Oh I LOVE you. YOU! Sorry, who are you?

I miss id'd a celebrity today.

The ultimate faux pas in name recognition.

Alex Borstein came into the store - most notably for me she of MadTV fame. I was ringing her up & had a recollection that I knew her face - see, that’s my problem - I'm brilliant with faces, it's the names that hang me up. I looked at her, she looked at me, she too recognized the recognition dawning on my face. (Probably at this point with something approaching fear. Something that only celebrities get - that foreknowledge that someone is going to say something, and it's probably not going to be good...)

The conversation went something like this:
“Are you from MadTV?”
“Yes.”
“Are you Mo (Gaffney)?”
“No - I’m the other one, I'm Alex.”

That's probably where I should have left it, but no, wanting to make up for the foot in mouth I continued:

“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!”
“It's ok.”
“You're the favorite one. People love your characters.”
“Umm, thanks.”
“Yeah at work we have MadTV on reruns, and people still love Ms. Swan.”

I MEAN WHAT WAS I THINKING? BUT NO, I DIDN'T STOP THERE:

“So, ah, what are you, um, do you teach any classes around here? Do you teach?”
“No, I don't like teaching.”
“Oh.... Well, here’s your change. Have a great evening.”

I still have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking back on that conversation.

Still, at least I didn’t identify Vanessa Redgrave as Lynn Redgrave.