From the Twitterverse to the Blogosphere

This is not photoshopped #FakeSharkWeekFacts @Discovery #SharkWeek @saipanblogger pic.twitter.com/xuHgwsPRx7

— Shark Defenders (@sharkdefenders) August 13, 2014

When I was a kid, my brothers and I would actually turn off playing Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 3 to watch Shark Week. I don't remember the shows being about fake sharks or attacks,either; they were about science. They are part of the reason, but not the only reason, why I decided to focus mostly on science in high school, a decision which has followed me through my entire career (and part of the reason my writing is so terrible - I haven't taken an English or writing class since I was 17). Many people have similar stories. And while many of the scientists upset over Shark Week's programming have chosen outrage, I prefer ridicule.

#FakeSharkWeekFacts has really taken off on Twitter. Topsy says that there have been more than 1000 #FakeSharkWeekFacts tweets in the last week. The most influential tweet comes from a planetary astronomer at UC Berkeley (wow!).

Sharks believe humans have medicinal properties, and often only bite off specific parts for use in traditional remedies. #FakeSharkWeekFacts

— Alex Parker (@Alex_Parker) August 6, 2013

But that tweet is so last year (even if it holds the all time most influential crown). This year's most influential tweet (so far) comes from George T. Probst of The Dorsal Fin:

Tiger sharks don't think Frosted Flakes are good. They think they're grrreat! #FakeSharkWeekFacts

— George T. Probst (@GeorgeProbst) August 13, 2014

The Blogosphere is picking up on #FakeSharkWeekFacts, too. Here are some stories I've found, please add more in the comments section if you find them:

The Insightful Panda: REALLY Shark Week? – From Megalodon to ‘Submarine’, Discovery Channel’s Fake Documentaries Continue
Ad Age: Debunking Discovery's Shark Week Is a Rising Cottage Industry
The Improper: Discovery's Shark Week Getting Torn To Shreds by... Scientists?