> He was the last cultured dude before tech made everyone into a

I enjoyed Bourdain, but this level of hero worship is really excessive. Not to mention antithetical to much of what Bourdain stood for.

He was enjoyable to read and watch, but claiming he "made it acceptable" for men to care about food, travel or culture is weird.

He was an entertainer. An interesting guy. A great storyteller who lived an interesting life. Charismatic and fun to watch. But he was not the "last cultured dude" or some demarcation point between the past and present.

Holding a celebrity and television personality up as the realest, most genuine person feels like missing the point. Everything you saw of this man was carefully crafted and curated. Even the "unfiltered" takes were designed to sell you on some story. You didn't know this man as a person or a friend.

You'd think otherwise if you ever had the steak frites at Les Halles.