Tip Screens, $8 Greeting Cards and Oat Milk Upcharges: Everyday Absurdities
Watch the full episode: Season 3 Premiere: Everyday Absurdities Why does a basic greeting card cost $8 now? Season 3 of The Absurdists kicks off with new co-host Brandi Mastrud, who brings Marlo Anderson a list of everyday things we all accept as normal but are kind of ridiculous when you stop to think about […]
Meet Brandi: Red Lights, Self-Checkout and the Absurdity of Waiting
Watch the full episode: Meet Brandi: The Absurdity of Waiting Season 2 of The Absurdists wraps up by welcoming a new co-host: hairstylist and content creator Brandi Mastrud, who Marlo Anderson met on a riverboat during North Dakota Music Hall of Fame weekend. (Don’t worry, Mary Murphy will be back from time to time.) The […]
Bloodletting, Mummy Powder and a Whale Hotel: Absurd Medical Practices of the Past
Watch the full episode: Absurd Medical Practices of the Past Doctors once drained your blood to cure a fever, drilled holes in your skull and prescribed powdered mummy for your wounds. In this episode of The Absurdists, with Mary Murphy traveling, Marlo Anderson is joined by guest Justin Cancilliere to dig through the most absurd […]
Mailed Kids, Bat Bombs and a Headless Chicken: 25 Absurd Moments in U.S. History
Watch the full episode: 25 Absurd Moments in U.S. History Parents once mailed their children. A bank was mailed across Utah, brick by brick, by parcel post. And the CIA tried to turn a cat into a spy. In this episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson and guest Ginger G celebrate America’s 250th birthday by […]
DIY, But Why? Homemade Butter, a $7,000 Laser and 40 Birdhouses
Watch the full episode: DIY, But Why? Why make butter when four sticks cost a few dollars at the store? In this episode of The Absurdists, Mary Murphy brings a different kind of show: DIY and homemade everything, and the moment you wonder why you’re doing it at all. Mary is on her third batch […]
Products Named After Places: Cheddar, Tuxedos and Chicken, Alaska
Watch the full episode: Products That Come From the Map Is cheddar a place? It is: a village in England. In this episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson switches topics at the 11th hour and quizzes Mary Murphy on products that come from the map, starting with cheese: cheddar, plus Colby, one of the few […]
Two Truths and a Lie: Cube-Shaped Poop, Sticky Rice and Diamond Rain
Watch the full episode: Two Truths and a Lie, Absurdists Style Wombats really do make cube-shaped poop. But do flamingos turn neon blue? In this episode of The Absurdists, Mary Murphy brings a game: Two Truths and a Lie, packed with absurd facts, and Marlo Anderson has to spot the fake in every round. Before […]
Best Boys, Gaffer Tape and Jello Zombies: The Absurd Movie Business
Watch the full episode: Lights, Camera, Absurdity: Decoding the Movie Business What exactly does a best boy do? In this episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson is joined by filmmaker Nolan Johnson of Quantum Digital to decode the absurd world of making movies and TV. It starts with Marlo seeing The Wizard of Oz at […]
Observe the Absurd: Expiring Water, Sleep Scores and Tip Screens
Watch the full episode: Observe the Absurd: Half a List of Everyday Absurdities Why does bottled water have an expiration date? In this episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson shows up with a list of everyday absurdities he has been observing (observe the absurd!), and he and Mary Murphy start working their way down it. […]
Not-So-Urgent Care: When Customer Service Goes Out to Lunch
Watch the full episode: Out to Lunch: When Urgent Care Isn’t Urgent What do you do when the urgent care is closed for lunch in the middle of your emergency? In this episode of The Absurdists, Mary Murphy tells Marlo Anderson about her not-so-urgent care adventure: doubled over in pain, she is told the doctor […]
Manufacturer Not Responsible for Flights Attempted
Watch the full episode: Warning: This Episode May Cause Laughter What do fishing lures, frozen pizza, Superman capes, wheelbarrows, toilet brushes, and bottle rockets all have in common? Somehow, some way, they all needed warning labels. And in this episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy dive headfirst into the wonderfully ridiculous world […]
From Orbit to Outrageous: The Absurdity of Technology Takes Flight
On this episode of The Absurdists, Marlo and Mary take absurdity to new heights—literally. Broadcasting as a simulcast with The Tech Ranch, the duo dives headfirst into the story of astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who blasted off for an 8-day mission… and stayed for nine months. What began as a technical demonstration […]
Curtains, Curses, and Coded Chaos: An Absurdist Odyssey
Watch the full episode: Welcome to our latest deep dive into the wonderfully weird world of absurdity! In this episode of our absurdist podcast, “Curtains, Curses, and Coded Chaos: An Absurdist Odyssey,” hosts Mary Murphy and Marlo Anderson explore an eclectic mix of theater superstitions, digital mishaps, and offbeat cultural quirks that redefine what it […]
