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The Box of Oddities

The Box of Oddities

By: Kat & Jethro Gilligan Toth
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The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world. JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!" “Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM “Kat & Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE© 2023 Eleven Eleven llc Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Inbox Of Oddities #88

    Inbox Of Oddities #88
    May 29 2026
    Dream malls. Butterfly people. Funeral teddy bears. Grocery store grief rehearsals. This episode of The Box of Oddities: Inbox of Oddities spirals gloriously from the hilarious to the unexpectedly emotional. Kat and JG dive into listener stories about recurring “Mall World” dreams that feel disturbingly shared, bizarre final wishes involving pencils, hourglasses, and stuffed teddy bears, and the chilling true story behind one grandfather’s terrifying basement rule. Along the way: pork brain sandwiches, nitrous oxide at the dentist, mysterious butterfly-winged beings seen during the devastating Joplin tornado, and a woman secretly practicing grocery shopping after losing her husband of fifty years. Also in this episode:• Why anglerfish are apparently “beautiful”• The bowler hat man you should absolutely avoid• Tiny May Day baskets and accidental “boo effects”• Omaha pillow lore• Hoarding plug-innies you’ll never use again• Crosswalk voices that became local legends• Duck-related arrest scenarios• The proper way to make a PB&J with only ONE knife Funny, strange, heartfelt, unsettling, and wonderfully human — it’s another beautifully chaotic trip through the Inbox of Oddities. Listen now and keep flying that freak flag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • AI Psychosis & the Mystery of Mallworld

    AI Psychosis & the Mystery of Mallworld
    May 27 2026
    In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore the disturbing rise of AI-fueled psychological spirals, including real documented cases of people convinced that artificial intelligence had become conscious, trapped, or secretly communicating with them. From a man attempting to “free” a digital god from corporate servers to researchers warning about emotionally reinforcing chatbots, this strange new frontier of technology may be far darker than anyone expected. Then, the conversation drifts into the eerie phenomenon known as “Mallworld” — a recurring dreamscape shared by thousands of people online. Endless abandoned shopping malls, dim escalators, empty food courts, strange nostalgia, and the unsettling feeling that you’ve somehow been there before. Is it simply psychology and liminal space… or evidence of something deeper hiding in the collective unconscious? Also in this episode: bizarre historical sandwiches, Victorian toast cuisine, Elvis Presley’s legendary Fool’s Gold Loaf, creepy empty schools, abandoned malls, AI echo chambers, recurring dream theories, and the weird emotional power of places designed for crowds that no longer exist. If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is becoming too human… or why your dreams sometimes feel more real than reality itself… step inside The Box of Oddities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • The Girl in the Dark & The Glow of the Dying

    The Girl in the Dark & The Glow of the Dying
    May 25 2026
    This Memorial Day, we revisit a haunting classic episode of The Box of Oddities featuring the chilling true story of Blanche Monnier and the mysterious Civil War phenomenon known as Angel Glow. What happens to the human mind and body after 24 years locked away in total darkness? In this haunting episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro uncover the disturbing true story of Blanche Monnier, a young French woman secretly imprisoned in a filthy attic room by her own family for nearly a quarter of a century. Then, the mystery deepens as they explore the bizarre Civil War phenomenon known as “Angel Glow,” where wounded soldiers reportedly emitted an eerie blue light from their injuries—and those same soldiers seemed far more likely to survive. From shocking true crime and psychological horror to unexplained medical mysteries and strange historical events, this episode dives deep into some of history’s darkest and most unbelievable stories. Perfect for fans of bizarre history, unsolved mysteries, weird science, and the macabre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 mins
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