Harry Knowles Harpooned Film Culture
And the stench still lingers
Harry Knowles is part of the reason we’re where we’re at right now. He debased film criticism/journalism to such a degree — and was so successful doing it — we may never recover from his influence.
Starting in 1994, Knowles built an empire at Ain’t it Cool dot com. It was a site that trafficked in movie news and poorly written reviews of “geek culture” offerings. Despite being the worst writer at the outlet and also possessing all the charisma of roadkill, Harry became a celebrity. He was as responsible for the rise of the nerds in the mainstream as any other figure — and others sought to emulate him because of it.
Hell, people are still emulating him. The type of “journalism” he created is as prevalent now as it was during his heyday. His brand of shallow, enthusiast coverage hasn’t gone anywhere. Why would it when Knowles was so well-known for so long? Why would it when notoriety and power are just a cheap hosting plan and a WordPress theme away?
What Was So Bad About Harry Knowles?
Some of Harry’s former associates at Ain’t It Cool have painted him as ruthless and self-interested — a far cry from his roly-poly public image.
