Who is the Tiger King? A Netflix Original Series reviewed

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Cassidy Farmer, Yearbook Editor

The opinions, viewpoints, and beliefs expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the opinions, viewpoints, or beliefs of the Titan Times newspaper, Tuscarora High School or Frederick County Public Schools.

 

This series is not rated since it is a Netflix original but it would definitely be an R rated feature so please keep that in mind when choosing whether or not to watch it.

 

The internet has not stopped talking about the one and only, Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage (better known as “Joe Exotic”), since the release of “Tiger King” on Netflix. There are tweets, tiktoks, and news articles about a conspiracy that Carole Baskin killed her husband and that Joe Exotic should be released from prison. You may be asking, who are these people? I am here to explain why everyone hates Carole and how the state of Oklahoma has grabbed the attention of thousands of viewers.

Joe Exotic is a mullet wearing, attention seeking, gay man who ran a zoo in Oklahoma that was best known for it’s tigers. The series looks at the relationships Joe has had with his lovers, enemies, and other millionaires in the tiger community. The show focuses on Joe’s hatred toward a lady named Carole Baskin. Carole runs “Big Cat Rescue” in Florida and has spent a lot of money on taking Joe down. Joe had been breeding tiger cubs to use for his zoo for years and Carole was not a fan of that. She does not breed her big cats and finds it very wrong that others do. A man named Doc Antle is also mentioned in the show. Antle’s zoo is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and is still in business to this day. These people have a lot more going on than what you would think.

Joe’s zoo has since been taken over by a man named Jeff Lowe. The reason why the zoo was taken over is definitely on the wild side. Joe and Carole have always been enemies which created a lot of problems. Joe messed with Carole’s business by spreading rumors that she had killed her first husband. Don was a millionaire who married Carole and later went missing in 1997. A body has never been found and Carole is hated by many viewers because of the rumors Joe has spread. He claims the body is buried on her property while others claim she fed him to the tigers. Due to the popularity of the show, the investigation for Don’s disappearance has been reopened. The rumors Joe was spreading caused Carole to take Joe’s zoo down. In her efforts to take him down, Joe became angered and was convinced to hire a hit-man. Jeff Lowe rolled Joe under the bus to put him in prison and take over his zoo. 

Currently Joe Exotic is serving 22 years in prison for 19 charges including, 17 counts of animal abuse and two counts of murder for hire. “Tiger King” focuses on a lot more than just that, so I highly recommend you check out the series on Netflix. There are many secrets in the world of exotic animals like money, murder, drugs, and even cults. These people live an interesting life and if you need a good laugh or love true crime then this is the show for you! Jeff Lowe has announced there is more content to come, so get ready for what else may happen in the tiger world.