Legendary rocker Tommy Lee has traded his drumsticks for textbooks. The Motley Crue drummer and notorious ex of Pamela Anderson goes back to school in NBC's new reality show, “Tommy Lee Goes to College.” In the show, Lee goes to class, tries out for the women's swim team and bunks up with a fellow student.
MSNBC-TV's Joe Scarborough spoke with Lee to see if the University of Nebraska is ready for it's newest co-ed.
JOE SCARBOROUGH, ‘SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY’ HOST: Why would somebody that looks like me, dresses like me, and thinks like me ever watch this show?
TOMMY LEE, “TOMMY LEE GOES TO COLLEGE”: Because it's an awesome show. It's Middle America, Lincoln, Nebraska. You've got me, and you've got the entire campus being bum-rushed by myself and a film crew.
And we go through the whole experience from, getting there the first day, to going to classes, to picking out roommates. I start my own frat, and try out for the women's swim team.
SCARBOROUGH: You start your own frat?
LEE: Yes sir, the House of Lee.
SCARBOROUGH: The House of Lee. And did you have any pledges?
LEE: Absolutely. We had toga parties. You name it we did it. I can‘t wait for everyone to see the show. The show's out of control.
SCARBOROUGH: Are there any rituals you had to go through to become a member of the House of Lee?
LEE: Yes, sir.
SCARBOROUGH: Can you say it on national TV?
LEE: No, I can‘t. You'll have to watch.
SCARBOROUGH: I'll have to watch. Well, I understand you did try out for the swim team. In fact, we saw sporty pictures of you in Speedos. Talk about that wonderful moment in Nebraska.
LEE: That was interesting. You know, there's these cute girls in their bathing suits, and then you've got me. I had them for a minute there. We did a relay race. I had them at one end of the pool, and you know when you go upside-down, and you flip around, and you kick off the other end? I missed it by a few inches, and I got crushed. But that's OK.
SCARBOROUGH: Hate when that happens, beaten by girls.
LEE: But it was just fun swimming with cute girls.
SCARBOROUGH: You live in a massive mansion. It was obviously profiled on MTV's “Cribs.” What's it like going from a mansion to a small dorm room?
LEE: Oh man, it was small. And we were in, like, the deluxe model. It's small. But you know what, though? I had my interior decorators come over and pimp the joint.
SCARBOROUGH: So talk about the armed guard that had to be placed outside of your dorm room. Was that to protect you from the students, or to protect the students from you?
LEE: To protect me from the girls.
SCARBOROUGH: Nice.
LEE: Nice.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes. How have things changed since you all started? Obviously, tales of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n‘ roll, and the band. Your bassist even talked about dying for a short while after heroin use and then being brought back to life.
Has that changed over the past 20 years? Have things calmed down generally in rock, or is it about the same as it was in the ‘80s?
LEE: Hey, did I tell you that I have a new solo record that just came out two days ago, called “Tommy Land: The Ride”?
SCARBOROUGH: Awesome, man. Awesome. You should run for president.
LEE: I don't know. You know what? To answer your question, everybody's fine. Everyone's having a blast on tour. I think we're actually having more fun now than we ever had. I can't really complain. Like, everything is going really well for everybody.
SCARBOROUGH: Let's talk about another thing people love to talk about, that‘s Pamela Anderson. What's the latest there?
LEE: Ugh.
SCARBOROUGH: Ugh, it's awful?
LEE: Do we really have to? Hey, did I tell you I have a new record that came out two days ago?
SCARBOROUGH: Did it really? You're kidding me.
LEE: Yes, it‘s called “Tommy Land: The Ride."
SCARBOROUGH: I don‘t carry this information around with me walking around every day, but they tell me that you were quoted in “People” magazine as saying you still love Pamela.
LEE: Of course I do. We love each other. We have children together. Of course we do.
SCARBOROUGH: Getting married again? Are you getting married again?
LEE: No.
SCARBOROUGH: No, OK.
LEE: No, not that I know of.
“Tommy Lee Goes to College” premieres Tuesday night on NBC.