Tiger King’s filmmakers have branded Joe Exotic a racist who used slurs and comments so severe it unnerved them.
Joe, who is currently in prison for 22 years a string of violent offences including murder-for-hire and animal abuse, has become a household name over the past two weeks as the Netflix series blew up.
However, it’s since been revealed that his bizarre and unnerving behaviour seen on screen was only the half of it – with slurs hitting the cutting room floor rather than making it to air.
Speaking to Hollywood Reporter, filmmakers Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaikin said in no uncertain terms that Joe was even more problematic than he made out.
‘Yes. Joe is a racist,’ Rebecca said. ‘I would say categorically. He said things when we were filming that were very unsettling.’
The comment comes after a clip of Joe declaring it was ‘discrimination he couldn’t use the n-word’ went viral.
Speaking in the animal enclosure of GW Zoo, Joe said: ‘What’s going on here in this country? It’s absolutely pathetic.
‘I can’t say the n-word, but you can go on YouTube and watch any black man’s rap video and they’re calling each other the n-word.’
‘What the hell?! Is this discrimination?,’ he ranted. ‘I’m white, I can’t say the n-word and they can?’
On their time with Joe, and the documentary, Eric added that it was important that people remember that the eccentric criminal is not a hero in this situation.
‘Joe committed some really serious crimes and Joe was not only cruel and inhumane to his animals, he was cruel to the people around him,’ Eric said.
‘I think it’s very important for people to understand that Joe is an actor and he tells people what they want to hear.’
‘As much as we have some empathy for Joe and found Joe to be such an incredible character — this mullet-wearing country singer in Oklahoma — he did a lot of horrible things,’ he concluded.
Joe is currently fighting his conviction and even wants a presidential pardon so he can be released.
Tiger King is available on Netflix now.
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