Pam and Tommy - Pammy?

Quite literally sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.

***Spoilers***

Pam and Tommy, the miniseries, is currently taking Disney+ by storm with a new episode dropping each week. It follows the whirlwind romance of rockstar Tommy Lee, portrayed by Sebastian Stan, and actress/model Pamela Anderson, portrayed by Lilly James. At the time Pamela was starring in the TV hit Baywatch, and Tommy was the drummer for the flashy metal combo Mötley Crüe – and pretty well known to all. Seth Rogan stars as the carpenter and ex-pornstar who steals and tries to sell the couple’s sex tape.

Pam and Tommy is a biographical drama miniseries re-counting the marriage between actress Pamela and Tommy during the period their sex tape was made public.

The miniseries is highly sexualised and does not shy away from explicit details (Tommy’s talking penis was quite… something). It’s rated 18 with a note for nudity, sex scenes, drug use and offensive language.

The plot of a sex video being shared without consent connected with other work we’ve been doing at the office. In our Growing Up with Porn report we heard from rangatahi about the impact porn can have on individuals and wider communities. We also created the #Barefacts campaign alongside Netsafe about sharing nudes.

In that campaign we highlighted that having nudes shared without consent can be hard to deal with but there are ways to get images removed.

Consent is clearly something that Pamela or Tommy did not have after their sex tape was stolen and then published worldwide. Watching Pam and Tommy could be a good opportunity to engage with issues around pornography and consent, and to think critically about impact of the story. How would the saga play out today?

Further Reading

Lily James hoped to 'disappear' into Pamela Anderson. Instead, she saw herself – Stuff

Pamela Anderson Will Never Watch Pam & Tommy, 'Not Even The Trailer' – Slash Film

‘What Happened to Pam Was So Wrong’: Lily James on Stepping Into an Icon’s Red Swimsuit – Rolling Stone

I can sum up 'Pam & Tommy' in a single word – CNN

Help information

At the Office we know that everyone has a line. What might seem like an easy watch for one person could be different for another. If the content of this blog has made you feel uncomfortable please reach out. Talk to your friends or whānau or you can free call or text 1737 for more support.

Safe to Talk is a sexual harm helpline available for non-judgemental 24/7 support, call 0800 044 334 or text 4334.