Autistic Culture | Where autism meets identity! Anthony Bourdain is Autistic (Episode 81)
An episode with flavor!
On today’s episode, Matt and Angela welcome neurodivergent podcaster and Anthony Bourdain aficionado Patrick Casale (he/his) from the Divergent Conversations podcast to share how Anthony Bourdain’s journey—and watching the posthumous film Roadrunner—inspired him to pursue his own autism diagnosis.
Here’s what’s to come in today’s episode:
* Licensed therapist and neurodivergent podcaster Patrick Casale shares Anthony Bourdain’s journey and why so many kitchen staff are likely AuDHD.
* We explore how restaurant work allows them to unmask, embrace the comfort of parallel play, and thrive in the structured, fast-paced environment that kitchens often demand.
* What traits made Anthony Bourdain resonate so strongly with the autistic community? —We talk his monotropic focus, heightened sensory sensitivity, and his unique approach to building community through travel in deeply non-traditional ways.
* Did you know Anthony Bourdain had special interests?—his deep fascination with true crime, writing and reading graphic novels and his passion for exploring the cultures and cuisines of the world.
* His staff and crew have even shared that he had just four or five key talking points he’d circle back to time and time again—a classic autistic-coded trait!
“What hit me really hard in this movie especially - and just reading all of his books and watching all the shows and everything that we will probably talk about is like - this deep, painful, lonely existence where he was surrounded by people who really cared about him all the time, but he could not access it. And he talks openly about that experience and how painful it was, how often he wanted to be on the go, experiencing new things while simultaneously feeling like ‘I really need to be in my home. My safe space, with my safe people.’ It was just like this push-pull, constantly.” - Patrick Casale
“I think a lot of kitchen staff and restaurant staff and restaurant staff are definitely ADHD/autistic to some degree/in some capacity, and the kitchen staff specifically tend to be a lot of autistic people. A lot of people feel like they don’t fit in, they feel like misfits, they feel like this is the only place I can really be my true self and really like unmask in a way where everyone around me is experiencing the same thing. And I found that to be so profoundly powerful.” - Patrick Casale
“Listen, I was in Iceland two weeks ago. We absolutely did not eat [fermented shark meat]. It was offered and I said ‘No, thank you’. I didn’t even eat the fish jerky. I do not believe fish is meant to be jerky.” - Dr Angela Kingdon
“I like the idea of adventure. I want to read about adventure, but when it comes to actually leaving the house, I’d rather be underground eating really good food. But, you know, when a wizard comes along and drags me kicking and screaming on an adventure to fight a dragon, I’m there. It’s one of those things.” - Matt Lowry LPP
Did you ever notice how Anthony Bourdain captures the spirit of exploration and authenticity? In today’s episode, we dive deep into his legacy and why his unique perspective resonates so strongly with the autistic community. Thanks for tuning in! Share your thoughts in the comments, and use #AutisticCultureCatch to connect with fellow listeners on social media. Which moments or insights made you see Bourdain in a new light?
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