Where Have Your McNuggets Been

Maybe when I'm harsh on Rachael Ray and Sandra Lee, it's because I think they compare poorly to Julia Child, who I really thought was an advocate for the forces of good and enlightenment. That said, recently I'm beginning to think that I'm just naïve about a lot of things. Why should I feel outraged or surprised that someone with millions and millions of dollars already would want to do something that I see as silly and degrading, like endorse Dunkin' Donuts? It's for the money! Of course it's for the money! Why can't I get that through my head, and why am I having such a problem doing that myself? I was sitting backstage a while back with two chefs whom I really admire—really accomplished chefs who are far more talented than I ever was in the kitchen—and they're talking about how Olive Garden is offering this, and this airline is offering that, and not even blinking. And I asked them "Come on, wouldn't you feel embarrassed if you woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror and saw the chef who endorses Olive Garden?" They looked at me like I was an idiot. And I'm beginning to think that it's just vanity that's kept me from selling out, and doing Imodium commercials or something.

Anthony Bourdain interviewed over at the AV club.