Tiger King
Directed By: Erik Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin
Hey all you cool cats and kittens, hope you’re doing okay out there! Netflix has taken this time of personal isolation and social distancing to deliver yet another insane documentary, and for that, I say thank you. Last year, the streaming service took us through the train wreck that was the Fyre Festival with Fyre. In 2018, they shocked us with Ma Anand Sheila and the Rajneesh in Wild Wild Country. Who could forget the jaw-dropping events surrounding Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey in 2015’s Making a Murderer? At this point, I should be prepared for Netflix to be whipping up the most insane documentaries in a lab and releasing them to the public once a year. This year, there’s the absolute insanity of Tiger King. As we all stay at home due to the coronavirus, the limited documentary series has taken the country by storm. I sat in shock as each episode somehow seemed to be more crazy than the last.
If you’ve somehow missed out on the cultural phenomenon that is Tiger King, what’s going on? Start it up right now! We’re in quarantine, and this is the only thing to talk about other than coronavirus and the hunt for toilet paper. The series follows Joe Exotic, the owner of the G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma. To call Joe a character would be the understatement of the century. He’s a tattooed gay redneck who loves machine guns and dabbles in a country music career. His hit song, “I Saw a Tiger,” has unfortunately been stuck in my head for the last four days. Although it’s easy to find Joe hilarious for his off-the-wall personality and one-liners, he’s got a dark side. Joe illegally breeds and sells tigers for-profit and uses the tiger cubs to try to increase traffic to the zoo. He hopes that this newfound zoo traffic will help make himself more famous, his ultimate dream. That’s only the tip of the iceberg.
While Joe is quite a character, he has his share of enemies who don’t appreciate his dedication to country music and sequined leopard attire. Most notably: Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue in Florida. Carole is hailed the “mother Teresa of Big Cats” for her wildlife sanctuary that claims to home 100 big cats. She makes Facebook videos giving fans updates on the cats. Carole makes the place look like it’s heaven on earth to Big Cats. Yet, the more information is brought to light, the more it seems her business isn’t too different from Joe’s after all. Carole is hiding quite a few secrets up on her pedestal.
The central narrative of the series is the feud between Joe and Carole. The two hate each other deeply. Carole tries to get Joe’s zoo shut down. Joe tries to get people to see that Carole is a hypocrite. It’s a tennis match between tiger owners, and unfortunately, the animals are not the winners.
Along the way, the Joe/Carole feud leads to the introduction of several wild individuals, including Doc Antle, a self-proclaimed mystic leader/zoo runner who seems to be running more of a cult than a zoo. Then there’s Mario Tabraue, a zoo owner from Miami, who is rumored to be the man who influenced Tony Montana in Scarface. He claims that he dealt drugs to finance his animal habit because that’s logical.
Of course, there are all of the zoo employees who worked at Joe, Carole, and Doc’s respective zoos. They were all underpaid and overworked, with many describing allegations of cult-like behavior among their bosses.
Sounds crazy, right? Well, there’s even more! This is a documentary that deals with polygamy, drug dealing, a presidential campaign, murder for hire plot, and, of course, tigers! Yeah, this all happens in the span of 7 episodes. Bravo to directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin for somehow taking the most bizarre storylines I’ve ever heard in my life and condensing them into a series that flows cohesively and is undeniably fascinating. Just when you think there’s someone to root for, details are unearthed that make them the most despicable subject in the documentary. This is certainly not a redeeming show. Prepare yourself because you will see the worst of humanity on display. I do want to take a moment to say that Saff, Eric Cowie, and Reinke seemed to be the most redeemable people throughout each episode.
What strikes me the most about this series is that these are real people that know each other. Having a series centered on just Joe Exotic would be insane enough and provide a documentary filmmaker with PLENTY of footage. The fact that viewers are introduced to this ring of absolutely insane individuals who have all crossed paths is flat out mind-blowing. Every episode left me in shock. HOW CAN THERE BE THIS MANY TWISTS IN ONE SERIES!? Who lives a life like this? Can you imagine working at one of these zoos? You just wake up one day and get the daily gossip from another worker,
”So Doc Antle married his fourth wife last night. Also, the new guy who just got here is Joe Exotic’s second husband. He’s not gay, but he’s here for the weed. Also, that lady in the flower dress is a Carole Baskin stand-in. Joe is making a music video that’s informing people Carole probably fed her husband to the tigers to inherit his millions. Joe is announcing his presidential run at 12:30. Hurry up and clock in because the Walmart meat truck gets here in 10 minutes, and the tigers are hungry!”
Again, how is this real?
One of the biggest takeaways from Tiger King is the unfortunate fact that most of the zoo owners highlighted care more about money and fame than the health and safety of their animals. The animals, especially tigers, are exploited to the masses and subject to over-breeding for financial gain. These are endangered animals that should have room to roam freely. They shouldn’t be stuck in tiny cages with questionable living spaces. It’s a heartbreaking fact that is difficult to watch. I hope that the release of this series will raise awareness to this (apparent) widespread problem of the neglectful zoos and big cat ownership.
Tiger King is one of the wildest, wackiest, and most jaw-dropping documentaries Netflix has ever released. Each episode is somehow more shocking than the former with twists and turns that are more unpredictable than an M. Night Shyamalan script. Every character has a storyline that could easily lend itself to its own seven-part documentary series. Come on, Netflix! Go ahead and make more episodes! I need more information about these people. If you have not yet ventured into the world of Joe Exotic and the GW Zoo, it’s time to press play and sit in complete shock at the events you’re about to witness. We’ve got nothing but time.