Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Uncategorized
Two Stars
Best for:
I’m not entirely sure. I hope her fans would enjoy it.
In a nutshell:
Pamela Anderson provides the Cliff’s Notes version of her biography.
Worth quoting:
N/A
Why I chose it:
When the limited series about the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee was released this year, Anderson was vocal in that she had not given her consent for her story to be told that way, so I chose not to watch the show. I thought I’d pick up her memoir to hear what she has to say about her own life in her own words, sort of as a way to counteract that.
What it left me feeling:
A bit sad
Review:
I appreciate that Anderson has been given a chance to speak for herself. She has made some decisions about how she presents herself publicly that some people don’t agree with (posing for Playboy, starring in a TV show where she mostly just wore a bathing suit), with those same people forming opinions about her that likely don’t align with reality. Some people probably know her for her association with PETA as well, which might also impact their views of her.
What these folks probably don’t expect, based on stereotypes, is that Anderson is very well-read, and very interested in literature, the arts, and all manner of activism.
I didn’t have much of an opinion on Anderson before reading this book; after reading it, I probably am less inclined to seek out her work. She’s clearly been through a lot in her life, and has managed to really take control of her future and build her own story, and I think that’s wonderful. I also don’t think we would enjoy spending time with each other.
Which is fine! That’s not the point of a memoir – it’s not about liking or disliking the author; it’s about the author sharing their version of their story, in the hopes that people who only know one part of them might know more. With that comes the risk, of course, that the knowledge will lead some people to become less of a fan, or less interested in the person in general, and that’s happened here. Prior to reading this, I would say I was truly ambivalent about Anderson until I saw that the TV series was made without her consent. Now … eh?
Many things led me to this conclusion – here are just a couple. She sounds very judgmental of women who choose medicated over unmedicated births (I also just generally cringe when people refer to one type of way of giving birth as natural, as though birth could be artificial). And this is yet another celebrity promoting crypto and blockchain. I feel like a lot of memoirs released in the last couple of years are not going to age well in this area… But also – this is a very short memoir. I appreciate she can share what she chooses, but it definitely felt a bit disjointed and a bit like the abridged version in a way that I haven’t experienced with most other memoirs.
When thinking of how to best sum up what I walked away with from this book, I come to this conclusion: like all people, Anderson is complex. She and I have next to nothing in common. I think people should leave her alone and not watch the tape that was stolen and published without her consent. And I likely will not really think about her again unless a story about her pops up in my news feed.
Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it
