The Absurdists

About The Absurdists

The Absurdists is a weekly podcast where co-hosts Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy take you on a hilarious and thought-provoking journey through the bizarre, the whimsical, and the downright absurd aspects of modern life. Whether they’re discussing peculiar inventions, absurd laws, or the quirks of daily communication, Marlo and Mary bring humor, curiosity, and light-hearted banter to every episode. With a focus on finding joy in life’s oddities, The Absurdists is a show that embraces the weird and invites listeners to laugh at the unexpected. Tune in for engaging conversations, amusing stories, and a reminder to embrace the absurdity in your own life!

Publisher

Mary Murphy & Marlo Anderson

Category

comedy · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jul 2024

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Meet Brandi: Red Lights, Self-Checkout and the Absurdity of Waiting

   Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4_TGmQx_lo 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 topic is the absurdity of waiting, and it turns into a getting-to-know-Brandi episode: the red light that forgets you’re there (and how many cycles before you go), Brandi’s stop-sign and speeding tickets, the song that cost Marlo points on his license, channel surfing past commercials, TikTok attention spans, crosswalks, slow drivers, waiting for gas, moving over for sirens, e-bikes, and whether lawmakers can keep up with AI. Then it’s the DOT, self-checkout vs. the cashier, 85-minute restaurant waits, how long Marlo will wait for a haircut, the tornado-warning haircut, Brandi’s social anxiety and why Marlo still gets nervous on stage, and the filler-word swear jar. Plus warning labels: “for external use only” on a curling iron, the Red Bull “gives you wings” lawsuit, the Superman costume, blister packs you need scissors to open, and Reno’s red shopping cart law. The Absurdists, where logic takes a back seat. Season 2, Episode 10 with Marlo Anderson and Brandi Mastrud.

2. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Tip Screens, $8 Greeting Cards and Oat Milk Upcharges: Everyday Absurdities

   Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeVzn8R9db0 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 them. Marlo opens with the e-bike that hit him outside the building, then they get into pricey greeting cards, card keepers vs. card tossers, thank-you letters vs. thank-you cards, birthday months, the Texas Roadhouse birthday saddle and birthday spankings. Then comes tipping: the convenience-store tip screen, why the $2 button wins, whether tipping devalues real service, where tip screens came from, the no-skip tip screen near Flagstaff, self-serve froyo, cash tips and no tipping in Iceland. Plus the oat milk upcharge, credit card fees, coffee dates instead of drinks, a local restaurant’s Halloween decor debate, who gets to trick-or-treat, Christmas Eve shopping, gift exchanges full of gift cards, favorite holidays, Hallmark movies and the top Christmas songs. The Absurdists, where logic takes a back seat. Season 3, Episode 1 with Brandi Mastrud and Marlo Anderson.

3. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Bloodletting, Mummy Powder and a Whale Hotel: Absurd Medical Practices of the Past

   Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLaXd9HZpl0 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 medical practices of the past. It starts with bloodletting (even at the dentist), trepanation, mercury, mummy powder, Spanish fly blistering to release bad “humors” and milk transfusions. Then there’s the Australian “whale hotel,” where rheumatism sufferers lay inside a decomposing whale, electric belts that promised to cure baldness, and Marlo’s own run-in with a laser hair cap. From there it’s cocaine toothache drops, Coca-Cola’s original recipe, heroin cough syrup, Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup (morphine for babies), asthma cigarettes, chloroform, strychnine tonics and the chaotic 1904 Olympic marathon, arsenic tonic, tapeworm diet pills, radium water, phrenology, monkey gland rejuvenation, malaria therapy, insulin comas, lobotomies and the whirling chair. Plus Justin’s pick: how doctors “treated” hysteria. (Reminder: neither of them is a doctor.) The Absurdists, where logic takes a back seat. Season 2, Episode 9 with Marlo Anderson and guest Justin Cancilliere.

Reach and audience

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

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

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

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

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