The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford
  • 4.7 (146)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. 229 - The Dutch Knight Returns [Whit’s Endless Summer 50]

    1D AGO

    229 - The Dutch Knight Returns [Whit’s Endless Summer 50]

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads return to Odyssey for more adventures in fractured fairy tales, the start of the Novacom Saga, and the final and fond farewell to everyone’s favorite devious Dutchman: Dr. Regis Blackgaard. Topics include Phil Lollar’s long-awaited goodbye, the logistics of time portals, and what it means to stare down Odyssey’s next big movement in serialized storytelling. Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #418: Opening Day #424-425: Blackgaard’s Revenge #446b: The Seven Deadly Dwarves #457: Opportunity Knocks TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Hound” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Jessie Cannizzaro as “Dr. Chris Cavalcante”, Brendan Dalton as “Dr. Wesley Winthrop”, and A.J. Ditty as “The Pilgrim”

    27 min
  2. 228 - Alone (feat. Rax King)

    FEB 18

    228 - Alone (feat. Rax King)

    Rax King (Sloppy, Low Culture Boil) joins the lads in Patagonia for adventures in catching fish and staving off the dread as they cover the third season of the History Channel’s hit reality TV show: Alone. Topics include the history of the History Channel, the appeal of Dad TV, and what it means to make a show there’s always a puma lurking right off screen. Rax King: Bluesky // Instagram // Website BUY RAX’S BOOK SLOPPY HERE! Low Culture Boil: Hosted by trashy babes Rax King and Amber Rollo. If you’ve ever asked yourself “would Susan Sontag have enjoyed ‘Jersey Shore’,” why did Twinkie file for bankruptcy, or if you don’t know how to read and at this point you know it’s too late to ask, this is the podcast for you! Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon Media Referenced in this Episode: Alone Season Three. The History Channel. “Whoever Starves Least, Wins” by Nicholas Quah. Vulture. June 13th, 2024. “Why Did Jami Fowler Leave?” by Jami Fowler TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Zac Skatchewan: Days 1-2" // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. David Armstrong as “Zac/Mr. Producer” and A.J. Ditty as “Monty/Intern”

    2h 38m
  3. 227 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    FEB 11

    227 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads grab their heart-boxes and make for the creepy woods as they cover Walt Disney’s 1937 landmark animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Topics include the origins of Walter Elias Disney, the make-it-up-as-you-go-along production, and the enduring legacy of the film that built the Disney empire. Media Referenced in this Episode: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Dir. Walt Disney. 1937. “Before Snow White” by J.B. Kaufman. Film History, Jun., 1993, Vol. 5, No. 2, Animation (Jun., 1993), pp. 158-175 “The Disney Way of Death” by Gary Laderman. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Mar., 2000, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Mar., 2000), pp. 27-46. Oxford University Press. “The Great Animation Strike” by Kristin Hunt. JSTOR Daily. January 2nd, 2020. Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas. Simon & Schuster. 1976. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler. Alfred A. Knopf. 2006. “‘With a smile and a song …’: Walt Disney and the Birth of the American Fairy Tale” by Tracey Mollet. Marvels & Tales, Vol. 27, No. 1 (2013), pp. 109-124. Wayne State University Press TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Hermann Huntsmann’s Heart-Box Hut” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty “Hermann Huntsmann/The Animals” and Eleanor Philips “Snow White”

    31 min

  4. FEB 4

    226 - Kingdom Hearts (feat. Lucy Valentine)

    Lucy Valentine (Boonta Vista, Savant-Garde) and the lads hop in their Gummi Ship and make for Hollow Bastion as they cover the infamous Square and Disney RPG crossover of 2002: Kingdom Hearts. Topics include Tetsuya Nomura’s incredible character designs, the dated gameplay, and what it means to create a game where Donald Duck is seduced by a gorilla. Lucy Valentine: Bluesky Boonta Vista: The least consequential news from around the world from the least informed minds in Australia. Andrew, Theo, Lucy and Ben bring you the week’s stories that conveniently fit into one of their countless, concerningly specific segments. Keep up with the latest news from Nature Corner, Paging Dr. Lucy, Planely Speaking, Omens and Portents, The Hole Report and many, many more. Patreon // Website // Merch // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Savant-Garde: Hosted by Lucy Valentine (Boonta Vista) and Jesse Black (Sludgefest). Savant-Garde is almost certainly the world’s only podcast where one autistic ex-wife and one OCD ex-husband unpack the disgracefully disordered worlds of Adrian Monk and the Good Doctor, Shaun Murphy, through the lens of two very normal brains. Patreon // Instagram // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: Kingdom Hearts. Dir. Tetsuya Nomura. 2002 The Collaborative History of Disney & Square Enix to the Development of Kingdom Hearts by Evan “ScooterNape” Phillips. Reddit. TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A by Anoop Gantayat. IGN. Updated June 30th, 2016. Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS Vol. 12: Dream Drop Distance. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Kingdom Hearts 4.3 Prologue: A Maritime Fragment: H(earts). M(inds). S(ora). Titanic Trailer (Version 1.5)” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Sora/Donald/Goofy/Billy Zane/Mickey/Announcer”, David Armstrong as “Winnie the Pooh/Eeyore/Fabrizio/Shipmaster/Jack”, and Eleanor Philips as “Rose/Margaret”

    2h 29m
  5. 225 - Trading Places (feat. Justin Roczniak)

    JAN 28

    225 - Trading Places (feat. Justin Roczniak)

