This Is Absurd!

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We are two best friends diving into the chaos of being a human in the 21st century. Join us as we sift through the messiness of our daily lives and the world around us.

Tarek Arouse, Arturo Rolon

  • Dec 31, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
  • every other week NEW EPISODES
  • 42m AVG DURATION
  • 61 EPISODES
  • 1 SEASONS


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Latest episodes from This Is Absurd!

#61 - The First Annual Absurdees

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2020 51:13


Welcome to the first annual Absurdees! Live on air we call up our past guests to give out awards for our personal favorite guest episodes as well as the top three most listened to guest episodes. Also, we discuss other personal favorite memories from the podcast this year and wrap up 2020. Enjoy!

#60 - The Reunion

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2020 65:23


The trio is back! Today we have on one of our closest friends Caleb Barkman. Caleb is a political science and philosophy major at Baylor University. We catch up, take a deep dive into politics, discuss Caleb coming to Austin in the spring, and more!

#59 - Greatest Scam in American History!

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2020 64:53


Video mentioned in episode:          College: The Profitable Business of Enslaving Students          https://youtu.be/0_UJw3PO4CY

#58 - Kevin Silva Returns!

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2020 36:01


In today's episode, we have our good friend Kevin Silva. Kevin graduated from high school with us and is currently is studying to become a physical therapist. We catch up, discuss music and the "9 to 5" trap, the necessity of change, and more. Enjoy!

#57 - Winter is Coming

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2020 66:04


Hey Guys!!! Your favorite podcast hosts are back! It has been almost a month since our last episode and A LOT of stuff has happened since: midterms, presidential election, and COVID spikes. On this episode we talk about just that, and more. Enjoy!

#56 - Jordan Barton

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2020 94:59


On today's episode, we have on Jordan Barton, a political science major at Harvard. We discuss his journey to Harvard, meeting President Trump, his activism, working on a senate campaign, and more. Enjoy!

#55 - Adam Bergman, Part 2

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2020 48:04


This is part 2 to our two-part series with Adam Bergman. If you haven't listened to part 1 yet, please check it out. On this episode we touch more on current events, and the impact social medial advertising has on us, and more! Enjoy!

#54 - Adam Bergman, Part 1

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2020 53:13


This is Part 1 to a two-part series with guest, Adam Bergman– the conversation was just too good to keep under an hour. Part 1 includes Adam embarking upon Teach for America, his last-year student-body presidential campaign, and his travels to Israel. Stay tuned for Part 2, coming next! Enjoy!

#53 - We're Back!!!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2020 54:56


After a longer than normal break, your two favorite podcast host are back at it again– and boy is there content to talk about! This episode we talk about the presidential debate, Trump testing COVID positive, and the future of American politics. Enjoy!

#52 - Chase Lummus

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2020 27:24


On todays episode we have on Chase Lummus. Chase is a pitcher for the UT's baseball team. We discuss his path to playing collegiate baseball, the rigor of training at a high-level, having his season cut short because of COVID, and more. Enjoy!

#51 - RBG & Making the Senate Great Again!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2020 41:39


On today's episode we look at RBG's passing, what power the senate has in confirming a new justice, and DEBATE what the senate's roles should be in the American Government. Enjoy!

#50 - Smith Boles

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2020 40:28


For the 50th episode of the podcast we go back to our roots and have on a good friend from high school: Smith Boles. Smith is an advertising major at UT Austin. We discuss first year experiences at UT, old memories, Smith becoming a TikTok star, challenges with online learning, and more. Enjoy!

#49 - Dominic Beck

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2020 77:57


Is the idealization of American Culture problematic? Why do we ignore the harsher parts of American history? Where does the Western emphasis on wealth and materialism originate? These are some of the tough questions with dive into with today's guest Dominic Beck. Also, the episode's intro contains a teaser of our conversation's highlights. Enjoy!

#48 - William Harp

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 34:48


On todays episode we have on Tarek's friend William Harp. Will is an economics major at UT Austin. We discuss his book re-sale business, his experience trading stocks, COVID, police, and more. Enjoy!

#47 - Free-Speech Paradox

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2020 40:53


On today's episode we reflect on some more school experiences, free-speech on college campuses, Tarek's joke article, and more! Enjoy!

#46 - Jack Returns From Napoli

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2020 44:39


On today's episode we have for the second time our good friend Jack Napoli. Jack is a history major at UT Austin. We discuss his unconventional high school expierence, wanting to become a teacher, social justice, politics, and more. Enjoy!

#45 - Politics & Eggs

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2020 37:32


On today's episode we reflect on our first week of being back at Zoom University, talk about 2020 presidential election predictions, and Arturo's challenge of only eating eggs in September. Enjoy!

