Mike & Tom Eat Snacks (or MATES) is a Podcast created in 2010 by friends Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanagh, who wanted to work together on a project since their time on Ed.
Every episode Mike and Tom employ the PER system: they Pick a snack, Eat a snack, and Rate a snack on a ten-point scale. Snacks are normally chosen beforehand by Mike and Tom, though sometimes only one will choose a snack and surprise the other (called a whacko-snacko), or they will eat a snack sent in by the fans (who are not viewers).
But that's really an excuse for Mike and Tom to engage in lengthy conversations about their B-list celebrity careers, their families, pop culture, Hollywood, and other miscellaneous topics. Sometimes those stories are true, often they're lies that they make up on the spot.
Mike and Tom originally ran the podcast themselves, but something happened to their money, and they had to be picked up by Nerdist Podcast. Since then the show has been subject to increasing Schedule Slip problems.
Has a Tumblr page
(defunct), a Facebook page (defunct), and a Twitter account (defunct). The latest episodes can be found on the Nerdist website.
Mike & Tom Eat Snacks provides examples of:
- Aborted Arc: Mike and Tom spent several episodes on the run from Hostess' assassins after they were blamed for the company's bankruptcy. Eventually, they returned to their headquarters declaring they didn't think Hostess competent enough to kill them and no more was said of the matter.
- Broke the Rating Scale: The Jolly Rancher's pudding was rated "Fuck you" By Mike, and "Pure Evil" by Tom for being so vile.
- Butt-Monkey: "Little" Joey Hodges, the spokesperson who sent them Pop Chips is used whenever they want to make fun of people shilling their products.
- Catchphrase: Tom sometimes says "Holy Hannah in a hand basket" when he's surprised.
- Determinator: Tom once ate a bowl of guacamole even though he is severely allergic to avocado, because he likes guacamole that much. He kept going even after the allergic reaction kicked in until he couldn't talk anymore.
- Insistent Terminology:
- The audience are not viewers. What they are is debatable but they are not viewers.
- What Mike and Tom do is rate Rate Snacks, what they are is Respect For Women.
- Irishman and a Jew: Tom and Mike respectively. Tom is upbeat, generally more friendly Catholic and Mike is a cynical lapsed-Jew turned Atheist.
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Missing Episode: Episode 31 makes reference to an episode that was done, which was seen as their greatest episode yet; with the (unknown) snack gaining a double-16 raiting, a wonderful song and dance being performed, Ted Danson making an appearance (who read his own sonnet) ...only for the Producer Ian to inform Mike and Tom that he forgot to press record. - Running Gag: Tom introducing Mike in bombastic manner followed by Mike introducing Tom in an underwhelming manner, and Tom getting upset by this. Can lead to an Overly Long Gag depending on how long Tom harps on it.
- As well, laser sounds and Stormtroopers hitting the ground when they announce snacks
- Serious Business: The Snack Game is very serious business.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Ian McShane to Mike, for stealing the roles of Swearengen and Blackbeard from him.
