Of Anthony Bourdain's Insults, This One Was The Harshest
For celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, it was essential to speak his mind no matter the consequences. He addressed several topics that others were afraid to touch, like when he was filming in Beirut, Lebanon, a missile was heard landing near him as he spoke to the Lebanese about their local delicacies (via Qrius). Bourdain's conviction was so strong to accurately depict what happened at the time, that the footage was released without heavy edits. Bourdain later criticized the CIA for leaving Lebanon in shambles.
The television personality also often spoke about others in the culinary industry. His opinions were undoubtedly strong. For example, according to Thrillist, he once said, "The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen. She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she's proud of the fact that her food is f****** bad for you. Plus, her food sucks." Another chef that Bourdain didn't like much? Sandra Lee. He particularly disliked the fact that she often used store-bought ingredients while cooking.
Anthony Bourdain was pretty outspoken about his distaste for Sandra Lee
Per Delish, Bourdain didn't hold back when he spoke about Sandra Lee. He commented about her show and said that she was simply encouraging viewers to add a bunch of "crap" to "some other crap" from the supermarket. "Pure evil," Bourdain said. "This frightening Hell Spawn of Kathie Lee and Betty Crocker seems on a mission to kill her fans, one meal at a time. She Must Be Stopped. Her death-dealing can-opening ways will cut a swath of destruction through the world if not contained."
However, Lee chose to take the high road when she remembered Bourdain after his death in 2018 (via People). "Anthony was a larger than life personality with so much talent and even though he could be incredibly critical of others somehow that was part of his charm," she said. The cook added that the culinary industry is ultimately like a big family and every member was unique. She also acknowledged that it's tricky to always be on good terms with others. The chef added that she was very sad about Bourdain's sudden death.
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