Editor’s Note: In an effort to help our OA community stay sane during this extended break, the Olivian will offer an extensive guide of what to watch, listen to, read, and eat. These posts will be written by members of the OA community. If you are interested in sharing ideas for passing the time, email rschussler@easton.k12.ma.us. Stay safe. Stay sane.
Ever since the release of the Netflix Original docu-series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, the internet has been going wild. The series follows Joe Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic or the Tiger King, and the Greater Wynnewood Zoo in Oklahoma. Joe Exotic owned thousands of exotic animals, including lions, tigers, and pumas, which were all kept and displayed to the public at his zoo.
The series also showcased some people with similar operations, including Joe’s enemy Carole Baskin. Baskin is a somewhat well-known animal rights activist, who owns Big Cat Rescue in Florida. This company, though being the exact same as G.W. Zoo, works closely with PETA to stop illegal selling and ownership of exotic animals.
Joe Exotic is probably one of the craziest people I have ever seen. He was involved in the presidential election in 2016 and also ran for governor in Oklahoma. He also had a music career, and many of his songs and videos are displayed throughout certain episodes. Within the first minutes of the show, it is revealed that he is in prison for murder-for-hire. Before all of this, he made blatant threats toward Baskin online and even protested outside of her establishment in Florida. He was swift to point out her hypocrisy, as she is running the same business that he is. There are also other conspiracies surrounding Baskin, which I definitely don’t want to spoil. In the end, they’re both crazy, in my opinion.
Even though there were some serious moments, this show was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. The people who were interviewed, especially Joe Exotic, say and do the most ridiculous things in my opinion, I was laughing throughout most of it. If you’re in the mood to be fairly entertained during Coronacation, I recommend Tiger King.