Hulu's Pam and Tommy series criticized for flattening Pamela Anderson's complexity

Released in 2022, the Hulu series Pam and Tommy chronicles the unauthorized theft and distribution of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's intimate tape in 1995. Lily James portrays Anderson, utilizing significant makeup and prosthetics for her role. Critics contend that the series does not adequately reflect Anderson's charm and instead depicts her as a victim, a characterization she rejects, feeling that it reopens old wounds. With explicit scenes, the show raises issues of consent and simplifies Anderson's character while trying to present her as a feminist figure. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the initial episodes ridicule Anderson's preferences. The theft, recognized as a sex crime, caused her trauma, which the series seems to exploit. James underwent five hours of makeup each day for her transformation.