Following the premiere of Netflix Tiger King in March 2024, Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue and enemy of Joe “Exotic” Maldonado-Passage, became an internet sensation. From Carole’s popular catchphrase, “Hello, all of you great cats and kittens,” to her fondness for wearing flower wreaths, she has apparently become a cultural phenomenon overnight.
As such, many have tried (and failed) to get an interview with Carole. However, the animal rights activist did not participate in any sit-ins after the premiere, preferring to speak out against the docuseries through newspaper quotes. “I feel so angry that people have totally missed the point,” she told the Tampa Bay Times in April 2024. “And the point is that these puppies are being abused and exploited and the public is allowing it.”
Considering that Carole has been silent since the show’s premiere, some fans were surprised when she appeared to give an interview in May 2024 with Tonight ‘s Show Jimmy Fallon. The capture? Fallon never interviewed Carole, and YouTube pranksters Josh Pieters and Archie Manners had tricked her into the chat.
As for how Pieters and manners accomplished this mischief? We spill the beans below.
How the Pranksters Fooled Carole Baskin
Josh Pieters and Archie Manners / YouTubeJosh Pieters and Archie Manners’ prank was born when they wondered if interview guests using Zoom could always see who was interviewing them, as Pieters explained to Insider. “From there came the idea to reproduce the talent recordings of their interviewers and see if they realized it,” he explained.
Next step? The pranksters created a fake production company, Invisible Objects, and contacted Carole Baskin via email with an interview request. Believing that Manners and Pieters were working on behalf of Fallon, Carole accepted the conversation on the condition that they only talk about Big Cat Rescue activism. The YouTubers explained to Carole that she would not be able to see Fallon during the call, which she accepted.
The YouTubers then collected sound clips of all the times Fallon talked about cats to simulate a conversation with Carole. And when there wasn’t a good clip to use, the guys got creative. “I have Archie on standby who can come in and act as the producer and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got a quick turnaround there, Jimmy’s just doing this,’ or ‘Jimmy’s just doing his makeup,’ and then he orders himself explaining why something came out. wrong, ‘Pieters explained.
The Pieters and Manners ruse worked, and Carole spoke on a variety of topics with “Fallon,” including how she has been caring for her animals amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also asked viewers to “support the Big Cat Public Safety Act,” according to the celebrated Hollywood reporter.
Carole Baskin laughed at the joke
Netflix / YouTubeSo how did Carole Baskin react when she found out that she had been tricked by a couple of YouTubers? The answer may surprise fans. “I suspected they were doing it because the questions were recorded,” she explained to CNN. “But I had no idea it would turn out to be such a funny joke.” She added: “He gave us a very welcome laugh. I appreciate their intelligence and that they created their video in a way that I don’t feel is in a bad way. ”
Carole also commented on the YouTube video of the prank, sharing an email she had sent to her husband and daughter after the conversation. “Well that was strange,” she wrote. “I couldn’t see Fallon during the interview, and when they had their voice on the questions they didn’t sound like they were topic-specific. He simply said things that could have been recorded in any other interview; like ‘What do you do during quarantine?”.
She continued: “They stuck to the questions they gave us, so I can’t say it. All this could have been a parody and they said they will not broadcast until next week, and they will let us know before they do. “, but I’m not holding my breath”.
