The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford
  • 4.7 (178)
  • Society & Culture
  • 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. 1d ago

    264 - Myst

    The prequel to Riven. 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: Myst. Cyan Worlds. 1993. Ars Technica extended interview with Rand Miller The Digital Antiquarian - Myst, or, The Drawbacks to Success The Fourth Curtain: Making Myst a World with Rand and Robyn Miller Guerrillas in the MYST, Wired, Aug 1994 Humans of Gaming 79: Rand Miller Interview Jon-Gabriel Adkins: The Two Histories of Myst Myst Prima Guide Robyn Miller's Classic Postmortem at GDC An Update on the Legendary Myst Movie Adaptation The Video Game History Foundation's Cyan collection TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Silver Scepter: Chapters 3-5” // Written by A.J. Ditty (circa 1998) // Performed by A.J. Ditty (circa 2026) Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced and hosted by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    264 - Myst

  2. Oct 21

    263 - Space Jam (feat. Mackenna Goodrich)

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Mackenna Goodrich (Informed Attraction) and the lads hop in their spaceships and make for the center of the Earth as they cover the crossover event of 1996: Space Jam. Topics include the dual origins of Michael Jordan/the Looney Tunes, the horrors of October baseball, and what it means to make a movie exclusively targeted at marketing execs. Mackenna Goodrich: Bluesky // Instagram Informed Attraction: A podcast about how the TV teaches us about beauty, body image, and how to feel about ourselves. Hosted by Mackenna Goodrich and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PhD. Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: Space Jam. Dir. Joe Pytka. 1996. The Last Dance. Dir. Jason Hehir. ESPN. 2020. Hare Jordan Ad “His Airness vs. air: The making of 'Space Jam' Jordan conquers another challenge: the movies” by David Haugh. Chicago Tribune. September 10th, 2009. “Nostalgia Has Tricked Us Into Thinking 'Space Jam' Wasn't A Cynical Money Grab” by Maxwell Strachan. Huffington Post. November 15th, 2016. “Space Jam’s character ruining tackiness” by Nathan Rabin. The Dissolve. September 13th, 2013. “Space Jam Forever: The Website That Wouldn’t Die” by Erik Malinowski. Rolling Stone. August 19th, 2015. “The Oral History of Space Jam” by Ian Failes. Cartoon Brew. November 15th, 2016. “Twenty years later, ‘Space Jam’ is the movie we never knew we needed” by Elahe Izadi. The Washington Post. November 15th, 2016. “What’s Up, Doc” by Radiolab. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Autograph Theatre (a subsidiary of Warner Brothers which is a subsidiary of Skydance which is a subsidiary of Dave Ellison’s inferiority complex) Presents: Do Your Dance, a modern retelling of the Space Jam myth with added commentary on the existence of advertising in art and the net effect of selling out your integrity in the face of that sweet, sweet merch money: A Looney Fantasia on Subterranean Themes written and performed by the Road Runner” // Written and Performed by A.J. Ditty Episode edited by Josh Boerman. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced and hosted by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    263 - Space Jam (feat. Mackenna Goodrich)

  3. Oct 14

    262 - Queen for a Day (feat. Caitlin “Slowpuke” Nellist)

    Caitlin Nellist (SlowpukeLIVE) joins the lads for a lovely day out with the Egg Council of America as they cover one of the worst and most popular game shows of all time: Queen for a Day. Topics include the ineptitude of Jack Bailey, the bakeries of El Cajon, and the roots of America’s obsession with the exploitation of trauma. Caitlin “Slowpuke” Nellist: Twitch // Instagram // Bluesky // Paypal Media Referenced in this Episode: Queen for a Day Queen for a Day (Radio), VJ Day 1945 - mp3 Queen for a Day (ABC TV) 1962 - Youtube Queen for a Day (NBC TV) extra long 1958 - Archive The New Queen for a Day (TV reboot) 1969 - Youtube How ‘Queen for a Day’ Turned Unhappy Housewives into TV Royalty - History Channel Queen For a Day - TV When I was Born Queen for a Day MOVIE (1951) - IMDb Interesting telegram from a losing contestant - eBay Jack Bailey’s What’s Cookin’ Cookbook Jack Bailey Queen for a Day hand towel r/askoldpeopole What do remember about Queen for a Day This 1950s game show profited from the poverty of a new woman every day What Women Watched - Marsha F. Cassidy (book) All The Answers - Michael Kupperman TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Silver Scepter: Chapters 1-2" // Written by A.J. Ditty (circa 1998) // Performed by A.J. Ditty (circa 2026) Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced and hosted by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    262 - Queen for a Day (feat. Caitlin “Slowpuke” Nellist)

