Before the days of social media and the world wide web, Baywatch and Playboy icon Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee broke news circuits with the most popular VHS tape of the 1990s. That stolen VHS tape led to one of pop-culture history’s biggest scandals and controversies. It’s a story that many elder statesmen like myself lived through, and thanks to Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, viewers will be taken back to the mid-’90s into the private lives and chaos of two of the biggest names of the era.
Pam & Tommy dives into the incredible story of the infamous sex tape that ultimately sold millions of VHS copies and became one if not the first celebrity sex tape to be available online via a paywall. Not only do we get a glimpse of the creation of said tape, but the series also looks at the man who allegedly stole the tape and the commencement and ultimate end to the marriage and relationship of Pam and Tommy.
Written by Robert D. Siegel and directed by Cruella and I. Tonya, Craig Gillespie, Pam & Tommy captures the craze of this story and the era. While Siegel and Gillespie did not receive consultation from either Anderson or Lee, the series can still explore this story and their lives uniquely and entertainingly. Never afraid to challenge the audience, Siegel and Gillespie start the series with two of the wildest episodes of TV we may see all year. From NC-17 level nudity to Jason Mantzoukas playing the part of Tommy Lee’s penis (yep, that’s right, Tommy Lee’s penis speaks!). Accepting the challenge and moving past the craziness of the first two episodes will reward viewers with a hard-hitting drama that questions the rights of celebrities and the first victims of the internet.
Yes, the series can be seen as scandalous. However, Siegel and Gillespie also do an excellent job of providing a sympathetic look at Anderson. The two examine the double standard of men and women and the clouded public persona placed on Anderson after the tape was released. Because of the methods taken, the events that transpired can be seen within a new lens and be rethought, along with how little respect was given to the eventual financial exploitation of their privacy.
Since early 2021 when the first images of Sebastian Stan and Lily James were dropped, the anticipation for the series exploded for many. The two step up to that high anticipation and deliver two powerhouse performances. It’s only February, and Stan has already produced two of my favorite performances of the year with this series and Fresh. Both Stan and James anchor the series with an understanding and complexity that made these two individuals such pop-culture phenoms. James disappears into Pamela and performs the best. Indeed, two of the performances we will be talking about all year. Seth Rogan offers a commendable performance as Rand, the contractor and the individual. The latter stole the tape and provided a deep look at the troubling consequences of that robbery and exploitation.
Pam & Tommy could have fallen into the territory of tabloid nonsense. Instead, however, the series turned into quite a delight. One that questions the audience and critiques all those who purchased one of these tapes way back when, most importantly, the realization that celebrities are in the limelight, but their privacy should be respected.
The first four episodes of Pam and Tommy are now available to watch on Hulu.
