What I'll say for Ludo is that, based on seeing him on Top Chef Masters and some other shows (including The Layover), he seems rather high-strung and a bit of a crackpot, but he's at least legitimately a weirdo, unlike Malarkey who strikes me as a genuine douchebag trying to get attention by acting out for the…

I'm conflicted about that. On the one hand, I agree with what you say about not giving these guys more exposure — or legitimacy. On the other hand, he also doesn't (to my eyes, anyway) make much if any effort to show them in the best light. They're insane idiots and Bourdain doesn't hesitate to show them as such, even…

I suspect that most of the aspects of food that food people value (like "authenticity") really just boil down to "please give me some assurance that you are cooking my food with more than a nominal amount of care and attention and not just shoveling indifferent crap onto my plate."

You're dead to me for jumping on your chopping block in that one Iron Chef America!

That San Francisco Layover actually made me afraid for him though.

You're right, but it's so weird to call it a "reality" show given the bizarre Star Trek set and contestants emerging from translucent chambers. That term sure has evolved.

@avclub-9024f9f0a80d2d248c7c6efb2e715c37:disqus You're right of course, but I don't understand how he can sustain his contempt for "hipsters" when he's continually meeting up with (and as far as I can tell, liking and respecting) people who, if he saw them from a distance, he would denounce as hipsters.

@avclub-b98ef373a25c45d83b5a9e0de78cb9a0:disqus I think the "self-righteous vegan" phenomenon is true of most things people do for self-improvement reasons (whether physical or mental/spiritual). Most people are sincere and not particularly sanctimonious about it, but whether it's veganism or some other diet or…

@avclub-b9a8f4af85454f7c56c06f0a39e7ec23:disqus I dunno, it's a fairly regular thing on his shows, especially The Layover. I'm sure it's tongue-in-cheek to some extent, but I detect some genuine cranky-old-man contempt there.

It's amusing though if you read Chang's magazine Lucky Peach, how much of the same material got used for all these different projects. There's one trip he took to Japan that I recognized in the magazine, the Mind of a Chef, and even some other chef's show (Eric Ripert maybe?) that Chang guested on. In a way I guess…

Yeah, rule #2 of any of these cooking competition shows is to never call a dish something it's not. Make something you call "bouillabaisse" or "cassoulet" that actually is some "twist on the classic" and you're going to get reamed.

@avclub-011d0b4fe6835bb3d37ef4e0ea713de6:disqus One of my favorite things to do when watching his shows is to try to tell whether or not he actually likes something he's been given.

Yeah, even his vitriol against vegans centers (rather bizarrely in my opinion) around the idea that it would be rude and shitty to go to another country and disdain the local food because it has meat. Which strikes me as a lousy strawman argument, but it shows how concerned he is with responding graciously to people's…

@avclub-f3165be83d2dd835403b494eb7185ce2:disqus I agree, but I also think they have distinct smells even when cooked to similar textures/flavors — I believe most people could tell the difference by smell even if they couldn't by taste. Yet I don't see the judges doing this on the show. My assertion is that it doesn't…

It does seem like in the most recent few episodes of The Layover and No Reservations that he's not actually drinking as much as his narration and the editing suggest. Hope the guy's not hiding some serious health issue.

I just think that factor, while acknowledged (like in the article above) doesn't get enough weight in these "what happened to Bourdain" pieces.

My pet theory about what's happened to Bourdain is simply that he's gotten married and had a kid. Now that he has a child, his whole mission is now making bank — especially since he's an older father. He doesn't give a shit about his image or dignity anymore and will do pretty much whatever he needs to do to provide.…

I'm conflicted about it — The Taste is probably the first TV show I've "hatewatched" — mainly because of how crass everything is, from the ridiculous set to the fact that almost every contestant seems to be vying for the "reality show villain" role.

Whoa, I did not know that! Thanks for the heads up!

Does that make the other guys her stepsons?