Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates: And a Thousand Cocktails

by Mike Stangle, Dave Stangle

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX

Two reckless but lovable all-American bros make a strong case for maturing slowly through their outrageous yet enlightening misadventures across this great country of ours.

My brother and I are looking for wedding dates for our cousin’s wedding.

We’ve been told by the bride that bringing dates is “mandatory” so we “won’t harass all of my friends all night” and “stay under control.” Rather than ask some fringe women in our lives to go and face the inevitable ‘does this mean he wants to take it to the next level?!’ questions, we’d rather bring complete strangers and just figure it out…

We’re both in our 20s, single, dashingly tall, Anglo-Saxon, respectfully athletic, love to party, completely house trained…love our mother, have seen Love Actually several times…raw, emotional, sensitive, but still bad boys.…You should be attractive or our aunts will judge you, but not TOO attractive or one of our uncles might grope you.

Dave and Mike Stangle thought nothing of it when they boozily decided to turn to the “activity partners” section of Craigslist to solicit dates to their cousin’s wedding. The hilarious, out-of-this-world ad that they came up with—featuring a picture of the two brothers as centaurs—immediately went viral, eventually landing these Wayfarers-wearing, moped-riding, completely reckless but ultimately loveable bros in the annals of the “Internet famous.”

In Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates , the Stangle brothers bring their trademark, off-color humor to everything from their most embarrassing adolescent experiences (like getting beat up by a girl on their front lawn...in front of their dad), to the most outrageous predicaments (like tripping on mushrooms with their bulldog, Frank), to proper sexting etiquette, and finally to breaking up a midget bar fight (you have to shoo them away). With the incredible comedic chemistry of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers and the uncensored honesty of Tucker Max, Mike and Dave insist there’s nothing wrong with just seeing where life takes you.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, Media Tie In, Audiobook, Biography, Book Club

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2014

Reviews

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

If you belong to the following . . .



there is ZERO reason for you to ever pick up Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. On the other hand, if you laugh at every raunchy/inappropriate joke within each Judd Apatow film and remain firmly planted in the "I Wanna Bang Vince Vaughn's Film Characters (Both the Fat and Thin Versions)" or know what OTPHJ stands for this might be the book for you.

I requested Mike and Dave from the library after yet another damn list of "stuff you should read before it becomes a movie in 2016" came across my Facebook feed. I figured even if I didn't enjoy the book I'd most definitely enjoy the film . . .



I also requested about eleven hundred and seventy-two NetGalley books at the exact same time so I had zero intention of reading this one until the library demanded I return it. But then I had a crazy day at work and decided to chat it up with my fave gal on the phone and down a few cold ones . . .



Well, I did until I woke up this morning. Reality check is me = old and no longer able to stay up late. What better cure for what ailed me then to read a book about two brothers and their drunken antics, right????

If you aren't familiar with Mike and Dave or why the hell they would ever get a book deal, let me show you how they earned their fifteen minutes . . . .



This is what bored guys who suck at bagging babes do in their spare time (a/k/a while dumping a load). The brothers say with regard to their sudden celebrity . . . .

"What the fuck is the matter with you, America?"

As I said before, this is definitely not a book for everyone (hate to be sexist, but I will go out on a limb and say that some of the bros may like this but the majority of my fellow hos will not). That doesn't make Mike and Dave's stories unfunny, though. It's a real shame the blurb references Tucker Max, because that dude? Ugh . . . .



While Mike and Dave are shallow and sometimes real examples of pigmen at least they own it and admit the goal of their adventures was "to get weird and maybe have a couple of 'gasms along the way." And when they failed at picking up chicks? It was pretty hilarious . . .



It's not all about sex with Mike and Dave either (mainly because they seem to be kind of horrible at sealing the deal). They also share some other moments . . .



that had me LOLing for real and freely admitted to their various man-crushes . . .



Ahhh, to be that pu$..... (oops, sorry - got off track for a second there). Anyway, if you aren't easily offended and want a cheap laugh, this isn't awful. And if not? Zac Efron's abs in the movie DEFINITELY won't be awful. Mike and Dave also taught me about the "Bill Murray Montana Cooler" so next New Year's Eve should be full of win : )

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honest disclosure, and maybe a bit of a spoiler: at the most, 5% of this book concerns Mike and Dave trying to get wedding dates. Also, the results of the endeavor are not really discussed other than their 15 minutes of fame - I was expecting a detailed rundown of the wedding dates and events from the wedding in question - this does not happen.

