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PODCAST

The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford

The first and only podcast bringing you weekly case studies in the pop culture of a dying empire. Every Wednesday, co-hosts Josh, Brian, and A.J. dissect an artifact of popular culture, breaking down how its narrative choices reflect or subvert the reactionary political project. From video games to movies to theater to an apparently infinite supply of evangelical Christian radio drama, we expose the machinations of the worst of all possible worlds in order to figure out how to build a better one

society & culture video games

All Episodes

02:52:00

118 - A Whit In a Manger [Whit’s Endless Summer 31]

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/12/20

The lads celebrate the peak of the Arguing Season by returning once again to Odyssey for more adventures in being called to the ministry, making a radio drama, and visiting Bethlehem just so you can be harassed by Roman douchebags. Topics include the vanishing of the Barclays, the brilliance of Will Ryan, and what it means to celebrate the Nativity while Gaza turns to rubble. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our

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23:13

117 - A Christmas Story

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/12/13

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads finally get their Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifles and promptly shoot their eyes out as they cover Bob Clark’s 1983 holiday classic: A Christmas Story. Topics include the japes of Jean Shepherd, the horrors of Scut Farkus, and the true meaning of Christmas. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the

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02:13:35

116 - Tora! Tora! Tora!

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/12/06

The lads make their annual pilgrimage to Pearl Harbor and watch a lot of people read documents as they plunge into the intense historical accuracy and coma-inducing pace of 1970s docudrama: Tora! Tora! Tora! Topics include the unique Japanese/American co-production, the difficulties in making a narrative about Pearl Harbor, and what it means to have the dubious honor of being the best piece of media ever made about the day that will live in infamy. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back

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20:38

115 - Cyberpunk 2077

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/11/29

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads strap on their netrunner suits and sharpen their katanas as they venture beyond the Blackwall to tackle one of the most infamous triple-AAA releases of all time: CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. Topics include the decade-long development cycle, the breathtaking Keanu Reeves, and what it means to find authenticity in a world that’s constantly trying to make you flatline. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this

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02:18:17

114 - The Grapes of Rathbone (feat. Max Graves)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/11/22

Webcomic artist Max Graves (what happens next) helps the lads burn down a house as they return to Odyssey for adventures in gang initiations, wheelchairs, and arson. Topics include the lore of Marshall Younger, the panopticon of homeschooling moms, and how to reform someone whom society has deemed to be bad to the Rathbone. Max Graves: Tumblr // Twitter // Bluesky // Instagram // Patreon Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the

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21:52

113 - NEOM: The Line (feat. Riley Quinn)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/11/15

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Riley Quinn (Trashfuture) and the lads bear witness to the highs of TROJENA and the lows of OXAGON as they dive deep into the theoretical quackery and architectural absurdity that is the Saudi Arabian “city of the future” project known as NEOM. Topics include the inspirations for NEOM, the logistics of constructing Venice II, and the horrifying reality of building a toaster prison in the middle of the desert. Want more

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02:07:59

112 - Stop Making Sense

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/11/09

The lads interrupt their incessant flippy-floppy making with slippery people as they get a job trying to make sense of Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads’ landmark concert film: Stop Making Sense. Topics include the contentious history of Talking Heads, the empathetic filmmaking of Jonathan Demme, and the enduring power of this once in a lifetime Gen X party that ain’t no party and sure as hell ain’t no disco. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add

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29:19

111 - Slender Man and Marble Hornets (feat. Anne Huston)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/11/01

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Anne Huston (Caveat NYC) joins Brian and Josh to do battle with the Slender Man and other monsters from 2009’s viral YouTube horror series Marble Hornets. Their journey takes them from semi-incoherent college memories to the content cornucopia of the Something Awful Forums, Reddit, and early YouTube: reminders of an internet where people could create freely without extreme commercial pressure. They also talk a lot about something

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02:22:37

110 - William Gibson’s Neuromancer (feat. maia arson...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/10/25

Hacktivist/irl tiny kitten maia arson crimew (maia.crimew.gay) returns to discuss Neuromancer, the 1984 sci-fi novel that coined the term “cyberspace” and inspired a generation of hackers. Topics include breasting boobily up and down stairs, the parallels with 1995's Hackers, and how impressively William Gibson manages to capture the feeling of being perpetually on the run. maia arson crimew (it/she): i am gay, mostly for girls, and i’m a tiny kitten :3. i know lot’s of things about cyber security,

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24:00

109 - Gone with the Whit (Whit’s Endless Summer 29)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/10/18

