The Simpsons & Sociology

[JJMiller]

Chef Bourdain, I appreciate and have been educated by your comments on this board.  I have two questions:

1) Why, in your opinion, was the general public so ready for the gritty and more-often-than-not-disturbing-but-wildly-real approach you took in both KC and ACT?  These were books that alternated abusing and  the reader with the fine details of food preparation and consumption in this country and around the world; was it the confessional culture that we've become that made us crave this "abuse" ("yes, *sob sob* I admit, I ate the bacon and look where it came from!"), or was it just a more globalized and enlightened food culture here that has brought us to want to learn more?

2) Why do the Simpsons rock so hard?  Is it the only TV show worth watching anymore?

Thanks!

[bourdain]

I truly have no idea why KC did so well. I hoped/expected it to do well with cooks in the tri-state area, was shooting for a cult success with the line-dog/tormented loner set--at best. Believe me--it came as a big surprise. 17 languages and counting..Who knew?

As far as the Simpsons. Far and away the smartest funniest thing on television--and the font of all truth and wisdom.

[pariah_kerry]

When will you be a guest voice on the Simpsons?  What storyline can we look forward to:  Homer and Tony open a restaurant?  Lisa repeals former vegetarian lifestyle and kicks Paul McCartney's stumpfucking ass?

[JJMiller]

NICE!  Or a Simpsons-style spoof cookoff between Emeril, Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, and Mario Batali, and at the last minute Tony rides up in a motorcycle, fist-cleans a pig and throws it on a spit, wins the cookoff and Lisa's too awe-struck to complain.

Somebody get Matt Groening on the phone . . .