah, a statement full of BS, rite? 😛

    HairyBerry: Yup, some people (professionals included) are guilty of tearing everything apart, bit by bit, analysing, spitting, rolling on the tongue, that they forget to enjoy the essence of that meal. Que sera sera, to each his own. Just don’t bother us when we’re downing our 2nd plate of hokkien mee, eh, bro?

    thule aka leo: ^5! And no, there’s a lot of give and take in our relationship, and he’s better off knowing that his wife is having an affair with an inanimate object (camera, phone) than something far worse.

  14. Hey babe

    I know I’ve been MIA and I’m sorry 🙂 But your writing is improving in leaps and bounds. It’s a bit more edgy now and I love the imagery. Halim was right. The more you write, the better you get. As for Mr Bourdain, I believe as a New Yorker he utters to provoke. 😉 hahaha

  15. My food never gets cold. I only have 5 seconds before the dishes are devoured by the people I eat with. The max I get when I beg for time is 10 seconds.

    I don’t write notes too. If I get home and remembers the taste, it’s nice food, if not, forget about it. LOL.. I usually remember the conversations we have with friends rather than the taste of food. 😉

  16. keropokman: Wah, I suppose when you’re surrounded by hungry flers, there’s no way you can take more than a couple of pics of the food. I face that all the time too. Unless I’m in the company of food bloggers, I try to restrict my shooting to a max of 3 pics per dish.

    Yeah, good company matters, doesn’t it? If it’s a pure food review, damn boring la…..

  17. Wahaha same with keropok man but maybe I am slightly better off on the time. Anyway, if my mood strucks, I just ditch my camera at home. End of story.

    To blog about food is to share happiness with people and we have to be happy in the first place too 🙂

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