By Jeanne Moos
(CNN) - Get out your sunglasses for this next story about a woman such a deep shade of tan she should stay in the shade.
Instead, the so-called "tanaholic mom" was in court fighting charges that she went too far trying to tan her daughter.
In court she pleaded not guilty to endangering her child by taking her into a tanning booth, but what she's not innocent of is torturing her own skin with that flabbergasting tan, though her shade changes from interview to interview, probably because of the lighting.
All of those interviews make her mug shot look normal. Patricia Krentcil, 44, of Nutley, New Jersey, was arrested after her daughter Anna showed up at school with a sunburn.
Anna told the school nurse she got it "going tanning with mommy," and the school called child services. Mommy says Anna got some sun playing outside.
When she showed up for court with her pale-faced attorney, the whites of her eyes stood out as she rolled them.
And though she's stated her case convincingly that this is all a misunderstanding at her daughter's school, it's hard to look past her skin tone.
"Early onset mummification," said one online poster.
Another said she resembled an Oompa Loompa from Willy Wonka or Magda in "There's Something About Mary."
Krentcil seems like a perfect candidate for "Way2Tan," a blog that collects those who have fried themselves to a crisp. But there's nothing funny about sin cancer, and the word "tanorexic" kept coming up.
Some researchers say people may get addicted to UV rays, that UV rays may produce endorphins, those feel good chemicals.
But this mom's not feeling so good now.
CNN