Review: ‘Tiger King’
The docu-series’s murder, mayhem and madness is exactly what a socially isolated public needs right now
Neflix
The eccentric Joe Exotic is certainly a character worthy of his own documentary series. But does the series reveal him to be a hero or a villain?
April 17, 2020
Many people have been raving about the new Netflix docu-series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.” Joe Exotic is a breeds big cats, and entertains guests at the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, his zoo in Oklahoma. In the show, Exotic sports a mullet, wears wild outfits, and brings his gun with him everywhere. He was accused of a murder-for-hire plot for his arch nemesis Carole Baskin.
Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, built his zoo up from the ground. He made a name for himself — Joe Exotic — and when fame finally found him, the animal activists were on his case.
Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue, dedicated her life to closing his zoo. Baskin works with animal rights organizations such as PETA. Her mission is to provide a good quality life for the animals at her sanctuary, end abuse of big cats in captivity, and prevent extinction.
Most people watch T.V. to be entertained and not educated, however this series holds your attention until the very end. “Tiger King” shows the mistreatment of wildlife in captivity. Exotic bred tigers try to help big cats from going extinct, however animal activists don’t think it is right to breed a tiger to grow up in a cage. Surprisingly, there are more tigers in captivity in the U.S than there is in the wild around the world.
Nobody has to know anything about wildlife to enjoy “Tiger King.” At the beginning of the first episode there is a quick summary of the docuseries. As crazy as the introduction seems, this series has a shock factor which keeps the audience entertained. However, this series does involve drug use, swearing, and animal harm which may not appeal to everyone. “Tiger King” has been blasted all over social media. People have been making memes based off the series, and there’s no better way to lure in viewers than by posting to Twitter, Facebook or TikTok.
Netflix released the series on March 20 and it instantaneously filled the no. 1 spot in the top ten list for most popular in the U.S. “Tiger King” appeals to people who are bored and stuck in quarantine because it is filled with drama, and has heavy plot twists.
