All The Ways Pam & Tommy Lied To You About Their Engagement And Marriage
The new Hulu miniseries "Pam & Tommy" takes us into the crazy, sexy, and tumultuous life of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee as the couple meets, falls in love, gets engaged, and marries — all within six weeks.
Although the series' focus soon becomes the infamous sex tape stolen from the couple — and how it affected their relationship while simultaneously launching the internet-as-we-know-it in 1995 — the couple remains the main focus.
But just how much of what we see in "Pam & Tommy" is real? Have events been changed or adapted to make better TV? In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner D.V. DeVincentis is very clear that his intention when talking about the sex tape was always to show that the couple had been victims of a crime and never wanted their intimate recording to be released. "I think if you had to name one person with whom the show's sympathies lie, it's Pam," Siegel says. "We very clearly, unambiguously present them as the victims of a crime, which they were."
While this is very clear during the show, just how accurate is what we see about Anderson and Lee's relationship?
Time is condensed a lot in the TV show
Even in the case of the real whirlwind romance of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, life was still too slow for TV. In "Pam & Tommy," we see the couple meets in a way very similar to real-life — except that their real meeting was on New Year's Eve in 1994 while the TV show just makes it seem like it was "a regular day."
The first big jump in time we see in the show comes right after that. "Pam & Tommy" makes it seem like Anderson went to Mexico the day after their meeting, with Lee following her there right away. But the truth is that there's a six-week break between the two events (per The New York Post).
The TV show also condenses time a lot when it comes to the events surrounding the sex tape scandal. This was a trying time for the couple, as it caused a lot of stress and would change their relationship forever. "Pam & Tommy" makes it look like the stealing of the tape, its release, and the fallout that came after all happened within a very short period of time.
But the truth is that the tape was stolen in October 1995 and the couple didn't even realize it was gone until January 1996. By then, the tape was already available for sale online (via Los Angeles Times).
We don't know what life after marriage was really like
In "Pam & Tommy," we see a lot of private moments between Anderson and Lee as the couple comes back from Mexico married. Our first peek into their married life is a scene as they're flying back and are awkwardly having a conversation about their favorite movies and favorite foods while sitting side by side on the plane.
Later on, we see the couple chat in the car after landing in LA about where they will live together and deciding Lee's Malibu location is just perfect. They then arrive at Lee's mansion and excitedly discuss the renovations and what they would like to add to the garden and home.
But the truth is that we have no idea what those first moments of married life were like and the show is merely speculating on how, when, and where all these things were discussed. Anderson and Lee were alone for these conversations and neither one of them served as a consultant for the TV show. According to Entertainment Weekly, DeVincentis explains they really tried to get the former couple involved but had no luck. "We particularly wanted to let Pamela Anderson know that this portrayal was very much a positive thing and that we cared a great deal about her and wanted her to know that the show loves her. We didn't get a response."