A U.S. senator warned Friday that the government should take a lesson from a popular B-movie and try not to combine cyclones and sharks.
Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, used the movie “Sharknado” to highlight what he dubbed an “egregious waste of taxpayer dollars,” aka a “Porknado.”
Mr. Flake often posts to his Congressional website examples of what he believes are a misuse and waste of federal funds. On Friday, he noted on Twitter that the National Science Foundation had given $150,000 to Iowa State University for a five year project running CAT scans on sharks, rays and chimaeras. The goal was to create and catalogue 3-D models of the creatures’ skeletons.
But in addition to cost imposed on taxpayers, Mr. Flake pointed out that Iowa State University’s moniker is the “Cyclones.”
“I can think of several reasons to not fund Cyclones with sharks,” Mr. Flake said.
The 2013 Syfy Chanel movie “Sharknado” — about a tornado with hungry sharks in it — garnered a cult following and prompted a sequel.
In October, it was announced that the third installment would prominently feature D.C., as well as other cities along the Atlantic coast.
“The entire Eastern seaboard will be devoured by flying sharks,” said a statement on Syfy’s website. “No seaboard city below our nation’s capital is safe!”
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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