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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

02:25:47

40 - PragerU Kids At Their Whit’s End! (feat. Bryan...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/06/22

Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) takes the lads on a stroll through the hellscape of modern far-right children’s entertainment (with a pit-stop in the far-right children’s entertainment of yesteryear, Adventures in Odyssey) as they endure the deeply uncomfortable scream-fest and non-union acting showcase that is PragerU Kids. Topics include the ethics of child labor, the importance of flag maintenance, and the enduring legacy of notable genocidal maniac Christopher Columbus. Adventures in Odyssey

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19:53

39 - The Screwtape Letters (feat. Emily Robinson)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/06/15

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE GO TO https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Emily Robinson (My Brother, My Captain, My Podcast) joins the lads in Hell as they excavate the epistolary proselytizing and smug finger-wagging of C.S. Lewis’ scourge of YA reading lists everywhere: The Screwtape Letters. Topics include the rivalry between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, the rampant misogyny of Screwtape’s letters, and what it means to live your life in constant fear that you’ll one day be

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01:23:22

38 - Man of the Year (feat. Luke Savage)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/06/08

Luke Savage (Michael and Us, Jacobin) joins the lads for some minor election fraud as they cover Barry Levinson’s 2006 political satire//thriller/rom-com/centrist fever dream: Man of the Year. Topics include the movie’s tonal whiplash, Laura Linney’s bafflingly committed performance, and the hollowness of centrist ideology as reflected through Robin Williams doing fart jokes. Michael and Us: https://open.spotify.com/show/44Uwr3yMXRlqE5Elh5KuL9?si=f74aa9293f6a4a9c Michael and Us

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32:44

37 - Perchance To Eugene (feat. Jen Albright) [Whit’s...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/06/01

THIS IS A PREVIEW. CHECK OUT THE FULL EPISODE AT https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Brian and Josh return to Odyssey with Have You Seen This? host Jen Albright (@Bowsnonk) in tow, this time to focus on everyone’s favorite polymath and teenage genius: Eugene Meltsner. And Eugene’s secret shame—his lack of a driver’s license—doesn’t prevent us from going all in on his various annoying tendencies. Additional topics include the uneven standards that Christians apply to shock jocks, the inherent

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02:18:01

36 - Dear Evan Hansen (2021): The Gang Exploits a...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/05/25

The lads wave through a window as they force theme song composer/wandering troubadour Brendan Dalton (Dickinson, Younger) to climb the great rotting tree that is the 2022 film adaptation of the hit 2016 Broadway hit: Dear Evan Hansen. They discuss the musical’s baffling plot, Ben Platt’s trip to the beach that makes you old, and the greater state of mental health in a world where you won’t necessarily #befound. Christmas in Middle-Earth:

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21:06

35 - The Visit: One Day an Old Lady Will Come for Us...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/05/18

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full episode at patreon.com/worstofall The lads hop on the midnight train to Güllen as they explore the delightfully weird and morally murky depths of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s classic tragicomedy: The Visit. They discuss the many adaptations of the play, the enduring legacy of its themes, and the uneasy feelings brought on by the justice of an unstoppable bionic woman. TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan

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02:00:47

34 - Kenneth Branagh’s William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/05/11

While Josh is out sick with the novel coronavirus, Brian and A.J. return once again to Elsinore Castle as they dive headlong into the four-hour, bloated monstrosity that is Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. They discuss the difficulties of adapting Hamlet to the screen, Kenneth Branagh’s lips, and the dangers of treating any text, no matter how great, as sacrosanct. TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton

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43:56

UNLOCKED: Josh interviews Harm Venhuizen on Calvin...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/05/10

Last week, Josh got on a call with Harm Venhuizen, outgoing editor-in-chief of Calvin University's student newspaper Chimes to discuss the recent policy choices made by the school and their consequences. Links to Harm’s articles: “Calvin’s Policies Against Same Sex Marriage a Motivator in Split with Center for Social Research, Sources Say”https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/14/calvins-policies-against-same-sex-marriage-a-motivator-in-split-with-center-for-social-research-sources-say/ "‘I’m not going to

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21:57

33 - Actually, It’s About Ethics in Middle School...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/05/04

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full episode at patreon.com/worstofall The lads follow a trail of corruption and intrigue as they return to Odyssey to dig up a scoop on the greatest calamity facing the youth of today: the ethics of middle-school journalism. Topics include the true meaning of free speech, the importance of school newspaper competitions, and the right-wing radicalization of Lucy Cunningham-Schultz. Plus, an interview with Harm Venhuizen (@HarmVenhuizen), the outgoing editor-in-chief

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42:42

SPECIAL INTERVIEW: Wendy Lecker and Nicole Ciullo of...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/04/29

You’ve probably seen a lot of clips recently of the ongoing culture war coming to a flashpoint in school board meetings across the country. To learn how the reactionary right is using these conflicts to push for increased school privatization, Josh (@boshj) sat down with Wendy Lecker and Nicole Ciullo from the Education Law Center, a Newark-based organization that defends public schools and advocates in the courts for educational equity. This forty-minute interview covers topics such as the broader

