The most recent misdeed committed by Dave Portnoy was a tirade against Kim Kardashian (and, at least in theory, in defense of Taylor Swift), which occurred on December 10th. The 46-year-old Boston businessman called Kardashian “trash” and threatened to “make sure” her numerous misdeeds and misdeeds “do not go unpunished.” While it wasn't entirely clear what he was referring to with his tweets, the truth is that he received immediate support from the legion of followers of the two channels he runs, Barstool Sports and One Bite Pizza Reviews.
More than one of you is probably wondering who Dave Portnoy is and why we should care what such a person has to say about Kim Kardashian. The answer is that this University of Michigan education graduate is a symptom of something disturbing and perhaps irreversible that is currently happening in the media and entertainment industries in the United States. Portnoy launched Barstool Sport in 2007 as a sports information platform aimed at young people who are “non-judgmental” and allergic to political correctness. According to New York Times editor Amelia Kidneyberg, in the years that followed, the medium became the meeting place for a large community of “white twenty-somethings who are highly susceptible to racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments.”
In 2015, the site received more than 250 million monthly visits, reached a market value of $15 million, made Portnoy one of the leaders of the incel movement and, according to many analysts, helped pave the way for Trump's success with teens who use opioids and get I'm excited about NASCAR racing.
The founder of Barstool Sports recently embarked on another professional adventure that has just made him the most influential figure in the world of pizza. About 10 years ago, the man began posting online his “One Bite Pizza Reviews,” a series of videos in which he visits all kinds of restaurants and beach bars, orders a slice of pizza, takes a bite and rates it from 0 to 10 . 10. He has already produced more than 1,000 pieces with growing viral success: 136 million likes on TikTok.
At this point, Luke Winkie explains in Slate magazine: “If Portnoy walks into your restaurant in less than 10 minutes, your fate as an entrepreneur is sealed.” Winkie attributes Portnoy to almost mafia-like practices. Such is his power that many hoteliers claim to have succumbed to his intimidation and economic blackmail tactics, reaching a few tenths in the digital rankings of pizza excellence that depend on one man's criteria.
Its power was reinforced by the celebration of the first One Pizza Festival in Atlanta last October, which was considered by The New York Times to be “one of the most influential dining events in decades.” Thousands of people had the opportunity to taste the portions of the 35 pizzerias that Dave Portnoy himself selected. One of the attendees told reporter Kevin Draper that he thought Dave was beginning to take on a disturbing “messianic” profile. However, he immediately downplayed the matter, adding, “After all, he only rates the slices of pizza he eats, and he's not running for president of the United States.” Give it time.