Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Pamela, A love story: Overturns stereotypes about victims of abuse

31/01/2023

Pamela, A love story: Overturns stereotypes about victims of abusePamela Anderson's Netflix documentary offers one of the greatest lessons, what a victim-survivor of intimate partner abuse looks like

by The Conversation

31-01-2023 16:17

in Entertainment

One of the archive photographs of Pamela Anderson in Netflix's Pamela, A Love Story.

Image vis instagram @pamelaanderson

Pamela Anderson's Netflix documentary is worth watching for many reasons, but one of the greatest lessons it has to offer is what a victim-survivor of intimate partner abuse looks like: resilient, resourceful, eternally optimistic and compassionate.

--

Unlike most other victim-survivors, Anderson has been granted a platform for a narrative we still rarely hear in the mass media but which professionals in the field have known for decades. People who experience intimate partner abuse are not the submissive stereotype but often strong willed and resistant.

The trailer for Pamela, A Love Story, on Netflix Netflix are billing Pamela, A Love Story as a humanising documentary , necessary precisely because this is a woman who has been systematically dehumanised by media narratives throughout her life.

Anderson's voice has always been drowned out by the stories other people have written about her. Most recently her experiences in her relationship with Tommy Lee and the exploitation of her reputation and private life have been mined without her consent in Hulu's drama series, Pam and Tommy (2022).

--

ALSO READ: Real Housewives of Durban' S3 LIVE BLOG: All you need to know

This has prompted a woman who has finally found her power (spoiler, it was inside her all along) to tell her own story, out loud and in control of her narrative.

NARRATIVE POWER AND INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE Narrative power is an important aspect of social identity - and taking control of it is one of the most powerful tools used by perpetrators of coercive and controlling behaviour.

--

Techniques such as gaslighting (where an abuser constructs a false reality by denying and contradicting their victim's perception) manipulate and degrade the victim's sense of reality and their sense of self. Yet it is not only within the abusive intimate relationship that a victim's sense of identity can be warped by narrative.

Pamela Anderson with her son Brandon Lee in 2019. Andrea Raffin Criminologist Nils Christie drew attention to what many of us think of when we consider victims of crime - especially victims of intimate partner abuse in his classic work on the ideal victim . Christie explained that we view victims as inherently weak or vulnerable and that anyone who deviates from this is not considered a real victim.

In my research as an expert in intimate partner abuse, I often hear the common misconception that victims are submissive and dependent. Those who show resistance to their abuser are considered to be complicit or provocative.

Many victim-survivors I've spoken to explain - just like Anderson does in her Netflix documentary - that they do not perceive themselves as victims. This is because they do not align with the ideal victim stereotype. Instead, they see themselves as strong and fiercely independent, and with good reason.

ALSO READ: Real Housewives of Durban': Three bombshells from season two

OPTIMISM AND COMPASSION Pamela Anderson is eternally optimistic and compassionate - she believes in love and romance. We hear the story of how Lee wooed her with constant messages and a whirlwind of drugs and champagne before they settled into a life dominated by his heavy drinking and control of her everyday activities.

With ex husband M tley Cr e drummer Tommy Lee in 1997. Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock It's only looking back, she says, that she sees these red flags. Anderson continued to believe in her love story as she juggled young children, a gruelling work schedule and media onslaught.

I thought I could love him/her better is a common refrain in the work that I do. Persistence in an abusive relationship is not submission but fierce loyalty and generosity. Even after the relationship with Lee ends, Anderson retains her faith in romance, going on to marry three more times in attempt to find it.

It's evident that she is not dependent on men - it's clear that she was the one holding her life with Lee together. She just believes in the love stories we are all saturated in.

RESILIENCE AND GRIEF Anderson is also resilient. She withstood Lee's demanding behaviour until the point that he attacked her physically.

At that point, she ended the relationship swiftly and with conviction, admitting that she was lucky to have the resources to do so. But she continues to co-parent with Lee and she endures the trauma of having had her most private moments revealed to the world in the infamous sex tape with integrity.

A younger Pamela with one of her sons. Courtesy of Netflix The documentary uses old photographs and videos to tell the story of how Anderson made a safe and happy life for her young sons, despite the heartbreak of not being able to make it work with the father of my children - a grief she carries still.

