American Freak Show

As I delve deeper into the realm of documentaries, I find myself increasingly captivated by the stark contrast between productions like “Chimp Crazy” and “Ren Faire”. While both present us with unusual characters living on the fringes of society, it’s the approach taken by each that truly sets them apart.

In a new documentary titled “Chimp Crazy” by HBO, filmmaker Eric Goode delves into unusual aspects of Tonia Haddix, an exotic animal broker known for kidnapping her chimpanzee Tonka to evade PETA. Throughout the four episodes, Haddix, who is both the main subject and narrator, offers a wealth of intriguing details: tanned skin reminiscent of bronze, Barbie-like hair, heavily enhanced facial features, and bold pink attire. It’s important to note that she intentionally presents herself in this manner. “I’m the Dolly Parton of chimps,” she proclaims at the start of the series, adding, “Or I’m the crazy monkey lady, whatever.

However, there’s a specific way that “Chimp Crazy” portrays Haddix’s peculiarity, which teeters between developing her character and finding her oddities intriguing. In one instance, the camera focuses on Haddix during a lip filler session. The technician carries out the injection, explaining the process of shaping her lips to achieve the desired plumpness. Watching cosmetic surgery can be eerie; any video of a lip-filling procedure will evoke body horror feelings. This scene creates an unpleasant impression, and “Chimp Crazy’s” intent becomes clear: Haddix is bizarre or strange.

In this documentary series about Haddix, it repeatedly emphasizes her alien nature, despite Goode’s attempts to present a sense of empathy throughout the project. The first time they meet in person, Goode tells Haddix, “I understand what you’re going through,” and adds that he also keeps animals, being an animal conservationist with a turtle conservancy near his California home. However, there remains a significant gap between Goode and Haddix, as well as between Goode and the close-knit community of exotic animal breeders who are the focus of his two successful documentaries.

In essence, while Goode identifies with this particular community, his involvement is limited at best. Exotic animal breeding is more of a commercial endeavor for those associated with him, but a personal pursuit for Goode, who has amassed wealth through various ventures such as the popular nightclub Area in New York City and the Bowery Hotel, among others. His fame, once modest, skyrocketed due to the success of ‘Tiger King’, which has now given him an infamous reputation within the exotic animal breeding community. As a result, he had to hire a “proxy” director for his documentary ‘Chimp Crazy’, suggesting that he struggles to gain access to this underground world. The people Goode documents are wealthy and own property, but they inhabit a socio-economic tier where legal boundaries often blur, leading to significant gains and potential losses. Their extravagant lifestyles in the fringes of society create compelling narratives, but also tragic ones. With two projects now underway, it seems Goode is intrigued by this unique American persona, yet may not fully comprehend his part in portraying their image for public consumption, especially when considering the emotional trauma and mental health issues that these individuals face.

The show Tiger King, like Chimp Crazy, was made by embedding film crews with unusual characters and capturing unexpectedly wild events. Tiger King became popular on Netflix during the early days of COVID-19 lockdown and the latter part of the Trump presidency. People were drawn to the drama between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin because they had little else to do at home, especially given the chaotic circumstances of that time. However, the fascination with these individuals as ‘crazy characters’ has left a bitter taste since then, despite resulting in laws banning private ownership of big cats. The show portrayed Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin in a way that seems to downplay their instability, yet they were both victims and perpetrators of abuse in some form.

The series “Chimp Crazy” hints at exploring the psychological depths of its subject, Haddix, to understand her intense connection with chimps that led to kidnapping one. However, it seldom delves deep into her personal life. A brief glimpse shows how she married a man who disapproved of women working, which she connects to her later work with over 70 children. This is an unusual choice given her previous career as a registered nurse before the events in “Chimp Crazy.” The series could have used this detail for character development but instead presents it as a possible reason for her subsequent passion for chimps and exotic animal trading, even though she had no prior experience or interest. The portrayal of Haddix as a tragic figure is suggested but the series shows little interest in investigating the roots of her tragedy.

In a scene where Haddix expresses her affection for Tonka and other chimps, we notice hints of emotional scars being healed by what appears to be a pseudo-maternal attachment towards these animals. She mentions feelings of neglect from her own children, and there’s an underlying theme of control in her descriptions of the chimps. She says, “They’re eager to please,” adding, “They don’t grow up and develop their own thoughts.” In a related part, her son, Justin Range, discusses how Haddix’s love for the chimps frequently overshadows her affection towards her human children. However, Chimp Crazy fails to resolve this conflict, choosing instead to highlight Haddix’s storytelling abilities as a means of self-glorification rather than exploring the root of this self-mythology. The documentary barely scratches the surface in understanding Haddix as an individual, preferring to portray her as a villainous caricature instead. Towards the end, it is revealed that Haddix herself becomes a victim of a brutal chimp attack – a tragic event hinted at earlier in the series due to the unnatural confinement of chimps. This revelation serves as a climactic punchline, emphasizing how Haddix, someone with significant personal issues, was always the butt of the documentary’s joke.

It’s beneficial to compare “Chimp Crazy” with Lance Oppenheim’s “Ren Faire,” another HBO docuseries from this year, which delves into the realm of a different set of peculiar individuals. The series chronicles the power struggle that ensues at the Texas Renaissance Festival following the announcement by its patriarch figure, “King” George Coulam – an affluent octogenarian who’s still actively seeking dates online and has plans to opt for assisted suicide if he lives beyond 95 years – that he will be stepping down from the business. Coulam’s mental abilities seem to be deteriorating, and just as one might infer political connotations from Joe Exotic’s hairstyle, similar inferences can be drawn from Coulam’s extensive estate featuring a manor house. However, “Ren Faire” employs an unconventional and partially collaborative method, where Oppenheim uses visual effects and even staged re-enactments to depict a subject’s inner world. This approach results in a compelling piece of work, as if Oppenheim is attempting to understand the world from the perspective of those he’s filming, no matter how bizarre or debatable their views might be. The traditional power dynamic between the documentarian and the subjects remains, but “Ren Faire” allows the subjects to present themselves on their own terms. The series takes their statements and self-perceptions sincerely, while maintaining a clear understanding of the broader moral narrative: a story of institutional decay that also serves as a microcosm of the decaying world around us.

In the third episode of “Chimp Crazy,” Goode explains to journalist Peter Laufer that he strives to avoid influencing the story too much, instead choosing to simply record it and let viewers make their own conclusions at the end. This statement reflects a moral dilemma regarding intervention when Tonka may be in danger or could pose a threat. When asking Laufer for advice on this matter, Goode implies that they both share similar roles. However, it’s essential to note that while Goode and journalists may share some functions, his work can be more accurately described as nonfiction entertainment rather than traditional journalism. Goode and his team have always been transparent about their methods, which involve casting a wide net for eccentric characters, focusing on those who stand out, creating an atmosphere around them, and encouraging society to observe the resulting spectacle.

2024-09-11 22:54

American Freak Show

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