MANAGING MAYHEM

After the unlikely bidding war that landed ex-Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and his Methods of Mayhem project at MCA Records, a second hot competition for Pamela Anderson’s once and future husband is shaping up--to be his manager.

Among those said to be in the running are the Firm (whose roster includes Korn, Limp Bizkit, Backstreet Boys and Ice Cube), Carl Stubner (who oversees Everlast, the Cult and Mick Fleetwood) and Arnold Stiefel (Rod Stewart). A decision is expected soon, with Stubner believed to have the edge.

Once a deal is set, tour plans will be made for M.O.M., with the band’s hard-edged rap-rock debut album due from MCA on Dec. 2.

GREAT GOTH ALMIGHTY: Can a pop subculture still be dark and dangerous if it’s the subject of a compilation album from pop marketeers K-Tel? Ask your neighborhood goth fan (that’s the guy or girl in the Dracula cape without a trick-or-treat bag).

Yup, just in time for Halloween, the Minneapolis company, famous for its sets of bubble-gum hits and disco favorites, has released “Goth: Music of the Shadows,” featuring tracks by such goth legends as Christian Death, Bauhaus, the Sisters of Mercy and Alien Sex Fiend, with cover art evoking the “children of the night” mood devotees love to sink their teeth into.

Just one thing--will K-Tel do one of its trademark perky TV ads for phone orders? We can just picture it. “Call now, operators are hanging by! Order two and get a special issue tube of black lipstick.”