*Spoilers ahead*
No, this has nothing to do with Monkey King. But, I do have to point out two similarities between that and Tiger King—they both involve male leads and animals. Oh, and both shows are *extremely* otherwordly. Fine, three similarities! Of course, in a world that’s “under attack” right now, we are all looking for things to do while self-isolating at home and practising social distancing (oh, Miss Corona). With Netflix being one of the more popular mediums out there at the moment, it was only natural that I gravitated to the streaming platform to seek solace search for a show to watch.
I was scrolling for awhile until I saw the two words: “tiger” and “king”. Ah, Tiger King. Oh, the title isn’t that short, by the way; it continues with Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. While that may be a hint of what’s to come, no one will ever be prepared for Joe Exotic. I definitely wasn’t. If you haven’t watched the documentary series, I’ll be spilling some *spoilers here* (you’ve been warned, people). It’s one of those shows you’ll have to watch to understand the realm.
Officially released on Netflix on 20 March 2020, the seven-episode programme (I binged and finished them all in one seating) is crazy. And that’s a major understatement. It might even be wilder than the global situation right now! The show centres around Joseph Maldonado-Passage, or Joe Exotic—the owner of Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, USA. Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad, right? Wrong. You’re wrong. The first sign of over-the-top comes with the fact that Joe owns more than 100 big cats. Boy, I can’t even deal with one tiger; let alone a hundred!
The entire season dealt with a lot—and there were times when I couldn’t keep up. “Wait, what happened? Did these really happen?”. Questions, questions, questions. Things get weirder and weirder throughout the duration of the episodes. Joe Exotic had multiple husbands (Travis Maldonado and John Finlay) and spent his whole life fighting with animal rights activist Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue (he even hired a hitman to assasinate her; twice). That’s not all; somehow drug lords and cults came into the picture, as well as a homicide controversy. Oh, he’s also a singer who wrote pretty catchy songs (don’t come at me). And he went to prison? Wow. One major incident after another—I was hooked. I was so down for more.
Joe Exotic is one entertaining person, to say the least. The animal lover—who ran for President of the United States once—lights up the room with his blond mullet and eccentric style. The rest of the cast aren’t lagging behind as well; the entire show consists of interesting characters. I honestly think it’s the best thing out there at the moment—quarantine or not. The world clearly agrees with me, as you can see with the memes below.
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— Pete Stegemeyer (@itspeterj) March 24, 2020
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— JP (@jpbrammer) March 25, 2020
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— Felichia Eaton (@FelichiaEaton) March 22, 2020
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— Vitamin J (@Vitamin_J_) March 25, 2020
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— Carrie Magee (@carrie_mageeee) March 21, 2020
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— Ray (@Ray_885) March 22, 2020
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— stinkyjoker (@stinkyjoker1) March 25, 2020
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— Mary (@maryyyyrosee) March 23, 2020
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— TheGirlWhoTalksAboutTV (@BackInBlackmon7) March 21, 2020
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— Taylor R (@iamtay_tay) March 24, 2020
Need I say more? If you’re looking for something to binge on during these homebound periods of uncertainty and trouble, Tiger King is the one for you. You don’t even have to leave home to be taken on the ride of your life. It keeps you indoors (and away from the coronavirus)—genuinely brilliant. Did Netflix really keep this gem in their vault for the right time to drop it? Whatever it is, grab several snacks and several seats; then put on Tiger King. You’re welcome.
For more things to do at home during self-isolation, click here.
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