"Blindsided"?

"Blindsided"?
Thursday, August 17, 2023 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apologetics / Contemporary issues / Thought for Today

Michael Oher is suing the Tuohy family (both subjects of the movie “The Blind Side”) claiming he just now found out about their conservatorship. He alleges that they lied to him about being adopted, took advantage of him financially, that they earned millions of dollars from “The Blind Side” from which he’s received nothing. He also is unhappy with them for misrepresenting him in that movie. As one can guess, many outraged internet pundits are insisting Sandra Bullock give back her Oscar for playing Mrs. Tuohy, now that the Tuohys have been revealed for the frauds that they are based on Oher’s “damning” allegations.

I don’t often post about specific current events, but I find this situation particularly sad for several reasons, three in particular, that I’ll discuss in a bit. The sports analyst Jason Whitlock decided to research the issue, instead of just doing the usual media parroting. What he found was disheartening. He notes that Oher wrote about the conservatorship in a previous book he published back in 2011. That invalidates the heart of his lawsuit, that he only recently just discovered it.

As for being adopted, the movie never claims Oher was adopted (though a line near the end of the film could be construed as giving that impression). It has also already been shown that the Tuohy family hasn’t made millions of dollars off the movie. As for what they did receive, accounting records do exist, and again Oher’s claims appear to be false. He had been included in what was received, on an equal basis with the others.

Unfortunately, facts don’t matter, accusations do. As for blaming the Tuohy family for how he was portrayed in the movie, that is hardly the Tuohy’s doing: those are Hollywood decisions. Notably, Oher is also suing Sandra Bullock. There are counter allegations that Oher had told the Tuohy family that unless they paid him $15 million, he would plant a very negative story about them in the media. Statements have been made that he’s tried lawsuits before, though had previously not succeeded in finding lawyers who’d stick with his case once they knew the facts. I also wonder why this is happening now. Oher is currently publicizing a new book he’s written, in part to set the record straight about the fabrications in the movie.

What is the truth? Will we ever find out, or will the court of public opinion prevail, making truth irrelevant? If Oher’s allegations prove to be even partially true, then so be it. But, based on what Whitlock uncovered, and other data…

So, why write about the Tuohy family and Oher? First, these types of actions discourage those who’d genuinely wish to help people who are in, or grew up in, profoundly bad situations, as Oher did. The resulting scarring still runs deep (Whitlock’s view). Whatever else may have happened, the Tuohys did give Oher a stable environment (as did several others, something for the most part the film did not depict). Given our political climate, I also wonder if the Tuohy family has to be taken down: they are financially very well off, they are of the wrong political party and the wrong faith (very serious Christians), and therefore according to the accepted narrative, had to have ulterior motives in helping Oher.

Second, there is one possible issue no one seems to be mentioning in this case: CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Prior to his NFL career ending in 2017, Oher had remained in the concussion protocol for nine consecutive months, and afterwards, still wasn’t able to pass a physical. CTE can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, aggression, and mood swings. Many current and former NFL players suffer from it. A few ended up committing suicide, and at least a couple, murder. What is Oher’s current state of health? Is he suffering from CTE? At one point Oher had posted about needing to take 10 different brain related meds, but he subsequently removed that post. I do wonder if that is impacting what he is doing. If so, my prayer would be that Oher gets the medical help he needs.

There is also a serious biblical warning here: the importance of being thankful. In the downward spiral recorded in the last half of Romans 1, one of the issues is not giving thanks (Romans 1:21). What is sadly evident with Oher’s lawsuit is a focus on all the negatives, whether true or false (time will tell), and nothing in terms of gratitude for what he’d been given. He had many people—not his biological parents—pouring their lives into him, and it sure looks like that is all forgotten, tossed aside.

When we set aside thankfulness, anger and bitterness tend to result, as we start recounting things done against us, real or imagined slights, etc. If there is one thing that permeates our nation, it is a lack of thankfulness. Yet there is nothing any one of us have received that is not God’s gift to us: from playing football to being able to write blog entries, or playing a musical instrument. Biblically, gratitude and humility, as opposed to self-aggrandizement, are to be at the forefront of our lives.

1 Corinthians 4:7: “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (NAU)

May we be thankful for all God has given us, and may God in his mercy, bring about a reconciliation in this case.

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