Anthony Bourdain has never made any secret of his contempt for most Food Network personalities; right up front in Chapter 1 of his book "Medium Raw" and in an interview with TODAY's Matt Lauer he spoke of his "hatred for all things Food Network."
And in a recent TV Guide interview, the outspoken chef-turned-author's opinions were just as firm. On Rachael Ray: "Does she even cook anymore? I don't know why she bothers." Guy Fieri: "I look at Guy Fieri and I just think, 'Jesus, I'm glad that's not me.' " Sandra Lee: "I hate her works on this planet."
But the host of Travel Channel's "No Reservations" reserved his most scathing criticism for Paula Deen, whom he called "the worst, most dangerous person to America," who "revels in her unholy connections with evil corporations" and is "proud of the fact that her food is f---ing bad for you."
Ho hum, another day, another Bourdain diatribe, right? But in a novel development, one of his targets actually fired back. And she went nuclear on him.
"Anthony Bourdain needs to get a life," Deen told the New York Post's Page Six. "You don't have to like my food, or Rachael's, Sandra's and Guy's. But it's another thing to attack our character."
The white-maned Georgia cook and restaurateur has been criticized for the high sugar content in her recipes, but she was anything but sweet to Bourdain. "My good friends Rachael, Guy and Sandra are the most generous, charitable folks I know," she said. "I have no idea what Anthony has done to contribute besides being irritable." She also accused him of elitism: "Not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills."
What's your take on the feud?


Type 2 diabetes, nuff said. Tony was spot on.
Well not everyone is happy in there own life so they have to throw rocks. Well guess what? Rocks can bounce back. So Paula your amaizing and don't let some loser like that make you any different. Cause he is so unhappy in is own life. Anthony! Really get a life.
I couldn't sleep well at night knowing I was pitching unhealthy foods, for a profit, then pitching a drug (which only treats the symptoms not the disease - which is poor eating habits), for a profit. Here's her opportunity to change things around and get her fans to eat better. But sounds like she's decided to go the exact opposite way - cashing in on the drug instead of changing her cooking and eating habits. Sad.
I'm surprised it took this long for Ms. Deen to showcase her hypocrisy ... hides her diabetes for three years, comes up with a hugely lame excuse as to why, just to find out she was waiting for her "god" to come along - the Almighty Dollar - so she could cash in ... what a piece of white trash she is.
Bourdain's right - too bad Ms. Deen can't face the facts. Well, I guess all that fat and cholesterol has clouded her "vision" ...
Mr. Bourdain better look back at "HIS" shows and the alcohol/distilled beverages intake. His food and drink preferences I am sure are a lot unhealthier than Ms. Deen's ever thought of being. I am appalled at his language (which is normal for him on his shows) and comments aimed at a woman who has been gentle,hardworking and a lady all the way. I think he has a jealousy streak a mile long because no one most likely wants to be associated with his show or him.
My opinion, Anthony Bourdain is cooking-up absurd comments just to get a bigger piece-of-the-pie. The chefs that Bourdain has attacked with his verbal comments are at the top of the cooking shows on American national television. Bourdain is launching verbal attacks in a planned attempt to get more media attention and name recognition to increase his income.
A fact, Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri, and Sandra Lee are some of the chefs that represent the heart-of-American cooking and eating. Paula, Rachael, Guy, and Sandra are down-to-earth real with the way they look and cook. They are true to themselves. Paula is right-on to say that Bourdain does not have to like their food but should not attack their character.
That "heart-of-American cooking" you speak of is overweight and bound for serious health issues. Tony's travels have imparted a more international culture to eating that Americans need to adopt. America is not the end-all-be-all of the world. Just look at where we rank on just about any scale. Health, lifespans, education, etc. - we're not even close to the rest of the world. Stop looking inward and start looking outward and you'll be surprised at all the new ideas that could improve upon our cultural norms here. Eating like it doesn't matter is something we'll all need to do soon. The number of baby boomers who will suffer from Type 2 will cause Medicare/Medicade to go broke and we'll all suffer and pay if things don't change.
Bourdain globe trots on someone else's dime and then whines about Ray, Fieri and company..... Maybe he should eat a spider that bites back..... At least what they mention sounds appealing, what he eats.....ewww
Sorry...I have to say that despite Bourdain having a razor sharp edge to everything...he's pretty much right on the mark when it comes to the cuisine temptations of Fieri, Rachel Ray and especially Paula Deen.