Most of the book is a recounting of raunchy, sex-filled , alcohol and drug fueled adventures the Stangle brothers have been involved in throughout their lives. While hilarious, I think they are brave in revealing it all as I am sure they are now on a lot of people's s#!t lists. Also, I am a bit shocked that they have willingly published information that can be used against them in a court of law.

If you loved the movie The Hangover, but wish it was 100 times raunchier, if you like stories of people drinking their body weight in tequila, and you are okay with frat boys telling tales where women are nothing more than the objects of their twisted sex fantasies to be exploited in public after committing atrocious acts that would make a porn star blush, then this is a book for you.

If any of the things I just mentioned don't interest you, offend you, or might lead you on a hate filled Twitter rant demanding that the Stangle brothers be banished from the planet earth, I advise you to not read this. I REPEAT - DO NOT EVEN GIVE IT A TRY!

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilariously offensive. I saw a lot of negative reviews so I was worried when starting it. Once you understand that these guys aren't trying to hurt anyone's feelings, the book is laugh-out-loud funny. Their stories definitely made me feel better about my questionable life decisions. Would 100% recommend if you're in the mood for a good laugh!

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, I promptly threw it in the garbage.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

If only I had been waiting for a book by some over-privileged, under-sexed straight white dudes telling women what dudes like and sharing stories of drinking (and driving) and acting like assholes with pride. Or, as I like to call it, "all fucking day every fucking day." I'm still shocked the name Tucker Max didn't come up once, since these guys clearly want his fame.

[Bakunin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you find yourself reading "Anna Karenina" and then "Crime and Punishment" while stopping by the some "Notes from the underground", you might want to read something more lightweight. This book is just that and one of the funniest books I've ever read. I don't think I've laughed out loud as many times while reading (Lolita and the rest of Nabokovs oeuvre excepted of course).

This is basic frat stories with lot of sex; two guys in their twenties dating, what else would it be about? "But its not all dick jokes and frat stories; never mind that Dave was never in a frat and that he has a terrible dick [both true)" (p. 17). The Stangle brothers are always on the look out for a good time and a way to make each other laugh.

[Brock Eastom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates was a quick and very funny read! This book is definitely not for the easily offended, and it really relies on offensive comedy and shock factor. The book worked for me and I found myself laughing throughout. It was extremely funny, but it definitely did not have a running story, it was just a collection of ridiculous true stories from these two man-child brothers. It was a fun read, but it got a little repetitive with the stories, as every story was about their failed attempt to pick up women, and how they got drunk or stoned. However, I'm not saying it in a judgy way, because it was absolutely hilarious! I just wish there was a little bit more of a story structure to the book or the individual stories themselves. But, if you are looking for a fun, hilarious, offensive, and brainless read, I would definitely give this book a go.

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

very juvenile male humor - some of the stories were funny, but didn't really work for me

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read it because my nephews in the movie.

[Ryan H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book after reading a recommendation list. It is filled with spit your drink out, laugh out loud crude humour. It was fantastic and quite frankly unbelievable. Just when you think the laughs are done another absolutely wild story comes from left field. It is definitely nothing like the movie, the movie actually toned down the stories ten fold. The brothers hold nothing back in this book and after reading it this is definitely how they live their lives. What makes this listen even better is the fact that the brothers themselves narrate the story. It gives a first hand account to the Tom Foolery that has become commonplace in their lives. It is written in almost a rotating nature where one brother would tell a story about the other. They do an excellent job making you feel like you were actually there during the story. There is not much more to say other than if you are looking for a laugh out loud, ridiculous story that will make you think about all the silly things you did when you were younger, this is it. Or on the flip side of things if you have children around this age then maybe this one will give you nightmares of the things they could be getting up to. Rotten, funny and at times charming. Be warned this one contains lots of drinking, sexual content, some drug use, foul language and a whole lot of memories!

[Georgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yeah, they're assholes all right. And brothers, whose spur-of-the-moment Craigslist ad went viral...(it's something, believe me)
I'm going to tell you right now. If you have a moral bone in your body and are easily offended, do NOT pick up this book, it will not make you a happy reader.
Those of us who like this sort of book (Tucker Max fans will appreciate it), you'll dig. And you'll dig big.
Out in May, 2015. Read it!

[Ronna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This only gets 2 stars for the first 2 chapters. The initial Craigslist thing going viral was amusing, but who the hell thought these 2 man-babies should get a book deal??? They are not quite at the level of douche-bros, but pretty close. Their dad sounds like a super-interesting guy, mainly b/c he had to put up with these doofuses for decades.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be a little more about the actual wedding that said dates were taken to. There's a little of that, but the rest of this boiled down to fart and penis jokes, I'm probably not their key demographic.

[D · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you think drunk driving is hilarious and not at all morally repugnant then this is the book for you.

[Angela Hiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little disappointing. First of all, the title of the book, and the sole reason for its existence, came from the Craigslist ad they made advertising their need for wedding dates. The book described how they came to make the ad, dates they went on as a result of the ad, and media appearances relating to the ad. At this point, abandoned the entire wedding date storyline. Did they find dates to the wedding? Did anything fun happen at the wedding? Never even mentioned. I wanted some resolution! Eventually I Googled them and found out they went to the wedding with two childhood friends.

I would understand if they edited this part out because the wedding wasn't very exciting, or their friends weren't interesting. But the entire rest of the book is them telling stories about relatively unexciting events, and describing a bunch of unremarkable friends and family members. This brings me to my second complaint. They make a huge "banned in Boston" type deal throughout the book about how outrageous these stories are going to be, and several of the reviews reinforce the idea that if you don't like the book, it's probably because you're easily offended. But almost nothing that happens in the book is even immoral. I mean there are references to drugs and sex, but that's about it, no lasting damage to anyone. Not that I especially wanted a dark book, but a lot of the stories are just wandering anecdotes where there's no punchline other than "we got really high and had sex!"

The closest it came to being offensive was the chapters dedicated to how women should act to get a boyfriend and how gay people are all the same. Even then I wasn't so much offended as I just thought, okay, these guys are morons. Women should wear skimpy clothes to get attention from men, holy shit I bet they never thought of that.

The three stars is because they had a good, friendly writing style that made it pleasant and relaxing to read their stories. I would have a beer with these guys. I actually think they would do better with something like a novel, where they could make the plot more exciting instead of being constrained to the truth. Overall I'm glad I bought the book used for half price.

[Jill Spinelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically a memoir of never-ending Frat Boy debauchery. As someone who is not easily offended I was able to get through this book just fine. The writing is conversational and mediocre. Honestly this book struck me as neither horrible, nor amazing. The players are all recognizable since they can easily be compared to any number of people you know in real life. I picked this book up after watching the movie and laughed until my sides hurt, but the movie is actually far better (and funnier) than the book, which has very little focus on said wedding. It was certainly humorous at times but I felt it often dragged on or went off on tangents. They waste far too many words making cracks at each other's expense which tends to get old quickly. Otherwise it was an easy read from 2 guys who fell into their accidental 15 minutes of fame and rode it as long as possible

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely hilarious and incredibly crude. Mike and Dave Stangle sure have it all.

I initially picked this up after watching the movie, not quite sure wether it was going to be based off of the movie, or full of wacky tales by these two crazy jerks. Of course, it was the latter.

The perfect book to read if you are looking for a good laugh, of course though - you need to take these two with a grain of salt. A large one of that. Definite warning for crude and sometimes hard to stomach idiocy.

By the way, not enough pictures. We need EVIDENCE!

(In regard to the low rating on Goodreads and the general ass-i-ness of Mike and Dave) Don’t take them too seriously. They don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and are just out there for a laugh. You won’t gain anything spectacular from this novel, but it’s definitely a good time-killer and mood lifter if you can take a joke.

