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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

02:18:08

22 - Whit vs the Fundies (feat. Nate Lamagna) [Whit’s...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/02/16

The lads make their long-awaited return to Odyssey as they bring special guest Nate Lamagna (@vrunt) along for some wacky adventures in dealing with the second coming of Christ, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the realization that your best friends’ dad has debilitating alcoholism! Topics include the business of rapture-mongering, the parallels between AiO and The Simpsons, and one of the strangest episodes of Odyssey ever as Dr. James Dobson comes to town. EPISODES DISCUSSED: #145 The Second

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01:17:40

21 - New York Undercover (feat. Trevor Beaulieu)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/02/09

THIS IS THE FIRST HALF OF OUR DISCUSSION. For the full episode, check us out on Patreon: patreon.com/WorstOfAll Special guest Trevor Beaulieu (Champagne Sharks) joins the lads as they solve a pretty boilerplate case and then dress up in fancy disguises for a negligible amount of screen-time to discuss the immensely popular and massively overlooked (by white people) Dick Wolf procedural: New York Undercover. They discuss the Network Wars of the mid-90s, the brilliant music and outdated storylines

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01:50:33

20 - The Long Dark Souls of the Soul (feat. Trevor...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/02/02

The lads and special guest Trevor Strunk (No Cartridge, Story Mode) take up the mantle of the Chosen Undead as they attempt to link the fire by climbing the trap-filled Snake Fortress of video game culture that is Dark Souls. They discuss difficulty settings in video games, the pernicious gatekeeping of gitting gud, and what Dark Souls can teach us about surviving an apocalypse. Trevor Strunk: Twitter: @Hegelbon No

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01:26:45

19 - Coriolanus (2011): The Coriolanus Effect (feat....

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/01/19

THIS IS THE FIRST HALF OF OUR DISCUSSION. For the full episode, check out our Patreon: patreon.com/WorstOfAll The lads and special guest Josh Sawyer (Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity) go beard to beard with the mob as they face down one of Shakespeare’s most brutal and overlooked tragedies: Coriolanus. They discuss Ralph Fiennes’ excellent 2011 film adaptation, the dehumanizing weaponization of soldiers in an ever-expanding empire, and the uncanny horror of Chekhovian Slendermen. Was Zizek

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02:11:33

18 - Pokémon (feat. Ashleigh Stoneman)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2022/01/03

The lads, along with special guest Ashleigh Stoneman (The Very Worst, The Merry Worst), venture off into the tall grass to do battle with the literal wild animal that is the Pokémon franchise. They discuss the pastoral origins of Pokémon, its literal demonization at the hands of the Christian Right, and the existential nightmare of being the very best, like no one ever was. Ashleigh Stoneman Twitter: @ashstoneman The Very

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31:05

17 - Dreaming of a Whit Christmas [Whit’s Endless...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/12/22

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall The lads knock back a few eggnogs and experience a true Christmas miracle as they cover the first actually good episode of Adventures in Odyssey: “Monty’s Christmas”. Topics include the power of empathy, Christmas angels, and the legacy of the late, great voice actor Will Ryan. Episodes Discussed: 87: Elijah Part 1 88: Elijah Part 2 97: Monty’s Christmas 98: The Visitors 115: An Act of Mercy Theme by Brendan

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02:11:29

16 - Odyssey Salutes the Troops! (feat. Nate Bethea)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/12/08

The lads enlist Nate Bethea (What a Hell of a Way To Die, TRASHFUTURE) to help battle their way through some of Adventures in Odyssey’s most patriotic episodes. They discuss the cliches of war stories, the manufactured outrage around flag burning, and getting uncucked at the hands of Dr. Beanes. Nate’s Twitter: @inthesedeserts Nate’s Podcasts: What A Hell of a Way to Die https://open.spotify.com/show/1XEfRCDbLKOB8naNbICU6q?si=6f0a8dfde3a54023 TRASHFUTURE

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01:47:27

EMERGENCY POD: REMEMBERING STEPHEN SONDHEIM (feat....

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/12/03

One week ago, the world lost the greatest musical theater composer of all time. This week, we brought in Graham Techler (The New Yorker, Tooning out the News) to record an episode about Stephen Sondheim’s life and legacy. What started out with sharing favorite shows and tunes turned into a broader conversation about art, commerce, and the paradox of attempting to create work that can inspire and endure in a hopeless world. Everybody rise. Graham Techler Twitter:

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37:21

15 - Putting the Christ Back Into Thanksgiving...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/11/24

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Brian's (@spocks_brian) back in town and in our first in-person episode, he, Josh (@boshj) and A.J. (@thefuzzymask) go over his favorite holiday: T-Givez. Yes, that's what he calls it. Yes, he's called it that for years. No, he won't stop. In this episode we discuss the history of thanksgiving, the value of acknowledging your circumstances, and that one time a dead body was discovered in the basement of Whit's End. Episodes

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02:11:59

14 - Heavy Rain (feat. David Armstrong)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/11/10

