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. Also, we have bits.

  1. 210 - Into the Woods (feat. Mattie Lubchansky)

    -6 H

    210 - Into the Woods (feat. Mattie Lubchansky)

    Mattie Lubchansky (Boys Weekend, Simplicity) and the lads grab their cow as white as milk, their cape as red as blood, their hair as yellow as corn, their slipper as pure as gold, and feed a potion to a rapping witch as they cover Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1986 fairy tale musical: Into the Woods. Topics include the massive reworking of the second act, the many allegations against the Big Bad Wolf, and how Sondheim’s most lucrative musical might also be his best. Mattie Lubchansky: Website // Bluesky // Instagram // Patreon BUY MATTIE'S BOOKS: In the Land of…Simplicity: An Account of the Unusual Peoples of the Former United States & A Sojourn Through the Exurb Zones And Other Unsecured Territories By An Intrepid Explorer From the Coalition of Secured City-States: a vibrant new graphic novel about a timid academic sent out from the walled dystopian security territory of New York City to investigate a cult in the wilds of the Catskill Mountains. Boys Weekend: A hilarious trans-“final girl” horror graphic novel about a bachelor party gone very, very wrong. A witty, tender romp through the cosmic horror of being alive LISTEN TO MATTIE'S PODCASTS: No Gods No Mayors: Municipal government: a trap that catches those too incompetent, too corrupt, too strange even for national politics. And the greatest of these, the mayor - the highest political office one can hope to reach with a truly oppositional personality or a crack addiction. Mattie Lubchansky, Riley Quinn and November Kelly are teaming up to make a podcast investigating these mayors. From petty Bonapartes to flagrant mafiosi, these are their stories. Available on Spotify // Apple Podcasts // RSS Feed Temporal Culture War: Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley figure out what the hell was going on in culture in the early 2000s while they wade through episodes of Star Trek Enterprise. Available on Spotify // Apple Podcasts // RSS Feed Media Referenced in this Episode: Into the Woods. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. 1986. Bernadette Peters and Original Into the Woods Cast Recall Untold Stories, Backstage Memories and Standouts With Sondheim by Adam Hetrick. Playbill. November 25th, 2014. From "Boom Crunch" to "The Last Midnight": How Into the Woods Transformed Throughout the Years by Logan Culwell-Block. Playbill. November 19th, 2014. Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany by Stephen Sondheim. Penguin Random House. 2011. Into the Woods: A conversation with Sondheim and Lapine – 1991 PBS TV Into the Woods - MTI Conversation Piece with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine Into the Woods SR. at Lenox Hill TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “There’s a Chance You Might Be Bi” // Music by Stephen Sondheim // Lyrics by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Himself”

    2 h 58 min
  2. 209 - My Cousin Vinny

    -4 J

    209 - My Cousin Vinny

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads hop in their 1964 metallic mint-green Buick Skylarks and get arrested for murder as they cover Jonathan Lynn’s 1992 legal comedy: My Cousin Vinny. Topics include the Era of the Screenplay, the film’s dedication to legal procedure, and the unspeakable cinematic power of having Marisa Tomei talk about tire-tracks. Media Referenced in this Episode: My Cousin Vinny. Dir. Jonathan Lynn. 1992. Abnormal Interviews: “My Cousin Vinny Director Jonathan Lynn” by Nick Farr. March 13th, 2012. Dale Launer’s Incredible Website ‘WHAT IS A YUTE?’: AN ORAL HISTORY OF ‘MY COUSIN VINNY’ by Andy Greene. Rolling Stone. March 7th, 2022. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A Phone Call From The Southern Baptist Correctional Facility” // Written by A.J. Ditty and Tony Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “A.J. Ditty”, Eleanor Philips as “Denise”, and Tony Ditty as “Tony Ditty: Lawyer and A.J.’s Actual Father”

    25 min
  3. Fancy Movie Time #33: Yi Yi

    1 OCT.

    Fancy Movie Time #33: Yi Yi

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall On this episode of Fancy Movie Time with Brian and A.J., the Fancy Lads head to Taipei and dance with the pigeon man as they cover Edward Yang's coming-of-age drama Yi Yi (2000). Do the film's novelistic approach and impeccable characterizations make it a Fancy Feast? Or does its vibes-based tone and myriad of plots make it a Failure to Fancy? One thing's for sure: Mr. Fancymovietime DEFINITELY got his union card. On the next episode of Fancy Movie Time with Brian and A.J.: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

    15 min
  4. 208 - Bar Rescue (feat. Slowpuke)

    24 SEPT.

    208 - Bar Rescue (feat. Slowpuke)

    Slowpuke (SlowpukeLIVE) and the lads stake out a bar and scream in the faces of undiagnosed alcoholics as we cover Jon Taffer’s hit reality-television show: Bar Rescue. Topics include Taffer’s self-aggrandized past, the ethics of robot performers, and what it means to watch a man transform a bar from terrible to an entirely different kind of terrible.   Slowpuke: Twitch // Bluesky // Instagram   Media Referenced in this Episode: Bar Rescue S02E01: “Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Dumb” S03E11: “Don’t Mess with Taffer’s Wife” S02E22: “Punch-Drunk and Trailer-Trashed” S04E25: “Sticky Situation” Bar 702 (Sand Dollar) From Bar Rescue Has Been Sold by Matt. Barrescueupdates.com. June 22nd, 2014. Breaking News - Spike TV Picks Up New Original Series, "Bar Rescue" and "Repo Games" | TheFutonCritic.com. January 1st, 2011. Council Bluffs police investigating shooting at O'Face Bar by KMTV News. 3 News Now. February 27th, 2021. Domestic Violence Case Dismissed by Staff Consortium. The Virgin Islands Consortium. March 19th, 2021. How "Bar Rescue" host Jon Taffer helped changed the way we watch the NFL by Aaron Torres. Fox Sports. January 7th, 2014. jon taffer spaceship robot story Second arrest made in connection to weekend shooting outside Council Bluffs bar by First Alert 6 Staff. First Alert 6. March 25th, 2025. Wilkes Assault Lawsuit TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Bar Rescue Jr.” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Josh Boerman as “Aggressive Narrator”, Slowpuke as “Mrs. Cunningham/Molly Cunningham”, and A.J. Ditty as “Jon Taffer/Customer”

