Watch the full episode:

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.

Watch the full episode:

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 of homemade butter (and $60 of gear) and still only has whipped cream, while Marlo Anderson confesses to a homebrew beer kit living in a box, a $230 phone stud finder that loses to the $8.99 one, and a $7,000 laser that sat for a year.

They get into mozzarella made tableside, sourdough starters with names, homemade pasta, 3D printers (need a birdhouse? Marlo has 40), an embroidery machine that just sits, kitchen gadgets, reupholstering a chair, AI and YouTube for DIYers, and the $8 thermostat that cost Marlo a motor.

Then it’s crate-box furniture, IKEA instructions (spin three times), Mary’s Nest thermostat win, her mom’s crocheted hats, classic car shows and Mary’s ’68 Camaro, boiled peanuts, farmers market soap and Mary’s Willy Wonka pinstripes. So, is DIY worth it?

The Absurdists, where logic takes a back seat. Season 2, Episode 7 with Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy.

Watch the full episode:

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 cheeses born in the USA. Mary admits she broke up with ice cream, and Marlo reports on the 8 p.m. ice cream line.

Then it’s food and drink: Champagne and the widow behind the bubbly, cognac, tequila, pilsner, bologna (and a surprise duet of the bologna jingle), hamburgers, Brussels sprouts and Belgian fries, lima beans, Fig Newtons, Boston cream pie and Buffalo wings. Plus, what would a sandwich called “The Murphy” be, and why does Marlo smash his? Meet the Marlo Mash.

From there it’s fabric and fashion (denim, tuxedos, jersey, cashmere, angora, calico and muslin), cologne, magenta and the Battle of Magenta, and Panama hats that come from Ecuador. They wrap up with real towns that sound like a menu: Sandwich, Massachusetts; Hot Coffee, Mississippi; Chicken, Alaska; Pie Town, New Mexico; Two Egg, Florida; Oatmeal, Texas; Toast, North Carolina; Tea, South Dakota; and Sugar City, Idaho.

The Absurdists, where logic takes a back seat. Season 2, Episode 6 with Marlo Anderson and Mary Murphy.