Phelps v shark? Viewers take bait, and regret it
For nearly 30 years, Shark Week has been a reliable way for the Discovery Channel to create buzz for itself once a year. The public’s appetite for shark-based programming seems inexhaustible. The centrepiece was a match race between Michael Phelps and a great white shark.
Who would win? Would the shark stay in its lane, or head over to take a bite of the 23-time Olympic gold medallist? “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White” seemed to promise to answer those questions. But when the race was broadcast, hopes turned to disappointment. The programme seemed about as realistic as a sharknado.
First off, it wasn’t exactly a race. Phelps swam alone, time trial style, in the waters off South Africa. It also wasn’t exactly a shark. When the “race” was shown, Phelps was matched with a computergenerated image of a shark, supposedly simulating a real shark’s speed. The “shark” even leapt out of the water at the finish line for a conveniently spectacular visual.
The show also faced the problem that sharks and people are not comparable swimmers. Humans, even superhumans like Phelps, swim no faster than 6 mph. Great white sharks hit 25 mph. Phelps was given a monofin, which let him swim faster than his world-record times. But he still wasn’t going to come anywhere near the shark’s top speed.
The programme left people feeling cheated.
Oh, the result? The shark “won” by two seconds. And Phelps demanded a rematch. Of course.