#44 - Leland Murphy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2020 37:04


On this episode we talk to Tarek's LAH friend, Leland Murphy. We explore how it was like being an orientation advisor during the pandemic, his involvement in the university's senate, the 2020 election, and more! Enjoy!

#43 - Patricio Rodriguez

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2020 36:45


On today's episode we have on our good friend Patricio Rodriguez. Pat is a computer science major at UT Austin and Software developer at LegalNet. We discuss his journey to becoming a CS major at UT, developing his company's software, misconceptions and predictions about A.I, the reality of "hacking", and more!

#42 - Back To School!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2020 20:38


As the fall semester begins back up again for your favorite podcasters, we take a survey of some of the recent news events. We discuss the Jacob Blake shooting, Trump and the Republican National Convention, mail in voting, worries about the fall semester, and more. Enjoy!

#41 - Jason Nguyen

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2020 34:59


On this episode we're back with another 401 brother, Jason Nguyen! We talk about his path to becoming a longhorn, how to find the right mindset when things don't go your way, being from a very small town, and more. Enjoy!

#40 - Slim Joe

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2020 35:56


On today's episode we have on one of our brothers, Joseph Van Smirren. We talk about his incredible weight-loss journey, conquering Colorado, and his advice for taking on a journey yourself. Enjoy!

#39 - Colleen Crabtree AKA The Jack of All Trades

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2020 33:10


In today's episode, we have on one of Tarek's close friends, Colleen Crabtree. Colleen is a Rhetoric and Writing/ Urban Geography major at UT Austin. We discuss the various organizations Colleen is apart of such as LongHorn Singers, Delta Gamma(DG), and Liberal Arts honors. We also talk about UT life, this upcoming semester, and more. Enjoy!

#38 - Kamala, Cops, & Carrier Pigeons

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2020 33:27


In our first solo episode in Austin we look at Joe Biden’s choice for VP, the Austin PD budget cut, and the future of the USPS. Enjoy!

#37 - Ramiro The Philosopher King

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2020 33:50


In today's episode, we have Ramiro De Los Santos on. Ramiro is a journalism and European thought major at UT Austin and is the cultrual editor for The Texas Orator. We discuss Ramiro's eyeopening piece in the orator, "The Virtual Nihilism of Incels", the importance of making philosophy accessible, his book suggestions, and more!

#36 - Caleb Urban, Professional Sommelier

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2020 36:43


In our first episode back in Austin, we have our good friend Caleb Urban on. Caleb is a mechanical engineering major at UT Austin. We discuss Caleb's interests in wine and geography, being a transfer student at UT, EDM, and more. Enjoy!

#35 - Last Episode... In Cleburne

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2020 34:20


In our last episode before we move back to Austin, we discuss the explosion in Beruit, our transition back to UT, and the future of the podcast. Enjoy!

#34 - Hire Us Charli D'Amelio!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2020 38:36


On todays episode we talk about the challenge we did over the weekend, look at current events, and discuss the potential consequences of the "tik tok ultimatum" for the U.S, China, and the creators on the app. Enjoy!

#33 - HAPPY 1,000!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2020 38:34


Yes, we've hit over 1,000 downloads!! Today we discuss Tik Tok bans, our big move back to Austin next week, Trump wanting to delay the presidential election, Kanye's delayed album, and more. Enjoy!

#32 - Mr. Moulden

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 67:08


After one year of not seeing each other we catch up with one of our favorite high school teachers Mr. Matthew Moulden. We discuss his journey to becoming a teacher, how to encourage civil conversations, the ups and downs of being an educator, and old memories. Enjoy!

#31 - Tarek's Crush On Brad Pitt

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2020 36:41


Today we discuss multiple topics: our favorite movies, what if the U.S was a military dictatorship, how our generation uses social media, Arturo getting into politics, and more. Enjoy!

#30 - 2020 Election Update

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2020 35:55


On today's episode we give an update on the 2020 presidential election. We discuss scenarios in which each candidate could win, what could happen between now and November, and how parties could make their platforms more accessible. Also, Arturo shares why we has decided to delete twitter. Enjoy!

#29 - If Tarek Was President (A Florida Diss Track)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2020 46:29


On this episode we look at the absurdity of Portland Athena, the Epstein-Deutsche Bank Conspiracy, what Tarek would do if he was in control of the Oval Office, and introduce a revolutionary idea for the American political system. Enjoy!

#28 - Would You Kill 5 or 1?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2020 38:29


On today's episode we discuss a famous thought experiment: The Trolley Cart Dilemma. This experiment forces you to question your own morality, so your favorite podcasters had to try it out! We also talk about Kanye's recent "rally". Enjoy!

