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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

01:59:08

188 - The Merchwhit of Venice (feat. Quorators)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/05/07

Alex and Jeremy of the Quorators podcast join the lads for their triumphant return to Odyssey as they throw themselves headlong into adventures of magic bats, deceitful chickens, and Edwin Blackgaard staging The Merchant of Venice. Topics include the Twilife Zone, the ethics of Watto the Toydarian, and what it means to live your life in the service of a chicken whose real name is drugs.Alex Ptak - Bluesky // Twitter // Instagram Theater of Delights featuring Gran Nidorino! Jeremy

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25:15

187 - Sky King: The Story of Richard Russell (feat....

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/04/30

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallCaleb @BirdRespecter (Western Kabuki, 60 Minute Drill) joins Brian and Josh to tell the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, a man who walked off his job as a baggage handler at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport one day in 2018 to steal an airplane. Russell and his ill-fated flight quickly became a cause célèbre among some of the darkest corners of the internet, continuing to this day. This episode tries to figure out how and why

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02:09:55

186 - Showgirls (feat. Renee Olstead)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/04/23

Renee Olstead (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Unfriended) and the lads grab some ice cubes and enter the cutthroat world of Vegas dancing as they cover Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 striptacular: Showgirls. Topics include the madness of Joe Eszterhas, the infamous VH1 cut, and the solidarity that can be learned from a movie that involves shoving your competition down a flight of stairs.Renee Olstead: Website // Instagram // OF // Twitter Coalition of American Sex Workers Media Referenced in this

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30:36

185 - The Last of Us Part II (Part 2)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/04/16

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallThe lads grab their crossbows and make for the Space Needle as they cover the back half of Naughty Dog's 2020 revengefest: The Last of Us Part II. Topics include state quarters, the logistics of building crane bridges, and what it truly means to “look for the light”. Media Referenced in this Episode: The Last of Us Part II. Dir. Neil Druckmann. Naughty Dog. 2020. Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us: Part II. One Day,

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02:46:19

184 - The Last of Us Part II (Part 1)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/04/09

The lads grab their golf clubs and make for Seattle as they hop on the Ellie murder train that is Naughty Dog’s 2020 revengeapalooza: The Last of Us Part II. Topics include the chaotic development process, the CW-fication of the writing, and the inescapable conservatism at the core of The Last of Us universe.Media Referenced in the Episode: The Last of Us Part II. Dir. Neil Druckmann. Naughty Dog. 2020. 220: Josh Boerman and Dylan Rank Game Mechanics With Us | Anime Sickos - Podcast for

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30:05

183 - The War Room (1993)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/04/02

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallWhen Bill Clinton won the US presidential election in 1992, two people were key to his success: James Carville and George Stephanopolous. This week, Brian and Josh step into The War Room, D.A. Pennebaker’s 1993 documentary about how these two men and their team of future top Democratic all-stars cajoled and bullshitted America’s electorate into sending Slick Willie to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Media Referenced in This

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38:03

INTERVIEW: Tim Faust on Defending Medicaid

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/03/31

Our ongoing interview series with people working to fight the rising tide of fascism continues today as Josh sits down with Tim Faust, a healthcare activist who has been advocating for the preservation and expansion of federal and state healthcare programs in the United States for years. Tim recently began touring the state of Wisconsin, talking with local groups about what they can do to fight to preserve access to Medicaid benefits in their communities. Josh talked with Tim about how and why the

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02:36:10

182 - Video Redeemed The Radio Star: Definitive...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/03/26

Saddle up your horses as the lads, along with Rosey Armstrong (Hans Gruber and the Die Hards), 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 rampaging sexiness of Michael W. Smith, and the importance of artistic integrity in an industry seemingly designed to destroy it.Rosey Armstrong: Bluesky // Instagram Hans Gruber and the Die

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30:53

181 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/03/19

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallGood morning, everyone! The current date is March 20, 2020. Residents, I have some exciting news for you! The Lads have just moved onto our wonderful island! Let’s all give them a big island welcome! In other news, the museum is under construction and you’ll never go outside again. Be sure to visit Blathers tomorrow once construction is complete. Clean your groceries with bleach and head on down to the shore because we have a

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02:12:55

180 - Do Coaches Pray for Electric Sheep?: Average...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/03/12

The lads take a knee and offer their football up to the Lord as they cover the 2024 Coach Joseph Kennedy biopic: Average Joe. Topics include the return of Harold Cronk, the Deadpoolification of Christian movies, and what it means to build a social movement around one of the most annoying narcissists alive. Media Referenced in this Episode: Average Joe. Dir. Harold Cronk. 2024. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Harold Cronk

