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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

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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25:10

171 - Left Behind World At War

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/01/08

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallThe lads dive once more into the apocalyptic mind of Jerry B. Jenkins, as they cover the unintentional finale of the Kirk Cameron Left Behind trilogy: LEFT BEHIND WORLD AT WAR. Topics include the acting bona fides of Lou Gosset Jr., the importance of colons in titles, and how strict adherence to evangelical Christian eschatology will eventually lead you to blowing out the candles of a sad bundt birthday cake in the backroom of a

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02:46:26

164 UNLOCKED - God’s Not Dead 2

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2025/01/01

The lads dare to speak about Christ in the classroom and face the wrath of Ray Wise as they cover Harold Cronk’s 2016 evangelical propaganda film: God’s Not Dead 2. Topics include the horrendous filmmaking, the deeply-flawed rhetoric, and what we can learn about the future of America from a film that posits a world in which the masses will be subjugated by the most annoying people alive. Media Referenced in this Episode: God’s Not Dead 2. Dir. Harold Cronk. 2016. God’s Not Dead (2014) - Financial

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02:08:41

170 - 2024: A Year in Review

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2024/12/25

As has become tradition, we fielded a bunch of calls from you about what The Worst of All Possible Worlds meant to you in 2024 and stitched them together with highlights from the show. Merry Christmas and thanks for being part of our year.We also put out an extra-special Whit's Endless Summer bobus to the premium feed; check it out over on Patreon.com/worstofall! This episode includes clips from the following episodes, in order of appearance: 120 - 2 Left 2 Behind 2 Tribulation 2 Force 121 -

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01:59:19

169 - Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2024/12/18

The lads do battle with Mr. Potter for the heart of Bedford Falls as they cover Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic: It’s a Wonderful Life. Topics include the pernicious myth of “Capra-corn”, the art of the Jimmy Stewart impression, and what it takes to be a George Bailey in a system designed to turn you into a Henry F. Potter. REMINDER: SUBMISSIONS FOR OUR ANNUAL CALL-IN EPISODE ARE OPEN! Call +1 347 857 9523 and leave us a voicemail letting us know what the show meant to you this year and/or

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30:42

168 - The Nostalgia Critic

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2024/12/11

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallHellloooooo, we’re The Worst of All Possible Worlds, we remember it so you don’t have to! We all remember Doug Walker, you know, that guy with the glasses, the tie, and the plain white background because they clearly couldn’t afford a better set? Well, wouldn’t you know it, he created a character called the Nostalgia Critic, a loud, obnoxious, Looney Tunes-adjacent blowhard who got famous for being very mad about Batman having a

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02:17:44

167 - Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight”

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2024/12/04

The lads get drafted and give Mussolini the ole One-Two as they once again remember Pearl Harbor by covering Frank Capra’s series of WWII propaganda films: Why We Fight. Topics include the language of propaganda, the shittiness of fascist art, and what it means to watch your country become the thing it once stridently vowed to fight.Media Referenced in this Episode: Why We Fight. Dir. Frank Capra. 1942-1945. TWOAPW theme by Brendan

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20:27

166 - Wicked

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2024/11/27

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofallThe lads grab their broomsticks and defy gravity as they cover Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s megahit musical: Wicked. Topics include the twisted mind of Gregory Maguire, the highs and lows of Stephen Schwartz, and how to reckon with a show that is simultaneously trying to tackle the horrors of fascism and the inherent melodrama of wanting to kiss a hot Winkie. Media Referenced in this Episode: Wicked. Book by Winnie

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02:22:57

165 - The Hunt for Red OctobWhittaker (feat. Tom...

The Worst of All Possible Worlds ·

2024/11/20

Tom Walker (Tom Walker: Very, Very) joins the lads for his very first trip to Odyssey as they cover adventures in shock-jock DJing, international espionage, and the return of everybody’s favorite encyclopedia writing, ice-cream selling, NSA asset/God King of Odyssey: John Avery Whittaker. Topics include biblical trading cards, the logistics of owning a beef jerky co-op, and how to make propaganda that doesn’t inspire a life-long obsession with hunting down heretical texts. Tom

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