Last Chance for Animals calls for an end to Bourdain’s glorified animal torture
A docu-video released by Last Chance for Animals (LCA) urges the public to sign a petition asking cable giant CNN to stop promoting animal cruelty on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in the wake of numerous instances of animal abuse and torture chronicled in the hour-long show.
The show, which CNN has aired for eight seasons, highlights Mr. Bourdain’s visits to exotic destinations and uncovers lesser-known cultures and cuisine as seen through the lens of the renowned chef and author. Traveling the world and extolling the virtues of sampling local, and often unusual, fare has provided Mr. Bourdain with celebrity status the world over. However, many times in his quest to continually surprise and shock viewers, the host has crossed ethical boundaries by inflicting brutal suffering on animals.
Examples of episodes that highlight the show’s animal cruelty include:
- S5:E3 “Scotland” – Anthony Bourdain ritualistically covers his face with the blood of a red stag he shot and killed. The episode attempts to assuage viewers by cutting away from the scene of Mr. Bourdain gutting the dead stag, instead switching to calming scenes of grass swaying in the Scottish wilderness.
- S5:E7 “Hawaii” – Anthony Bourdain savagely rips an octopus out of its home, spearing it and proceeding to chew on the live octopus’ head as a means of killing it by removing its brain.
- S8:E3 “Sichuan With Eric Ripert” – Anthony Bourdain consumes the intestines of a duck, which he callously mentions was alive when its insides were ripped out of its body. When a dinner guest interjects with the question “isn’t that cruel?” Anthony replies, “well, you want them fresh.”
Chris DeRose, Founder and President of Last Chance for Animals, believes this behavior has long crossed the line of common decency. Chris states, “Anthony Bourdain could use his popularity and status to end suffering; instead he (and CNN) continue showcasing this macabre brutality, further desensitizing an already violent society — and it is obvious they do this all for ratings and profit.”
In the past, public outcry concerning on-screen talent has impacted programming on many occasions. Both cable and major networks have been held accountable for their stars’ antics, both on and off screen. In 2013, due to a controversy regarding celebrity chef Paula Deen’s admission in a lawsuit deposition that she had used racial slurs in a social media post, The Food Network announced they would not renew her contract and her show, Cooking with Paula Deen, was canceled.
Described by CNN’s founder Ted Turner as the “world’s first 24-hour news network,” CNN has since expanded its programming to include lifestyle and entertainment shows and now defines itself as a “24-hour global multiplatform network.”
States Nina Jackel, LCA Campaigns Director, “CNN has built a reputation as a respectable, informative news network. But by glorifying the most insidious forms of animal cruelty on Anthony Bourdain’s gruesome TV series Parts Unknown, the network has sunk to a disturbing new low in so-called entertainment.”
