Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness — So Compelling, It’ll Make You Forget You Can’t Leave Your House
If you’ve been stuck in self-isolation for the last two weeks and have access to the internet, then you’ve probably heard or seen something about Netflix’s latest docu-series, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. And if you haven’t, prepare your content-hungry eyes for a vivid and colorful ride through the cutthroat world of big cat trading and exotic zoos. Rocking a solid 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, this series has quickly become the most binge-able, meme-able show currently streaming. So if you’ve got 7 hours to spare in the coming days — and I’m going to assume that you do — please do yourself a favor and give this show a watch. Once you start, I can guarantee it will be hard for you to look away.
While the show’s title seems indicative of what you can expect from watching, it really does not prepare you for everything that this 7-part series has to offer. On a base level, we follow documentarians Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin on their look into the world of big cat zoos and conservation facilities in America. Focusing primarily on the life and work of “Joe Exotic” (eccentric former owner of G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma), the documentary also introduces us to Bhagavan “Doc” Antle and Carole Baskin (both owners of other big cat parks). Beyond this, the remainder of the story includes, but is not limited to:
- Murder and murder-for-hire plots
- Polygamy and poly-amorous relationships
- Arson
- Joe Exotic’s run for president of the United States and governor of Oklahoma
- Drugs, guns, and explosives
- Death threats and restraining orders
- And elaborate country music videos about tigers
This colorful cast of characters engage collectively in a frenzied dance that culminates in this mind-blowing, shocking, and downright fascinating true crime story.
The release of this type of outlandish documentary during such an interesting time in modern history is compelling. It reminds me of Depression-era cinema in the way that viewers would escape the bleakness of reality by going to see movies that showed characters living fantastical and luxurious lives. Take films like The Wizard of Oz or glossy noir dramas and comedies, for example. In the midst of our current global situation, people are confined to their homes and looking for ways to escape feelings of containment and boredom. So what better way to be excited, entertained, and feel better about your own situation? Watch something as outlandish as Tiger King. Even though the world is struggling outside, you can take comfort in knowing that being at home and bored is far better than facing the problems that these documentary subjects do.
On the diversity front, this series is a bit of a grey area. The character at our forefront is a gay man who is unapologetic about his sexuality, which is positive. However, he is also just as unapologetic about being an erratic and verbally-abusive force that says some very offensive things about women — specifically Carole Baskin. It also heavily implies that “Doc” Antle engages in possessive and misogynistic treatment of women. There are also many other things contained in the documentary that could cause upset for viewers. However, since the point of the documentary is to show how problematic these actions are for diversity and treatment of humans and animals, I would consider it to be more helpful than hurtful.
Whether or not this subject matter interests you, I highly recommend Tiger King purely on the basis of being so bizarre that you’ll hardly be able to believe that a story like this exists. So jump on the “self-isolation bandwagon” and feast your eyes on this wild Netflix original.