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01:57:49

32 - Heart Condition (1990): Denzel Washington’s...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/04/27

The lads throw on their bad hair pieces and fine Italian suits as they, along with special guest Michael Kupperman (@Mkupperman), gaze into the gaping maw of the much-maligned Bob Hoskins and Denzel Washington buddy-cop/ghost/crime-thriller/“comedy”: Heart Condition. Topics include mid-budget 90s studio movies, Denzel Washington’s comedy chops, and the rot at the diseased heart of the supposed end of history. Michael Kupperman’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MichaelKupperman TWOAPW

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30:23

31 - Reefer Madness (feat. Stefan Borst-Censullo)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/04/20

This is a PREVIEW. To listen to the full episode, go to https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll It’s D.A.R.E.’s worst nightmare as the lads, along with renowned cannabis lawyer Stefan Borst-Censullo (@Stefan_BC), reach new highs and tackle the devil’s weed in the 1936 propaganda film Reefer Madness. Topics include the racist history of narcotics crackdowns, the current state of marijuana law in the United States, and the circular madness of the war on drugs. TWOAPW

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02:01:17

30 - Whit Dies (feat. Lev Novak) [Whit’s Endless...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/04/13

The lads and special guest Lev Novak (@LevNovak) do battle with the Imagination Station as Adventures in Odyssey tackles its two toughest topics yet: death and also those three guys that visited Jesus that one time. Topics include the gifts of the magi, the preposterousness of hell, and the seemingly unkillable deity known as John Avery Whittaker. Episodes Discussed: 176,177 - The Star, parts 1&2 211,212 - The Mortal Coil, parts 1&2 TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by

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29:39

29 - Alan Wake (feat. Jack Gilbert)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/04/06

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall My name is Alan Wake. I’m a writer. Three podcasters and their friend, Jack Horton Gilbert, played through my story and talked about it for three hours. What followed was wild and dark and weird, even by my standards. Stephen King once said, “My wife and kids won’t touch a pizza with anchovies on it. But I like anchovies.“* I think about that all the time. Jack’s

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02:26:45

28 - Video Redeemed The Radio Star (feat. Rosey...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/03/30

Saddle up your horses as the lads, along with Rosey Armstrong (Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Los Kurados), slap on their Crosses of Gold and dive headlong into the varied and wild world of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Topics include what makes Christian music Christian music, the importance of artistic integrity in an industry seemingly designed to destroy it, and the rampaging sexiness of Michael W. Smith. Rosey’s

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41:14

27 - Whit Owns the Libs (feat. Nate Bethea) [Whit’s...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/03/23

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Nate Bethea aka @inthesedeserts (What a Hell of a Way To Die, Trashfuture) returns to Odyssey (and the podcast!) as he and the lads tackle the real problems facing a divided America: insecticide, new highways, and bigotry against “citters”. Topics include the environmental activism of the early 90's, Pearl Harbor, and the benefits of having an American legend graffiti your door. Episodes discussed: #128 - One Bad Apple #129 - Not

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02:01:47

26 - West Side Story (2021) (feat. Matt Barbot)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/03/16

The lads, along with special guest Matt Barbot (@BarbotRobot), have rockets in their pockets as they rumble with Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner’s 2021 adaptation of the musical theater classic: West Side Story. They discuss the complicated legacy of the original musical, the pitfalls of adaptation, and the importance of producing new work in an industry obsessed with refurbishing the old. Frijoles by Matt Barbot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtjZU2Cvo74 Matt’s New Play

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38:19

25 - Tiktok Killed the Video Star

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/03/09

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Bust out your ring lights and twenty dollar phone clamps because this week the lads dive headlong into the world of influences with the hit (?) reality shows Netflix’s Hype House and Hulu’s The D’Amelio Show. Topics include the emptiness of influencer culture, the pressures of being the most famous teenager in the world, and the arduous but necessary work of differentiating the person from their persona. Josh’s

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01:48:05

24 - Richard Dichard Redemption [Whit’s Endless...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/03/02

The lads face down the dastardly Dr. Regis Blackgaard as they once again return to Odyssey for a dizzying foray into the world of forgiveness and electronic stores. Topics include Midwestern social mores, the nature of revenge, and the importance of unionizing in a world full of John Avery Whittakers. Episodes discussed: #155 & #156: Waylaid in the Windy City, Parts 1 and 2 #159 The Homecoming #160 A Rathbone of Contention For further Context, check out TWOAPW episodes: 7 - In a Gadda da Whitta 8 -

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32:07

23 - FLCL (feat. Anne Huston)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/02/23

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Things get WILD as the lads, along with special guest Anne Huston (General Manager of Caveat), strap on their Gibson Flying V/EB-0 1961 Bass guitars and dive headlong into the Loony Tunes madness and shocking poignancy of Kazuya Tsurumaki and Yōji Enokido’s hit anime: FLCL. Topics include the horrific comedy of puberty, Japan’s complicated relationship with the West, and the serenity that comes with no thots, only

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