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Justin Roczniak (Well There’s Your Problem) joins the lads in Philly for a good old fashioned rags-to-riches and riches to rags switcheroo as they cover John Landis’ 1983 Eddie Murphy-fest: Trading Places. Topics include the joys of seeing your hometown on screen, the rapid rise of Eddie Murphy, and what it means to have a movie where the climax entails the future price of frozen orange juice. Justin Roczniak: Twitter // Youtube // Bluesky Well There’s Your Problem is a podcast about engineering disasters and systemic failures, from a leftist perspective, with jokes. Youtube / Twitter / Instagram / Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts   Media Referenced in this Episode: Trading Places. Dir. John Landis. 1983. “It's The 30-Year Anniversary Of The Greatest Wall Street Movie Ever Made: Here's The Story Behind It” by Rob Wile. Business Insider. June 27th, 2013. AFF At Home: Comedy Q&A with Herschel Weingrod. May 4th, 2020.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Harry Hypemen Inc.” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Harry Hypeman/Werner B/Announcer”, Brian Alford as “Horace Hypeman/Werner A”, David Armstrong as “Holden Hypeman/Werner C”

    31 min
  6. 224 - Angels in the Whitfield (feat. Tom O’Mahony) [Whit’s Endless Summer 49]

    JAN 21

    224 - Angels in the Whitfield (feat. Tom O’Mahony) [Whit’s Endless Summer 49]

    Tom O’Mahony (Lions Led by Donkeys, Beneath the Skin, Bloodwork) joins the lads in Odyssey for further adventures in tower construction, child death dreams, and what happens when an honest to God ANGEL comes to town. Topics include the myth of the Tower of Babel, the brain soup of Phil Lollar, and what it means to believe that incredibly attractive men in very expensive suits are constantly watching your every move. Tom O’Mahony: Bluesky // Instagram BLOOD WORK: A podcast about the economy of violence. Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Bluesky // Instagram Beneath the Skin: A podcast chronicling the interconnected history of the world through the complicated history of tattooing. Hosted by Art History professor, museum curator, and tattoo historian Dr. Matt Lodder, and podcast producer, and tattoo collector Thomas O’Mahony. The show is trying to tell the history of tattooing as it interweaves with politics, society, and the weirdest corners of the world. So why don’t you join us, and take a journey beneath the skin. Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Bluesky // Instagram Lions Led By Donkeys: A military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict. Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Bluesky // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #416 - “The Tower” #144 - “Someone to Watch Over Me” #406-408 - “Malachi’s Message, Parts 1-3” TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Three Guys, A Bear, and A Burger Place” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Brian Alford as “Alistair Adelman”, A.J. Ditty as “Melvin/Estragon/Phoebear”, and Josh Boerman as “Timmy ‘Taxman’ Thompson”

    2h 34m
  7. 223 - A Thief In The Night II: The Me2al Age: 2 A 2 Distant 2 Thunder

    JAN 14

    223 - A Thief In The Night II: The Me2al Age: 2 A 2 Distant 2 Thunder

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads return to the New Year just in time for the end of the world as they kick off their annual Rapture Ranuary with a follow up to one of the most influential Christian films of all time: A Thief in the Night: A Distant Thunder. Topics include the origins of premillennial dispensationalism, the trustworthiness of mustaches, and what it means to be shaped by a world view where you live in constant fear of the U.N. beheading you with a guillotine. Media Referenced in this Episode: A Distant Thunder. Dir. Donald W. Thompson. 1978. Evangelical Millenialism in the trans-Atlantic world 1500-2000 by Crawford Gribben Judgement Day by Joshua Hill Foster Mine Eyes have Seen the Glory by Randall Ballmer Raptured by Ernest Angley That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay Titan, Son of Saturn: The Coming World Emperor: A Story of the Other Christ by Joseph Birkbeck Burroughs Writing the Rapture by Crawford Gribben ReligionfForBreakfast: the origins of the rapture ReligionForBreakfast: Who are the 144,000 in the book of Revelation The Bart Ehrman Blog: The Community Behind the Gospel of John   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Slasher Jesus” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “Announcer/Jesus/Big Al”, David Armstrong as “Flurk/Mayor”, and Eleanor Philips as “Timmy/Reporter” // Music: “Something’s Not Right” by Lucas Quinn Creations

    29 min
  8. 59 UNLOCKED - Chess: The Musical (feat. Jake Beckhard)

    JAN 12

    59 UNLOCKED - Chess: The Musical (feat. Jake Beckhard)

    Time to reach once more into the ol' Cool Vaultaire. If you still can’t get enough Chess, check out our BRAND NEW BOBUS (with Jake!) about the new Broadway revival on our Patreon here. Jake Beckhard (Blue Balls NYCFC) challenges the lads to the match of the century as they try to outmaneuver the bopping songs and confounding political intrigue of the infamous Tim Rice/Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus flop musical: Chess. Topics include the many different versions of the show, the innate appeal of a broken musical, and the ever increasing eccentricities of one Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Jake Beckhard Website: jake-beck.com Bluesky: @jakebeckhard.bsky.social Instagram: @jakebeckhard Blue Balls NYCFC: You’ve got Blue Balls! How lucky for you. Check in every week for rapturous pod talk on all things NYCFC. With NYC Hosts Jake Beckhard and Trey Fillmore. Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Podomatic Media Referenced in this Episode: Get Onto My Cloud: The Tim Rice Podcast: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts “Chess Seeks to Shed Its Checkered Past” by Stephen Holden, NYTimes Chess (1986 London Concept Cast): Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Chess In Concert (2008): AppleTV / YouTube / Letterboxd TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.com

    2h 9m
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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
146 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    254
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021-22 TWOAPW. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Worst of All Possible Worlds

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