15 votes

Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

Posted by mycketforvirrad
Tags: ask.discussion, recurring.weekly, offbeat fridays, offbeat

Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like april fools day, trans day of visibility and bees. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was out of the loop.

But one of my favourite tags happens to be offbeat! Taking its original inspiration from Sir Nils Olav III, this thread is looking for any far-fetched offbeat stories lurking in the newspapers. It may not deserve its own post, but it deserves a wider audience!

13 comments

  1. [3]
    ColorUserPro
    Link
    A Succulent Chinese Meal is now part of Australia's national archives.

    A Succulent Chinese Meal is now part of Australia's national archives.

    13 votes
    1. [2]
      chocobean
      Link Parent
      Do Aussies get to see parts of the archives on tv like Canada's Heritage Moments shorts? How will the newer generation learn of these fabulous memes?

      Do Aussies get to see parts of the archives on tv like Canada's Heritage Moments shorts? How will the newer generation learn of these fabulous memes?

      4 votes
      1. ColorUserPro
        Link Parent
        That would be amazing but I imagine it would have to go on the equivalent of Adult Swim for Australian TV (only for every kid to watch it on YouTube as soon as they hear about it).

        That would be amazing but I imagine it would have to go on the equivalent of Adult Swim for Australian TV (only for every kid to watch it on YouTube as soon as they hear about it).

        3 votes
  2. cfabbro
    Link
    B.C. Premier David Eby temporarily replaces spokesperson with identical twin

    B.C. Premier David Eby temporarily replaces spokesperson with identical twin

    British Columbia Premier David Eby hasn’t had to familiarize himself with a new face in his office after deputy director of communications James Smith left for another job — he simply tapped Smith’s identical twin brother, George.

    The brothers have been confusing the B.C. political scene for years and it’s a familiar post for George Smith, who previously held the same job under late former premier John Horgan, before being promoted to director of communications under both Horgan and then Eby until 2024.

    James Smith left Eby’s office last month after serving as the premier’s primary point of contact with the media for almost four years, and now works as director of government relations for the University of Victoria.

    George Smith is meanwhile returning to the deputy director’s role on a temporary basis, on secondment until mid-June from his current job in the provincial bureaucracy.

    9 votes
  3. [5]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Double penis prank, statues stand out extra Sweden Herald – 1st April 2026

    Double penis prank, statues stand out extra

    April Fools' Day brings a double statue prank. In both Helsingborg and Gothenburg, famous statues have had penis extensions attached.

    The seven-meter-high statue of Poseidon, which sits atop Götaplatsen in Gothenburg, stands out even more on Wednesday. The sea god has had a substantial penis extension added, reports Göteborgs-Posten.

    The statue of David on Stortorget in Helsingborg has also been given a significantly longer limb.

    Sweden Herald – 1st April 2026

    5 votes
    2. [3]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      The Sweden Herald article didn't include any pics of the prank penis, but it did link to another article that does:...

      The Sweden Herald article didn't include any pics of the prank penis, but it did link to another article that does:
      https://www.gp.se/nyheter/goteborg/poseidon-har-fatt-penisforlangning-pa-forsta-april.6134192a-3841-43f2-868f-0edd551278dd

      And this article has a video of the other prank penis that was mentioned:
      https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/helsingborg/david-fick-jattepenis-i-smyg-brukar-inte-vara-sa-stor

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        CannibalisticApple
        Link Parent
        I know "limb" is a somewhat common euphemism, but it's very fitting for how long those are. Imagine trying to walk with those...

        I know "limb" is a somewhat common euphemism, but it's very fitting for how long those are. Imagine trying to walk with those...

        5 votes
        1. jredd23
          Link Parent
          I see what you did there, clever wording all around.

          I see what you did there, clever wording all around.

          2 votes
  4. jredd23
    Link
    Am not a fisherman and I am ignorant to the rules around anything to do on fishing. Having said that, this guy sees his hook caught an animal that is not to be messed with and jumps in and saves...

    Am not a fisherman and I am ignorant to the rules around anything to do on fishing. Having said that, this guy sees his hook caught an animal that is not to be messed with and jumps in and saves the day. Fisherman frees great white shark caught on line at Hermosa Beach

    5 votes
  5. CannibalisticApple
    Link
    So a Youtube channel I follow does a monthly round-up of "Weird, Bizarre and Scary News from Japan" and I realized that this series is PERFECT for this thread. The March video released today, and...

    So a Youtube channel I follow does a monthly round-up of "Weird, Bizarre and Scary News from Japan" and I realized that this series is PERFECT for this thread. The March video released today, and from that I had to look up more information on this:

    Giant underground pipe mysteriously rises over 30 feet, bursting through road in Japan

    Title says everything. The fact this is even possible is pretty wild to me.

    4 votes
  7. cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    2 fighting bald eagles freed from power line in Surrey Rather than being taken literally, it almost feels like the headline could instead be viewed as being symbolic of something. :P

    2 fighting bald eagles freed from power line in Surrey

    Rather than being taken literally, it almost feels like the headline could instead be viewed as being symbolic of something. :P

    1 vote