#27 - Jack From Napoli

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2020 75:45


On today's episode we have our close friend Jack Napoli call in from New Jersey. Jack is a history major at the UT Austin. Jack shares with us the how the COVID situation was like in the northeast, we discuss our takes on the Black Lives Matter movement, catch up, and more! Also, the video from the today's conversation will be on YouTube. Enjoy!

#26 - Intro Wars

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2020 40:27


On today's episode, Tarek and Arturo compete in a "intro war", creating their own intro music to present for the first time during the podcast. We react to each others music, look at what the future holds for us and the podcast in Austin, and more. Enjoy!

#25 - New Cold War

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2020 36:37


On today's episode we discuss the looming threat of China and what a New Cold War could look like in the near future. Enjoy!

#24 - Deus Vult

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2020 42:04


After a string of great guest episodes, we return to our regular conversations and take a dive into many topics. We discuss getting banned on Tik Tok, the next crusade, sexist bridges, cancel culture, and more!

#23 - Sadie Hough

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2020 37:24


On today's episode we have Sadie Hough on, a college volleyball player at the University of West Florida studying Psychology and Sports exercise. We discuss Sadie's experience as a college athlete, moving to Florida, and psychology in sports and other aspects of life. Enjoy!

#22 - Kevin Silva

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2020 39:55


On today's episode we have our good friend Kevin Silva. Kevin is currently planning to go to P.T.A school. Kevin shares his experience with taking a break from college this past semester, we discuss Kanye 2020, talk about fitness, and catch up on some old memories!

#21 - Madie Runs Over Tarek

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2020 39:06


On today's episode we have our friend Made Mckinney on! Madie is a kinesiology/pre-med major at Texas Tech University. We catch up, talk about some old memories, college experiences, and more. Enjoy!

#20 - 2020 Halftime Report

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2020 36:46


In today's episode, we survey current domestic and global events. From Russia to Hong Kong we take a look at some absurdities on a global scale. Also, we talk about Netflix and blackface. Enjoy!

#19 - Re-Renaissance

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2020 38:17


Yeezy season is back again!! Today we talk about Kanye's new single, look at some recent events, and discuss why we need another Renaissance. Enjoy!

#18 - Blessed Are The Opinionated

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2020 39:28


On today's episode we discuss the over-corrections present in BLM movement & take a look at where the movement will go from here. Also, we get passionate about the necessity of dialogue with data over conformity with good intention!

#17 - Royal Lives Matter

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2020 36:19


In today's episode, we discuss the peculiar nature of modern-day royals who still have claims to a non-existent monarchy. Whether its a claim to the French throne or to the title of Tsar of Russia, we empathize with the "struggle" of being a pretender to a throne in the 21st century. Also, Arturo unveils a satirical project he's been working on. Enjoy! King Arthur III Website: https://thekingarturorolon.wixsite.com/kingarthuriii Legitimize King Arthur III: http://chng.it/LwsbMqRFmt

#16 - Caleb "Lucky Fives" Barkman

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2020 38:09


On today's episode, we have one of our closest friends from high school on: Caleb Barkman. Caleb is a political science major at Baylor University. We discuss how we became close friends and catch up over old memories, look towards the future, and discuss politics & news!

#15 - CHOP Allies

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2020 38:00


In today's episode, we look at the good and bad that has occurred over the past few days. Specifically, we discuss what's been going on in Seattle, new police reform, and other issues that have arisen out of the protests. Enjoy!

#14 - Ricky's Wager

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2020 36:19


On today's episode we discuss risks wagers. Whether it's the philosopher Pascal's wager for believing in God or the wager of conforming to a new movement, we take a look at taking a risk & its outcomes in multiple contexts. Enjoy!

#13 - Johnny Boy

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2020 36:39


BREAKING NEWS! On this impromptu episode we address President Trump's alleged China Policy Scandal, play out conspiracy theories, and dive into the implications this story could have on the future of Global politics. Enjoy! New York Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/us/politics/bolton-book-trump-impeached.html

#12 - Historical Purity Test

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2020 34:24


From Cicero to Churchill, it's hard to find a historical figure who doesn't have a stain on their record; therefore, in today's episode, we look beyond the removal of confederate statues and have a discussion about further calls to remove statues celebrating other historical figures. Enjoy! Article Links: UC Berkley History Professor's Open Letter Against BLM, Police Brutality and Cultural Orthodoxy: https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/uc-berkeley-history-professors-open-letter-against-blm-police-brutality-and-cultural-orthodoxy/

#11 - The Obelisk of Wokeness

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2020 36:30


On part 2 of this 2 part series we continue our discussion about how the landmark revolutions of late 1700's are applicable to the current political & cultural climate. We discuss the idea of "loyal opposition", the tribunal of social media, and the beheading of Christopher Columbus. Enjoy!

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