Australian taxpayers struggling with the cost of living crisis are furious to learn that Olympic breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has received government funding to study the art form.

Raygun’s failed free skate at the 2024 Paris Olympics was pilloried after she failed to score a single point and was mocked on social media around the world.

The Sydneysider started playing the sport in 2012 and earned a doctorate in “Breaking Culture” before her much-ridiculed appearance at the Games.

Raygun is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Communication, Creative Arts, Language and Literature at Macquarie University in Sydney.

Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick cited Raygun’s official profile at Macquarie University in a Facebook post after her profile went viral, pointing out that she received taxpayer money to study breakdancing at the institution.

And Australians struggling to make ends meet are not happy.

“Lots of discussion about the Australian breakdancing representative at the Olympics,” posted Senator Rennick.

“I’m more interested in her actual profession. She attended Macquarie University to do her Bachelor in Contemporary Music in 2009 and her PhD in Cultural Studies in 2017.

Rachael “Raygun” Gunn (pictured) has been competing in breakdancing since 2012 and has a PhD in the subject from Macquarie University.

Gunn received heavy criticism for her groundbreaking routine at the Olympics and became a worldwide viral sensation

“Raygun’s PhD thesis was on the ‘interface between gender and Sydney’s breaking culture’… Her publications include:

1. The “Systems of Relays” in Cultural Studies: Experimenting with the “Body Without Organs” in B-Girling Practice
2. Nocturnal Paradox: How Breakdance Reveals the Potential of the Night
3. Where are the #bgirls? Politics of (in)visibility in breaking culture

“Just as breakdancing does not belong in the Olympics, it is fair to say that taxpayers should not support universities to study or teach breakdancing,” he continued.

“By the way, I have nothing against breakdancing. It is definitely a fair leisure activity, but that’s it. It shouldn’t be subsidized.”

“It also raises the question: how many obscure and pointless courses are offered by universities subsidised by taxpayers?

“It also shows that you are not necessarily good at a subject just because you have a doctorate.”

Queensland Senator Gerard Rennick has questioned why Raygun was given taxpayers’ money to study for her PhD on breaking

In 2024, the federal government will provide $29.2 billion in ongoing funding for all school sectors.

This includes $1.1 billion over five years starting in 2023-24 and a further $2.7 billion between 2028-29 and 2034-35 for the first phase of higher education reforms.

Doctoral students like Gunn have access to grants and funding to cover the costs associated with conducting their research or fieldwork.

While Gunn’s details have not been made public, graduate students like the breakdancer can receive up to $56,000 a year in tax-free government grants.

These include living stipends of up to $35,000 per year, plus an additional top-up stipend of approximately $21,000 per year.

Australians are angry after learning their taxes were used to fund Gunn’s PhD on cultural disruption

Senator Rennick’s post sparked thousands of comments criticizing the university – and other colleges – for wasting taxpayer money on useless studies.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that university students waste their time like this these days,” posted one.

“This makes a complete mockery of the athletes and their families who literally sacrifice everything to achieve the highest honor there is in sport,” added another.

“This performance was an absolute disgrace. We have incredibly talented dancers in this country. And why on earth do we need research into breakdancing? The more I learn about where my tax money goes, the more unhappy I am about paying it,” fumed another.

And another posted: “An absolute disgrace. My first boyfriend was a breakdancing champion and even went to the States for competitions, but this was not the case.”

But Gunn also had her defenders. Some said Senator Rennick and others should not judge what constitutes a useful education and what does not.

“All kinds of dissertations and studies contribute to our modern society believing that their work and professional life is a waste is narrow-minded,” wrote one commentator.

“A doctorate provides the person with a broad range of professional skills and their professional/academic life contributes to the cultural richness and knowledge base of their institution and students.”

Another added: “Keep politics out of sport. The lady has worked hard for her sporting dreams and made it to the Olympics. Obviously no one else in Australia could have represented us here so we raise a glass to Rachel Gunn.”