Quarantine Obsessions: Tiger King

   More than one month later, everyone is still talking about the insane events the show revolves around and demanding additions to the seven-part series. “Tiger King” centers around Joe Exotic, owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, predominantly home to big cats such as lions and of course, tigers. Throughout the show, viewers witness the rise and fall of Joe Schreibvogel’s career as ‘Joe Exotic,’ his zoo, his online following, his marriages and his political career. His eccentric lifestyle, the crazy characters he surrounds himself, and his violent feud with Big Cat Rescue owner and proclaimed animal rights activist Carole Baskin make for an addictive TV show. 

   Like any series, it has ups and downs. Some characters are likeable and there are laughable moments, but mostly it is the outrageous story of how Joe Exotic ended up in prison after being convicted for wildlife vioations and a  murder-for-hire plot against Baskin.

   Although the series is binge-able and intriguing, much of its hype can be attributed to most people having nothing better to do than watch it. Due to the COVID-19 quarantine, the show was able to amass a greater amount of fans than Netflix could have expected. I watched it in one day shortly after it was released, along with the rest of the world. I wasn’t as shocked by the events that unfolded throughout the series as many others were. Having lived in Oklahoma my whole life, I’ve seen and interacted with larger-than-life people like Joe before. In fact, Joe reminds me of a couple of my (distant) relatives. 

   I first heard of Joe Exotic when he ran for governor of Oklahoma in 2018 but I didn’t do any research on him; turns out I should have. Whether you’ve heard of him or not, I highly recommend binging on “Tiger King” if you haven’t already.