Twitter Catfight: Anthony Bourdain and Other Chefs Challenged by @ChefsforSeals
Now who could be mad at that adorable face? A lot of people, apparently.
The fight over the controversial practice of seal hunting has only gotten more angry and convoluted by both sides — and you know, airing out grievances and establishing personal stances on Twitter isn’t always such a good idea.
The Twitter cat fight between numerous chefs and @ChefsforSeals started innocuously enough. Writer Michael Ruhlman was asked about his stance on the recent Humane Society petition signed by fellow chefs to boycott Canadian seafood until seal hunting is outlawed.
not aware. link? RT @keysley: @ruhlman Thoughts on Canadian Seafood ban? @Bourdain @joebeef
— ruhlman (@ruhlman) October 29, 2013
To which, Ruhlman sided with noted seal hunt backer Anthony Bourdain:
yes, hate to say it but @Bourdain is on the money with comments on canada boycott @joebeef @jonlagrow @keysley
— ruhlman (@ruhlman) October 29, 2013
So @ChefsForSeals jumped in:
We may be able to help you, @ruhlman! No need to say things you hate saying. Check out: http://t.co/rXCyN6QnnC. @Eater @HumaneSociety
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 9, 2013
Deplorable that you co-opt unwitting chefs into harming their chef comrades. #suckerpunch @ChefsForSeals @Eater @HumaneSociety
— ruhlman (@ruhlman) November 9, 2013
Hi @ruhlman -you're aiming @Bourdain 4 his ill-informed attack on seal saving chefs, right? We aren't hurting chefs. @eater @HumaneSociety
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 9, 2013
And then the real sucker punch came via Ruhlman:
@ChefsForSeals I'm in the car with @Bourdain now. You have a question? Chefs TOLD me you were hurting them
— ruhlman (@ruhlman) November 9, 2013
@ChefsforSeals took the high road, temporarily:
Hi @ruhlman – we'd be happy to speak w/ those chefs. Seems way off base. Pls ask @Bourdain if he supports Nfld's wasteful fur hunt. Thx!
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 9, 2013
Others jumped in on the fight:
@ChefsForSeals @Bourdain @ruhlman That is besides the point. You are targeting uninvolved fishermen using uninformed chefs.
— K Keys (@keysley) November 9, 2013
And so did José Andrés, who tried to shut that thing down in the most polite, civil way possible.
@keysley @Bourdain @ChefsForSeals @ruhlman nobody is more informed and pragmatic than Tony. Solutions to issues through real facts…
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) November 10, 2013
@ChefsforSeals continued to defend themselves:
Please note again: 1. exemption exists for any firm working to end hunt + 2. US firms pick what they boycott. @keysley @Bourdain @ruhlman
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 10, 2013
Finally, Bourdain jumped in on the conversation – and that’s when shit started getting nasty:
@ChefsForSeals what defines “working to end hunt”? Shades of Hollywood Loyalty Oaths. #you’reeitherwithusoragainstus
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) November 10, 2013
Pls stop, @Bourdain. We've answered this question, but you have yet to answer: do you support Nfld's fur skin only seal slaughter?
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 10, 2013
@ChefsForSeals I support hard working people who live far from where you live, doing the best they can to get by.
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) November 10, 2013
While Ruhlman called on other chefs to take up their stance, like Michael Symon, other chefs, like Matt McDonald, Montreal’s David MacMillan and Top Chef contestant David Chaz also hopped in the argument. It’s safe to say things got heated on both sides:
@Bourdain @ChefsForSeals , most of the chefs you supposedly " signed up" don't even follow your account? Explain?
— David McMillan (@joebeef) November 10, 2013
Hey @chefsymon are you in or are you out? @ChefsForSeals @Bourdain
— ruhlman (@ruhlman) November 10, 2013
Hi @ruhlman pls read this: http://t.co/rXCyN6QnnC + @Bourdain do you really support killing seals just for skin?! @chefsymon @eater thx all.
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 10, 2013
@ruhlman @chefsymon @ChefsForSeals @Bourdain ? It says something that you have half less followers than you did 2 weeks ago , says ZEALOT..
— David McMillan (@joebeef) November 10, 2013
Our personal favorite …:
@ChefsForSeals who exactly ARE you? Names site etc. ? Top model judge?
— ruhlman (@ruhlman) November 10, 2013
@joebeef @ruhlman @chefsymon @ChefsForSeals @Bourdain I'm confused. #saywhat
— chaz brown (@dacheezyjuan) November 10, 2013
@ChefsForSeals @ruhlman @Bourdain @chefsymon @Eater before u make accusations about seal hunt and what is eaten have right facts
— Matt McDonald (@ChefMattMcD) November 10, 2013
Good advice, @ChefMattMcD. Please see DFO data just shared w/ @Bourdain @ruhlman @chefsymon @Eater Also see: http://t.co/rXCyN6QnnC. Thx!
— Chefs For Seals (@ChefsForSeals) November 10, 2013
@ChefsForSeals @Bourdain @ruhlman @chefsymon @Eater did look at it don't do justice
— Matt McDonald (@ChefMattMcD) November 10, 2013
@ChefsForSeals @Bourdain @ruhlman @chefsymon @Eater just another activist group with nothing better to do
— Matt McDonald (@ChefMattMcD) November 10, 2013
We could go on, and on, and on with the number of Tweets spewing out over this debate. So finally, Bourdain issued the final ultimatum:
How many chefs are actually “with” @Chefsforseals ? Please itemize.
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) November 10, 2013
So um, yeah. In the words of Anchorman, that escalated quickly.
We won’t determine who the real winner of this Tweet-fight is, but we will say that we think Marc Vetri is the winner of life for his stance on it all:
@joebeef @ruhlman @chefsymon @ChefsForSeals @Bourdain
I'm for Seal,I think it's awful that Heidi Klum left him for that bodyguard! #lame— Marc Vetri (@marcvetri) November 10, 2013
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