Everybody is watching it. Everybody is talking about it. You can't escape it. The memes, the tweets, the mystery, the over the top drama. It's going to go down as a part of cultural history... I'm of course discussing "Tiger King" on Netflix. You just can't look away. And as it turns out, many of us have a small personal connection... because who hasn't visited a zoo?
Redditor u/AndTCGW wanted to know who has a personal experience when it comes to the locales in this docuseries craziness by asking....
not a thing......
Funny enough Caro;e Baskins big cat rescue is about 15min from me. I used to live right next to Nebraska Ave. Honestly I've never been to big cat rescue but trust me the crap you see in Tampa sometimes shades what others might consider "crazy stuff". So idk maybe some crazy crap was going down but that's just a typical day. P.S. no one simply takes a stroll down Nebraska Ave at night, not a thing. mrguitare
The Stench...
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I went to the G.W. park in Oklahoma when I was maybe like... 11/12 on a school field trip. Honestly all I remember is how many animals there were. It was like... over kill. And Joe Exotic smelled... musky. He talked to the class about wildlife conservation and how PETA are terrorists. I got a stuffed tiger and an energy drink from the gift shop. It was a good day. BunnyBlushShop
"enrichment"
I went to BCR a couple years ago with my family. We spent a couple hours seeing different cats and made some "enrichment" toys for them. There were about 10 of us in the group, and 2 employees/volunteers who told us about the cats, and fed some with frozen meat popsicles (or something like that).
They had a checklist to make sure each cat was getting appropriate food. We were not allowed anywhere near the cats - there was a railing 10-15 feet in front of each habitat cage. The volunteers seemed to enjoy being there and seemed to love the cats we saw. I didn't get any bad vibes from the people. hyliston
Going to Jax.....
Not any of those places, but we do have a large cat "rescue" here in Jax. It's a very similar setup to what was seen in the doc. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but now I'm wondering just what kind of crazy shit goes on behind the scenes. bohica1937
To the Zoo!
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When I was a kid there was a "zoo" by our house. Never went there because it was never open, but you could hear lions from our deck. One time a kangaroo got out. I believe he also owned a "famous" reindeer that had been used in a Christmas movie. I don't remember much, I was really young.
Well, then one day the owner tried to hire a hitman to kill his ex wife and hired an informant instead and that was the end of that. He's in jail and it's an empty field. thebastardsagirl
Forget Carole....
I used to live near the BCR and almost applied for a "job" there, until I realized you didn't get paid and it was all volunteer based for like 12 hour days, yeah forget that. Carole Baskins is a crook lmao!! kdw97
I went to the one in Wynnewood,,,,,
Wow, finally a question I can answer?! I went to the one in Wynnewood probably close to 10 years ago now. I had gone camping with some friends the night before, and it was unseasonably cold, so I barely slept and was in a crappy mood and didn't want to go at all. I was skeptical of all the animals crammed into tiny cages and didn't really buy the whole rescue bullcrap.
The guide made some remark about how he'd rather be living in a cage than dead, and I was looking at the tiger in a tiny cage and thinking, damn, I'd rather be dead. They did have a baby white tiger you could pose with but I was too cheap and irritable to do it. IroniesOfPeace
Hey Tampa.....
I have been to BCR in Tampa. Though the cats were beautiful, I did not enjoy it. For the tour we were required to listen to pre-recorded info, mostly consisting of horrible stories of animal abuse. The guide was unenthusiastic. The whole vibe was depressing. At the end, they pressure visitors to make calls/emails about legislation. There's already a kiosk set up to do so. Not a fan. quarterinchseams
$15 for the win...
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I visited the Great Cats World Park in Cave Junction, Ore. last summer. It's a good facility--lots of big cats, clean, everybody looks healthy and has plenty of room. No cub petting photo ops. No cubs on display at all, from what I recall.
OTOH, after watching the Netflix series, I wonder about their business model. The GW zoo couldn't make enough revenue off tourists wanting to see their mature cats, which is how they got locked into an overbreeding ponzi scheme. Feeding the grown cats required producing a steady stream of cubs for the high-dollar petting sessions.
