In order to refrain from exploiting an already traumatic situation, there are a few things that Hulu's upcoming miniseries Pam & Tommy would be better off leaving out. This series about the robbery and illegal distribution of a home sex tape made by Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee in the 1990s recently released a buzzy teaser trailer, continuing the conversation on the controversy that has plagued the project since it was announced. Though it stars big names such as Lily James, Sebastian Stan, and Seth Rogen, and is directed by I, Tonya's Craig Gillespie, people are already criticizing the series due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter and the lack of involvement from both the real Anderson and Lee.

These are fair points. However, given the fact that the show hasn't aired yet, it's impossible to know what tone it will take. It's very possible that Pam & Tommy could be an offensive, gross, and derisive capitalization on a scandal that already did plenty of damage when it happened; or, it could offer a new, more empathetic retelling of the story that provides social commentary on the commoditization of public lives, the misogynistic double standards that are still in place today, or the rapid cultural shifts accompanying the rise of the internet. Hopefully, the series will lean toward the latter, because this scandalous and career-damaging series of events is only worth rehashing if there is something new and insightful to say about it.

Related: Pam & Tommy: Everything You Need To Know

The true story of Pam and Tommy is quite often stranger than fiction, and definitely rife with material that would make for great television. In 1994, Lee allegedly withheld $20,000 in pay from an electrician hired for his Malibu home renovation, Rand Gauthier (who will be played by Seth Rogen), pointing a gun in his face when he tried to collect his tools. Seeking revenge, Gauthier planned a heist to steal a large safe from Pam and Tommy, not knowing that there was a very personal tape of the couple inside. Once he found out, Gauthier used his connections in the porn industry to distribute the video far and wide, despite desperate and ineffectual legal action from Pam and Tommy. The footage eventually ended up on the internet, which was still in its infancy, and helped to create a celebrity consumer culture that paved the way for future stars like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian (who also had her own sex tape).

All of this is public knowledge, and largely comes from Pam and Tommy themselves, who have continued to live very visible lives. In theory, all the upcoming miniseries will be doing is crafting a narrative that provides a new interpretation of real events that are very easily found online. However, these are things that happened less than 30 years ago and hurt real people. In order to justify its own existence as anything but an offensive exploitation of unfortunate circumstances, Pam & Tommy will have to walk a fine line between what it should portray and what it definitely shouldn't. Here are some things that should be avoided in the Hulu series.

Recreating The Sex Tape

Featured Sebastian Stan New Image Pam Tommy

This seems obvious, but based on the Pam & Tommy teaser trailer, it's definitely not a given. In case it needs saying, an intimate video of two married adults having sex that was distributed without their permission and to their great distress should not be in any way reenacted for television. Their privacy has already been deeply violated and doesn't need to be further mocked or commodified by a whole new generation.

The crazy story surrounding the sex tape's release has already been shared by Pam and Tommy in various interviews, memoirs, and statements over the years, making it fair game for public consumption - to a degree. However, former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson especially has made it clear that she is still unhappy and upset by what happened with the tape, and the lack of control and support she suffered throughout the entire situation. Out of respect for the people whose real experiences are being used as a vehicle to tell an entertaining story, hopefully, the public footage that was meant to be private is not explicitly revisited on-screen by James and Stan.

Related: Why Lily James Left Downton Abbey (& Why She's Not In The Movie)

Exploiting Pam's Trauma

Pam discovers the sex tape

Courtney Love has been perhaps the most prominent of Pam & Tommy's detractors, calling the show "so f**ing outrageous" in a deleted Facebook post. She wrote that the sex tape "destroyed my friend Pamela's life. Utterly," and that the series would further cause her "complex trauma." She also wished shame on actress Lily James for taking the part. [via Vanity Fair] Though Pam herself has not commented on the series, much has been made about a source close to her saying that "Pamela has no intention of watching this God awful show, absolutely not" being as it was "one of the most difficult experiences of her life. To have it dredged up for a TV show is pathetic." [via The Sun]

Especially given Pam's apparent disapproval, Pam & Tommy is going to have to work very hard not to wrong her any more than it already does simply by existing. The whole experience was undoubtedly devastating and traumatic for her, and it's difficult (but not impossible) to believe that the series will do her any form of justice. Even if Pam never watches it, the show has the potential to rewrite the degrading and objectifying narrative that was peddled about her in the 1990s in the minds of new viewers. On the other hand, it also has the potential to exploit Pam's trauma for sheer drama and entertainment value. Worse, the miniseries is being billed as a comedy, and could make a mockery of the pain she experienced.

However, the teaser trailer does hint that the show will touch on the drastically different responses that the sex tape garnered for both Pam and Tommy. While Tommy, who has been played on screen before by Machine Gun Kelly in the Mötley Crüe film The Dirt, was cemented as a hedonistic rock'n'roll sex god of legend, Pam was shamed, demeaned, and humiliated due to gendered double standards and rampant misogyny. At the very least, the show owes it to Pam, and to all the women like her who have been exposed without their consent, to push back against the toxic, sexist ideas that are still widely persistent in popular perception today.

Glamorizing An Abusive Relationship

In May 1998, Tommy Lee was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading no contest to a felony charge of spousal battery. Even this was not a private event in the couple's life, as Pam told reporters outside the courthouse that she was "proud of Tommy" and "happy that he took responsibility for this." [via AP News] One of their two young sons was present during the violent incident, and the couple got divorced shortly after. It's important to remember that they had a whirlwind romance and an abusive relationship; it would not be truthful to show the former without acknowledging the latter. Pam & Tommy must make sure not to overly glamorize a situation that was far from healthy, with or without the sex tape.

Related: Pam & Tommy Cast: Every Actor Confirmed (& Who They're Playing)

Unlike Pam, Tommy has expressed approval for Pam & Tommy. When asked about the show recently, Tommy has said that he knows actor Sebastian Stan, and that from what he's told him, it's going to be a "really beautiful story." [via ET] What that might mean coming from Tommy Lee is anyone's guess, but it does seem somewhat worrisome that the abuser in the relationship has given Pam & Tommy the thumbs up while the other has not.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether the series will have anything of real meaning to offer, or if it will fall back on crude humor and Hollywood stereotypes. However, Pam & Tommy certainly has the opportunity to shift the lens through which modern audiences view the notorious situation. Ideally, this will be in a positive direction that doesn't inflict any more unnecessary hurt.

Next: Pam & Tommy Already Ignored A Perfect Tommy Lee & Pamela Anderson Casting