The Absurd

About The Absurd

Welcome friends to The Absurd. A podcast about things absurd. News, histories, mysteries, and strange goings-on. Our stories are freaky, funny, and sometimes frightening. So sit back, get comfy, and get ready for The Absurd.

Publisher

Rod and Mel

Category

comedy · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

21 May 2024

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

137 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Mother & Baby Homes, Notre Dame Vs The Klan & Bizarre Brain Of Barbara Baekeland

   Starting off this Rod solo show with an infuriating account of the way unwed mothers and their children were treated in Ireland during much of the 20th century. Next, an inspirational conflict between the students of Notre Dame University and the Ku Klux Klan. Last, the bizarre tale of Barbara Baekeland and her son Antony, and the means she employed to “fix” him of his homosexuality.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   African Genital Theft, British Pet Massacre Of 1939 & Tractor Attacker

   Mel is away for work so it’s another Rod Solo show. Starting off this week with a shocking story out of Africa where over 80 people have been killed as a result of a superstition fueled by social media that men are having their genitals stolen simply by being touched on the shoulder. Next, probably the saddest story I’ve ever done on this show. The cull of over 750,000 pets in the United Kingdom on the eve of the Second World War. Lastly, we’ll look at a feud between two men which led to one of them stealing a tractor and ramming it into a house owned by the other man. But that’s not all.

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Oysters Rockefeller, Icelandic Insulation, No Mo PoPo

   Starting off this week with a story that was huge international news back in 1961. The disappearance of Michael Rockefeller, son of the wildly wealthy John D. Rockefeller, while exploring New Guinea. Next, the truly amazing survival story of Guðlaugur Friðþórsson, an Icelandic fisherman who defied insurmountable odds after this boat capsized. In our third story of the show, we will look at a Texas police department that was dissolved after “failing to prove it provided any benefit to the community”. But it’s even worse that that. And lastly … well … take it up with Mel! J

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

24,037

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

4.9 / 5

17 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

45

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

0

Contact The Absurd

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about The Absurd