    2 h 29 min
  5. 207 - Newgrounds and Flash Games

    17 SEPT.

    207 - Newgrounds and Flash Games

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads boot up Newgrounds and take The Impossible Quiz as they dive into the bizarre and labyrinthine world of the bread and butter of the Web 2.0: Flash Games. Topics include the origins of Newgrounds, the boundless creativity (and trolling) of the flash scene, and what it means to be the lead gay technician of one of the most influential flash games of all time. Media Referenced in this Episode: The Games: Pico’s School by Tom Fulp SimGirls by sim-man N by Metanet Software The Crimson Room by Toshimitsu Takagi Bloons TD by Ninja Kiwi The Impossible Quiz by Splapp-me-do Nanaca Crash! By Unknown Canabalt by Adam Saltsman Robot Unicorn Attack by Spititonin Media Games Newgrounds Wiki - TomFulp From the IAmA community on Reddit: Tom Fulp Newgrounds Wiki - History How Flash games shaped the video game industry by Jonas Richner. Flashgamehistory.com. Flashpoint Archive TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Pages 13-21 of ‘The Hidden Enemy’” // Written and Performed by Josh Boerman // Music by Wendy Carlos

    31 min
  6. 206 - Eugene: Monk (feat. Joe Kassabian) [Whit’s Endless Summer 46]

    10 SEPT.

    206 - Eugene: Monk (feat. Joe Kassabian) [Whit’s Endless Summer 46]

    Joe Kassabian (Lions Led By Donkeys) joins the lads in Odyssey for further adventures in monastic life, missionary work, and the dreaded attraction between cousins. Topics include evangelical views of Catholicism, the blatantly political work of missionaries, and why cruelty begetting cruelty is at the heart of the Evangelical project.   Joe Kassabian: Bluesky // Twitter   Lions Led by Donkeys: The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict. Patreon // Youtube // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Instagram   STREAMING TICKETS FOR LIONS LED BY DONKEYS LIVE FROM GLASGOW   Media Referenced in Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #366: “Solitary Refinement” #377: “Just Say Yes” #384: “Amazing Grace” #91: “A Mission for Jimmy”   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Thirteen Madmen for Twenty-One Monks on the Nineteenth of April at the End of the 20th Century” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “Estragon Estragonov/Melvin Mulligan/Phoebear”

    2 h 12 min
  7. 205 - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

    3 SEPT.

    205 - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads take a walk through this beautiful world and feel the cool rain on their shoulders as they cover Anthony Bourdain’s award-winning CNN travelogue: Parts Unknown. Topics include Bourdain’s rise to prominence, his successes and failures as a documentarian, and the complex legacy of one of the most prolific observers of the modern world. Media Referenced in this Episode: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown Season 2, Episode 2: “Jerusalem” Season 2, Episode 9: “Detroit” Season 6, Episode 7: “Borneo” Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Season 1, Episode 4: “Malaysia: Into the Jungle” Kitchen Confidential: Adventure in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. Bloomsbury Press. 2000. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain. Ecco. 2010. “Anthony Bourdain obituary” by Tim Hayward. The Guardian. June 9th, 2018. Bourdain’s Tumblr Post “Fighting Mad” “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” by Anthony Bourdain. New Yorker. April 19th, 1999. “New Yorker Editor David Remnick on Anthony Bourdain” by Matt Buchanan. Eater. June 8th, 2018. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Anthony Ditty: Parts Known: Escondido, CA” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Anthony Ditty/Producer/Dustin Bendin”

    23 min
  8. 204 - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

    27 AOÛT

    204 - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

    The lads throw back some drinks and bray the night away as they cover Edward Albee’s 1962 nightcap from hell: Who’s Afraid of Virignia Woolf? Topics include Albee’s traumatizing childhood, the music of his dialogue, and the boomer mentality of being afraid of Virginia Woolf.   Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!   Media Referenced in this Episode: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee. 1962. “Edward Albee, The Art of Theater No. 4” Interviewed by William Flanagan. The Paris Review. Issue 39. Fall 1966. Edward Albee: A Singular Journey by Mel Gussow. Applause Books. 2000. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Original Cast Recording. Columbia Records. 1963. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Dir. Mike Nichols. 1966.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “The Autograph Theatre Company’s Season Announcement: The Unproduced Plays of Edward Albee” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Josh Boerman as “Daddy/Albee”, Anne Huston as “Mommy”, David Armstrong as “Irish Priest”, Eleanor Philips as “Mrs. Wife/Sea Monster”, and A.J. Ditty as “Announcer/Tiniest Alice/Mr. Husband”

    2 h 15 min
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À propos

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. Also, we have bits.

Informations

  • Création
    Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford
  • Années d’activité
    2021 - 2025
  • Épisodes
    229
  • Classification
    Contenu explicite
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021-22 TWOAPW. All rights reserved.
  • Site web de l’émission
    The Worst of All Possible Worlds

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