The quarantined world has been taken over by the sensationalized universe of Netflix’s Tiger King. However, some people have not yet given into the craze, for a variety of reasons. From the outside, it seems like a story that has more fiction than fact, more hardship than compassion and more controversy than unity. I’m someone who hasn’t watched it yet, and by listening in on conversations about the series, it is apparent that everyone has their own opinions. The Carolina Tiger Rescue released a statement that criticized the show for its lack of clarity about the world of big cat ownership. The stories that they tell are heartbreaking. For example, tiger cubs are often taken from their mothers too young and mishandled for the sake of people wanting to see and hold a cute cub. These cubs are then either kept for breeding, sold or face a more serious and sad fate. Using previous knowledge and what information is being spread about the series, it does not seem like a valuable use of time. There are happier things to watch or more educational series to binge that do not gloss over such important topics as the mistreatment of big cats. Personally, I could not find a valid reason to fill eight hours of my life with Tiger King; however, I can see why its wild world may appeal to other people. I think that Netflix missed a chance to raise awareness of the mistreatment of big cats in domestic situations – as mentioned by the Carolina Tiger Rescue. If the show had more informational content I probably would have been more interested, compared to how hyperbolic and sensationalized it became. I would rather not become entranced by a show that has a hard time separating fact from fiction, especially when based on real events. By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer
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