Blindsided

How many times do you see a movie based on a true story where a smoking hot Hollywood starlet plays the main character?  It happens all the time, and you envision the real life person looking like the actress.  Then you see the real life person, and your bubble is burst.

A great example is the movie Erin Brockovich. For two hours you are presented this image of Julia Roberts strutting her stuff and protecting people from drinking poisoned water.  Then the media gets a hold of the real Erin Brockovich and she looks like your aunt Pam.  What a disappointment, right?

Then came Leigh Anne Tuohy.  For the three of you who didn't read or watch The Blind Side, Tuohy is the big hearted southern woman who adopted Baltimore Ravens left tackle Michael Oher.  Ms. Tuohy was recently in El Paso.  She spoke last Thursday at the El Paso YWCA Women's Luncheon.  Being a sports fan, I'm well aware of the story but never read the book or saw the movie.

Until I saw billboards around town promoting the event I had no idea what the real Leigh Anne Tuohy looked like.  I still had the image of the elegant Sandy Bullock in my head, and I wasn't ready to ruin that.  Finally, during a standstill on the freeway, I took a long look at the billboard and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.  Leigh Anne Tuohy was hot!  I had to remind myself the photo was in black and white and had probably been doctored in some way.  I was going to reserve judgment until she came into town.

Sure enough, Leigh Anne Tuohy spoke at the luncheon on Thursday and the media coverage followed.  She was every bit as attractive as the billboard I saw.  The photos in the El Paso Times were good, but there was one in the El Paso Inc. where she looked smoking hot.  I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was.  For once life imitated art.

For all the ladies out there don't be too disappointed when you see Leigh Anne's husband Sean and realize he looks more like the late Tug McGraw than Tim.