It was an ultra warm, end of spring type day in Central Ohio and The Lion and I were simultaneously tuned into the 2009 NFL draft coverage.  Actually, he was watching in between being frustrated because his beloved Browns kept passing their pick.  I, on the other hand, was simply passing the time while Plurking my thoughts on the whole shabang, hoping the Browns would quit lollygagging so we could go outside.  It’s not that I wasn’t interested, because I really do like football.  It’s just I had no clue who the draftees were because I don’t follow college players (I should have been following that fine a** Michael Crabtree though… Mmm mmm mmm!  Seems I’m going to need to be a 49ers fan this year. *lol*).  But because it was on and I was in the room, the coverage held my attention marginally.  I even found myself getting excited when the Lions netted Matthew Stafford even though I could not tell you why.  As far as I was concerned no matter who they got, they still were gonna suck.

NOTE: As of this post, the Lions are 2 – 8, which is markedly better than last season but still… damn sucky.  Better than the Browns though.  Sorry, TL.

Anywho, as I was watching and making my comments, I couldn’t help but notice Michael Oher.  Not simply because he’s six foot five, three hundred nine pounds and strikingly chocolate.  I couldn’t help but notice him because in addition to him being six foot five, three hundred nine pounds and strikingly chocolate, when it was announced that he’d been picked by Baltimore, he was immediately surrounded in celebration by a group of Caucasian-Americans.  Now, because I have extended family members who are white this didn’t really strike me as  wholly odd.  But I couldn’t help but to wonder out loud why there wasn’t at least one African-American family member sharing in the moment.  A cousin, an aunt, an uncle twice removed… Something!  Don’t act like you didn’t think it too, provided you were watching. *lol*   And then they told Michael‘s story, and I was touched.  Given his early life’s circumstances it was heartwarming to know that the Tuohy family (the white people who were congratulating him) had seen fit to step in and offer Michael stability in a time when he could have fallen through the cracks.  At that moment, it didn’t matter to me that the Tuohys were white.  It mattered that they did what so many other families fail to do when faced with a similar situation, and the result of their action had brought Michael to that very moment in time.  Being a first round NFL draft pick, which is an opportunity that many aspire to but few ever achieve.

Now here we are five months later.  The third month of football season is well underway and Mr. Oher is proudly donning a Raven’s jersey and working to carve his niche on their offensive line.  Since I’m not a B-More fan (sorry ’bout that, Honey *lol*) I really don’t know what the season has been like for Michael thus far.  But to me, even if he sucks as bad as the entire Lion’s team and sees more sideline than time on the field, the fact that he “made it” there against the odds he faced is a testament to faith and hard work.  He is to be commended.

With all that being said… Can someone, anyone, tell me why this story was made into a major motion picture?  Furthermore, can somebody tell me why this story has been made into a major motion picture that people believe I should pay money to see?  While it has all of the “feel good” elements of a legitimate blockbuster hit, isn’t the story behind the story played out like cassettes and compact discs at this point?  Do we really need another “White Shadow” themed movie that seems to support the belief that in order for disenfranchised black youth to succeed, a white/light family/social worker/teacher/hero needs to swoop in and play the support (is this not an element in the “Precious” and “Invictus” movies as well?). In reality, the fact that the Tuohy family is white is purely a coincidental element. They were simply a compassionate couple  who were in the position to help Michael in his time of need, and it just so happens they were born Caucasian-American.  However, I’m sure there are many other children — black, white and otherwise — who faced similar circumstances and were aided in a similar fashion by families of other ethnicities.  Maybe they didn’t make it to the NFL but they beat the odds just the same, making it somewhere other than where they would have ended up had someone not intervened.  Where is their movie?  Where is their book?  Where is the attention and acclaim that should rightfully be given to them, as well as Michael Oher, because they rose above and made it through?  Or am I expecting too much as usual?

From a humanistic point of view, I truly applaud the Tuohy family for stepping up, and wholeheartedly believe they would not have done any different had  they or Michael been any other race than what they all are.  Theirs is a beautiful story that should be noted as an inspiration, and stands out in this day and age of gloom and doom stories that plague our media streams day in and day out.    But I am sick and tired of this story continuously being pushed on us by the entertainment industry, while other stories go unnoticed because they don’t contain the “white knight” message that can be perpetuated through stories like “The Blind Side.”

Just my buck fiddy.

M. Michelle

One Response to “The Not So Blind Side”

1. simplyRik says:

   2009/11/24 at 09:33

   Well put. I always depend on you to see things from outside the box. I think the root point here is well stated and there needs to be more communication in general about people stepping up and filling the gaps of those left behind by people who have no business having kids. That would truly be the point of evolution. Michael could have easily fallen through the cracks and repeated the lessons imposed on him by his biological donors. But now he has been taught the meaning of hard work and responsiblity and more than likely will not continue the cycle of irresponsibility that he was a victim of. To me, if more people stepped up we could break this chain and evolve as a species instead of compensating for those who avoid responsibility like the plauge, especially one as serious as the responsiblity of raising children to be mature, hard working MEN and WOMEN. As always… thank you.