Last nights return of Anthony Bourdain's long running travel / food show "No Reservations" (my favorite foodie show) saw the man in Laos - a place I have to admit I knew little of before seeing the show. Without a doubt it was probably the most political show that Bourdain has done since he found himself in Beirut when the bombing started. It was also one of the most real pieces of television I've seen in recent times. Bourdain sitting down to dinner with a guy who got his legs blown off by a 30 year old US bomb in a countryside still littered with US bombs was intense and moving. To see Bourdain whose never short of a wisecrack utterly humbled was indeed captivating TV. Turns out he filmed the segment way back in January - you can read his blog entry about Laos here.
Upcoming in the series - next week Columbia, July 21st: Bourdain finally in Arabia - Saudi Arabia to be exact, July 28th: Uruguay, August 4th: US Southwest (2nd time), August 11th: Tokyo (his third show from there I think - he meets up with "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto and tries a Kaiseki meal - preview video here , August 1st: Spain (he visits El Bulli again), August 25: Egypt (nice to see him doing two Arabic countries in this new season- when you going to Yemen Anthony ?).
1 comment:
It's too bad that the show gives only a very limited history of the Indochina War (1954-1975) and the aftermath of iron-fist rule by the Pathet Lao who were essentially puppets of the North Vietnamese. No mention was made of the immense suffering done to the people of Laos by this entity and the N. Vietnamese which led to massive emigration. It would appear that the politics of dealing with the communist government has influenced the show's production. We don't expect deep commentary from this type of genre but if you attempt to make commentary, one should bear the responsibility and duty to do it correctly and comprehensively. Otherwise, an enjoyable glimpse into Laos today.
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