What I’m watching: an insightful mini-series about Pam Anderson

Date: 3/22/2022

On Hulu: “Pam & Tommy”

I was never a huge fan of Pam Anderson, but my lack of enthusiasm was not shared back in the 1990s by my fellow men.

Anderson was perhaps the defining sex symbol of the era. Her role on “Baywatch” caused her to catapult to fame. Yes, Anderson cut quite a figure in her red one-piece bathing suit, and she made numerous appearances in Playboy, sans bathing suit.

She seemed to be everywhere in terms of publicity.

What Anderson did was indeed trading on her looks. While some people may have had un-pure thoughts about her, Anderson herself knowingly drew a line.

The scandal recounted in this series involved a sex tape featuring her and her then-husband, rock and roll drummer Tommy Lee, sent her career into directions she did not want.
Without question Anderson was a victim.

At the heart of this thoughtful story is a discussion about what is private and what is not private for celebrities, as well as the considerable double standard for such matters between men and women.

Lee (Sebastian Stan) refuses to pay a contractor working on his home. He even prevented one of them from retrieving his tools after he fires the workers. That carpenter, Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogan), is so angry about the treatment, he sneaks back onto the estate and steals a safe to compensate for his loss.

The safe has assorted items, such as guns, which he pawns, and a video tape. That tape was taken by the couple of a trip on a boat and includes their sexual activities. Rand shows it to a friend who is in the porn business and eventually they start selling the footage on VHS.

The tape spreads like wildfire and sets in motion the points that are presented by the mini-series. This is a private tape, but because it’s about celebrities, should it be released? Whose career does it hurt? Lee is lionized by guys for having Anderson as his partner, while Anderson loses jobs because of it and is criticized.

Some people believe that if a person poses for Playboy, they are porn performers and have no privacy rights.

The story is told in a fascinating and compelling way. Early on, there is some nudity and there is one scene which may seem gratuitous, but is actually from Lee’s memoir.

Considering the subject matter, this production is quite discreet.

British actress Lily James makes an extraordinary transformation into Anderson. The makeup and prosthetics are flawlessly designed, and James is indeed Anderson. The actress has a lot of impressive credits – she was a regular on “Downton Abbey” – and this is a remarkable performance.

Stan is equally impressive. He is quickly becoming one of the best young actors working in films and TV today. Considering his previous roles – the Winter Soldier in the Marvel films, Tonya Harding’s scheming husband in “I, Tonya” – this guy is both accomplished and a chameleon.

Rogen gives a nuanced performance as the carpenter who steals the tape. Rand is not a villain per se. He is a thoughtful working-class guy who is pushed way too far. His efforts to make amends are sincere and a bit heart-breaking.

If you thought this was going to be some sort of exploitive production, you would be wrong. Clearly the writers and directors wanted to tell a fable about fame, privacy and karma, and they succeeded with this mini-series.