Tiger King: The Seven Wildest, Craziest Things about Netflix’s Viral Hit
By Minda Lou, WKML
The world is facing uncertain times and, in these times, we are looking for an escape from reality. It’s #quarantine time. And toilet paper is the hottest commodity going.
How can we handle the mental load of this new, (hopefully) temporary way of life? In strolls Netflix, kicking down the door to your brain’s pleasure center! Enter Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness – this show is an up-close look into the world of exotic animal keepers in America and boy does it have it all!
There’s so much going on with this wild, mind-trip of a show, but we’ve attempted to narrow down a few things you need to know and shouldn’t miss about this Netflix gem.
Oh, we should note, while there aren’t MAJOR spoilers in here, there are at least a few minor things that may be slightly spoiler-ish. So proceed with caution.
1. Joe Exotic, himself. The central character of this dramedy is Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado-Passage, country singer, tiger breeder, zookeeper and politician. Joe is currently serving a 22-year jail sentence in Oklahoma for animal abuse and hiring a hitman to take out his mortal enemy, Carole Baskin. Joe is a man of many talents, not the least of which is getting straight men to marry him. Over and over again. Joe is the accidental anti-hero we didn’t know we needed during self-isolation.
2. Carole Baskin, the self-proclaimed “Mother Theresa of Big Cat Rescue” Carole was the target for all of Joe’s big cat, redneck rage. Their long running, multi-year feud is one of the story threads in this Netflix masterpiece. However, don’t let Carole’s flower headband deceive you! There is deep speculation that she had something to do with her very wealthy, second husband’s disappearance. Hey, headbands and tigers are expensive, amirite?
I’m just saying I wouldn’t want to run into her in a dark alley smelling like sardine oil.
3. The Music Videos Joe – a man of many talents – produced multiple music videos starring himself … and sometimes his husbands. Not one to shy away from conflict he also produced “Here, Kitty, Kitty,” with a Carole Baskin look-alike. Which, honestly, kind of slaps. It’s a new level of petty that almost has to be admired. Who knows, in a different world he could have been a chart-topping, gay, tiger-taming country-music sensation. George Not So Straight.
4. The Romance I’m just going to say; the romance abounds on this show. From Doc Antle’s herd of lady loves (that work his park for FREE), to Joe’s glorious three-person wedding. Oh, and to Carole’s uncomfortably animal-printed union with Howard. Realistically, I haven’t seen this many unfortunately committed couples since Netflix’s other hit show “Love is Blind.”
Read the rest of the list here.