You know what I love about documentaries like these and them being released at a time like this? For years, we’ve encountered larger than life personalities like Pam Anderson, Mike Tyson and even Miss Cleo, but we never really knew who they were outside of that persona. (For Miss Cleo, we still don’t really know but I digress.) Now, especially with Mike, we get to dive deeper into these people and they get to tell their own story. What’s so remarkable now is that we’re open to listening to what they have to say. It took some time but this documentary on Pam, in her words and memories, is right on time.
Pam didn’t want to read her diaries, but I enjoyed them finding someone who sounded like Pam to read them. It gave a little more that just what we hear Pam say, and I like to think that she might not even remember what she wrote then. It’s fun to hear it. I’m always fascinated to know just how often people wrote about their life and feelings in the 80’s and 90’s. I though Moesha was the only person who wrote in her diary daily.
One of my favorite parts of this documentary is when Pam told the story of her going to the mainland in Canada. I also forgot she was Canadian. Things you have to relearn. Anyway, she said her mom told her not to go to the mainland and she would say something like, “Someone got shot in Texas. You shouldn’t go.” Pam would reply, “That’s kind of far” and her mom would go, “It’s all connected.” THIS IS MY GRANDMA AND HER SISTER. I live just outside of the capital city of Virginia and they would tell me a bear was loose in Fredericksburg. I felt your pain, Pam. I really did.
In addition to the diary readings, I was surprised to learn that Pam never thought that she was one of those beautiful girls. She’d seen the Playboy magazine, because her dad had them, and always wished that she could be one of those girls. Now, when you think of Playboy, Pam is the first person to come to mind. She’s one of the staples of the brand.
Speaking of Playboy, Pam started to talk about people asking about her implants. It reminded me of when talking heads ask trans people if they’d had the reassignment surgery. Pam was too afraid to not answer the question, but the trans women that I see are ALWAYS ready to tell those folk to mind their business. As a viewer, you feel bad that someone didn’t have the courage to stand up for themselves. I have that issue sometimes, so again, I felt her pain. But I would also cuss someone out when asking me something personal like that. That’s not something that should be up for discussion.
Pam is one of those people who loves love and it’s always the sweet ones that end up dating any and everyone. Searching for love everywhere instead of being more selective. The next time will always be different and it never is. Until she found Tommy.
Tommy and Pam seemed like the white Bobby and Whitney. There was real love between them but we only saw the chaos. I find it funny that people now are eager to create OnlyFans accounts to make money, and here is the face of Playboy screaming that she wants her privacy. The courts told her she wasn’t entitled to that. Felt strange to know that they didn’t deem the invasion of her privacy as an actual invasion of her privacy. I didn’t watch the doc of Pam and Tommy but I imagine that there was a lot of past trauma and mental health issues that had never been addressed in the relationship.
Pam ran so Kim could walk. I feel like Pam and Kim Kardashian have the same trajectory. Pam is in the activist portion of her life and so is Kim. She’s a real family oriented person and always wanted to be more than just a Playboy bunny. She wanted to be a real actress, a mom, and more, but we only allowed her to be one thing. To be devil’s advocate, I don’t think she tried as hard to get out of that box. She could have done so much more but I think she gave herself to others and not herself. Her son even said that about her.
Later, we see her preparing for Broadway, and I went, “Yes! Great for you, Pam.” Finally, we see her doing something for her. Living for her and her kids. Forget the Hulu series. I ain’t watch it, and yes, I still want to know who stole the safe and the tape. But, Pam is in her 50’s now and she is living for Pam and I love that for her. I enjoyed seeing the ride as a viewer.
To end, I would like to say that Pam is gorgeous with no makeup. For years, we’ve seen her with tons of makeup on, but without makeup, I can see her mom in her face and she looks just as sexy without it.
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