So now I wonder: how is GCWP keeping all those grown tigers fed on $15 general admission tickets? Are they actually a cub mill? IDK. They do breed--the guide said that their endangered cats are all rotated through a species survival plan. But I'm suspicious that the breeding might have a profit motive, too. cortechthrowaway
holy crap look!
I am from Myrtle Beach and I've been to the themed animal parks there when I was like maybe 8 or 9 years old.
Funny story, I used to date a girl who lived right outside of Myrtle on the waterway. Well, one day we were hanging out and I noticed an elephant in the waterway and was like holy crap look! She brushed it off and said her neighbor had a bunch of exotic animals like tigers and stuff and they always took the elephant out there.
That neighbor was Doc Antel. mgtrypx
The Rescue.
I went to the GW park about 8 years ago. Had no indication of all the crazy stuff going on because they do such a good job of billing it as a rescue. Plus I have been telling everyone since they should go because I got to play with baby tigers which I now feel horrible about. thebluebeagal
All for $5 Bucks....
When I was 19, I was driving from New Jersey to Florida with some friends. We stopped at a department store on the way for supplies. There were these two rednecks in the parking lot with two ligers. one was passed out on a table, and one was in a really rinky-looking wire cage.
The rednecks let us pet the ligers and take our pictures for five bucks each.
At the time, I thought it was really weird, but I figured they must have been educated and trained to handle big cats, because not any idiot could just buy a tiger or lion or whatever.
Come to find out, any idiot can buy a lion or tiger or whatever.
What's Up Doc?
My friend went to Doc's zoo in Myrtle Beach and said it seems really nice, which isn't surprising. He said there were only a few cats there so he was shocked to hear how many Doc actually has there, and wondered where the rest of them were kept.
Not quite the same but I lived in Zanesville, Ohio when all those animals were released a few years back. Some of the schools shut down and everyone was pretty scared. My grandpa was actually friends with Terry Thompson, the guy who owned the animals and released them. From what my grandma says Terry seemed perfectly sane and cared for the animals a lot, so she's always wondered why he would release them.
Oh and Terry also committed suicide after releasing the animals. They skipped over that part in the show and imply he was arrested, but I'm pretty sure he died on his farm. Joe Exotic actually wrote a song about Terry, my grandma sent it to me on YouTube a few weeks back and that's when I first heard about Joe's crazy butt. BoneAppleSkeetMF
Miranda Style...
I've been to Myrtle Beach Safari. It comes across as a great place, and they do a skillful job convincing you that they're doing good things. Weirdly, one of the only things that really raised a red flag for me was the way the women were done up. A lot of short shorts and makeup. It felt kind of weird that there was this obvious attempt at sex appeal, like I was being sold something rather than participating in a wholesome venture.
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I actually looked into applying for a job there anyway, because I was kind of at a rather directionless juncture in my life. I remember there were some weird requirements, like you needed to watch The Devil Wears Prada before applying. The only reason I didn't follow through was because I would've had to give up my own cat. Scoozie
Moving the Cat....
I've been to Doc Antle's place in Myrtle Beach - i got the same vibe there that I did when I did one of those dolphin photo ops in Mexico - slimy. It was very quick and depressing. They moved the cat every 2 seconds to accommodate for all the people and felt like maybe the cats were drugged? very lethargic and just plain sad. once i saw tiger king i knew that i was right with my vibes.
Apparently that place got raided recently. RunTheHomemadeJewels
Tim pops up....
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I've been to the Wildlife in Need Park in southern Indiana. It was advertised as a wildlife reserve/educational type place, and basically was a trailer park full of exotic animals. It was so upsetting, and not at all okay. I wasn't surprised at all to see Tim Stark pop up on the show, he's been in loads of trouble in Indiana for animal cruelty and probably saw helping Jeff Lowe with the park in Oklahoma as his way out. hayeday
The 99%....
I haven't been to the ones featured in Tiger King but growing up there was one near me in California that had cub petting and other things.
It closed down in a spectacular (in the worst way) crapshow when the "rescue" and the owner's home were raided and they found dozens of dead lions and tigers buried in shallow graves, malnourished animals, and dead cubs stuffed into freezers.
I was pretty young and my guess is the animals they displayed for the public were the healthy ones because I don't remember them looking sick or malnourished, but my mom refused to ever go back after our single visit so she probably noticed things I didn't as a kid.
