By Lia DeFonce-Martini
Five years later, TV watchers have forgotten the crazed world of Joe Exotic. A documentary
series based on a polygamous gay zoo owner that is filled with big cats, public feuds, unsavory lies, and an alleged murder plot. It has audiences saying lions, tigers, and bears…oh my…that’s crazy! The 2020 Netflix series titled Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness had all of us captivated during quarantine, distracting us with an even wilder world right on our television screens.
Fast forward to present day, Joe Exotic is still serving his 22-year sentence but continues to ride the fame of the reality show and his showman career at Greater Wynnewood Zoo in Oklahoma. Taking a look at his Youtube channel, I find that JoeExoticTV continues to publish original songs, podcasts, and music videos. That begs me to question, what is a forgotten big cat-loving TV series star doing in 2025? Publishing songs like “Solitary Is Sorrow” and “Tiger King All I Want For Christmas,” of course.
When watching the series, a viewer can get easily distracted by Exotic’s outrageous personality and the interpersonal relationships between big cat showman Bhavagan “Doc” Antle and animal rights activist Carole Baskin. It is important to not get too distracted, as the crucial message of this series is about protecting big cats and implementing proper protection legislation against the containment of wild animals. Carole Baskin, previous owner of Big Cat Rescue, states that this series has led to the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act. A law that now prevents private ownership of big cats that are considered “prohibited wildlife species.”
That being said, a vast majority of the plot revolves around scandalous allegations and a ten-year feud between the main contenders of the Tiger King series. Even Carole Bakin is not as perfect as she attempts to appear on the series, as she benefits monetarily from everyone who visits her “sanctuary” that cages elderly big cats in small enclosures. Furthermore, it is revealed that many of the big zoo owners of the United States breed and buy baby cubs, including Joe Exotic and “Doc” Antle.
Tiger King is not the only one of its kind. Other series have gained popularity, such as Blackfish, a drama documentary that is based upon the SeaWorld scandal. It is a fascinating film that does a deep dive into the life of a captive orca that caused the death of several people. Both of these pieces comment on the maltreatment of animals in captivity, with Tiger King taking a bit more outrageous and drama-filled approach.
The murder plot in the tiger series is an entirely untouched layer between Baskin and Exotic, which adds to the bizarre world. It almost makes it feel like a reality TV series about the many “kings of the jungle”. The show’s addictive nature only seems to grow with the inclusion of Exotic’s love life and his outrageous music videos. All things considered, a viewer of the big cat series can undoubtedly say that it is absolutely wild, and not just because of the untamed animals.
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