Last Friday, the famed TV chef Anthony Bourdain passed away at the age of 61. He was discovered unresponsive in a hotel room in France, and his death was very quickly recorded as a suicide.
In a statement made last week, CNN said:
"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."
Shortly after that, tributes for the beloved presenter came pouring in, with many people taking to social media in order to share personal accounts of times they had spent with Bourdain.
Bourdain's partner, Asia Argento, tweeted out a short but moving statement on the matter, saying:
"Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds. He was my love, my rock, my protector.
"I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with this family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine."
Meanwhile, an ex-girlfriend of the chef's, Paula Froelich, chose to use his passing as an opportunity to teach others about the true bleakness of depression.
"It’s lonely, it magnifies everything into something awful, and you don’t know when or if this cycle will end... so it’s also terrifying," she wrote. "And embarrassing. And humiliating - because there’s something wrong with you."
But not everybody's comments were sad in tone. In fact, with some people, the sentiment was quite the opposite.
Patton Oswalt, the actor and comedian, took to social media in order to share a particularly sassy email from the late chef - one that not only made people laugh, but also urged them to remember him as he was throughout his life, rather than in the wake of his death.
"When @MeredthSalenger and I honeymooned in Paris our friends & family put together lists of places to eat and things to do. Then I sent those lists to Anthony Bourdain for his input. This was his response," he said, adding: "I love and miss him".
As you can see, Bourdain didn't just advise Oswalt on where he should dine, he straight-up trashed the suggestions that other people had given him (in a friendly way, of course). Fans appreciated his honesty, though, and shared their appreciation for the late chef in their replies.
"So I just read this and I totally heard it in @Bourdain 's voice," responded one Twitter user. "And he's right my favorite way to enjoy Paris is to just go.....and go.....and do. Thank you for sharing!"
Another added: "Typical Anthony Bourdain, direct in profane honest way right spots to visit in Paris. We viewers will miss him as he was able to cross boundaries of culture, people in seamless, effortless, endearing manner and reach out to humanity in all of us. WillMiss!!!"
It just goes to show: even with a death under these circumstances, it is important to remember how much life that person had, and how they will continue to influence others long after they've passed. Oswalt clearly cared a lot about his friend Bourdain, and will likely treasure that brief, profanity-ridden email for the rest of his days.
