February 21, 2001

RinkChat, NH - A crowd of RinkAwards enthusiasts listened intently last night at 9 p.m. as the nominations were announced. Among the spectators was Dr. Veronica Cronch, a Ph.D. in statistical analysis and predictive awards theory. I spoke with her just before the announcement, to solicit her predictions, and I spoke with her again shortly afterward, to discuss her take on the selections.

Samuel Stoddard: Hello again, Dr. Veronica Cronch.

Dr. Veronica Cronch: Hi!

SS: Well, the big night is over, and tomorrow begins stage two of the RinkAwards, during which people will choose a winner from the nominees in each category. I won't go category by category this time, but let's start by discussing the Best Archive nominees. "Split Stephen" seemed to be the biggest surprise.

VC: It was a big surprise. I think Faux_Pas was going into shock. Even Stephen himself hadn't expected that one. A number of people would have preferred to see Safari or The Flame War or Crazy Insane Play Supreme in that slot. A Flash In the Eye was the one I was pulling for. Stupid Day 2000 was conspicuously absent, and it did well in the polls, but the crowd last night wasn't riled up about it.

SS: Yes, it's interesting how the archives can have different levels of fervence in their supporters.

VC: Dave Makes Dinner has very fervent fans. I think that one came as a surprise to some also. But did you hear the applause for it?

SS: It was deafening.

VC: I think a lot of people weren't expecting to see it in the list of nominees and were delighted when it showed up.

SS: What were the biggest surprises for you?

VC: There were a few. The biggest was seeing "Blood Drops" in the Best Improvised Humor Archive category. I'm still at a loss for how that made it and "Group Therapy" didn't. I was also surprised not to see "Dudes To Be Feared II" represented at all in the Best 733t ahX0r award. Maybe it was a case of been there, done that.

SS: I was surprised not to see "The Affair" in Best Conversational Archive.

VC: That surprised me too, especially since flyingcats got two nominations for her role in it -- one for Best Female Comic Conversationalist and one for Best First Appearance In an Archive. But a bigger surprise was not seeing Crazy Insane Play Supreme or Safari in the Best Improvised Episode Archive category. Both certainly had very vocally disappointed supporters at the announcement last night. But I can't find fault with any of the nominees.

SS: What observations do you have about the minor awards?

VC: Well, the most conspicuous thing is that your onomatopoeias need to be long! (laughs) I also think Nyperold has a hard road ahead of him, splitting his Best Pun votes five ways. There was an upset when Dave kicks Stephen in "Self-Seance" didn't make Best Kick. But the weirdest list of nominees came in the Best Label category. The nominees were good, but so were a lot of labels that didn't make it, and who would have thought it would fall out like that?

SS: When I spoke with you yesterday, you seemed doubtful about Stephen getting a Best Male Comic Conversationalist nomination.

VC: I know! I didn't expect "The Cat Outside the Window of Hate" to have such a following. It's a very quiet following. famous got a nomination for that, too, and I didn't expect that either.

SS: The ties in the Comic Improvisor categories were interesting.

VC: They were indeed. When I predicted the Best Female Comic Conversationalist winners, I listed quite a number of possibilities. I didn't expect they'd all make it and then some.

SS: Thanks once again for sharing your thoughts with us.

VC: My pleasure.