Anthony Bourdain — whose CNN show Parts Unknown returns later this month — is hitting the press circuit hard. First he opened up to the Wall Street Journal, then sat down with Men’s Journal, and now Fast Company has unleashed a profile of the television host in which he is awkwardly labeled a "foodie explorer." Does this mean he explores foodies? Unknown. In the piece Bourdain details his creative process, reveals that an upcoming episode of Parts Unknown may be shot "entirely on iPhones," and offers his thoughts on the "foodie establishment." Below, the 10 best lines from the profile:
1) On his creative process: "We literally sit down and try to figure out, 'What's the most fucked-up thing we can do?…What haven't we done that we can try?' "
2) On conventional television: "The only thing that makes me upset and, really, a dick is if something is fucking plodding and reasonable…It starts with an establishing shot, I go someplace, I meet somebody, I sit down, I eat, and I come to a conclusion: That kind of conventional thinking really upsets me. I would much rather see some incomprehensible, over-the-top, fucked-up thing, because at least you're trying to do something awesome."
3) On wanting to film in Yemen: "Who wouldn't want to go to Yemen?…It's one of the most beautiful, ancient, fantastic places on earth. Okay, there's very dodgy shit going on right now. You've got to be careful and figure out a smart way to go to Yemen, but--it's where coffee came from!"
4) On surprises when shooting: "I love having my teeth kicked in by a different perspective…It is my joy and my privilege to travel around the world being wrong about shit."
5) On the "foodie establishment": "It's a terrible accusation to say that you're part of the foodie establishment, but I guess it's true…You try to be dignified about it. Because so much of what the foodie establishment is doing is so fucking wretched."
6) On not wanting to be like other food world celebrities: "Do you see any pots and pans? If I wanted an empire, I'd have said yes to the knives, cookware, food, restaurants in Vegas, Tony's Airport Restaurant, endorsements of liquor, beer, cars. When I have a bad meal at Wolfgang Puck's, I'm pissed at Wolfgang. I don't want people pissed at me."
7) On his former heroin use: "As a chef, I just spent more and more of my time out of the kitchen, supposedly looking for lobsters but in fact on the street looking to score. I got to the point where I just couldn't stand the sight of my face in the mirror."
8) On life lessons: "Everything important I needed to know I learned as a dishwasher."
9) On when he’s home: "I don't have much of a social life. I'm very much trying to transition into my golden Andy Rooney years."
10) On his career goals: "I'm not looking to rule the world…I’m not looking to create a permanent brand. It's a quality-of-life issue with me. Am I having fun? Am I surrounded by people I like? Are we proud of what we're doing? Do we have anything to regret when we look in the mirror tomorrow? Those things are huge to me."