Bourdain's 'Different Times' Excuse Criticized in Monocle Opinion Piece

In a Monocle opinion piece, Copenhagen correspondent Michael Booth critiques the use of "different times" as an excuse for past bad behavior, specifically referencing the promotional campaign for the biopic "Tony" about chef Anthony Bourdain. Booth recalls Bourdain's early article in The New Yorker, which depicted professional kitchens as chaotic environments rife with drugs, alcohol, abuse, and sexism during the 1990s. He argues that such behavior was not acceptable then and should not be excused now. Booth also mentions other chefs like Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay, and Marco Pierre White, noting that Bourdain's reputation rose in the early 2000s alongside them. He suggests that the alpha-male posturing in kitchens may be compensation for the job's less masculine aspects. Despite Bourdain's later attempts to distance himself from his earlier glorification, Booth contends that his impact on the food world is regrettable. He calls for accountability, rejecting the notion that "different times" justify misconduct, and extends this critique to other figures like the Tate brothers, Donald Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein. Booth concludes by hoping that future generations will not use "different times" as an excuse for present-day actions.