Rod and Mel

The Absurd

Society EN ↓ 124 episodes

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.

Author

Rod and Mel

Category

Society

Podcast website

rss.com

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Scratch Ticket Shenanigans, Pontiac Prison, She Pees Freely & Shot By A Tree 26.02.2025

Ever bought a scratch ticket? Sure you have. We’re off to France where a stolen credit card was used to buy a scratch ticket which won big. Who gets the money? The owner of the stolen card has a good solution. Next, Mel will take us to Detroit to learn of a sad and extreme example of a mother abandoning her children. Then we’ll meet a woman in New Hampshire who likes to pee in a certain store. And...

Parenting: Doggy Style, Bald Is Gold, Whale of a Whale Tale & Is Paula Abdul’s Plane Is Missing 19.02.2025

Mel tells us a fascinating and sad story of a little girl abandoned by her parents who was then adopted and raised by dogs. Stories of feral children are not new, but this is a modern case. Then we’re off to Mozambique where several men have been murdered because they were bald. Next, Mel will take us down to Patagonia where a terrifying incident involving a man being swallowed by a whale recently...

Ghost Ships, Twin Jims, Bullet Dodge, Tiktok Tool, & Ohio Money Shot 12.02.2025

Several ships containing severely decomposing bodies have washed up on Caribbean islands. These macabre vessels seem to come from western Africa, but why, and how? Mel will tell us a tale about identical twins separated at birth who shared an … absurd number of similarities. Then Rod will take us to Utah where one man was shot after claiming he could dodge a bullet. Yeah … he couldn’t. Then we wil...

Mel’s Rock Talk, Swiss Cheese Pervert, Blood Countess & Bonehead Wings 05.02.2025

First off, Mel will take us back to where it all began for her; Newfoundland. She will dazzle us with sayings popular on The Rock, and she will quiz Rod to see if he can understand what they mean. There’s a Fun Dip on the line. Next, we’ll meet a man who is unquestionably the cheesiest flasher we’ve ever heard of. Then things get truly gruesome as Mel takes us back to 16th century Hungary to learn...

Bonus 6: VB Hooker, German Spanking Island, Very Superstitious & Bad Ink 01.02.2025

In an effort to make up for our absence last week, we have brought you another bonus episode. First, Rod will take us to Virginia Beach where a cop hired a prostitute who subsequently stole his car and wallet. He then called police to report it. Mel will then take us to the German island of Borkum where there is a bizarre and somewhat disturbing tradition in which woman on the street are spanked....

Running On Lego, Lawn Chair Larry, Call Me Bro & Butt Plug MRI 29.01.2025

A woman in New Zealand set the world record for running on Lego bricks in bare feet. Holy ouch! Next we’ll head back to 1982 and meet Larry, who launched himself almost 5,000 metres into the sky while in a lawn chair. Mel will then take us to China where we will meet a man who spent over $500,000 paying a woman to call him “bro”. Lastly, Rod will tell us a strange case about a woman who left a sex...

Real Groundhog Day, Career Turnover, There’s Waldo & Dog Sitting Side Hustle 15.01.2025

Our first story is a fascinating look at a 16 year old girl who received a severe concussion and TBI (traumatic brain injury) which resulted in her memory completely resetting every single day. But things got even worse. Next we’ll learn about a teacher who tried to cheer up a young student by … upending things. Then we have a happy story from right here in town about an amazing local Lassie. Last...

Dexter (not that one), So You Think You’re Dead, Niagara’s Screaming Tunnel & A Fistful of Absurd Pt 2 08.01.2025

Timothy Dexter, born in 1747, and businessman extraordinaire, was quite a dude who showed everyone just what he was made of. He was not to be underestimated as many would learn. Next we’ll look at a very strange mental condition called Cotard’s Syndrome in which the sufferer actually believes themselves to be dead. Then Mel will take us just down the road to Niagara Falls where we’ll learn about t...