  4. Oct 7

    261 - Metal Gear Solid (feat. Manu)

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Snake, it’s Colonel Copywriter. I’m responsible for writing the copy for every product in the world. Have you heard of a podcast called The Worst of All Possible Worlds? They do weekly case studies in the pop culture of a dying empire. And this week, they’re talking about YOU, Snake. Specifically, the Shadow Moses Incident. They’ve even brought on their good friend Manu (Podcast Sans Frontieres, NotACast) to gab about everything from The End of History to how close you come to smooching your clone-brother. The episodes are a lot of fun, Snake, even if they can get a bit irreverent from time to time. You should give it a listen. Also, you can pause the podcast at any time by pressing the pause button. Manu: Bluesky Podcast Sans Frontieres: A Metal Gear Solid analysis podcast. NotACast: is the one true chapter by chapter podcast going through A Song of Ice and Fire one chapter a week. Hosted by ASOIAF losers ... er, experts PoorQuentyn and ManuclearBomb, this is the place where you can get your ASOIAF fix with weekly episodes that dive deep into each chapter in the book series -- giving special attention to theme, story, plot, character, theories and literary analysis. We also call Renly a godless terrorist who was brought to justice. Media Referenced in this Episode: Metal Gear Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake Metal Gear Solid “Metal Gear Solid - 1997 Developer Interview” by Famitsu Weekly. Translated by Shmuplations. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Tapioca Incident” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Master/Liquid/Colonel” and Josh Boerman as “Snake.” Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    261 - Metal Gear Solid (feat. Manu)

  5. Oct 4

    BONUS - MrBeast and James Patterson's The Most Dangerous Games (TWOAPW on Kill The Computer)

    It's MINI BEAST WEEK as Brian and Josh from The Worst of All Possible Worlds join Caleb and June from Kill The Computer to discuss The Worst of All Possible Books: Mr. Beast's LLM-ridden slopfest "The Most Dangerous Games". Check out Kill The Computer: https://www.killthecomputer.com/

    BONUS - MrBeast and James Patterson's The Most Dangerous Games (TWOAPW on Kill The Computer)

  6. Sep 30

    260 - Children of the Connie (feat. Trevor Strunk) [Whit’s Endless Summer 54]

    Trevor Strunk (No Cartridge) and the lads return to Odyssey for further adventures in cults, US-backed dictators in Latin America, and the reason why you’re not to blame if someone burns down a liberal bookstore while directly quoting you. Trevor Strunk: Bluesky / Story Mode No Cartridge Audio: Critical but casual approaches to current, past, and future video games six times a week. In addition, guests will periodically share their own aesthetic and personal experiences with games in conversation! Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Red Circle // Patreon Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #474-475: “Shining Armor Parts 1&2” #479: “Happy Smilers” #1029: “This Is My Story” TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Communion” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Jessie Cannizzaro as “Dr. Christina Cavalcante” and Brendan Dalton as “Dr. Wesley Winthrop” // Music by 4 in a Bar and Jonny Greenwood Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    260 - Children of the Connie (feat. Trevor Strunk) [Whit’s Endless Summer 54]