Absurd Origins: The Stories Behind Everyday Sayings
Watch the full episode: Welcome back! After a holiday hiatus, Marlo and Mary dive into the bizarre, funny, and often dark origins of common expressions we use every day. From “raining cats and dogs” to “kick the bucket,” this episode explores the fascinating history behind these sayings and how they’ve evolved over time. […]
The Absurdity of Numbers: From Friday the 13th to Missing Donuts and Decimal Mishaps
Watch the full episode: Numbers: we use them to measure time, count calories, and set speed limits. They’re supposed to bring order to the chaos of life—but what happens when numbers get a little too absurd? In this laugh-filled episode of The Absurdists, co-hosts Mary Murphy and Marlo Anderson unpack the bizarre world of numbers […]
Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza: Unraveling the Mandela Effect
Watch the full episode: The Mandela Effect: When Our Collective Memory Plays Tricks On Us Remember when Darth Vader said, “Luke, I am your father”? Or when Captain Kirk would regularly say, “Beam me up, Scotty”? Well, prepare to have your mind blown – neither of these iconic phrases was ever actually said in their […]
Autocorrect Fails, Graffiti Tales, and Velvet Confessions: The Absurdists Unleashed
Watch the full episode: From Velvet and Big Cucumbers to Absurdist Graffiti: A Wild Ride with Marlo and Mary On the latest episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy take us on another rollercoaster ride of hilarity and peculiar musings. From wardrobe confessions (blue velvet, anyone?) to the accidental messages that left their […]
Walking Down Memory Lane: Nostalgia, Humor, and Absurdity
Watch the full episode: In this delightful and laugh-out-loud episode of The Absurdists, co-hosts Mary Murphy and Marlo Anderson take us on a whimsical stroll through the past. Together, they explore a variety of once-popular phenomena and inventions, rating them as either “Baby, Come Back” or “Forget About It.” Prepare yourself for an entertaining blend […]
The Most Absurd World Records You Never Knew Existed
Watch the full episode: Ever wonder who holds the record for balancing a running lawnmower on their chin? Neither had we, until this week’s episode. Marlo and Mary dove headfirst into the weird world of record-breaking achievements, and folks, it’s even stranger than we imagined. Did You Know People PAY to Break Records? Before we […]
From Big Macs to Bless You: Laughing Through the World’s Weird Rituals
Watch the full episode: In this latest episode of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy dive headfirst into the hilariously quirky world of human rituals, customs, and behaviors that, at a closer look, seem utterly absurd. With their characteristic wit, the duo unravels the strange ways people engage with everyday customs and habits that […]
Unraveling the Absurd: Exploring 10 Mind-Bending Conspiracy Theories
Birds Aren’t Real: Government Drones in Disguise? One of the first theories discussed is Birds Aren’t Real, a satirical internet movement claiming that birds are actually government surveillance drones. According to the joke, all birds were replaced by mechanical lookalikes between 1959 and 1971. Our hosts humorously point out the existence of ornithology and […]
Absurd Nursery Rhymes – Unraveling the Dark Origins of Childhood Favorites
In Episode 10 of The Absurdists, Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy take listeners on a journey into the absurdity of beloved childhood nursery rhymes. But this time, they’re not just recalling the catchy tunes from our youth—they’re digging deep into the surprisingly dark and twisted origins of these innocent-sounding jingles. Exploring the Dark Side of […]
The Absurdities of Travel, Doors, and… Crickets?
In this hilariously absurd episode of The Absurdists, hosts Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy take us on a whimsical journey through their recent experiences and quirky observations. Marlo shares stories from his recent travels to London and Paris, offering a unique perspective on everything from international McDonald’s menus to cross-cultural miscommunications. The episode kicks off […]
The Absurd Things That People Collect
Hey there, folks! Marlo Anderson here, and boy, do I have a doozy of an episode to share with you. This week on The Absurdists, Mary and I took a deep dive into some of the craziest collections you’ve ever heard of. I mean, we’re not talking about your run-of-the-mill stamp collections here – we’re […]
Absurd Warning Labels That Defy Logic
Have you ever picked up a product and burst out laughing at its warning label? You’re not alone! In a recent episode of The Absurdists, hosts Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy took a deep dive into the world of the most bizarre and downright absurd warning labels ever slapped onto consumer products. Buckle up (but […]