In my opinion, Spike is a genius. He's the Andy Kaufman of talk show callers. It's all an act and I'm convinced that off the air Spike is a perfectly normal fellow.
Does anyone agree with me?
No!!!
Nope. I think he probably thinks he's putting on an act.
I would love it if Spike started talking about "the Spike character" in those terms on the air. This might be the approach he should take to answer Tom's challenge and freshen up his calls. The Actor Who Plays Spike could field questions about his process and how he develops and inhabits "the Spike character" when he calls into the show.
Maybe Tom could go the James Lipton route and hit The Actor Who Plays Spike with Lipton's beloved Bernard Pivot questions. Is there anyone not curious about his potential answer to "If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?"