In this edition of Mandatory TV Battles, we’re exploring the world of recent biographical TV dramas with Pam & Tommy and Joe vs. Carole. On the surface, both these TV series couldn’t be more different in terms of their content. However, when you look closer, they share a surprising amount of similarities. Both are revenge stories, they both have salacious undertones, and they both deal with cycles of abuse & female trauma. And while series deal with real-life stories that are scandalous and unbelievable, they are both surprisingly grounded in their approach. But how do does Joe vs. Carole stack up against Pam & Tommy? Let’s find out!
Cover Photos: Hulu and Peacock
We never thought that we would have to write this, but…(sigh) Joe vs. Carole is actually pretty well made. The more that you start to compare the two, the more the similarities start to take shape. While both shows try to meet similar ends, the means to those ends are flawed in significantly different ways. It’s hard to call either Pam & Tommy or Joe vs. Carole amazing shows, but they are both effective in different ways. Flawed, but interesting is the best way to describe both series (yet worth a watch, if you’re bored). As much as it pains us to say, Joe vs. Carole is the more bingeable series, mostly because it is less uneven.
Overall Winner: Joe vs. Carole
MTVB: Pam and Tommy VS. Joe v. Carole
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Leading Duo
Both series stake their names on their respective leading duos. When Kate McKinnon was cast as Carole Baskin, it was easy to see how the SNL actress could ham it up in the role. In many ways, McKinnon’s quirky, sometimes obnoxious screen presence is only a small step or two away from a character like Baskin. Fortunately, McKinnion is surprisingly nuanced & complex performance in Joe vs. Carole. The same goes for John Cameron Mitchell, who manages to portray Joe Exotic with a great deal of empathy.
On the other side of the equation, the leads in Pam & Tommy are also expertly cast. Lilly James is nearly unrecognizable as Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan perfectly captures the manic nature of someone like Tommy Lee. While the respective leads in Pam & Tommy were aided by heavy prosthetics and make-up work, they both manage to create definitive (fictionialized) versions of these characters. Although both series are surprisingly comparable in terms of the leads, Pam & Tommy narrowly wins this round.
Winner: Pam & Tommy
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Supporting Characters
Even though the leads in both series are impeccably cast, there is a larger parity between the supporting characters in those same shows. One of the biggest issues with Pam & Tommy is that Pamela Anderson is essentially a supporting player in her own show. While the efforts of Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling, & Nick Offerman are highlights, the rest of the supporting cast is pretty rough to say the least. In particular, the casting of the other members playing Mötly Crüe make The Dirt look like a genuine masterpiece. Joe vs. Carole, on the other hand, features it’s own Crüe of perfectly-cast supporting players. From the brilliant casting of William Fichtner as Kirkham to Dean Winters as Jeff Lowe, most of the casting in this series is uncanny.
Winner: Joe vs. Carole
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Sexuality
It goes without saying that both Pam & Tommy and Joe vs. Carole feature highly-sexualized characters. After all, Joe exotic is a gay redneck wannabe cowboy, and Tommy Lee is famous for having a wang as large as a 64 oz. Evian bottle. Despite this, both series handle the inherently sexual nature of the material in different ways. Suffice to say, Pam & Tommy is pretty much X-rated in terms of the graphic nature of the story. On the flip side, the sexuality in Joe vs. Carole is handled in a much more restrained kind of way. Things are hinted at, but never explicit. However. The sheer shock value of hearing Jason Mantzoukas as a talking version of Lee’s infamous member is enough for Pam & Tommy to win this round.
Winner: Pam & Tommy
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Writing and Story Structure
Interestingly enough, both Joe vs. Carole and Pam & Tommy are structured in a non-linear fashion. Whereas the former offers a pretty even approach to the balance between the narratives of the titular characters, the latter takes nearly 5 episodes to get to the heart of Pamela Anderson’s story. Even with this similarity, they both take diverging paths in terms of the integrity of the writing. Although Pam & Tommy tries to structure the narrative in a way that is unceremonious, the structure of the plot often works against itself. Surprisingly enough, Joe vs. Carole manages to make use of a similar flashback structure far more effectively.
Winner: Joe vs. Carole
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Effects and Make-Up
As much as Joe vs. Carole is a surprisingly well-written series, some of the visual effects are absolutely atrocious. It should go without saying that the practical effects work in Pam & Tommy are seamless. There’s not a moment in the series where you question the realism of the make-up effects. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for Joe vs. Carole. While it is understandable that the project didn’t have the budget nor the resources to photograph real tigers, the least they could do was try. Simply put, there are several scenes where the VFX tigers are downright amateurish. Maybe that’s the point, but we doubt it. For this reason alone, Pam & Tommy wins this round.
Winner: Pam & Tommy
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Source Material and Accuracy
Ironically, both Joe Vs. Carole and Pam & Tommy share the same DNA in terms of the source material. The latter was adapted from a 2014 Rolling Stone article, while the former was adapted form a podcast. Despite being two series that share the commonality of being adapted from second-hand source material, they also differ in regards to accuracy. While Pam & Tommy claims to be the definitive version of the Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee saga, the series is skewed to the male perspective in a way that feels unintentionally unsettling. Not to mention that Pam & Tommy bends the facts of the story in a way that is downright untruthful. That said, Joe vs. Carole has the benefit of being slightly more accurate, mostly because documentary footage exists. At minimum, the fact that the Peacock series announces that it is fictionalized before every episode manages to give it the advantage for this round.
Winner: Joe vs. Carole
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Music
Much to no one’s surprise, the music is an integral element of both series. While the rock roots of a story like Pam & Tommy are inherent, the show feels like in never captures the true spectrum of such a musically-inclined story. On the flip side, Joe vs. Carole offers a soundtrack that is eclectic as it is diverse. From classic rock tracks such as ZZ Top’s La Grange to more modern material from Run the Jewels, Joe vs. Carole makes surprisingly good use of the music. Not only is the music a little more subtle, but the music choices are slightly more appropriate overall, which is why Joe vs. Carole is slightly more enjoyable in this category.
Winner: Joe vs. Carole
