A Definitive Ranking of Tiger King Joe Exotic's Over-the-Top Music Videos, from Best to Worst
YouTube
Hey, all you cool cats and kittens!
It seems like everyone has been watching Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, a Netflix docuseries about America’s big cat owners that truly has it all.
At the center of the show everyone’s talking about,there’s Joseph Maldonado-Passage, a.k.a. Joe Schreibvogel, a.k.a. Joe Exotic. Maldonado-Passage is currently serving 22 years in prison for attempted murder. The former wild animal park owner was found guilty in 2019 for paying a hitman $3,000 to kill his rival, Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist who runs a sanctuary called the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida. (The hit never happened.)
As if murder, mayhem and madness wasn’t enough for us, there’s also the added surprise element of music. That’s right: Joe Exotic did not just run an animal park, he also sang country music. Well, it’s not actually Mr. Exotic himself singing the songs, but that’s beside the point. The point is that these music videos exist and are truly over-the-top, a little kooky and full of firearms and tigers: a perfect representation of Joe Exotic himself.
We took it upon ourselves to listen to the songs and watch the music videos Joe Exotic has put out into the world, and have ranked them from best to worst
“Bring It On”
Dolly Parton said, “Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen / Pour myself a cup of ambition / Yawn and stretch and try to come to life.” Joe Exotic said, “I wake up / I go to work / But every day I get someone tryna slam me down / Back in the dirt.” A controversial choice for the top choice, we know, but arguably, “Bring It On” goes harder than any other song on the list.
“Here Kitty Kitty”
Who knew that a rivalry that includes sending snakes in mailboxes and multiple lawsuits would also include music videos? Look out, Eminem: Joe Exotic made a particularly disparaging song about Baskin, alleging that she killed her former husband, Don Lewis, and fed him to her tigers.
Baskin has repeatedly denied his claim, and said in a statement condemning the Netflix docuseries, “Don was not easy to live with,” but reaffirming, “I never threatened him and I certainly had nothing to do with his disappearance. When he disappeared, I did everything I could to assist the police.”
The music video for the song “Here Kitty Kitty” features a pretty spot-on Baskin impersonator and Exotic in a preacher’s outfit for some reason? It’s a wild ride from start to finish.
“I Saw a Tiger”
An ode to Exotic’s love for tigers, “I Saw a Tiger” is simple, in its lyricism, but the imagery of Joe Exotic standing on top of a truck as a CGI storm brews behind him is one that we won’t soon forget.
“Because You Love Me”
The fact that he was able to get his park’s patrons to dance at the start of the video (or participate at all) is all this song needed to make it to the top of the list. The song itself is a bop, actually? Céline Dion is shaking!
“My First Love”
Sweet, simple and all about his first husband, John Finlay (who left him for the animal park’s receptionist), this tune consists of such lyrics as, “I could buy a diamond brighter than the sky / Put it on your finger and you could wave goodbye.” Bookmarking this one for our next breakup, I guess?
“Pretty Woman Lover”
Though he is openly gay and had multiple husbands, Exotic decided to write a song about being a “Pretty Woman Lover.” The lyrics of this one are truly bonkers: “I’m a pretty woman’s lover / I’m an ugly woman’s dream / Baby you’re lucky have a man like me / ‘Cause I’m a love machine.” But what’s even crazier is the video of Joe trying to escape four female fans who chase him around a rented limo.
“How Was I To Know”
The chorus of “How Was I Know” is actually pretty catchy and the beat is strong! The imagery of Joe in a casket post-breakup is … less strong. Still, it’s a middle-of-the-pack song that manages to both shock and amuse us.
“This Is My Life”
This ballad gets right to it and attempts to get to the heart of who Joe Exotic really is. He sings, “I’ve done a lot of things wrong / But I’ve done some good / For all of my lovers / For all of my friends / This is their song / My gift to them,” as footage rolls from his time with his husbands and as a zookeeper. It gets points for being emotional.
“G.W. and Me”
In an emotional turn, Joe sings “G.W. and Me” about his brother, G.W., who died in a drunk driving accident. He credits his brother for being the reason he loves big cats and has a passion for zoo-keeping.
“Do You Ever Wonder What Love Could Do?”
Joe Exotic singing about the wonders of loving an animal in front of a thunderstorm is a sight to be seen, but the song is slow and not super catchy, which lands it toward the bottom of the list.
“The Sun Says”
This song is pretty forgettable in comparison to slower songs like “I Saw Tiger,” and the video includes Joe just singing around an elderly couple who looks unsure about the whole thing.
“Guardians of the Children”
Joe Exotic recycled his priest costume from “Here Kitty Kitty” for a song that is … not not creepy.
