Skip to main content

Pamela Anderson is iconic, but not for the reasons you think

by Isabel Weeks Hankins

Trigger Warning: Sensitive topics of a sexual nature 


Pamela Anderson is the woman who seamlessly defined the 1990s. The curly blonde updo and sensually smokey cat eye made her the it-girl of the decade, and many mimic the iconic look on social media to this day. 


But the world behind the beauty, glamour and wealth of the Baywatch star isn’t a life of serenity or bliss. Ultimately, it’s of strength and speaking out.  


Ⓒ Netflix 


Molested by her babysitter as a young child and raped by a 25-year-old when she was 12 and again at 14, Anderson always wanted to take back the power of her sexuality. She achieved this with countless covers for Playboy, her 11-season stint on Baywatch and the 1996 film, Barb Wire. 


However, in 1997, the little control she had on the reigns of her own life were stolen along with the release of the infamous sex tape. Plummeting both Anderson and her then-husband, Tommy Lee, into the eye of the publicly scandalous storm. 


Anderson was laid out for the world to see. It was the ultimate violation and the definition of a breach of privacy. Whilst Lee was redefined as the Rock star he was, being praised for the size of his penis, Anderson was again a spectacle. 


By some, Anderson was even berated for showing her body in such a sexual way, despite the couple being married. 


Ⓒ Netflix


When confronted with such a situation I imagine many of us, including myself, would climb for the hills and chuck our phones in the bin, ceasing contact with the outside world. But not Anderson.  She continued to work in the public eye. Smiling in front of the paparazzi as if the life and the career-altering moment had never happened. 


Twenty five years after the original publication of the tape, Hulu’s eight-part series, Pam and Tommy, was released meaning Anderson was forced to relive that unfair and horrific part of her life. 


Sebastian Stan confirmed, in an interview with Variety, he had spoken with Tommy Lee and was praised by him for his portrayal of the Mötley Crüe drummer. Anderson, on the other hand, did not want the story to be retold nor was her consent given to produce the show. 


Was the person who was truly violated in that private and intimate 54-minute video forgotten? Somehow the show, which was themed around the idea of consent and exploitation, managed to ignore the wishes of the person who really mattered: Anderson. 


But now Anderson is taking back control by giving herself a voice in the new Netflix documentary, Pamela: a love story. 


Ⓒ Netflix


In March 2022, Anderson announced the documentary with a post of a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead. Towards the bottom of the note, it said: “not a victim, but a survivor”, encapsulating the path the feature-length documentary would take. 


In the trailer for the documentary produced by her son, Brandon Thomas Lee, it is clear Anderson is not seeking pity. More admirably, she is deservedly using her voice to speak out about her experiences on her own terms, something all women should be able to do freely in this day and age. 


Hopefully, the Netflix documentary inspires a sense of change in the way people view Anderson. Countless times she has shown that resilience is her most desirable attribute, rather than the multitude of other things she is known for. 


In light of everything Anderson has been through, she has proven everyone wrong. She is not just the blonde bombshell in a red swimsuit. She is a woman. She is a survivor. And her voice is finally being heard. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro
Post a Comment
Read more

Eurydice’s Last Words

by Kate Bradley I do not want to return To sit in the stalls, Of an empty black box Strewn with petals Leave the ghost light on, Let it shine like a call home, But I will not come back To turn it off alone. I learn this as we walk Our ever so solemn path Our thudding funeral march, You think we’re going back. As I trace my old steps, I fear of the day When the symphony swells, And I land my gaze On you, yet you will be Enraptured by the sound, If you did twist To turn around, You would not see me. So I am not sorry, I speak out into the empty air And I am not sorry. “Turn Around.” You do, you look You think  I fall But I run on, Arms wide open To fall in love With it all “Perhaps she was the one who said, ‘Turn around.” On the X45 bus, back from the Tyneside Cinema, I wrote a poem entitled “Eurydice’s Final Words”, after having seen “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”.  That poem was terrible, so I wrote a new one, as my response to the beautifully poignant film.  In one scene, Héloïse, an 18
Post a Comment
Read more

Single Review: ‘Tell Me’ - Jay Moussa-Mann

by Ilana Hawdon The feeling of pure betrayal and heartbreak is perfectly captured in Jay Moussa-Mann’s latest single, ‘Tell Me’. Jay Moussa-Mann is the folk dream we have been waiting for. A favourite on BBC Introducing, Radio 6 and BBC Radio Tees, Jay ’s sound is easy on the ears but delightfully addictive. With a background in writing and film, she began her solo musical venture when she released her debut album, ‘Little Deaths’ in late-2019, and since then, Moussa-Mann has defined herself as an artist with unbelievable range and promise.    ‘Tell Me’ is completely timeless; with notes of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, Moussa-Mann creates a folk-inspired track which is simultaneously heart wrenching and strangely empowering. Beginning as a simple guitar tune, ‘Tell Me’ builds with layers of luscious strings and twinkling piano, tied together with Jay ’s vocal line which is equal parts melancholic and divine. The song feels unwaveringly intimate; the lyrics ask, ‘what was I worth?’
Post a Comment
Read more