The lads return to Odyssey for more adventures in lawsuits, orthodontics, and, in the first Whit’s Endless Summer three-parter, the Underground Railroad. Topics include the right’s obsession with frivolous lawsuits, the conservative playbook for taking on school boards, and how to teach children about the atrocities of slavery. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the masthead of our website by

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02:37:47

108 - DC Talk - Jesus Freak (feat. Tarence Ray)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/10/11

Tarence Ray (Trillbilly Worker’s Party) and the lads jot down their devotionals and sing praises to the mid-90s as they cover DC Talk’s seminal 1995 grunge-as-worship album: Jesus Freak. Topics include the band’s Liberty University origins, the impressive sonic palette, and what it takes to make art in the world of corporate evangelicalism. Tarence Ray - Twitter // Instagram // The Baffler // The Nation Trillbilly Worker’s Party - Trillbilly Worker’s Party is a podcast about a town called

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20:55

107 - Over the Garden Wall

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/10/04

The lads grab their potatoes and molasses, join the Adelaide Parade, and march into the Unknown as they cover the Emmy Award-winning 2014 Cartoon Network miniseries: Over the Garden Wall. Topics include the show’s many artistic inspirations, superlative storytelling, and the benefits of rock facts when you find yourself lost in the woods. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the masthead of our

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02:03:41

106 - You Only Whit Twice (feat. Chas LiBretto)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/09/27

Playwright Chas LiBretto (Cyclops: A Rock Opera) joins the lads for some globe-trotting Odyssey adventures as Jason Whittaker and Jack Allen do battle with secret societies, synthetic viruses, and the return of the most evil child psychologist in all of radio drama: Dr. Regis Blackgaard. Topics include spy stories, adapting the Odyssey, and the limits of the imagination when seen through the evangelical lens. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add

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22:33

105 - Assassins

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/09/21

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads grab their Iver-Johnson .32s and make their way to the head of the line as they cover Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s 1990 murderous musical: Assassins. Topics include the show’s initial negative reception, the inevitable critical reappraisal, and the dissonant, violent chords lurking just beneath the promise of the American Dream. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of

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02:12:33

104 - Death Stranding (ft. Drew Toothpaste)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/09/13

Drew Toothpaste (@drewtoothpaste) and the lads gulp down some cryptobiotes with a Monster energy chaser as they strap on their packages and unite the United Cities of America in Hideo Kojima’s 2019 mail-delivery simulator: Death Stranding. Topics include the wonders of nature, the terrors of the afterlife, and what it means to build community in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by malevolent ghost babies. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add

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01:11:31

GRUBESCAST

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/09/10

The lads sat down live and in person with our friends from the band Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, currently on their national tour! We enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation about what it’s like working as a touring musician in 2023, including topics like selling out, the joys of performing, the difficulties of touring, and the value of merch. Over the next couple weeks, the band will be making stops in Asbury Park, Baltimore, Washington DC, Virginia, Birmingham, New Orleans, and of course their

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27:52

103 - Gone Apes: An NFT Postmortem (feat. Nate Lamagna)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/09/06

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Nate Lamagna (@vrunt) helps the lads escape apes as they trudge through the mire of the varied and artistically bankrupt world of Non-Fungible Tokens. Topics include the history of cryptocurrency, the life-draining art style, and what to do in a world where, at last, all your apes are gone. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the

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02:21:05

102 - We Didn’t Start the Fireproof (feat. Radio Free...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/08/30

Audrey and Donovan from the Radio Free Tote Bag podcast (@rftbpod) join the lads as they grab their baseball bats and battle the infernos of marriage and pornography as they sprint headlong into the blaze of the disastrous Kirk Cameron vehicle: Fireproof. Topics include the importance of communication in relationships, why there isn’t a Jay Leno recap podcast, and the horrifying menace hiding just behind the eyes of one of the Christian Right’s biggest movie stars: Kirk Cameron. Want more

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26:20

101 - Tom Goes To (And Runs For) The Mayor (feat. Lev...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/08/23

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Fan-favorite Lev Novak (@levnovak) returns to Odyssey as he takes the lads on adventures through the Old Testament, household budgeting, and the art of running for mayor of Odyssey. Topics include dull retellings of thrilling stories, pursuing your passions, and the confusing machinations of a certain evil child psychologist. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus

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02:31:50

100 - Deus Ex

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/08/16

To celebrate their 100th episode, the lads decide to take some zyme and augment their vision as they finally cover what many people (including Josh) consider to be one of the greatest video games ever made: Ion Storm’s Deus Ex. Topics include the variety of gameplay styles, the forever-memed dialogue, and the legacy of the first PC game that let you kill a guy with your legs. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our

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265 results

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