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Influencer hired by State Department to film NATO promo video thought it was about ‘Sharknado’

A Washington, D.C. social media influencer who was recruited by the State Department to film a promotional video for the NATO Summit admitted to a local news outlet that he initially thought he was being recruited for a Sharknado project. https://x.com/NATO/status/1810660272367133065 Anthony Polcari, also known by his username @TonyPinDC on Instagram and TikTok, has made a name for himself in the online DC scene for his wholesome âpositive masculinityâ videos that are so earnest theyâve led more than one observer to wonder if heâs created âa satirical account, a guy doing an extremely accurate and realistic bitâ or if this really is his personality. âWhen I first stumbled upon Tony Pâs page, I thought it was a bit,â wrote the Washington Postâs Travis M. Andrews in a September 2023 profile of Polcari. âMy cynical mind, raised on Andy Kaufman and Nathan Fielder and poisoned by this job and this town, couldnât accept that someone could just be himself. Be so normal. Be so seemingly happy, so effortlessly.â Apparently it isnât a bit, at least that seemed to be Andrewsâ conclusion after interviewing Polcari, some of his friends, and even his mom. Polcari really does like zoning out to Law & Order reruns, working on improving his cooking skills, and just in general being the polar opposite to the misogynistic toxicity of the Andrew Tates of the social media world. Heâs racked up over 200,000 followers on Instagram (and presumably a solid number on TikTok as well, but I watch TikTok videos like the rest of my fellow Gen Xers â a week or two later on Instagram â so our dear readers will have to find that on their own). And now heâs the new mascot welcoming NATO Summit attendees to our nationâs capital city.

His politics background bites.

A social media influencer hired by the State Department to shoot a promotional video for the next NATO summit admitted he initially thought the project was for the campy B-movie series “Sharknado.”

Anthony Polcari, know for  his chipper “positive masculinity” videos, assumed his agent was using an abbreviation for the made-for-TV movies —’Nado rather than NATO — when he told him about the gig, the Washingtonian reported.

“When my agent first said NATO, I thought it was Sharknado,” Polcari, who goes by Tony P, told the outlet — adding he wants to launch a career in television.

Instead, he sunk his teeth into being the posterboy for world’s most powerful military alliance.

“NATO is such an important part of our world,” said Polcari, 25, who uses the handle @TonyPinDC. “I was 100 percent in to help promote that.”

In the promo video, Polcari — whose style is so wholesome and upbeat it has been mistaken for satire —  serves as a digital tour guide while welcoming NATO Summit attendees to the US capital.

“Did you know that Washington DC witnessed the birth of NATO?” he says in the footage, posted by NATO on X. “It all started right here!”

“Twelve countries from Europe and North America came together in 1949,” he proclaims with a grin. “Now 32 members strong, this year NATO is hosting its summit right here in Washington DC.”

A script for the promo video along with an outline for shots of monuments was written by NATO’s German-based social media team, the Washingtonian reported.

But some critics were brutal as a shark attack — calling Polcari too perky to be the face of NATO.

“Congratulations! This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen!” one user slammed on X.

“This video radicalized me against NATO,” another teased as  a third quipped, “This ad has made me decide that I now support Russia.

“Congratulations! This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen!” one user slammed on X.

Tony P has racked up over 200,000 followers on Instagram and 16,000 on TikTok, where he generally discusses innocuous topics ranging from Law & Order reruns to cooking.

“Sharknado” is a 2013 American science fiction comedy disaster flick starring Tara Reid and In Ziering.

It has since sparked a franchise with five sequels and a cult following.

NATO hasn’t replied to a request for comment.

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