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Date: 4/7/2020
Okay, I caved in. There is a long list of movies and TV shows that “everyone” has watched that I’ve not.
Sometimes it's because I’m being contrary. For instance, no matter how many people tell me it’s “wonderful” I have no interest in watching “Titanic.” I never watched a minute of “Lost.” I was too cheap to subscribe to HBO so I missed “The Sopranos.” “Game of Thrones?” I watched the first season on DVD lent to me by a friend and then did not feel compelled enough to seek out the other seasons.
The attention paid to “Tiger King,” though, seemed overwhelming to me. Perhaps it’s because many of us are at home and this is taking the place of a hit movie that everyone wants to see.
I have to say, the hype surrounding this production is not unwarranted. It is a series that you simply cannot stop watching.
The idea that people have private zoos in which they breed wild cats such as tigers is something that horrifies me. Did you know there are between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers in captivity in the United States?
There are only 4,000 tigers in the wild.
Who are these people and why are they breeding tigers, lions and other big cats?
As “Tiger King” points out, money is a huge motivating factor.
“Tiger King” tells the story of several people but most importantly the conflict between a private zoo owner and tiger breeder who calls himself “Joe Exotic” and Carole Baskin, the head of a non-profit organization named Big Cat Rescue, which provides homes for big cats from private ownership.
Exotic sees Baskin as someone who is trying to take away his beloved cats and his means of making money. Baskin has been advocating for federal legislation that would prohibit private ownership and the practice of using tiger cubs as props for photo opportunities.
Now this might be interesting enough, but the personalities of the main characters provide viewers with many interesting details. Baskin’s former husband went missing, something that Exotic on his web-based TV program asserted she murdered him.
The way that Exotic poses his accusations is way, way over the top.
Exotic is not the only flamboyant guy who owns a private zoo. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle comes across as a cult leader with his operation that employs many young women, who may or may not form some sort of group relationship.
Then there’s Jeff Lowe, a fellow tiger lover to whom Exotic turns for financial help, only to lose his zoo to him.
If you wrote a piece of fiction with these characters, readers would see it as some sort of parody. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
This story takes place over seven, 45-minute episodes. Director Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin took about five years to follow the story as it unfolded.
With the release of the series, two of the main characters have criticized the documentary and believe they were not accurately portrayed. I think given the story, that’s to be expected.
While the antics of this group of people is certainly compelling for viewing, the fact is we still allow people with no training or any real experience as wildlife professionals own and breed tigers, lions and other large cats. The bottom line to this documentary series is action still must be taken to protect these animals.