[Angie Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars - Okay what did I just read?? 😂😂 I read it after seeing the movie recently (late to the game there), but the movie was a funny concept and I knew it was based loosely on a true story, so I thought I’d give it a try. I did the audiobook version read by the brothers themselves which I imagine was the better way to read it. There were some seriously laugh out loud moments. It’s not really a story as much of a collection of their shenanigans. It’s incredibly crude and involves tales of them being drunk dirtbags (dirtbag is a term they call themselves) pretty much only looking to party and have sex. Hopefully they didn’t drive drunk as much as they mentioned. There are some entertaining parts, it dragged a little bit in the second half, but overall it’s a very quick read. If you’re offended easily, this book is not for you.

[Yvette · Rating 1 out of 5]

The movie was entertaining, so I thought I’d give the book it was based off of a shot. I don’t think Mike and Dave Stangle’s memoir would be published today. It seems like they were able to get in on the coat-tails of the “fratire” trend that Tucker Max made his money off of. Their movie adaptation faired better than Max’s though, so kudos to them for that. The book, however, wasn’t fun or funny. Perhaps that’s because I’ve read it with my 2025 social beliefs and not my 2015 social beliefs. A lot has changed in the world since this book was published. Would I recommend this book as a “must read”? No. But if you’re ok reading a book by immature men sharing stories that they think make them seem “cool”, then read any Tucker Max book over this one.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave and Mike retell crazy antics from their lives, mostly from college experiences and being 20 somethings in NY and DC. Parts were laugh out loud funny and other tales completely disgusting and weird. Many of the situations they got themselves into over the years made for a quick read and many laughs. The brothers narrate with such bravado and enthusiasm you can't help but laugh. The audiobook is the way to go.

[Sarah G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish the book, because even though it's not that long, somehow I couldn't do it in the 3 weeks I had on my library loan. It's fine for what it is, a collection of crazy frat boy-type stories. Some did leave me a little offended, but that's not what I'm taking stars off for. Even though many of the stories were funny, they just didn't engage me, I guess because I've never lived a similar lifestyle so I can't relate. But if you want to read that sort of thing, go for it!

[Virginia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This movie is a guilty pleasure of mine. This book has nothing to do with that. There is barely any talk of the dates and there is 100% no wedding. It’s just bros partying in a pretty basic way. Very forgettable. I don’t wanna hear about the time a girl threw up on your dick while giving you head. These guys think they are way funnier than they are. I was barely amused. Check out the movie for a weird funny romp with Aubrey Plaza.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my type

I like a good funny book and this book started out very funny, but I got bored with it. The first quarter was funny and interesting and I probably should have stuck it out, but I lost interest when one of the guys drones on and on about women and what they should do to attract a guy. It just went in too long and I just couldn't finish.

[Amanda Collentro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe more of a 2.5. The book was funny at times, but I found myself having trouble sitting down to read it. The transitions weren't very smooth and it was very easy for me to put the book down and forget about it days at a time. I'm someone who loves to be hooked into a story, and generally a few days is it takes for me to finish a book.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually listened to this book as I drove to work and home this week. I immediately wanted to roll down the window and throw it into any passing car but because I paid for it (stupid me) I forced myself to hear this POS book to the end. I admit to chuckling at a few sentences. These are x-rated stories and sometimes funny but the Stangle brothers are class A douchebags.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book up thinking I would listen to it while working and thank goodness I was wearing headphones. It's filled with immature musings, raunchy humor, and only tangentially related to the wedding ad they placed. Well, as far as I could tell. I got through a cd and a half and ended up throwing it away. I have a very not g-rated sense of humor but this was too much even for me.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had to push myself to finish this book. It was funny sometimes but at other times, ugh. Movie was much better.

Pop Sugar’s 2018 Reading Challenge - A book made into a movie you've already seen

[Gillian Winwood-smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t get behind guys who think drink driving is okay and who have some pretty crass opinions of women and others in general. Then there’s just destroying or taking other people’s property whenever they feel like it. Not cool.
But clearly smart fellas with a potential in comedy writing

[Dom Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie is way better than the book, it's like they're not even based on the same thing. While this book was kinda funny and had some interesting stories, it had too much looker room-type stuff for me in it, too much of a rich white privilege party boys who wear ascots vibe for me.

[Heather Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Know what you are getting into with this one. You get crude stories but hilarious guys. I loved it but I can see why other people might not. It made me laugh a lot. Reminded me of Tucker Max.