Tiger King

Tiger King 

I am a little late on the Tiger train, but here I am.   

Well, each episode gets crazier than the last one.  I didn't know anything about the documentary other than the appearance of Joe Exotic on John Oliver's show.  People at work were talking about him and I love animals, so it piqued my interest.   Like a virus, I caught the bug and watched the entire thing.   

This show is like an onion. You will see so many layers.  It is a mixture of poor white trash and a bunch of rich people. Throw in a bunch of big cats and you got a story where no one is a good person.  Tiger King isn't truly a documentary, but more of a reality show with doc overtones.  If this was a show on cable or network, I wouldn't be interested.   

Having watched a lot of media, I've never encountered a story where everyone is a terrible person.  There are two main characters in this strange story that bob and weave into each episode.  Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin.    

 Joe Exotic:  The man and the legend, in his own mind. Like Trump, he's the greatest thing in the world to himself.  And, he will let you know it.  He's a gay, gun-toting, redneck country music singer who happens to own his “exotic zoo”.  He is the kind of guy that shines in front of the camera but it a bit of an asshole to his staff.  He is very guarded how the camera shows him, but is also a pretty stupid guy that uses big cats as his gimmick. He's so consumed with himself that he let his enemies take over his rickety kingdom. He destroyed himself.   

BTW, he is a cross between a WWE character and a Las Vagas magical act.  

 Carole Baskin: Baskin is the Joker to Joe's Batman.  Baskin is another big cat lover that hates Joe's zoo.  She is that person kind of person that smiles and pretends to be your friend, but is planning to stab you in the back.  Baskin is an evil woman but in a different manner than Joe.   

There are some issues with the show, but overall, it is fun to watch these stupid self-centered people f'ing each other over. With the exception of the campaign manager and the person that got their arm ripped off, no one else is a good person.  Tiger King is a shit show and trash, but it is hard to look away.   

Grade B+