“Why Sharks Matter“, a book recently released by Silver Spring marine biologist David Shiffman, has made an appearance in the most unlikely of places: an episode of the YouTube series “Being The Elite”.
All Elite Wrestling star Ryan Nemeth appears more than once in the episode, humorously extolling the book and random shark facts to anyone who would listen.
Being The Elite was started in 2016 by brothers Matt and Nick Jackson as a means to document their travels around the world as professional wrestlers. The show has since taken on a life of its own, as an extremely popular YouTube show that also includes skits and storyline developments among the Jackson brothers, who wrestle as The Young Bucks, and their fellow wrestlers within the All Elite Wrestling promotion.
BTE, as the show is often called, now has over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube and is often referenced in episodes of All Elite Wrestling’s Dynamite and Rampage TV shows.
“Ryan Nemeth did that all on his own; he’s a longtime social media follower and shark-o-phile,” Shiffman said to the Source via email. Shiffman is a Silver Spring-based marine conservation biologist who studies sharks and how to protect them.
Shiffman’s book “Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator” is a look at the science and policy needed to save threatened species of sharks from extinction. “It’s the first-ever comprehensive look at these topics written for folks without a Ph.D. or a law degree, and I’ve been thrilled with the reception so far, including a featured book review in the New York Times, an interview on NPR’s Science Friday, and fans sharing it all over including in the wrestling world! We held the book launch party at Silver Branch in May and I’m currently on a 40-city book tour,” Shiffman said.
The episode can be viewed below (NSFW: language).
Photo: Being The Elite/YouTube