x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

35:07

SPECIAL INTERVIEW: Jay Anthony Franke on Deus Ex and...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/08/14

Welcome to Deus Ex Week. In advance of Wednesday’s episode, Jay Anthony Franke, the original voice of JC Denton, sat down with Josh to talk about his experience working on Deus Ex, both as a QA tester and a voice actor. Topics in this half-hour interview include Jay’s career in acting, the process of making such an influential game, and how Deus Ex continues to be so resonant 23 years after its original release. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes

en

22:14

99 - Sorry/Not Sorry: Apology Videos and the Toxic...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/08/09

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall hi. There have been a lot of allegations going around and the lads would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight: this is an episode about apology videos. I know you’ve heard the ugly accusations that, in this episode, they talk about the origins of the American apology video, Shane Dawson’s seeming addiction to making them, and the impossibility of true repentance when you’ve turned your life into a brand. Well,

en

01:58:29

98 - Rent (feat. Michael R. Jackson)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/08/02

Pulitzer-Prize winning composer and playwright Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop, White Girl in Danger!) joins the lads in lighting up a mean blaze with posters (and screenplays!) as they dive headlong into the grunge and Gen X angst of Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer-Prize winning musical watershed: Rent. Topics include the influential score, the show’s vague politics, and the lasting legacy of one of the most seminal rock musicals of all time. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of

en

22:47

97 - Whit F@#$ing Dies (For Real This Time) (feat....

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/07/26

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Jacob Dallas-Main and Joss Olson (The Socialist Shelf) join the lads in Odyssey for adventures in Hollywood self-absorption and saying goodbye to the god-king of Odyssey himself: John Avery Whittaker. Topics include using art to exact petty revenges, the moral dubiousness of post-mortem performances, and the long, illustrious career of the original Whit: Hal Smith. The Socialist Shelf - Spotify // Apple

en

02:28:26

96 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (feat. Scott...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/07/19

Scott Benson (Night in the Woods, Revenant Hill) and the lads grab some holy water and their sturdiest whips as they cover what is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Topics include the gorgeous art-style, some sweet speedrunning tricks, and the lasting impact of art that pokes at the edges of its own possibility. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our

en

22:47

95 - Day of the Tentacle

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/07/12

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads hop in their Chron-O-Johns and do battle with the diabolical Purple Tentacle as they tackle the intricate puzzlebox that is LucasArts’ landmark comedy-adventure game: Day of the Tentacle. Topics include the origins of LucasArts, the cartoon logic of the puzzles, and the fierce originality of one of the funniest adventure games ever made. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of

en

02:11:21

94 - God’s Not Dead (feat. Greg Foster)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/07/05

Greg Foster (@dadshammdad) from Brigham Young Money challenges Brian and Josh to construct and deliver a classroom rebuttal to the film that launched at least a thousand holy text messages: God’s Not Dead (2014). Topics include the ethics of duck consumption, the parallels between Mormon and evangelical Christian culture, and the status of higher education in the state of Louisiana. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead

en

26:30

93 - Julius Caesar (1953)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/06/28

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall. The lads cry havoc and loose the dogs of war as they cover Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1953 adaptation of one of Josh’s favorite Shakespeare plays: Julius Caesar. Topics include the messiness of revolution, the shockwaves of Brando’s career, and what it means to be masculine in a world where even your best bros can stab you with knives. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and

en

02:20:43

92 - Eugene and Bernard’s Road Trip UNRATED (feat....

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/06/21

Phoebe Roy (Masters of Our Domain, Ten Thousand Posts) and the lads hop in a car and head west, as they experience the trials and tribulations of Eugene Meltsner and Bernard Walton’s road trip to San Diego. Topics include the purpose of experience, the geography of the US, and the logistics of being handcuffed to a corpse. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month

en

15:56

91 - Awake (2012)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/06/14

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Brian and A.J. slap on some red/green wristbands and summon a CGI penguin to help them solve the mystery of Kyle Killen’s cult TV one-season wonder: Awake. Topics include the absolutely wild premise, the advantages of casting two broadway legends as therapists, and the importance of taking big swings on network television. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus

en

02:28:55

90 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (feat. Alice...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/06/07

Alice Caldwell-Kelly (Trashfuture/Kill James Bond!/Well There’s Your Problem) recruits the lads into the International Organization of Bros (IOB) as they take on Iran, Russia, and the Mexican Cartel in Infinity Ward’s 2022 sequel/remake/propaganda fever dream Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. Topics include the infamous Al Qaeda district of Amsterdam, the internet’s obsession with Valeria, and the dangerous messages at the core of one of the best-selling games of 2022. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to

en

21:08

89 - Beethoven’s Whith (feat. Hussein Kesvani)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/05/31

