“Nobody Wins”
A Review of Tiger King by Nick Olszyk
Streaming Service: Netflix
MPAA Rating, TV-MA
CS Rating, 16+
Reel Rating, Three Reels
One of the most
overlooked sins of the current generation is detraction; when I bring the
subject up in my senior morality classes, most have not even heard the term. The
original American Catholic Encyclopedia defines detraction as “the unjust damaging
of another's good name by the revelation of some fault or crime of
which that other is really guilty.” Our faith forbids sharing others’ faults even
if true. Unfortunately, an entire genre – reality television – is based on this
kind of entertainment. We feel better about ourselves by watching the ignorance
or immorality of another. Even serious documentaries straddle this line, and Tiger
King is no exception. Even without our current government mandated quarantine,
this might be a popular series, but with nothing better to do, this Netflix special
became the most popular program on television. Yet, it may be bad not only for
the poor animals involved but the souls of their human owners and indeed all of
watching America.
The
“Tiger King” in question is Joe Maldonado-Passage, aka “Joe Exotic.” As one can
imagine from his profession, Joe had a difficult childhood. He came out at
seventeen, was forced to leave his home, and worked several odd jobs before
starting his own zoo in the late 90s. By 2014, he had over 200 large cats
including lions, tigers, jaguars, and panthers, the most extensive collection
in the United States. Not satisfied with that, he ran for president in 2016 and
governor of Oklahoma in 2018, earning almost 20% of the vote. Meanwhile, he
became a gay polygamist, lost his ownership of his zoo, and ended in prison for
hiring a hitman. The would-be victim in question was his archnemesis Carole
Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue, who became rich when her 2nd
husband vanished under mysterious circumstances and used his wealth to fund a
center for unwanted big cats. She also became an animal right activist, often harass
malls and venues for hosting Joe and other big cat enthusiasts. These are only
two of a host of characters who live on the margins of society, ostracized for
their love of all things furry and orange.
The
one characteristic everyone has in common is they love the spotlight. Like the
animals they prize, Joe and Carole crave attention and admiration. Carole “employs”
over seventy unpaid interns to run her facilities and color codes their
uniforms based on rank and experience. Carole herself spends most of her time
on social media or lobbying Congress. One fan calls her “the Mother Teresa of
Tigers.” Joe hosts his own television channel and has released several country
albums with hits like “I
Saw a Tiger,” and “Here
Kitty, Kitty,” featuring a Baskin look-a-like feeding her dead husband to the
animals. This cult of personality, rather than the welfare of animals, drives everything
they do.
When
approaching any nonfictional programming that involves the sins of others,
there is a responsibility on the part of the filmmakers and the audience to not
glorify the behavior. At the same time, it is necessary to make the material
compelling in order to create a convincing narrative. This is a delicate
balancing act that often overwhelms director Eric Goode. Prior to Joe Exotic,
he was primarily known for his work with turtle conservation, not exactly great
preparation for the loud, extreme lifestyles of Tiger King.
The
documentary does bring to light two important themes that are constantly
neglected by Joe and Carole: human dignity and animal welfare. This is best
illustrated by Kelci “Saff” Saffery, a veteran and worker at Joe’s zoo. In
2013, she was attacked by a tiger and had her left arm amputated. Despite this,
she returned to work only five days later. “I want to give these animals a fighting
chance,” she says. Joe is only concerned about the bottom line. “I will never
recover from this financially,” he mutters. Even at Carole’s zoo, the animals
are kept in small cages and not returned to the wild. Both Carole and Joe are obsessed
with “winning,” but Saff points out “nobody wins,” especially the animals. No
one is letting these animals be themselves – wild creatures that God never
intended to be domesticated. Like God, we are called to rule creation with “a
light hand.” Zoos and pets are not inherently immoral, but most beasts are best
left alone.
These
last few weeks have been hard on everyone, and we all deserve, no require, some
entertainment that is light on brain power. This does not excuse one, however,
of having a discerning eye. To watch Tiger King without such
understanding would frequently put the viewer into a near occasion of sin, yet
there is still something here that adds to a good discussion about animal
ethics. Just try not to get too caught up in the hype.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on April 26th, 2020.
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