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20:39

179 - The Room (2003)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/03/05

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallHow did the lads meet? Well that’s a very interesting story, when Brian and A.J. moved to New York with two suitcases and didn’t know anyone and they have-uh-they head to YMCA with a $2000 check which they could not cash. Why? Well, because it was an out of state bank. Anyway, uh- they were working as busboys in a hotel, and uh-uh Josh was sitting, drinking his coffee, and he was so beautiful, and they say hi to him. That’s how

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02:19:28

178 - Falling Down (feat. Justin Roczniak)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/02/26

Justin Roczniak (Well There’s Your Problem) and the lads walk in a straight line through Los Angeles and leave carnage in their wake as they cover Joel Schumacher’s 1993 boomer-palooza: Falling Down. Topics include LA geography, the fashion of mechanical engineers, and what it means to hold up an entire fast food joint because those darn cashiers won’t serve you your well-deserved Whomlette with a side of Whammy fries.Justin Roczniak: Twitter // Youtube // Bluesky Well There’s Your Problem is a

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30:37

177 - Love in the Time of Conniera (feat. Devon)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/02/19

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallDevon (Kill James Bond!) and the lads return to Odyssey for more adventures in valentines, political blackmail, and volunteering for the Vietnam War. Topics include the logistics of Roman marriage, the intangible dread of grief, and what it means when the great loss that hangs over your entire series is a character as objectively terrible as Jerry Whittaker. Devon: Twitter // Bluesky // Streaming Traditional Scrench: Your

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02:55:54

176 - The Social Network

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/02/12

The lads pledge to the Phoenix Club and destroy democracy as they cover David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s 2010 techbro parable: The Social Network. Topics include Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ iconic score, the polarizing nature of Sorkin’s writing, and what it means to live in a world ruled by Augustus Caesar wannabes like Mark Zuckerberg.TICKETS TO GO SEE JOSH’S PLAY AT THE TANK IN NEW YORK CITY! Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing

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43:38

INTERVIEW: maia arson crimew on online privacy and...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/02/10

Our interview series about practical tactics to keep yourself and your community safe from the rising tide of fascism continues this week as Josh talks with maia arson crimew (it/she), a hacktivist and past guest on the show. Topics include: The mechanics of how corporations and governments identify and track you across virtual and real-world spaces Common ways that your devices give away information without your knowledge and how to disable those features What encryption is and why it matters,

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20:56

175 - Final Fantasy VII [Part Two] (feat. Joe...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/02/05

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallJoe Kassabian (Lions Led by Donkeys) and the lads hop in the Highwind and fly it straight into Sephiroth’s face as they conclude their coverage of Square’s monumental 1997 RPG: Final Fantasy VII. Topics include the wild quests of Yuffie and Vincent, the gamer-rage fueled final dungeon, and what it means to fight the end of the world when you’ve got a Sephiroth still lodged in your head. Joe Kassabian: Twitter Lions Led by

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50:21

INTERVIEW: Knowing your rights in the face of ICE

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/01/31

Fighting the tide of rising fascism requires good information. This week, Josh sat down with Isaac Adams, an immigration attorney with nearly a decade of experience defending immigrants in removal proceedings from the United States government, to get a better understanding of the current legal landscape. Among other things, we talked about:What is new under the recently inaugurated Trump administration and what is merely a continuation of long-standing government policy How the recently signed

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02:18:08

174 - Final Fantasy VII (feat. Joe Kassabian)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/01/29

Joe Kassabian (Lions Led by Donkeys) and the lads grab their buster swords and hit the streets or Midgar as they do battle with the nefarious Shinra Corporation in Square’s monumental 1997 RPG: Final Fantasy VII. Topics include Square’s dramatic split with Nintendo, the eclectic nature of the many, many minigames, and what it means to kill off a major character before the end of the first disc. Joe Kassabian: Twitter Lions Led by Donkeys: The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history

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29:02

173 - MASH on TV (Bangers of MASH #1)

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/01/22

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallThe lads once again return to the frontlines of the Korean War as they rejoin 4077th for the first in an ongoing miniseries covering the hit 70s television show: M*A*S*H. Topics include the show’s origins, the gradual evolution beyond the Altman template, and what it means to make a season finale so powerful it resonates 50 years after the fact. Media referenced in this Episode: MASH Season One, Episode One: “Pilot” Season

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02:44:45

172 - AOL Whitstant Messenger (feat. Colette Shade)...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/01/15

Colette Shade [Y2K: How the 2000’s Became Everything (essays on a future that never was)] joins the lads in Odyssey for some eXtreme adventures in cliques, Y2K paranoia, and the Odyssians’ forever war with the people of Rakistan. Topics include Y2K aesthetics, being jumpscared by John Avery Whittaker, and what it means to have nostalgia for an optimistic techno future that never came to pass.Colette Shade: Website // Instagram // Twitter // Bluesky Y2K: How the 2000’s Became Everything (essays

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