Tina Fey Can't Name 20 Latino Performers on 'Billy on the Street'

Culture

Tina Fey suffered her most embarrassing defeat ever Tuesday, at the hands of comedian Billy Eichner.

In a clip from Eichner's Billy on the Street, the host challenges Fey to name 20 Latino performers in 60 seconds. Her first reaction: a horror-stricken laugh.

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Fey was right to be scared. She fails hard at the task. Though she does name more than a few, some of her descriptions would fail any kind of smell test — "the really handsome guy who was on Law and Order" in reference to Jimmy Smits, for instance. Her first name is "the woman from Jane the Virgin" for Gina Rodriguez.

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Despite Eichner urging her that she only has one more by the end, she only manages to name 13. Among a few names she missed: Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Salma Hayek.

By the end of her time, she crumbles onto a New York City sidewalk, being appropriately shamed by Eichner for her failure.

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In 60 seconds and on the spot, it's not hard to completely fall apart as Fey did. She's even worked with some of these men and women. Hayek, for instance, was a guest star on Fey's show 30 Rock. Part of this is simply as Fey admits at the end: "I panicked."

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The other part, however, is about the visibility of these performers. Emmy winner Viola Davis was right: There just aren't enough opportunities for Latino performers, and people of color on the whole. The higher profile roles these actors get, the more likely it is that, even in a pressure-filled situation, people will be able to name them.

Fey will likely regret this clip for a while, yes. But she's not the only one who needs to do better.

Watch the full clip below.