The boys and special guest David Armstrong (The Omni Bilateral Panic Podcast) press X to Shaun as they clumsily stagger through the wasteland of David Cage’s 2010 damp catastrophe: Heavy Rain. They discuss the creative limits of video-game-as-movie, the allegations of Quantic Dream’s toxic work environment, and the pros and cons of weapons-grade cocaine. Omni Bilateral

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05:07

13 - A Thief in the Night

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/10/27

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Everybody’s gone to the rapture as Josh (@boshj), Brian (@spocks_brian), and A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) go on the slow helicopter ride into the apocalypse that is the 1972 evangelical fear-mongering classic: A Thief in the Night. They discuss the cult of rapture-pilling, California Christians, and the sexual magnetism of Chester A. Arthur. Full episode at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan

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02:17:34

12 - Hangman’s Curse (2003): Auto-Perettic...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/10/13

The Sinister Sisters, Felicia Lobo (@girlygorehorror) and Lauren Harris, join Josh (@boshj), Brian (@spocks_brian), A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) to battle the forces of darkness, goths, and spiders (mostly spiders) as they face the 2003 movie adaptation of Frank Peretti’s evangelical horror disaster Hangman’s Curse. They discuss the power of spooky fonts, the demonic consequences of prayer in schools, and the subtle joys of being covered in spiders. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Sinister

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02:45:32

11 - Bothered About Castles and Cauldrons (feat....

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/09/29

Grab your swords and belts and other things you need as Josh (@boshj), Brian (@spocks_brian), A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) and former Christian ska artist/Night in the Woods co-creator Scott Benson (@bombsfall) kick off the Halloween season by larping their way through Adventures in Odyssey’s most scarring episodes. They discuss the insidiousness of the Satanic Panic, the perils of young Christian love, and the delightful consequences of summoning a demon. Episodes discussed: First Love Suspicious

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01:44:24

10 - Josie and the Pussycats (feat. Jessie Cannizzaro...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/09/15

Strap on your long tails and ears for hats, because Brian (@spocks_brian), A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask), Josh (@boshj), and special guests Jessie Cannizzaro (Puffs, @JessCannizzaro) and Eleanor Philips (Puffs, @ecphilips) are literally climbing up the Billboard Charts to talk about the 2001 cult classic Josie and the Pussycats. They discuss the legacy of the seminal soundtrack, the rampant sexism of film criticism in the early 2000s, and the mysterious origins of Avril Lavigne. Patreon:

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02:57:32

EMERGENCY POD: DEEPROOT PINBALL PONZI (feat. Levi...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/09/11

Unless you're a pinball enthusiast or keep an extremely close eye on SEC litigation, you've probably never heard the name Deeproot. But just a couple weeks ago, this fledgling startup got slapped with a massive civil lawsuit that sent shockwaves throughout the pinball collector community. Join Josh (@boshj) and Brian (@spocks_brian) as "Crazy" Levi Nayman regales us with a truly bizarre story that spans decades of lost time, millions of dollars of wasted investor money, and something called a

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22:30

9 - Hamlet (2000)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/09/01

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall There’s something rotten in the CORPORATION of Denmark??? Josh (@boshj), Brian (@spocks_brian), and A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) whip out their bodkins and throw themselves headlong into the morose, brooding world of literal corporate backstabbing that is Michael Almereyda's Hamlet (2000). They dissect the cultural significance of Mr. Moviefone, the perils and pitfalls of adapting Shakespeare for the screen, and the surreal perfection of

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01:41:14

8 - Blackgaardology (feat. Rob Mobley) [Whit’s...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/08/18

Rob Mobley (@VillainologyPod) joins Josh (@boshj), Brian (@spocks_brian), and A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) on their slow descent into the depths of evil as they face Adventure in Odyssey’s Biggest Bad: Dr. Regis Blackgaard, Child Psychologist. They discuss the nature of evil, the surprising careers of the voice cast, and the tragic story of a man whose wife leaves him for a horse. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan

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41:17

7 - In a Gadda da Whitta [Whit’s Endless Summer #3]

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/08/09

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Josh (@boshj), Brian (@spocks_brian), and A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) get thrown headlong into Imagination Station as they continue their journey through Adventures in Odyssey as part of their Whit’s Endless Summer. They discuss the insidiousness of Evangelical brainwashing, the merits of the musical Godspell, and the unending glory of THE NOZZLE. Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com Episodes

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01:11:28

6 - Prey (2017): Welcome to my Orbital Lair

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/07/19

Join Josh (@boshj) and Brian (@spocks_brian) as they dive into the ambitious 2017 space-station spoop-fest Prey! They talk the joys of fake-out openings, the pitfalls of immersive combat, and the sticky beauty of a good ole fashioned GLOO cannon. They also delve into the depths of the infamous Bethesda/Kotaku brouhaha of the mid 2010s and the enduring push/pull between developers and game journalists. Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

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52:33

5 - Urkel Gets Saved [Whit’s Endless Summer #2]

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2021/07/01

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall For our second premium episode, the boys (@boshj, @thefuzzymask, @spocks_brian) dive a little deeper into Odyssey. Maybe a little too deep.

en

284 results

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