They know they're not viewers.

October 21, 2011 11:19 AM

Week after relentless week, Mike and Tom Eat Snacks continues to push the boundaries of snack-driven podcasting. Their full archives are available on iTunes, or on SoundCloud.

Every MATES podcast features Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanagh eating, discussing, and rating a single snack -- everything from Snickers bars to a box of Krimpets that expired in 2007 -- and wallowing in the slow downward spiral of their careers, including no shortage of anecdotes from the set of Yogi Bear.

Along the way, they find lifelong nemeses in the Keebler Elves, engage in surprisingly frank conversations about the nature of faith (Black is an atheist, Cavanagh a dedicated Catholic), reveal the secret history of the Black/McShane rivalry on Deadwood, and figure out better ways to administer capital punishment, as well as just generally pulling great conversations out of their asses for about 40 minutes every week.

posted by Shepherd (18 comments total)

Blocked on this end of the world. It must be good.
posted by stormpooper at 11:25 AM on October 21, 2011

MATES is the highlight of my podcast week. (After Uhh Yeah Dude and the obligatory WTF.)
posted by wensink at 11:27 AM on October 21, 2011

Less than a minute in, racist comments about Tenzing Norgay. Stopped listening.
posted by willF at 11:33 AM on October 21, 2011

I listened to one episode a while ago. I LOL'd at the premise, but the execution failed for me. Maybe I'll give it another shot.
posted by 3FLryan at 11:33 AM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

My wife and I have been viewers for awhile now. (And I know we're not viewers.)
posted by crunchland at 11:37 AM on October 21, 2011 [6 favorites]

In my opinion, this is the most consistently good comedy podcast currently running. Other shows have higher peaks, but lower ceilings. It will be interesting to see if they can keep it up at this level.
posted by Kwine at 11:39 AM on October 21, 2011

I'm a MIB fan, but I am hesitant to listen to this, given how much I can't stand sounds of eating (chewing, smacking, and as MIB puts it, "banana noises"). Those of you who have listened and don't (or do) share my neuroses, am I rightfully worried?
posted by supercres at 11:50 AM on October 21, 2011

Less than a minute in, racist comments about Tenzing Norgay. Stopped listening.

I'd like to think my sensitivity to stupid shit is fairly high; the bit you're referring to (three or four minutes into the fourth episode I linked to, yeah?) is pretty obviously a bit in the Sarah Silverman line-crossing vein; I'd be hard-pressed to call it "racist" and walk away in disgust. But YMMV, which applies to everything in comedy.

Actually, maybe you'd be best off avoiding the rest; Black's got a schtick similar to Silverman's where he just blows right past any reasonable line for shock value. In the context of the whole thing and Black's career, I get it, but I don't think you'd enjoy it.

I can't stand sounds of eating (chewing, smacking, and as MIB puts it, "banana noises").

There's some crunching and incidental eating noises, but (generally speaking) it doesn't sound like you've crawled inside their mouths or anything.
posted by Shepherd at 12:02 PM on October 21, 2011

I listened to one episode a while ago. I LOL'd at the premise, but the execution failed for me. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

Me too, and I'm an MIB fan. I listened to the "Cheetos" (one of my favorite chip-type things) episode. It took them FOREVER to actually get to the topic, which would be fine if they were really funny in the interim, but they fell short there IMO. They were just trying to one-up each other with zingers, which can work, but this just didn't. The banter seemed self-conscious and unnatural.

SUPERCRES: Was not a problem in the episode I listened to. They just talked about Cheetos IIRC.
posted by mreleganza at 12:05 PM on October 21, 2011

In the same vein, there's Kevin and Ursula Eat Cheap, which has become a regular weekend staple in the house here.
posted by wanderingmind at 12:11 PM on October 21, 2011

PEW PEW PEW KSSSSH KSSSH PEWPEWPEW!!!!! Stormtroopers, hitting the ground.
posted by yellowbinder at 12:24 PM on October 21, 2011 [3 favorites]

A FOUR! TEDDY GRAHAMS ARE A FOUR!

(Personally I think they short-changed the Teddy Grahams to favor the joke.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:36 PM on October 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

I listened to one episode a while ago. I LOL'd at the premise, but the execution failed for me. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

To me the premise really could be anything, snack rating just serves as a backdrop for their ridiculous riffing - which I happen to love. Mike and Tom have a great rhythm together.

And the alleged racism is soooo stupid and over-the-top that it seems obvious to me that Black is making fun of racism. It's also pretty infrequent in the scheme of things.

Mike and Tom Eat Snacks is one of just a few comedy podcasts that I can't wait to hear each week (along with WTF, The Champs, Comedy Bang Bang, Judge John Hodgeman and Doug Loves Movies).
posted by ericthegardener at 12:59 PM on October 21, 2011

Michael Ian Black is incredibly grating. The only State alumnus I don't like. Too bad, interesting premise.
posted by basicchannel at 1:18 PM on October 21, 2011

In a similar vein, an associate of mine has taken to video blogging about fruit. Well, I think they're about fruit...or something? Cinéma vérité expose of the comic underworld with lemons, maybe?

There's a shirtless fat man in some of them, too. I love riffing. Wait—what?
posted by sonascope at 1:21 PM on October 21, 2011

I have discussed snack food with jonmc. I have sought out snack foods based on jonmc's recommendatin.

These people are not jonmc.
posted by Curious Artificer at 3:01 PM on October 21, 2011

I'm also a long time viewer.

Yellowbinder -- is it ground or is it floor?

If you don't like food-smacking sounds, then definitely don't listen to the Starbursts episode.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 6:48 PM on October 22, 2011

Ground or floor, I'll say 'em both. Back to back to back.
posted by yellowbinder at 2:12 PM on October 23, 2011 [1 favorite]