Araya Doheny/Getty Just when you thought the phrase "Hey all you cool cats and kittens" had begun to recede from the zeitgeist, Peacock's "Joe vs. Carole" is ready to burst onto the scene in all its undeniably
redundant yet oddly irresistible glory. The John Cameron Mitchell and Kate McKinnon-fronted limited series is a comedic dramatization of "Tiger King," Netflix's most deranged documentary success. The show will focus on the decades-long feud between Joe Exotic and
Carole Baskin, and it is slated to hit the NBC streaming service on Thursday, March 3. For anyone not in the loop, the feud goes something like this: Baskin, the owner of Big Cat Rescue (a conservatory or zoo, depending on your take), launched a campaign against Exotic's abuse and
exploitation of big cats at his Tiger King Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, now known as the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (via Men's Health). Exotic launched his own attack with a litany of threats and abusive videos targeting Baskin, many of them accusing the animal rights activist of being involved in the unsolved disappearance of
her first husband, Don Lewis. When that failed to stop Baskin from speaking out against Exotic, the performer and park owner allegedly hired two men to kill his nemesis. He was indicted for murder-for-hire in 2018 and imprisoned for the act, along with several other crimes, including animal abuse and fraud, in January 2020 (via
NPR). On paper, the narrative already reads like a dark comedy, so it's unsurprising that "Joe vs. Carole" would manifest as the story's next installment. Now, one of the film's titular subjects — Carole Baskin herself — has shared her thoughts on the upcoming Peacock project.
Mark
Taylor/Peacock In an interview with Metro shared by ET Canada, Carole Baskin appeared to take her role as a partial punchline in stride. She told the outlet, "My husband and I look forward to seeing Kate McKinnon
and Kyle McLaughlin's portrayal of us," she said, adding, "Both are talented actors and I expect 'Joe vs. Carole' will be a lot more entertaining than the situation was in real life." Despite her acceptance of the parodic approach, Baskin didn't miss an opportunity to simultaneously give her critique of the phenomenon while putting in a good word for her own series on Discovery+. "As with ... all of the other spinoffs," she said, "none of these programs created for entertainment value really get at the main issues of big cat and cub abuse and the imminent extinction of big cats due to cub petting like we do in Discovery+['s] 'Carole Baskin's Cage Fight.'" Baskin went on to say she feels the public's morbid fascination with "the plight" of her ex-husband will distract viewers from the environmental issue at hand, and that by 2027, "we will have reached the point of no return for the planet by failing to safeguard the world's most iconic species." Carole Baskin has offered her thoughts on the recently released Joe vs Carole trailer, which teases Peacock’s dramatic adaptation of the famed rivalry originally portrayed in Netflix’s Tiger King documentary series. In March 2020, the world was introduced to the stranger-than-fiction tale of exotic zoo owner Joe “ Exotic” Maldonado-Passage in the true-crime docuseries directed Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. Following Exotic’s years-long feud with Big Cat Rescue CEO Baskin, Tiger King season 1 was an unexpected hit for Netflix, and would quickly turn its subjects into household names and catapult them into pop-culture super-stardom. Shortly after the phenomenal success of Tiger King, work on a limited drama series was announced, based on Wondery’s podcast, Over My Dead Body season 2. Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon was announced as both executive producer and the actress tasked with bringing big cat devotee and Exotic’s nemesis Baskin to life on screen in Joe vs Carole. Kyle MacLachlan was later cast as Carole’s current husband Howard Baskin, while Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s John Cameron Mitchell was picked to play Maldonado-Passage. Joe vs Carole is also set to star Dean Winters as Exotic’s former business partner Jeff Lowe, and William Fichtner as film producer Richard Kirkham. Late last week, Peacock released the first Joe vs Carole trailer ahead of its March 3 premiere. The release was not lost on Baskin herself, who recently spoke to Metro (via EW Canada) about her thoughts on the new teaser and the upcoming series. Suggesting Joe vs Carole looks “a lot more entertaining than the situation was in real life,” Baskin also took the opportunity to redirect attention to the issues of big cat abuse and the “imminent extinction of big cats due to cub petting.” Read her full comments below:
Despite her concerns over her portrayal in Tiger King, and the implications that arose regarding her involvement in the disappearance of her former husband, Don Lewis, Baskin seems decidedly more open to her portrayal by McKinnon in this upcoming dramatization in Joe vs Carole. In November last year, Baskin and her husband launched a lawsuit against the streaming giant in a bid to have all footage of them removed from Tiger King season 2, which continued exploring further theories regarding Lewis’ disappearance. While this suit was ultimately dismissed, Baskin made her thoughts clear about what she herself had termed as a “reality show dumpster fire.” Baskin’s far more philosophical approach to Peacock’s new series is certainly interesting given how vehemently she was opposed to Netflix’s take on the events between the two figures. Whether or not McKinnon’s portrayal of Baskin will potentially be any more flattering remains to be seen, but no doubt the people involved will be hoping it will resonate far better with audiences than the lamentable and critically maligned Tiger King season 2 did. Tiger King fans and other viewers caught up in the intrigue surrounding the bizarre tale of Maldonado-Passage’s rivalry with Baskin will be able to see how well McKinnon and her co-stars do the story justice when Joe vs Carole hits Peacock in March. Next: The Doc Antle Story Is The Worst Tiger King Follow-Up Yet Source: Metro (via EW Canada) How does Carole Baskin feel about Joe vs Carol?Carole' won't get the story right. Baskin is also convinced Joe vs. Carole will miss the mark on her story. “They're not going to get it correct,” she said about the new Peacock series.
What did Joe Exotic think of Joe vs. Carole?Exotic continued to rant about Joe vs. Carole in an Aug. 15, 2021 post, where he shared an image of Mitchell's Exotic being dipped and kissed on set. “This is not how I live or lived my life and fully intend on suing all involved,” he wrote.
Is Joe vs. Carole a parody?Joe vs. Carole is not a comedy. It is a dramatic retelling of the real-life events covered in the Over My Dead Body podcast.
Is Joe vs. Carole inappropriate?Joe Vs Carole Age Appropriate Parents Guide
Language: Joe Vs Carole contains extremely harsh language, with profanity used throughout.
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