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Hussein Kesvani (Trashfuture,Ten Thousand Posts) joins the lads in Odyssey for further adventures in pen pals, unemployment, and some good old fashioned lore spelunking. Topics include the allure of Lifetime movies, the death of Hal Smith, and the fascinating lore potential of a town with a weapons-grade nuclear device sitting in the back of an ice cream parlor. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full

en

02:17:47

88 - Shark Tank

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/05/24

The lads throw on their Throx and scrub their daddies as they dive headlong into the nightmares of capitalism in the hit reality TV show Shark Tank. Topics include what makes a good pitch, the number of socks in a Throx, and the odious core at the heart of American mythmaking. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Media Referenced in this Episode: Shark

en

22:01

87 - Citizen Kane

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/05/18

~~PRESALE FOR TWOAPW T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE UNTIL MAY 22ND HERE~~ THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads head on down to Xanadu and throw themselves into the fire of the largest fireplace imaginable as they cover what is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made: Citizen Kane. Topics include the magnetism of Orson Welles, the revolutionary cinematography, and the enduring historical archetype of Charles Foster Kane. Want more TWOAPW? Get access

en

02:04:07

86 - Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (feat. Milo Edwards)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/05/10

~~PRESALE FOR TWOAPW T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE UNTIL MAY 22ND HERE~~ Milo Edwards (Trashfuture, Masters of Our Domain) and the lads take a deep dive into the creepy, crawly mind of the worst horror writer to never exist as they fight the evil one-eyed aliens and menacing Scotsmen of the hit cult comedy series Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Topics include the origins of the Garth Marenghi character, the significance of Scottish shortbread, and the delirious joys of watching Richard Ayoade shooting a shotgun at

en

17:30

85 - The Worst of all Possible Worlds Presents: Brian...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/05/03

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Josh, Brian, and A.J. celebrate 500 patrons on Patreon by baring their legs at Caveat NYC, then sit down with Michael Kupperman to discuss two evangelical children's shows from the 80s and 90s: McGee and Me and the animated version of Adventures in Odyssey. Michael Kupperman's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MichaelKupperman/ Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your

en

39:47

SPECIAL INTERVIEW: The WGA Prepares to Strike (w/...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/05/02

Tonight at midnight, all union contracts governing how screenplays are written and paid for will expire unless a deal is reached between Hollywood and the Writers Guild of America. To find out what's been happening and what the implications of a writers' strike would be on the entertainment industry, Josh sat down and talked with WGA screenwriter Colby Day, whose upcoming film Spaceman, starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, and Paul Dano, is scheduled to be released by Netflix this fall. Follow the

en

02:07:41

84 - Everything’s Coming Up Meltsner! (feat. Josiah...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/04/26

~~TICKETS FOR OUR LIVE SHOW ON THURSDAY 4/27 IN NYC ARE AVAILABLE NOW! Get your tickets right now at this link.~~ Josiah Sutton (Mammonburg) trades the lads’ souls for pogs as they return once again to Odyssey to cover the trials and tribulations of making assumptions and the love life of Eugene Meltsner. Topics include homeschooling, total depravity, and whether or not everything is, in fact, coming up Milhouse. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and

en

20:47

83 - Hotline Miami

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/04/19

~~TICKETS FOR OUR LIVE SHOW ON THURSDAY 4/27 IN NYC ARE AVAILABLE NOW! Get your tickets right now at this link.~~ THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A PREMIUM EPISODE. FOR THE FULL THING, CHECK US OUT AT Patreon.com/worstofall The lads grab their animal masks and letterman jackets as they dive into the neon-drenched gore and nihilistic depths of Dennaton Games’ 2012 mega-hit: Hotline Miami. Topics include the game’s difficulty, the absolutely killer soundtrack, and the cold, rotten core at the heart of

en

02:21:27

82 - The Last Temptation of Christ (feat. Matt Barbot)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2023/04/12

~~TICKETS FOR OUR LIVE SHOW ON THURSDAY 4/27 IN NYC ARE AVAILABLE NOW! Get your tickets right now at this link.~~ Matt Barbot (@barbotrobot) returns to the pod to take the lads on a wild romp through the holy land as they cover Martin Scorsesse and Paul Scharder’s controversial Passion project: The Last Temptation of Christ. Topics include the pitfalls of adapting Jesus’ story, the petty backlash from the Christian Right, and the terrifying genitalia of Willem Dafoe. Matt

en

265 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger