20 Questions with Wyatt

whosers.com goes into interview mode with those who make & maintain the sites that we love - letting them say their own opinions on a few issues. These opinions may or may not reflect the opinions held by whosers.com. Not that that matters, but you know, we have to say it ;)

This time we talk with Wyatt, one of the main forces behind the administration of the Idiotsite Messageboard. This messageboard is a force on it's own, with or without the Idiotsite & gathers together a large and diverse crowd of people, all with one similarity - a love of whose line. Administrating a messageboard like this is a challenge - but is it as challenging as having to sit down & answer our questions? Maybe we should have asked him that too ... oh well ... here we go!

Whose Line

1) What is the first sighting/reaction to whose line you had that you can recall? Were you hooked right away?

I was just chilling in my crib getting stoned with my playaz - Okay, to be honest.... (come on, there are NO playaz in Canada) ...I just happened to be flipping the channels circa 1992 and I came across this stuffy British show. Well, at my age, seeing four weirdos make crap up was intriguing, and this lil' 8 year old was hooked. sadly they took it off my beloved channel 22 within a few years, but when the Comedy Network debuted several years later, one of the first shows they aired was WLiiA. I yelled "TURN BACK, IS THAT MIKE MCSHANE???" And when the US version debuted a couple years later, it was a godsend. The rest is history.

2) Who is the improvisor who had the first/initial largest impact on you? Who is the improvisor who has impressed you the most over the long run?

Oh gosh. Toughie. It's really hard to say, they all impress me in their own ways. In the early years, I adored Mike McShane, but I've gradually gotten into Brad. There's something about that guy's humor I love. This is a guy who can effortlessly hold his own with Ryan and Colin, sometimes even outclass them. A real underappreciated talent. I still think he had the funniest moment in the instant classic Greatest Hits: Songs Of Westerns. Gargling his water was very clever. Watch Wayne crack up!!! Greg is a close second, I might add. Greg is responsible for nearly all the greatest moments in Whose Line history, from his priceless banter with Clive before Party Quirks (from Karen Maruyama's first episode, love that girl!), to that dynamite Weird Newscasters where he ran a smear campaign against Drew.

3) If you had to choose your ideal cast of whose line (4 improvisors, one host, & either the american or british musician team), who would you choose?

Jesus, that's difficult!!! Greg, Steve Frost, and Brad, definately. Then let Tony, Paul, Ryan, Colin, Denny and Karen fight it out. Clive would host (although I don't mind Drew) and the US musicians. I like their fuller sound.

4) Name one moment on the show that still never fails to crack you up when you think about it. If you remember, tell us what season/who was involved/what version etc.

I have one special moment for each version.
UK: Ryan as a baby learning to walk is likely the funniest piece of physical comedy I've ever seen in my entire life. So perfect. So goofy looking. It's the Ryan I've come to love.
US: Ah, the 200-pound snatch incident. Brad's all time most embarassing moment. It helps that it was a strong show to begin with.

Online

1) Can you remember what made you go online to search out whose line related information?

Boredom, really.

2) Can you remember what was the first site you encountered, & what you thought when you found it?

I honestly cannot remember. I do remember being surprised at how many sites there are!!!!!

3) Name one site/community/messageboard that you once were quite fond of but now is no longer active/has disappeared. Name one site/community/messageboard that you visit regularly (other than your own sites/communities) and why you do so.

I think all my faves are still up, actually.

And to answer that second question.... http://michrdl.topcities.com/ Lovely place. I often wonder what the difference is between IDIOTs and Whosers. It's like the sex and making love question. (I know the answer to the latter, though. 50 bucks.)

4) What do you think is the future of whose line online? Of your own site?

I don't see much changing. I think the spirit will stay the same. That's all I could ask for. And my site's DEFINATELY not changing much, cuz I can't get PageBuilder to work.

Community

1) What's one of the strangest experiences you've ever had related to whose line communities/whosers (no names if they are involved please - you can use vague generalizations if you're worried as well i.e. just the type of experience)

Actually hearing the voice of one of the people at my message board. Silver Moonray a.k.a. Kasi called me at my house, wanting to meet me on the phone. Boy, that was a shock. But I gradually settled into the idea. We're closer now than you can imagine.

2) Which is more important to you in community - the fanship or the friendship? At the present time how much of your interaction in communities is to talk about the show, and how much is to chat with those who have become friends?

