Tommy Lee: From rehab to Red Zone
By Maggie Stehr / Daily Nebraskan
October 07, 2004
The world cuddled under the bed sheets with him and donned an orange jumpsuit for his six-month jail sentence, so it might as well go back to college with him, too.
Starting today, infamous Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee will abandon the school of rock and rehab for UNL to film a month-long NBC reality show documenting campus life.
NBC representatives met with members of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska on Wednesday to discuss Lee’s presence on campus, said President Katie Weichman.
“Tommy Lee will be a noticeable presence on campus,” she said. “Having camera crews anywhere is always a distraction, but we want the university to be portrayed as the high quality institution we think it is.”
Despite the tattooed rocker’s reputation, university officials promised the show would highlight how quality higher education can reform a Hollywood lifestyle.
Although network officials divulged Lee’s Cornhusker status to ASUN members, university officials would not confirm his participation, citing contractual agreements.
Scott Anderson, associate professor in the school of music, said the show’s producers approached him two weeks ago about letting Lee sit in on his rock history class.
But Anderson turned down the offer for practical and moral reasons, he said.
“It is well known the guy has a pornographic video on the Internet and has issues with spousal abuse,” he said. “I have young kids of my own and did not want to put myself in the position of glorifying that behavior.”
In a lecture class of 240 students, a camera crew would be a real intrusion for students attempting to learn, he said.
“When students are paying what they are paying for this class, this kind of character poses a major distraction that students should not be subjected to,” Anderson said.
UNL spokesman Dave Fitzgibbon said the university is taking every possible step to minimize disruptions by limiting the number of camera crews on campus, in addition to getting signed waivers from faculty and students involved.
Casting director Sam Rhima said a group of UNL students were chosen as the show’s main characters, and producers are making final decisions on the rest of the cast.
Production crews renting space in the 501 Building have filmed test shots on campus since the end of September, said Pamela Holley-Wilcox, director of Information Services.
Besides attending classes, Jeff Gerard, a junior computer science major and member of the UNL Marching Band, said Lee might be waking up for 7 a.m. practices.
Wednesday morning, band directors announced Lee would audition Monday for the drum line. If selected, he would perform during halftime in the Oct. 12 football game against Baylor, Gerard said.
If Lee made the cut, he’d be treated like any other drummer, he said.
Marching band practices are every morning at 7, and the drum section meets Wednesday nights from 7:30 to 9. If Lee missed more than two practices, he would be ineligible to perform at the football game, Gerard said.
“He is not that famous anymore, so it will be like he is any other member of the band,” he said. “We have been really focused in practice and having Tommy Lee there will not make a difference. If it means we have to bump into a cameraman to continue working, then we will.”
In a phone message obtained by the Daily Nebraskan, production manager Dave Darrow said filming for the reality show begins today and should wrap up by Nov. 7.
Jason Schnell, a computer help desk employee in the 501 Building, said production members have come to the help desk for technology support.
“They know we are the computer geek department,” Schnell said.
Holley-Wilcox said crew members are creating a buzz in the building.
“This is a different experience for the university and it’s refreshing for us to have this excitement right under our noses,” she said. “There is a potential for the show to improve the university’s reputation if filming is handled positively by the crew.”
But not everyone believes the show’s effects will be positive.
Anderson said he was skeptical of any benefit the reality show might bring UNL.
“When a reality TV show comes to a town, it doesn’t put the locals in the best light,” Anderson said. “It in fact makes fun of them. I do not think this is a good idea.”
Erin Dall, a sophomore marketing major in Anderson’s rock history class, said she understood Anderson’s decision.
“I respect where he is coming from to say he did not want to subject us to the hoopla of a film crew and a high-profile celebrity,” she said. “I think it would have been ironic for Tommy Lee to be in a history of rock class when he is a rocker himself.”
How the reality show would portray UNL initially was a major concern, Chancellor Harvey Perlman said.
Perlman said producers made verbal promises to portray the university in a positive light.
“This is not cable TV,” he said. “It is a major network with standards. There are limits to what they can show. It would not serve NBC any better than it would the university to show controversy.”
Because the show’s general premise is to show how people can turn their lives around through higher education, producers needed someone who could benefit from a life change, Perlman said.
Though Perlman did not use Lee’s name, he said the celebrity’s personal background was a consideration in the decision.
Although the celebrity is not formally admitted to the university, he will take classes seriously while on campus, Perlman said.
The hubbub may distract some students, Perlman said.
But having such star power in the classroom could inject excitement into the learning process.
The exposure of national television helps the university increase its non-resident enrollment numbers, Perlman said.
“We will get the university on a national outlet, on TV where the age group we are targeting will be paying attention,” he said. “It would cost the university $5 million to get exposure on primetime television.
“I obviously think the benefits outweigh the risks, or I would not have approved this. You have to make these judgments based on what you know and just have to see what comes from them. We will have to watch the show and see how the university is portrayed.”
This guy is going to fuck more co-eds in 3 weeks then entire frat houses nail down over the span of months. Bee-lining for the degree is more of a fringe benefit IMO. Great move on his part ~
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