After that experience I just assume 99% of "rescues" and "zoos" that are not properly accredited are like that. CSUSBro
back in 2014....
I went to GW back in 2014 since I was stationed nearby. I do remember seeing Joe Exotic and thinking he was a weird dude. But as for the park, there was no indication to all the crazy stuff going on. I did think the monkey cages were pretty crappy and felt bad for them. I was too cheap to pet the cubs so at least I don't have to feel guilty about that and I'm glad I didn't eat anything from the Zoo! AmenToThat95
Off I-35....
Okie here....
A lot of my friends went to the GW Park and some even saw or met Joe. They all said basically the same things: the park was nice, there wasn't anything nutty outside of the fact there's wild animals, and Joe did not come across as crazy, but instead a conservationist who loved animals.
Something the doc doesn't really touch on is the location of the zoo, which is strategically located right off I-35 in between Dallas and Oklahoma City. soonerguy11
Dukes Away...
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I want to plug an animal sanctuary type place that I got GOOD vibes from: the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina. The tours are delightful and the lemurs seem to be having a good time. They're given free roaming time in a large forest, too. AggressiveExcitement
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk him about it.
But we should also be prepared and ready to ask the right questions to have a leg up on the competition.
"What is THE best question to ask on a job interview?"
A company's history or information about a past employee were suggested subjects appropriate for questioning.
Prior Knowledge
"When you were interviewing here, what would you have liked to know before you joined?"
"This worked for me. I asked my interviewer a question about how she had personally dealt with a company policy she had just explained. She bragged about her stellar adherence to the policy. I nodded my approval. I got the job."
A Previous Employee
"One that has always gone over well for me:"
"What were some qualities that the previous employee in this role brought to the job that you would like to see carried forward?"
"Another good thing to do is research the company you are interviewing with and you can ask things about what they may be involved in or you could drop that while reading about the company, you wondered this."
Hypothetical questions were suggested as helpful examples of inquiry.
Indicators Of How Companies Treat Employees
"A question that landed me a job once was: 'If I asked your direct reports about your management style, what do you think they'd tell me?' Stumped a hiring manager and he emailed me personally to tell me about it, no one ever asked him that question but got the job.
"In my current interviews I'm asking 'what did your company do for its employees during [the virus] to improve their day to day, work life balance, etc.' and I ask 'Is there anything your company adopted during [the virus] that they plan to keep post [the virus]?"
"These questions give a lot of insight into whether a company treated their employees well."
Past Performance & Adjustments
"If we were currently sitting in my 1 year review, what would I have done in this year for you to say I excelled in my role?"
"If I could snap my finger right now and change anything about your job or the company, what would it be and why?"
The following questions about a prospective company may not be answered from initial digging on their website.
Measure Of Success & Career Trajectories
"How is success measured in this role?"
"What are some possible career trajectories within the company that could stem from this position?"
Being A Solution
"Ask them what is the biggest problem you can solve for them in your first six months with the company. Similar to 'don't think of a purple hippo,' this forces them to imagine you succeeding in the position."
Simply The Best
"Who is your best employee and why is he/she the best?"
"You will then face 2 situations mostly:"
"panicking CEO who can't answer you 'Bob who works 17 hours a day for a slice of bread' so the fear in their faces must be a big nono for you"
"entusiast CEO who actually follow their business and can tell you who is an added value for the company and why."
– ThePiz91
My experiences with job interviews are different than others seeking work in office environments.
Having had a years-long career as a dancer, my "interview" was the dance audition, where hopefuls dance in small groups of people at a time after learning a routine and then awaiting their fate after the panel evaluates their performances.
The question I may or may not have asked in such a scenario earlier in my career was: "Did I make the cut?"
I did not make the cut. And I learned never to ask that again.
I remember the worst date I ever had. My biggest regret is that I stayed for the entire thing. I should've left as soon as I realized this was not going well, which was basically at hello. But he was paying so I drank, a lot. I'll keep names and dates to myself to protect the innocent.
0/10
Big Brother Reaction GIF by Big Brother After DarkGiphy"Went to brewery, date said I had hairy arms and that meant I was horny, said "you look really awful in this light" and then tried to dig out of that hole by saying in his native language that was a term of endearment long term couples said to each other. 0/10 did not date again."