  7. Sep 23

    259 - Charlie Kirk: Afterlife

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Charlie Kirk is in heaven Charlie Kirk is debating Che in Heaven Charlie Kirk is debating a second Che in Heaven who is standing beside the first Che who is also in Heaven Charlie Kirk is with Jesus in Heaven Charlie Kirk is doing a conga line with Jeffrey Epstein Charlie Kirk is on a Starbucks cup Charlie Kirk is dabbing on the cross Charlie Kirk is in Fortnite Charlie Kirk is hat sales Charlie Kirk is TPUSA Charlie Kirk is a brand Charlie Kirk is riding a unicorn Charlie Kirk is having his face shrunk Charlie Kirk is a song for kids Charlie Kirk is a practitioner of perfect politics Charlie Kirk is fading Charlie Kirk will never fade Charlie Kirk is we Charlie Kirk is flame Charlie Kirk is being carried Charlie Kirk is forever Charlie Kirk is Charlie Kirk is Charlie Kirk is Charlie Kirk is CharlieKirkisCharlieKirkisCharlieKirkKirkKirkKirkKirk01000011 01101000 01100001 01110010 01101100 01101001 01100101 00100000 01001011 01101001 01110010 01101011. Media Referenced in this Episode: “The 21-Year-Old Becoming a Major Player in Conservative Politics” by Rebecca Nelson. The Atlantic. March 25th, 2015. AI Charlie Kirk Speaks to the congregation of Prestonwood Baptist in Texas “Being Watched: New website seeks to register professors accused of liberal bias and ‘anti-American values’” by Colleen Flaherty. Inside Higher Ed. November 21st, 2016. “Charlie Kirk’s AI resurrection ushers in a new era of digital grief” by Jack Jenkins. Religion News Service. September 17th, 2028. “Charlie Kirk and the Conservative Death Cult” by FD Signifier “Charlie Kirk in his own words: ‘prowling Blacks’ and ‘the great replacement strategy’” by Chris Stein. The Guardian. September 11th, 2025. “Charlie Kirk - The Man Who Broke Politics” by Alexander Avila “Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way” by Ezra Klein. The New York Times. September 11th, 2025. Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith by J.D. Vance. HarperCollins. June 16th, 2026. Deposition of Charlie Kirk Regarding January 6th “For Trump, Charlie Kirk Is a Deeply Personal Loss” by Robert Draper. The New York Times. September 11th, 2025. “How a ‘diaper protest’ imploded a conservative student group” by Deidre Olsen. Salon. March 25th, 2018. “Kirkification: How One Man’s Sacrifice Set the Stage for a Year of A.I. Enablement and Cultural Synchronisation” by V.R. Shorley-Courke. The Oxford Student. September 11th, 2026. Leaked Audio of Erika Kirk addressing TPUSA “The Myth of Charlie Kirk” by Three Arrows “Nobody Cares About Charlie Kirk” by Art Chad “One Year of Kirkification” by Posting Through It “People Punished Over Charlie Kirk Comments Win Millions-and Counting” by Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling. The New Republic. May 28th, 2026. “Turning Point USA co-founder dies of coronavirus-related complications” by Daniel Lippman and Tina Nguyen. Politico. July 29th, 2020. Turning Point USA Tax Filings from ProPublica Tyler Robinson Charging Document “The Unaliving of Charlie Kirk” by TrueAnon “We Are Charlie Kirk Eurobeat Remix (feat. Kasane Teto)” by Headphone Cat TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Professor Watchlist” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Professor Watchlist/Psycho Mantis” and Josh Boerman as “Snake” Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    259 - Charlie Kirk: Afterlife

  8. Sep 16

    258 - The Late Great Planet Earth (feat. Julian Feeld)

    Julian Feeld (Super Structure, QAA Podcast) joins the lads in the end times as they cover the 1978 film adaptation of the father of all Rapture narratives: The Late Great Planet Earth. Topics include the conspiratorial thinking of dispensational millennialism, the nefarious tree-slut Hal Lindsay, and what it means when your rock solid prophecy keeps having to move the goal posts. Julian Feeld: Instagram Super Structure: Super Structure is a podcast about the many shapes of power. The power of propaganda, the power of political repression, and the power of revolutionary struggles the world over. We help you — and comedian Jon Gabrus — understand current events, history and politics. So join us as we live, laugh, and radicalize together. Patreon // Apple Podcasts QAA Podcast: Conspiracy theories, melted online communities and cursed media — we pry open the cracks in consensus reality and journey into the hidden worlds below. The QAA Podcast is a mix of reporting, comedy, and history hosted by Jake Rockatansky, Travis View, and Julian Feeld along with co-hosts Annie Kelly, Liv Agar and Brad Abrahams. Formerly known as the QAnon Anonymous podcast. Patreon // Apple Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: The Late Great Planet Earth. Dir. Robert Amram. 1978. “Died: ‘Late Great Planet Earth’ Author Hal Lindsey” by Daniel G. Hummel. Christianity Today. November 27th, 2024. “The late great Hal Lindsey” by Matthew Avery Sutton. Religion News Service. December 5th, 2024. “The Late Great Planet Earth Made The Apocalypse a Popular Concern” by Erin A. Smith. Humanities: Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Winter 2017. “Ministry Spotlight: Hal Lindsey Website Ministries” by Brittany Smith. Ministry Watch. February 22nd, 2024. “Urgent Personal Message from Hal: TBN Suspends IIB” by Hal Lindsey. hallindseyoracle.com. November 20th, 2005 TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Outtakes from the Filming of The Late Great Planet Earth (featuring Orson Welles)” // Written by A.J. Ditty // featuring A.J. Ditty as “Amram/Hal” and David Armstrong as “Orson” Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

    258 - The Late Great Planet Earth (feat. Julian Feeld)
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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
178 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
    295
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021-22 TWOAPW. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Worst of All Possible Worlds

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