Mistaken Identity

I'm not sure how many of you are "neat freaks" or "OCD" like I am, but I quite enjoy the show Clean Sweep on TLC. In the show, an interior designer and professional organizer, although with a carpenter and minions, team up to organize a couple rooms' in some hapless family's house. I get organizing tips, decorating ideas, and also the chance to feel superior because even at my worst, my abode never looks that bad.

We watched the show since the first season. In the second season, a new host appeared: Tava Smiley. The picture on the left is Tava, taken from the official Tava Smiley website. She's very cute and perky. Her bio includes stints on General Hospital, Nash Bridges, and Wild On! specials for E!.

With Tava, I assumed that what you see is what you get and not much more. So I was quite surprised when the intro to the 9 o'clock Cleveland NPR show introduced Tava Smiley as an author and activist for many years. Activist? In what—riding the world of clutter? Getting people to smile more? Perhaps fighting for the rights of blondes, who have long born the brunt of amateur comedians' jokes.

But no: Tava was on to discuss her latest book Convenant with Black America about racism in America. Really? Really?!?

I opened up the NPR website, which is where I discovered the guest was not TavA Smiley of Hollywood fame, but TavIS Smiley, Radio talk show host, author, and true activist.

And the world returned to rotating on its axis. Maybe I'll see if Clean Sweep is on when I get home tonight ....