The Carole Baskin Interview: Part II
Carole and I discuss her stint on 'Dancing With The Stars', her upcoming appearance on 'The Wheel', and how going on these programmes helps promote issues surrounding the treatment of Big Cats.
Carole Baskin rose to prominence after featuring in Netflix’s hit show Tiger King. I would argue that Carole was portrayed unfairly in the show, and that she was misrepresented. I discussed her portrayal on Tiger King with her in our first interview. You can read that and read more about Carole in that piece. I do think it is saddening how a person who is doing all they can to support big cats, was attacked so viciously. This sense of unfairness is only made worse by the fact that I believe Carole is a nice person. Not only has she dedicated her life to fighting for big cats, but, on a more personal level, she has been consistently supportive of my work, providing comment whenever I ask. Someone of Carole’s stature has no responsibility to do that, and I think it demonstrates her character. Countless people far less prominent than Carole have completely ignored my requests for comment (as they have a right to), but I think Carole consistently taking the time to support my work shows a lot.
In this instance, I wanted to highlight how Carole is doing all she can to fight for big cats. One way she does this is through her organisation Big Cat Rescue, which “is one of the largest accredited sanctuaries in the world dedicated to abused and abandoned big cats.” Another way she does this is by promoting these issues over her vast social media presence, as well as by appearing on some of the world’s biggest TV programmes (away from Tiger King, which I think misrepresented her).
Back in 2020, shortly after the release of Tiger King, she went on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Carole had two performances on the show, where she ensured that the theme of ‘big cats’ was present in both of them.
On November 21st, it was announced that Carole is set to appear on NBC’s ‘The Wheel’, which is an adaptation of its British namesake. It is a quiz show, and Carole will appear on the boxing day episode.
I asked Carole why she made the decision to go on these TV programmes like Dancing with the Stars and The Wheel. Carole explained that:
For decades we tried to woo celebrities to help share the plight of big cats with no success. If I could be anything I wanted to be, it would be a hermit, but it would be ungrateful to the Universe if I didn't take advantage of my 15 minutes of fame to try and save big cats from extinction. I am thankful that people are learning about the cruelty inherent in captivity and are raising their voices for the voiceless big cats who suffer in silence. I can't thank the shows that have hosted me and their audiences enough for being a part of the change we need for a healthy planet.
As you can see Carole is in it for the big cats. She goes on these programmes to try and raise the profile of the issues surrounding the treatment of big cats and this is highly commendable. It is also having a tangible impact, with her Big Cat Public Safety Act passing the House of Representatives. In July, President Biden formally announced his support for the bill.
Of course, Carole’s going on TV programmes isn’t alone getting the Big Cat Safety Act through Congress. I’m sure she would be the first to say that. Nonetheless, these TV appearances are substantially raising awareness of the issues surrounding big cats, and for this, Carole deserves much credit. I seriously doubt the Big Cat Safety Act would have gotten through Congress without Carole’s advocacy.
In conclusion, Carole deserves great credit for all she is doing to advance the causes surrounding the protection of big cats, which are all too often treated horrendously. I believe she is a good person who is doing all she can to further the noble cause, and she deserves great credit for this. I also think her support of independent student journalism further demonstrates her good nature. Be sure to think twice before judging someone, especially in light of them being smeared by the media and when they have dedicated their life to fighting for a noble cause.
If you want to learn more about Big Cat Rescue, check out their website HERE. You can find Carole on Twitter HERE and read our first interview below.
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