Believe it or not, but the legacy of skepticism that Netflix’s docudrama Tiger King leaves behind sets up the perfect media trial for Joe Exotic’s pardon.
Whatever the actual story might be, Tiger King: Murder, Madness, and Mayhem has set the narrative for the All-American Big Cat saga moving forward. In Joe Exotic’s quest for a pardon, Netflix’s Tiger King first brought in legitimate big cat lover Shaq for people to warm up and then President Trump signaled the beginning of the media trial.
Highlights! Joe’s Pardon – Netflix’s Tiger King Sets Up An Exotic Media Trial With Shaq And Trump
- How Tiger King helps Joe Exotic’s pardon?
- The Netflix show leaves out crucial evidence
- Shaq inadvertently brings fans to Joe Exotic
- The timing of Tiger King TRUMPS everything
- The Media Trial for Joe’s pardon begins
The show stacks up the odds in favor of Joe Exotic who has already requested a presidential pardon and is also suing the US Fish and Wildlife Services for $94 million, accusing them of wrong convicting him on a private agenda. It topped viewership carts not just in the United States but across a global audience.
How Tiger King helps Joe Exotic’s pardon?
Tiger King essentially building a deep connection for a convict facing 22 years in prison on 19 charges that include hire-for-murder of big cat-activist Carole Baskin and killing five big cats. Not just that, it undermined key aspects of the trial, thereby making it feel like the judicial system had fallen short in the case, wrongfully punishing Joe.
The Netflix series majorly focusses on the exceptional lifestyles of the titans of America’s private big-cat ownership and private zoos. While it tries to put out all the sides of the gun-loving, unapologetically odd Joe Exotic, it fails to do justice to the actual trial, which arguably comes in too late and climaxes early.
The Netflix show leaves out crucial evidence
A Juror, Kristin, who was part of the trial recently claimed in a Live Q&A session with the Law & Crime Network that the Netflix show refrained from showing all the evidence against Joe Exotic.

Furthermore, the juror said the depiction of the trial wasn’t “even close to what actually happened in court, leaving out crucial pieces of evidence like a recording of Exotic complaining that the first person hired for Carole Baskin’s murder had run off with his money and so Joe wanted to try again. She said, “I think that the docuseries did a big disservice to the way that criminal justice is supposed to be carried out. It makes the jury look incompetent and that we convicted him on basically nothing when it wasn’t like that at all.”
Shaq inadvertently brings fans to Joe Exotic
Tiger King also does Joe Exotic a huge favor roping in NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal as part of the show. Shaq, as O’Neal, is fondly called by millions of fans is a known big-cat lover. His endorsement of Joe Exotic’s GW Zoo in the show inadvertently works for the controversial figure. Despite the fact that Shaq recently went on record to state that he isn’t a Joe Exotic supporter.

Shaq pointed out that Exotic is neither a friend nor does the NBA Hall of Famer know him personally. He also firmly put out that he also doesn’t endorse ownership of big cats. In the interview, he said that he was just a visitor at Joe Exotic’s private zoo.
Shaq also confirmed that he stopped visiting once he knew about the controversial activities of Joe Exotic.
O’Neal also confirmed that he stopped visiting once he knew about the controversial activities Joe Exotic was involved in. However, that isn’t likely to discredit the affinity that his appearance in Tiger King builds for Exotic in his upcoming fightback for pardon and compensation.
The timing of Tiger King TRUMPS everything
In fact, the timing for Joe’s fightback against the system couldn’t be more perfect. With the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing nationwide lockdown, there isn’t much going on otherwise. Tiger King has topped viewership charts and popularity ratings since its release on Netflix. The only competitor it has is President Trump’s daily coronavirus task force briefings from the White House.
Trump being asked about the show and the pardon and the public information that the President’s son Don Jr. is rooting for Joe Exotic works both ways. This isn’t the first time that Trump will use his discretionary power of presidential pardon. But this is a subject that has a divisive political nature. Moreover, it now also has the entertainment factor involved, something Trump has a soft spot for.
The Media Trial for Joe’s pardon begins
So, Netflix show Tiger King’s success aided by Trump and Shaq has brought the issue of Joe Exotic’s trial and pardon to national limelight. Furthermore, the media trial kicked off by the Netflix show has already created the perfect setting for an exotic pardon.
The saga will further unfold as more streaming services get into the Joe Exotic story. Fox has a Monday night episode while Investigation Discovery has a series called Investigating The Strange World Of Joe Exotic. But for now, Joe Exotic will have high hopes of a presidential pardon.
Here Are Some Of The Most Talked About Women Joe Biden Could Name As His Vice President
Will Pilots Remember How To Fly When The Skies Open Again?
Time To Go Back To The Post Depression Era For The US? Maybe.
What If — Trump (73) Biden (78) Contract Coronavirus In The Lead-up To US Elections 2020
Biden-Sanders Plot To Oust Trump From White House In November