Friendship. TV shows come and go, but friends are forever. And I'd say it's half and half, really. The two most popular places at the message board are the games and the "Talk to each other" board, where we just get to know each other. We love our show, but we love each other more. That's part of the reason I love Whose Line - it's brought many people together.

3) What do you think is the best thing you'll take away from the whose line community when all is said and done?

This wicked cool IDIOT T-shirt!!!!!! And a renewed faith in humanity. Don't ask how.

4) What do you think of when you hear the term 'whoser'. Who do you think it encompasses? Do you consider yourself to be one?

I think of a person who not only is a hardcore fan of WL, but also has the heart to make a great environment for other fans.

Impact (getting personal)

1) Have you ever needed to 'take a break' from the stresses of administrating? (with the intention of returning). Have you ever considered quitting administrating or all messageboard involvement? Tell us why if you feel comfortable doing so. What changed your mind?

Oh yeah!! Keeping people in line on a message board is tough. The discussion over the automatic censor for dirty words really bugged me because an unmentionable person kept coming up with loopholes to get us to do it ourselves. (Never have any IDIOTs worked so hard at being so lazy.) Incidents and arguments (and they happen) tend to make hurt feelings but love for the community and the environment always brings me to my senses.

2) The current idiotboard had to be set up due to upheavals beyond anyone's control (& is now of course the permanent board). Do you find this makes a community stronger or weaker? How do you think
communities online (idiotboard as well as others) will react to the greater upheaval when, someday hopefully way way way down the road, whose line stops making new episodes?

Stronger or weaker..... More the same, really, the whole atmosphere is the people, it's the same people, just a different setting. And BTW, if That 80s Show has a message board still, I don't think WL fans will go anywhere.

3) Do you find that there is much isolation between messageboards/communities, or do you find that there is more crossover between them then first meets the eye? What is your opinion of the interactions between these various communities? What would be the one thing you'd do if you could to help improve this?

I think it's fine. When people from other boards post on the Idiotboard, they get greeted with open arms. And as I proved on Michelle's board, this works with other communities as well. Look at Huzlinefan. He's well known around nearly ALL the communities. He's got more message board profiles than Richard Simmons has pool boys.

4) What is your largest pet peeve of things that are posted on your
messageboard or emailed to you as an administrator of this
messageboard?

The coldness of the internet. It's hard to understand the tone, joking or serious, on a message board. Thank the good Lord for the emoticons.

Beyond Whose Line

1) Do you participate in or go watch live improv at all? What do you think of it compared to whose line? Do you think it ought to be compared to whose line really (or are they totally different things)?

The first chance I get to see improv live, I'll go.

2) Have you found that interest in an improvisor has led you to a new area of interest (new show, new type of comedy, etc) via something else they have been involved in outside of whose line?

I don't think that's ever happened.

3) Do you find that whose line has similarities to other non-television things you have an interest in? If so, what connections do you see? If not, why not?

When you're a fan long enough, you can see similarities to WL in EVERYTHING. " That fire hydrant looks just like Ryan." "Let's go see the monkey cage! I wonder if they came from the US Dept. of Monkeys.....)

4) What other shows that the performers are in (other than whose line episodes or tapings) have you seen? What other ones would you want to see?

I saw Karen Maruyama on Titus (which has since been sadly cancelled. An underrated show that was.) and Colin on various Canadian shows such as the original Supertown Challenge and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Esoterica

1) Name the strangest (i.e. due to it being something you normally wouldn't listen to, or due to the content) song you've had stuck in your head recently.

*starts dancing* "I don't want.......anybody else........ when i think a-BOUT you I touch myself......"

2) Recommend one other tv show that is not at all related to whose line, and tell us why you'd recommend it to whosers.

THE MAN SHOW. I swear to God, it's hilarious. Jimmy and Adam look like they're having the time of their lives. The Juggies are worth the price of admission alone.

3) Tell us about either the city or region or country (your choice) you live in and why you would recommend people consider that as a place to visit someday.

I live with my friend Name Witheld in A Small Town Somewhere That You've Never Heard Of.

4) What were you doing just before you answered these questions? What are you going to do now that you've finally finished them?

Eating. And I think I'll go eat.

Posted 09/05/2003

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So now you've met the charming Wyatt. What do you think about him? Do you want to thank him for his administrative work? You want to agree with something he said? You want to disagree with something he said? Write a letter to the editor & respond to this interview!

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