The Coolest Shark of All Time Got Snubbed

Despite a recent poll ranking popular sharks in media, the truly legendary shark, Jabberjaw deserves way more respect.

(Photo by Dan Callister/Newsmakers).

So apparently, Jaws is turning 50 this summer, which is wild. Half a century since that giant mechanical shark (yes, its name was Bruce) made people scared to go in the water. And of course, with the anniversary, the internet went full shark-mode. Everyone’s ranking their favorite sharks in movies and shows, and a poll by Mental Floss just came out listing the top five most popular sharks in media.

You’d think Bruce from Jaws would be number one, right? Nope. That honor went to Bruce from Finding Nemo—you know, the “fish are friends, not food” guy. He actually beat the original Bruce. Then came Lenny from Shark Tale, King Shark from The Suicide Squad, and Destiny from Finding Dory. All cool, sure. But you know who was completely left out? The greatest of all time... Jabberjaw.

Budman's iPhone

The Shark GOAT:

Seriously?! Jabberjaw—the GOAT didn’t even make the list?! I’m still mad about it. I mean, I get it, he’s old school. But come on. This guy wasn’t just a shark. He was a drummer in a band, solving mysteries with his crew in some underwater future world. It was like Scooby-Doo meets The Jetsons... with a shark who talked like Curly from the Three Stooges and always said, “I don’t get no respect!” Total Rodney Dangerfield vibes. And honestly? That line feels too real right now.

When I was a kid, Jabberjaw was the coolest shark on TV. Scooby was cool, yeah, but Jabberjaw was epic. He was massive, goofy, and played the drums like a beast. I used to sit way too close to the TV just waiting for that theme song to hit. If you’ve never heard of him, please go look him up. You’ve been missing out.

I’m not saying Bruce, from Nemo doesn’t deserve love. He’s funny. But if we’re talking iconic sharks? Sharks with real personality? Jabberjaw eats the competition (figuratively, of course—he’s not that kind of great white). Leaving him off that list is like doing a list of best basketball players and forgetting Michael Jordan.

So yeah, happy 50th to Jaws. But let’s not forget the legend who really got no respect: Jabberjaw.

cartoons Jabberjaw shark sharks jaws

BudmanWriter

Meet Budman, dynamic host of Marconi Award winning radio station WXKB's WiLD Bunch Morning Show, on B1039. Budman likes to write about funny news, a good Florida man story, stupid criminals or anything involving a superhero. Budman, a comic book and pop culture enthusiast, even named his daughter Kara Zor-El, after Supergirl. His only child is his true passion beyond the mic. Being a dad is his favorite role. Budman, a true family man, balances his love for radio with quality time spent with loved ones and his trusty dogs.