The City of Pittsburgh is up in arms following the airing of an episode of ‘Parts Unknown’ on CNN featuring the Steel City.
Host Anthony Bourdain said he is sorry to be the cause of so much anger but didn’t realize he had to explain that the breadth and history of an entire medium-sized metropolis can’t be covered in 60 minutes of television.
“And to those of you who expected to be in the show, which sounds like it was everyone, I apologize.”
Despite producers explaining that a show called ‘Parts Unknown’ is supposed to focus on less familiar landmarks by definition, viewers were still enraged at what the show left out.
“I can’t believe he didn’t visit the Southside Primanti’s, and the Garfield Primanti’s, and the Market Square Primanti’s, and the Primanti’s in the Strip…”
Others were incensed that the show implied race relations weren’t perfect here.
“How dare Anthony Bourdain suggest there’s a racial divide in Pittsburgh. I get on great with my black friend.”
Those that can get over their butthurt can find out more about the show here.
Unfortunately this research about Pittsburgh PA feels botched and just simply missed the point.
It feels like you talked about a third world war city which is recuperating after war and a documentary which was stylistically directed, cut, and portrayed same like Detroit, Baltimore, Haiti, with bitter people mostly complaining about future and loving their past and that for 60 long minutes. 60 minutes are plenty of time to give a solid everything encompassing overview about a growing city which has its usual problems but stays strong and united at the front, because without that it wouldn’t be one of the fasted developing cities in the US with growing household income. For some strange reason, with exception of few (Tony Buba, minority leaders…), people portrayed in this documentary don’t feel representative of most what could be said and done in plenty of 60 minutes, some of them are newbies who still play no particular role in the wast jungle of technological, cultural, medical, biotechnological, educational revolution this city smartly initiated and was not afraid to take risk on. The truth is most of the people here are happy about this changes independent of race, origin and history because it makes money, brings it to their tables directly or indirectly and promotes culture. Your documentary felt lost in choice of subject, how it was told and presented to us. And please don’t keep up this work.