Last week, Bourdain told HuffPo's J.M. Hirsch the show would feature a segment devoted to food porn: Bourdain and Ripert both quoting egregious examples of what Hirsch called "the excessively sumptuous and sometimes sexualized words and photography often used in food media." We asked Bourdain to elaborate on his notion of food porn, and shamelessly begged for additional teases about Turn and Burn.
SFoodie: What does food porn mean to you?
Bourdain: Food porn to me means food-related entertainment with ZERO socially redeeming value ― whose intent is solely to incite prurient interest. Basically, pictures of food, or people eating food, or cooking food that you probably won't be eating, cooking, or enjoying yourself anytime soon. It'll be one of a few regular features on the show. I'll ask Eric to describe a particularly boner-inducing dish he might have enjoyed recently ― and will offer up one myself.
What else can your fans expect to hear? We'll be playing "fantasy mixed martial art matchmaking" on a feature called "Martha's Cage Match," and a little thing called "Tao of Ruth," in which Ruth Reichl's tweets will be enjoyed as haiku. Guests to include Mario [Batali], Daniel [Boulud], Jonathan Safran Foer, Frank Bruni, George Mendes ... and others to come.
Will it be similar to your shows and speaking gigs? We've been given carte blanche to do anything we like, in whatever kind of language. I'm betting on Ripert to drop the first F-bomb. I have a hard time cursing around anything with Martha's name on it ― and because propriety is my middle name.