Penis Poppers, Old World Christmas Traditions, That One Song & Christmas Toy Crazes 25.12.2024

Christmas is a time of giving, but some men get an unpleasant surprise when they give a little too hard. This is a cautionary tale, fellas. Next, Mel will tell us about some Christmas traditions from some other cultures. Then we’ll meet a couple who have setup a GoFundMe to buy the rights to a much hated Christmas song so they can remove it from existence. Lastly, we’ll look at some of the most po...

HoJo Mojo, These Are Your Eyes On Drugs, DNA WTF, Dr Amputation & Freaky Family Photos 18.12.2024

A very brief bit of coolness about Howard Johnson’s. Mel will then tell us a sad, cautionary tale about a young woman who committed a horrific case of self-harm while using crystal meth. Rod will then tell us about a bizarre turn of events when a young woman bought a DNA ancestry kit. She never could have imagined what it would show. Mel will then tell us about Dr Robert Liston, a 19th century sur...

Window To The Soul, Girl In The Basement, DIY Parachute, No Sex Pregnancy, & Renegade Roo 11.12.2024

In what is probably a mix of ego and stupidity, we will learn of a Toronto corporate lawyer who got his cheque cashed. Mel will then tell us a very disturbing story out of Austria. Seriously, if you’re especially sensitive to stories of abuse, this might not be a story for you (start 13:25, end 29:00). Next, financial hardships have pushed a lot of people into taking extreme actions to address the...

Rat-A-Chewy, St Olga Don’t Play, The Dog With Two Barks, & Meat From Above 04.12.2024

Our first story is rather disgusting. So if you’re eating, you might want to finish up before listening. That’s all we’re saying about that one. Mel will then take us back to 10th century Ukraine to meet Olga who shows that vengeance and kickin’ ass are by no means gender specific. Not that any sensible person could think otherwise. Then we’ll nip next door to Russia to learn about some fascinatin...

RR 411, Million Dollar Banana, Absurd Facts, Rocket In His Pocket, Grubby Geezer & Rat Races 27.11.2024

This is our first ever recording on location, and we were at Rural Roots Brewing Company in Elmira, ON. Cannot recommend it enough! Great beer, great staff, and great wings too. We open on a chat with owner and proprietor Roger Lichti. Mel than tells us about someone with entirely too much money who went bananas for a banana. Next, Rod amazes and confounds us with some absurd facts. Then we’re off...

Big Bada Boom, Bell Island Booms, Bearly Believable & Cocaine Hippos 20.11.2024

The Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever designed and tested, and the largest human-made explosion. It’ll blow your mind! Next we’re off to Mel’s home province to learn about a series of mysterious and as yet unexplained loud booms reported in 1978. We will then meet four people whose attempts to commit insurance fraud could best be described as grizzly. Lastly we will learn about a b...

Flight Number Two, How Do You Like Your Eggs? My Kingdom For A House & Dancing Plague 13.11.2024

Anyone who has flown knows that it is not an overly comfortable experience. Cramped seats, screaming kids, mediocre food. But here’s one thing I hope none of us will ever have to experience. We will next meet a man who while under the influence of GHB decided it would be best to insert 15 hard boiled eggs into his rectum. What an oeuf! We rely on doctors to dispense healing treatment as spelled ou...

THC Pizza, Kentucky Fried WTF, Village Of The Dolls, & Freezer Of Fright 06.11.2024

You like pizza? Of course. Who doesn’t? Are you a user of cannabis? If so, you might want to head to Stoughton, Wisconsin where a pizzeria mistakenly added THC oil to their pizza dough. Next, Mel takes us down to Kentucky where police make a truly grizzly discovery. Next, we’ll head to a village in Japan where the population has declined so much that residents have made life sized dolls in an atte...