Lucky 13?
"My wife wanted to plan our 13th wedding anniversary. I was excited because usually, I plan it. She bought us some new disc golf discs and after a quick supper, we went to play. We hadn't played in forever. We were laughing and I had a great time. She served me with divorce papers and told me that the date was a test to see if she still had feelings for me. I also learned that she was having an affair that started well before our anniversary."
- rmorlock
Two Hours from Home
"Not necessarily a date but a person I was dating invited me to his parent's house for the afternoon. He wanted to introduce me to them and show me the house he grew up in. I thought it was super sweet and had no problems going. He was also in the middle of moving and needed to pick up a few things, so it really didn't seem that unusual."
"Yeah, we got there and it was awful. His entire family was there. They traveled from hours away too. This was not just meeting the parents, it was meeting the ENTIRE family. Even worse? At some point, this idiot told his parents that he had proposed. We had been dating TWO months. I spent the entire afternoon dumbfounded and just playing along."
"We were two hours from home and I had no cell service, no way to leave at all. We ended up spending the afternoon brainstorming wedding ideas and planning an Alaskan honeymoon that his parents planned to gift us. His brother even called to say congratulations! We drove back to his apartment in silence. When we got there, I got in my car and left, didn't even bother grabbing my stuff. Weirdest experience ever. I have no idea how he broke it to his parents that we weren't getting married."
You're Cut Off!
"Got set up on a blind date once between mutual friends. She shows up to the restaurant already a little tipsy, orders multiple appetizers and only takes like one or two bites from each one. Then she proceeds to order 3 or 4 more drinks and is visibly drunk at this point. She gets up and says she's going to the bathroom and staggers off. About 15-20 minutes go by so I try to call her several times but no answer."
"Finally I decide to pay the check and just leave. About 2 hours later I'm sitting at home and I get a call from an unknown number. It's the police department. She was picked up on a DUI on her way home after she ditched me and gave the cops my number to see if I could go bail her out!"
- mox44ah
Sorry?
Bbc Three Idk GIF by BBCGiphy"Well, I gave this answer on a different topic, but it ties in with this. We were out on a date, we had been seeing each other for a while, close to a year maybe. She gets a phone call. Suddenly she looks destroyed. Her fiancé had just died in a motorcycle accident."
What in the world? I mean how can we ever expect to pair off with the dating pool being inundated with liars and nut jobs? I'm going to delete my apps.
Girl, Bye.
Sassy Beyonce GIFGiphy"Had a girl openly flirt with the bartender in front of me. She says she wasn't. But handing him her own phone and asking for his contact info in front of her date seems like it to me."
Crazy!
"Came out from a movie, late at night, and date's Camaro was stolen. Apparently, he called his WIFE (that I did not know he had) and let her know where he was and what happened. She showed up and realized he was on a date! She started chasing ME around the parking lot telling me she was going to kill me. Saved by the cops who showed up just in time to take the auto theft report."
Hey Mom
"Met a girl at a country bar one night in my 20s. We were both pretty drunk but hit it off pretty good. Ended up getting her number and we agreed we'd go on a real date. Fast forward to the date, she gets in my vehicle and... she looks almost identical to my mom. I was mortified. I was polite and we went for lunch where I found out she also had a boyfriend she "wasn't sure if she was into". Never talked to her again."
- SgtGo
Liars...
"When I was in college many years ago, before the advancement of cell phones and social media, I was chatting with a girl I met on a BBS who lived on Long Island, NY. I was 18 at the time, but lied and said I was 22 because she said she was 25. We spent a few weeks emailing each other, as well as calling each other."
"We even exchanged pics. When we finally met up, things blew up. Turns out we both lied about our ages: She was really 33, and lied because she thought she looked younger. She admitted she sent a college photo to me. We still had dinner together, but it was awkward as hell. We never spoke again."
Doubles
Kill Me Now Season 1 GIF by FriendsGiphy"It was a double date. She was more interested talking to the other girl throughout the whole thing. Found out later from the other guy that his girl cheated on him with my date."
Ummm... I think I'm just going to stay single. That is a handful of crazy. Why can't people just be honest? I swear the search for love warps people's brains. Be careful out there people.
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