Anthony Bourdain: His thoughts on Clinton, Obama; how Weinstein’s death should be
Anthony Bourdain had imagined disgraced Hollywood hotshot Harvey Weinstein’s death in detail. The “Parts Unknown” host’s interview before his death has revealed a lot of his personal thoughts, including what he really thought of former US presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
There appeared to be little off-limits in his interview with Popula in February; he talked about his political opinions, his daughter, his worst fight with girlfriend Asia Argento, and just everything in between. Bourdain, who was one of the most vocal supporters of the Me Too movement, seemed to have given thought how Weinstein should die. Argento was one of the many women who accused Weinstein of sexual abuse.
“My theory of how he goes is uh, he’s brushing his teeth in a bathroom, he’s naked in his famous bathrobe, which is flapping open, he’s holding his cell phone in one hand because you never know who on the Weinstein board has betrayed him recently, and he’s brushing his teeth — he suddenly gets a massive f------ stroke — he stumbles backwards into the bathtub, where he finds himself um, with his robe open feet sticking out of the tub, and in his last moments of consciousness as he scrolls through his contacts list trying to figure out who he can call, who will actually answer the phone,” he said. “And he dies that way, knowing that no one will help him and that he is not looking his finest at time of death.”
While Bourdain was convinced that Weinstein deserved a painful and lonely death, he also had some choice words for Clinton.
He called the former president “a piece of s---. Entitled, rapey, gropey, grabby, disgusting,” but he wouldn’t have him impeached as well. Although he didn’t think much of Clinton, he didn’t think he deserved to lose his job.
“I would look at this way. I would never under any circumstances vote for Bill Clinton today. But I think impeaching the guy over Lewinsky was ridiculous. Particularly given today,” he said. “It was the shaming, discrediting, undermining the women that made both of them unsuitable for any future endeavours. I don’t think they should’ve pulled him from office.”
As for Barack Obama, whom he shared noodles and beer at an eatery in Vietnam, Bourdain said he found the ex-president “very unconvincing in public.” He wanted more passion and less careful speech coming from the 44th president of the United States. However, Bourdain said Obama was different from his public persona.
“In person, absolutely the most gracious, graceful, real, funny, uh, no sense of calculation, honest, I mean, you know. Him I’d vote for f-----’ again, any time.”
Bourdain died on June 8 at age 61 of apparent suicide by hanging in France. He was survived by his daughter, Ariane.