This is not to say that victim-survivors are invincible. Anderson explains that she doesn't see herself as a victim, but as someone who puts herself into crazy situations and survives.

A RESOURCEFUL SURVIVOR Anderson uses the status she has been conferred with - sex-symbol and thing that belongs to the world - to campaign for animal rights, an issue she is passionate about.

In a montage of chat show interviews, she is seen sidestepping the hosts' jokes about the sex tape and relationship with Lee to talk about her work with the animal charity Peta. But the most poignant example of her resourcefulness comes through her pieces to camera -
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/entertainment/pamela-a-love-st...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Africa Stories

15/07/2025

Invitation for South African filmmakers to submit films for the 98th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) International Feature Film category

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

28/06/2025

Press Release: NFVF Marks Youth Month by Empowering Future Creatives Through Film & TV Bursaries

Johannesburg, 27 June 2025 - As the nation commemorates Youth Month 2025, the N...

13/06/2025

Press Release: NFVF Opens Call for Public Film Screenings on GBV Awareness as South Africa Confronts Ongoing Femicide Crisis

Johannesburg, 12 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...

11/06/2025

Press Release:NFVF Reaffirms Commitment to Transparent Funding and Fair Access Amid Industry Commentary By Ms Weaam Williams

Johannesburg, South Africa - 10 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundati...

10/06/2025

Press Release: NFVF Reaffirms Commitment to Transparent Funding and Fair Access Amid Industry Commentary By Ms Weaam Williams

Johannesburg, South Africa - 10 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundati...

06/06/2025

CALL FOR CO-DEVELOPMENT AND WORK-IN-PROGRESS PROJECTS OF FEATURE AND DOCUMENTARY ON THE AFRICAN DIASPORA SO PAULO (BRAZIL) SOUTH AFRICA

S o Paulo Film and Audiovisual Company (Spcine) and the National Film and Video ...

05/06/2025

Press Release: NFVF Celebrates Xoliswa Sithole's Selection for the 2025 Documentary Slate

Johannesburg, South Africa 4 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundatio...

29/05/2025

PRESS RELEASE: Remembering a South African Icon - Presley Chweneyagae (1984-2025)

Rest in Power, a True Legend of Our Screens Johannesburg, South Africa 27 May...

29/05/2025

Statement on the NFVF CEO's resignation

Johannesburg, South Africa 28 May 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Vincent Blennies, has resigned from...

22/05/2025

Call for Public Screening Proposals in Raising Awareness on Gender-Based Violence through Film

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

13/05/2025

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) call for Applications for the Marketing and Distribution Cycle 1 Funding is Open

The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that was create...

10/05/2025

The National Film and Video Foundation Members of the Appeal Review Committee Call is Open

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

09/05/2025

The National Film and Video Foundation Marketing and Distribution Advisory Panel Call.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

09/04/2025

Call for NFVF funding applications to attend Film Festivals and Markets taking place from 1 June 2025 to 31 July 2025

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...

08/04/2025

Press Release: The National Film and Video Foundation Announces its New Chief Executive Officer

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Vincent Blennies as Chief Exec...

04/04/2025

ANNECY 2025 STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites final-year animation students to submit character designs inspired by lead characters from any South Afric...

14/03/2025

Call for NFVF Funding Applications To Attend Film Festivals and Markets Taking Place From 14 April 2025 To 31 May 2025.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...

01/03/2025

agua bacteriostatica comprar en lnea 18

Antis pticos Orales: Revisi n De La Literatura Y Perspectiva Actual Influenza son contradictorios, dadas las elevadas tasas de curaci n espont nea. De ser neces...

28/02/2025

The Future of Green Energy

The Future of Green Energy: Challenges and Prospects Green energy, also known as renewable energy, has emerged as a critical solution to global energy challenge...

27/02/2025

ai chat bot python 10

Beginner Coding in Python: Building the Simplest AI Chat Companion Possible AI-powered Personal VoiceBot for Language Learning by Gamze Zorlubas You can ear...

24/12/2024

PARTICIPATE AT SERIES MANIA FORUM 2025

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is calling for applications from South African film and television filmmakers to be part of the NFVF's delegat...

