Pamela Anderson: Sexism, Objectification, and Exploitation in Hollywood
Whether or not you’ve watched the popular 2022 Hulu Original “Pam and Tommy” or seen Pamela Anderson’s own Netflix documentary, “Pamela, A Love Story,” now is the time to discuss the exploitation and sexualization of Pamela Anderson in Hollywood. After the misleading drama series about her life, the former actress finally can control her own narrative in her new documentary, where she discusses everything from love and family to sexism and fame.
Pamela Anderson experienced sexual trauma in her adolescence which had a profound impact on her developing sexuality. For years, Anderson was sexually molested by her babysitter and, in a separate interaction, she was sexually assaulted at twelve years old. Since Anderson’s mother was also experiencing physical and emotional abuse at the time (by her husband), Pamela felt that revealing her own traumatic experiences would only add to her mother’s burden. By the time Playboy magazine recruited the teenager, Pamela felt shame about her body and struggled with shyness and self consciousness. She found that modeling for the cover, though nerve-wracking, allowed her to redefine her sexuality and claim some power.
After marrying Tommy Lee in 1995, Anderson was making headlines again, but this time for starring in the first celebrity tape to be publicly leaked. The video made global headlines and paved the way for later Hollywood sex tapes, such as that between Kim Kardashian and Ray J in 2007. Pamela and Tommy’s situation was unique, however, because their tape was stolen from inside their home and published without their consent. In a lawsuit where the couple tried to regain rights to the video, Pamela was attacked for her work in Playboy, by which it was argued that she relinquished her right to privacy after willingly posing for nude photographs. Under the legal system was not the first time Anderson was subjected to sexual scrutiny. Before the tape was released, Pamela was constantly asked questions in interviews—conducted by men—about her sex life or her body. It was clear that men only saw Pamela as a sexual object, or “a caricature of a person.” After suffering from the media circus for decades, Pamela Anderson is finally receiving the public and media attention she deserves.
Pamela Anderson’s story is not unique; Hollywood and the media continue to exploit women and their bodies. Countless women are valued solely for sex appeal and yet are ruthlessly attacked when they show an interest in their own sexual pleasure. Anderson did not want to be famous for her “boobs and love affairs,” but the system irrevocably forced upon her the image of “the blond bombshell.” Anderson’s life—through sexual assault, abuse, and exploitation—has been a cycle of men and the media usurping her power and autonomy to a fabricate a misleading public image. Now, Pamela is ready to tell her story and shine a light on the mistreatment she, and other women, suffer in Hollywood. As she observes in the documentary,“[it’s] my time to shine…not as a sex symbol, but as an actress.” Change will come, and Pamela has bravely paved the way for this transformation.
Strike Out,
St. Louis
Writer: Harper Moothart
Editors: Emily Bekesh, Rosie Swidler, & Ellie Wells