I have never heard him criticize them personally on his shows, but rather, their idea of cooking and the commercial trip they lay on their audience$ about what's "good". Yeh, they are the most popular food personalities on TV...and McDonald's is the most popular restaurant in the US.
Now that Paul Deen is lamenting her Type II Diabetes, maybe she'll refrain from the "deep fried butter topped " recipes and figure out that good cooking isn't just what is easy and cheap, but what is good for you...and in much smaller portions.
Maybe as a peace offering Bourdain can take her on a trip for one of his shows and she (and her 'Hey Y'all' fans) can see that food is more about filling a hungry gut.
fried food does not cause diabetes
Ever see what that guy is willing to put in his mouth? Penises. Faces. Bowels. Bugs. He eats food cooked in places filthier than a gas station toilet and calls it homey and earthy. He's a phony who needs to keep his bitchy mouth shut.
"Fried food does not cause diabetes"? Let me know when you're hospitalized and I'll bring you some.
Actually the sugar and white flour are what gave her diabetes! And yes, Anthony eats wierd body parts, but at least he is eating REAL FOOD and not some processed American crap food!
as par for the course he does not know what he is talking about diabetes is not caused by eating sugar
If one is predisposed by their gene make-up to develop type -2 diabetes they can keep it at bay for a great part of their lives but eventually at some time they will no matter how they eat, drink, or stress out about have some type of type 2 symptoms. I knew a physical education teacher who was 5 '9, 125 lbs, ate right, excercised regularly, but because of her gene soup her colesterol was 800 and she was a diabetic. Go figure! Dave you are right sugar does not cause diabetes, people don't understand that certain foods break down into simple sugars and diabetics either don't make enough insulin or the insulin that they make doesn't know how to process the sugars so that the body can us them properly. I'm not defending or opposing southern cooking, I just think that before we put everything on food we should find out if mother, father, of grandparents had this awful disease.
Another media "pig" starving for attention! He should do something constructive instead of going on a negative binge. It's a huge turnoff. He needs to get real, get a life, and get lost!!!
I never did enjoy anthonys show. Like Paula says we all can't afford $58 for Prime Rib (red meat? LOL) and $650 for wine. I'm a retired chef with 35 years in the kitchen, the recipes will I use rival ANYTHING anthony has tasted, be rich, flavorful and still be good for you! Like Paula says, everything in moderation is the rule of thumb. I can prepare any nationality food, any type of food, (I don't like to bake though I can) and will put my culinary expertise up against his any day. Nuff said. anthony NEEDS to get a life! Period!
Seems like he has a pretty good one.
Let him stop traveling the world, come home and educate ppl in what we can already find every single damn time we turn around. TV, the net, magazine covers. America is bombarded with nutritional information from every source imaginable. NO ONE has the excuse of not knowing what they were doing!
Come home and show us how to poach skinless chicken, Tony. If you're so concerned.
My personal opinion of Mr. Bourdain, is he is rude, crude, and full of himself.
The rude New Yorker hurt the poor southern motherly lady's feelings with his crass remarks,so what.I don't see him cashing in on his show by putting his name all over some over priced cookware (made in China) that's sold in every Walmart across the country.I have been living with TYPE-2 diabetes for 12 years now,my brother w/ TYPE-1 for 10yrs.My uncle died from diabetes after losing his leg from the disease,my grandfather died @ 53 yrs old from what they called sugar diabetes back in the 60's.I think it is insulting to everyone struggling with this disease for her to continue to promote her show & her use of deep-fried foods & heavy creams,tons of butter,loads of sugar knowing all the time that these are what contribute to the disease,which by the way IS a killer. Now she's cashing in on her celebrity status by going public so that she can make a bundle off of some drug company who wants her to sell their product.Poor Paula.
Puala Deen's right, it is her life to live out as she sees fit. She is happy with it so go get your own life and stop dissing others. It is one thing to promote your views and beliefs it is another to personally attack another's character who has nothing to do with you just because you don't like how their chose to live or eat. It is one thing if they have ruined their lives and are begging you to save them, then at least you might have some valid reason to critique them.