30/11/2024

Call for NFVF funding applications to attend Film Festivals and Markets taking place from 15 January 2025 to 31 March 2025.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...

16/11/2024

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) Call for Market and Festival Hosting Funding Applications is Open

The National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Ar...

16/11/2024

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) Call for Current Masters Students to Attend Carthage Film Festival in Tunis, Tunisa.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites current masters students t...

30/10/2024

18TH ANNUAL SOUTH AFRICAN FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS (SAFTAS) HONOURED THE BEST OF THE SA FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY

Johannesburg, 26 October 2024 - The 18th Annual South African Film and Televisio...

30/10/2024

SAFTAs18 Winners List

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND DOCUMENTARY !Aitsa Practitioner: Simon Kohler Production House: MED CINE BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING DOCUMENTARY Rise: The Si...

24/10/2024

PUBLIC INVITATION TO THE INTERVIEW OF NOMINATED CANDIDATE FOR THE COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FOUNDATION (NFVF)

In accordance with Section 6 (2) (c) of the National Film and Video Foundation A...

19/10/2024

Call for Applications: Masters Students to Attend the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos, Nigeria.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites postgraduate students to s...

15/10/2024

EXTENSION OF: INVITATION TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTARY SLATE PROPOSALS 2024

The National Film and Video Foundation (herein referred to as NFVF) is a statutory body set up by the government to grow and develop the South African Film and ...

11/10/2024

NFVF Announces Old Righteous Blues as South Africa's Official Entry for the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars)

10 October 2024 Johannesburg, South Africa - The National Film and Video Found...

09/10/2024

SPORTEL Monaco 2024 Ravel Booth G06/07

Sportel stand number: Ravel Hall G06/07 After a summer filled with intense sport emotions in Paris, France and beyond, Globecast will be happy to welcome you...

04/10/2024

Press Release

SAFTAs 18 Announces Date and Theme: Honouring Excellence in South African Film and Television with the theme Back to Basics . Johannesburg, South Africa Wedn...

04/10/2024

SAFTAs18 Announces Date and Theme: Honouring Excellence in South African Film and Television with the theme Back to Basics

Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday, 2 October 2024 The South African Film ...

01/10/2024

National Film and Video Foundation Announces Leadership Changes

Johannesburg, South Africa - Monday, 30 September 2024 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (...

24/09/2024

Invitation for people with disabilities to submit proposals for short films under the theme: Not What Society Expects

Every little girl out there who has felt different because they are not what soc...

09/09/2024

INVITATION TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTARY SLATE PROPOSALS 2024

The National Film and Video Foundation (herein referred to as NFVF) is a statutory body set up by the government to grow and develop the South African Film and ...

06/09/2024

The 18th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs18) Nominees Announced.

Johannesburg, 05 September 2024 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF),...

09/08/2024

National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) Mourns the Passing of Veteran Actress Mme Connie Chiume

Johannesburg, 8 August 2024 - It is with profound sadness that the National Film...

01/08/2024

Globecast at IBC 2024 Booth 5.C75

Globecast to Showcase the Broadcast Industry's Most Advanced Connectivity and Hybrid Cloud Solutions at IBC 2024 PARIS, 1 August 2024 Globecast, the lead...

16/07/2024

18th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) open the call for Discretionary Award Nominations

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

13/07/2024

Invitation for South African filmmakers to submit films for the 97th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) International Feature Film category.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

09/07/2024

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) call for Marketing and Distribution cycle 2 funding applications is open

The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that is created...

02/07/2024

Global Arabic Bouquet (GAB) renewed deal

Arabsat, ASBU and Globecast are commemorating 20 years with a renewed multi-year deal for Global Arabic Bouquet (GAB) services, providing a wide range of DTH di...

11/06/2024

30 YEARS OF SOUTH AFRICA'S DEMOCRACY CELEBRATED THROUGH THE FILM LENS AT THE 77TH INTERNATIONAL CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

Tuesday 11 June 2024, Johannesburg. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF...

31/05/2024

Statement on the alleged ill treatment of cast members

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the custodians of the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), has learned of the allegations of ill-tr...