TORONTO — Fading Canadian sexpot Pamela Anderson has been tapped by Indo-Canadian stand-up comedian Russell Peters to play the Virgin Mary in an upcoming Christmas special – a development that’s busted out all over the U.S. and international media.
The 44-year-old Vancouver native – known for her sex tapes, teensy red bathing suit on Baywatch and the short-lived series Stacked – will play Jesus’s mother opposite Russell’s Joseph in a mock manger scene in the comedy sketch TV show A Russell Peters Christmas Special, which will air on CTV and the Comedy Network.
News outlets in the U.S. leapt on the story this week, reacting with a mixture of astonishment and outrage. “Pammy’s a Born-Again Virgin” was the cheeky headline of Australia’s Herald Sun. “Pamela Anderson in the role she was born to play: The Virgin Mary,” wrote the Washington Post in its blog.
“It’s a Miracle, Pammy’s the Virgin Mary,” shrieked London’s Daily Star, whose lead was “It’s Praywatch as Pamela Anderson prepares for her most out-of-character role yet – the Virgin Mary.”
The U.S.-based Christian Post also reacted to the news, predicting a backlash from the Christian community – something that surely would delight the Brampton, Ont.-bred Peters, who has built a multimillion-dollar career by stirring the multicultural pot.
CTV described the special as Peters’ “irreverent twist” on the Christmas special. It airs Dec. 1 on CTV and Dec. 10 on the Comedy Network.