Mel's Monster Mash, Cannibal Cafeteria, Do You Know The Mothman? & The Dating Game 30.10.2024

Hey everyone. This is the second of our Hallowe’en focused episodes, and by focused we mean scarier and darker. First, Mel will tell us about various different monsters we associate with Hallowe’en. Next, Rod will tell us about a cannibal restaurant in South Africa. Grab your plates! We will then look at the strange sightings of the “Mothman” which has been associated with the collapse of a bridge...

What’s In The Ceiling, Randonautica & Live Organ Donation 23.10.2024

Welcome to our first Hallowe’en episode, where the stories are a little more macabre and dark. First we’re off to South Africa where two patients incapable of walking disappeared shortly after their surgeries. Where they were found defies explanation. Then Mel will tell us about a very strange and potentially terrifying type of geocaching. In our final story, we look at a case of organ donation, o...

Rare Bear, My Parents Can’t Find Out, Helpful Burglar & Racist Robot 16.10.2024

Anyone who cooks knows that meat must be brought to a certain temperature to kill any parasites that may naturally exist in that meat. In case you’re thinking of cooking up a hunk of bear meat, you might want to listen to this first. Next, Mel will tell us about a disturbing case of a woman who went to great lengths to hide her gambling debts. Then Rod will tell us a fun tale about a burglar who t...

Mushroom Mayhem, Dollar Tree Pee Candle, Retention Pond & A Tale Of Two Lauras 09.10.2024

Psilocybin is a compound found in “magic mushrooms” which are often used recreationally as a harmless distraction. It is also the subject of much clinical study to determine if it has application to treat a myriad of mental health issues. In this instance however, a very large dose coupled with an axe proves … life-altering for the user. Then we’re off to Indiana for a foul incident at a Dollar Tr...

Sucking At Liposuction, Toddler Fight Club, Trading Baby For Beer, & Oscar The Death Cat 02.10.2024

In this episode, Rod has a cold, and he’s not happy about it! Mel will tell us about a liposuction procedure using a dental suction device. Yeah, it didn’t go well. Next, Rod will take us to St Louis to learn about a fight club orchestrated by teachers at a daycare centre. Sounds fun right, but it really is a bad idea. For those of you with children, you ever thought of selling one of your babies?...

Bonus 5: Toe Wrestling, Korean Fan Fiction, Donkey Dump Dollars, & Speaking Of Cows 27.09.2024

Here’s another fistful of absurdities. First we’re off to Derbyshire, England for some toe wrestling. Pretty sure Mel will be taking this up as a new hobby. Did you know that running an electric fan in your bedroom at night can kill you? In South Korea it can. Next we’re off to Spain for their own version of Bessie Bingo. Lastly we have a local story out of Guelph about an absurd incident that hap...

What’s The Beef With Cows, There’s A Mouse In My Mousse, Miss Swiss Puree, & Found Lost Boy 25.09.2024

When we think of dangerous animals, cows probably don’t come first to mind. Truth is, they kill several people a year in the UK alone. If you’ve ever flown, you know that airline food is so-so. Could be worse though. You could find a mouse in your meal like this passenger. Next a horrific tale of a man who murdered his wife … and pureed her. Lastly, will bring things up with a story out of Califor...

Mercury Is Rising, Academic Abductions, Stop Eating Your Hair & Loser Loser Chicken Dinner 18.09.2024

I think most of us can be competitive. At very least, none of us likes to lose. How far would you go to defeat your opponent? Would you poison them? This Russian chess player decided it was a good move. Next we’re off to Japan where a man abducted two teenage girls and held them at his home … so they could study. Then we’ll talk about the rare, terrifying, and even deadly Rapunzel syndrome. Lastly...

I Love You, I’ll Kill You, F**k Your Baby & A Garbage Way To Go 11.09.2024

I think it’s fair to say we can fall out of love, and fall in love with someone else. And parting ways is never easy. But how far would you be willing to go to move on with your new love? Would you drug someone to do it? This man and step-daughter did … to her own mother. Next, we’re going to meet a couple of super cowardly parents who abandoned their baby after she had been shot. Don’t worry. The...

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