The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford
The Worst of All Possible Worlds

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. 178 - Falling Down (feat. Justin Roczniak)

    4 DAYS AGO

    178 - Falling Down (feat. Justin Roczniak)

    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 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: Falling Down. Dir. Joel Schumacher. 1993.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Memories of Hoops” // Written by Josh Boerman // Featuring Brian Alford

    2h 19m
  2. 177 - Love in the Time of Conniera (feat. Devon) [Whit’s Endless Summer 42]

    FEB 19

    177 - Love in the Time of Conniera (feat. Devon) [Whit’s Endless Summer 42]

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall   Devon (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 favourite podcast idiots are streaming twice a week, every week, at 21:00 UK time Monday and Thursday. We’re a heavily improvised variety stream with a youtube playlist. Twitch   Kill James Bond! is a comedy film review/ pop culture commentary podcast about the portrayal of masculinity in cinema. November Kelly, Abigail Thorn, and Devon have watched Bond movies, War on Terror movies, Eurospy movies, and now they take on their biggest task yet: Heist Movies. What can Heat, Oceans’ 11, and the Fast and Furious movies teach us about how masculinity was imagined by the people who created them? What does that say about Society? Free episodes are released every fortnight on all major podcast platforms and bonus episodes are released for supporters on Patreon on the interstitial weeks. Website / Twitter / Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts   Trashfuture is a podcast about business success and making yourself smarter with the continued psychic trauma of capitalism. Website / Twitter / Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts   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   Ten Thousand Posts: A show about how everything is a form of posting, and how our lives are guided by the only dialectic that matters: good posts and bad posts. Podcast // Twitter // Patreon   Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #562: “The Last ‘I Do’” #368: “The Other Woman” #412: “A Lesson From Mike?” #352: “Memories of Jerry” Josh’s Appearance on All Gamers are Bastards A.J.’s Appearance on 2 Whits, 1 Cup   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Gay Expectations Video Dating Service Tape #381914: Petey Pounderoga” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Petey Pounderoga /Jerry/Pinky/Melvin Mulligan”, Brian Alford as “Butch”, and Josh Boerman as “Lawrence”.

    31 min
  3. 176 - The Social Network

    FEB 12

    176 - The Social Network

    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 for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!   Media Referenced in this Episode: The Social Network. Dir. David Fincher. 2010 “10 Years Later, Author Ben Mezrich On The Book Behind ‘The Social Network’” by Anhar Karim. Forbes. October 20th, 2020. “A Young Mark Zuckerberg’s Early Mistake” by Shachar Bar-on. 60 Minutes. January 13th, 2008. “CONFIRMED: Aaron Sorkin Creates Facebook Page, Writing Facebook Movie” by Dan Kois. Vulture. August 27th, 2008. “Facebook’s Other Privacy Issue” by Eriq Gardner. The Hollywood Reporter, November 30, 2007 “Joe Rogan Experience #2255 - Mark Zuckerberg.” “Mark Zuckerberg: How to Build a Future” by Y Combinator. “Tell-All Book: Zuckerberg Set Up Facebook To Get Laid” by Nick Douglas. Gawker. May 22nd, 2008. “What Producers Do: Explaining The Social Network’s Social Network” by Claude Brodesser-Akner. Vuture. February 24th, 2011.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “The M.A.R.K.-BOT” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Brian Alford as “Mark Zuckerberg”

    2h 56m
  4. INTERVIEW: maia arson crimew on online privacy and operational security

    FEB 10

    INTERVIEW: maia arson crimew on online privacy and operational security

    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, especially when it comes to law enforcement Tools that you can use to anonymize your usage online USEFUL LINKS THAT YOU SHOULD CLICK: Get Surveillance Self-Defense basics and tool guides from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Get uBlock Origin for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera Download Tor Browser for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android Download Signal Messenger for Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS, and Linux Get Mullvad VPN and download Mullvad Browser Send maia a donation via ko-fi

    44 min
  5. 175 - Final Fantasy VII  [Part Two] (feat. Joe Kassabian)

    FEB 5

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

    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 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 TICKETS TO GO SEE JOSH’S PLAY AT THE TANK IN NEW YORK CITY! Media Referenced in this Episode: Final Fantasy VII. Square. 1997. “Final Fantasy 7: An Oral History” by Matt Leone. Polygon. January 9th, 2017. Final Fantasy VII Complete Script “The Story of Final Fantasy” by /u/DubTheeBustocles Jegged Final Fantasy VII Walkthrough “Quest 64: Days of Grief and Werehares” by A.J. Ditty TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Palmer: A Requiem” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Palmer”

    21 min

  6. JAN 31

    INTERVIEW: Knowing your rights in the face of ICE

    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 bipartisan Laken Riley Act expands the authority of ICE to detain undocumented immigrants indefinitely How to document what you see effectively and spread useful, accurate information within your community How to know your rights and assert them when confronted by enforcement officers Get equipped and keep your head up. We are going to win.   USEFUL LINKS THAT YOU SHOULD CLICK ON: Donate to the Acacia Center for Justice, an immigrant legal defense nonprofit Read up on your rights with Know Your Rights documents provided by the ACLU (available in English and Spanish) Print up your rights with Know Your Rights flyers for if ICE visits provided by the AILA (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Punjabi)

    50 min
  7. 174 - Final Fantasy VII (feat. Joe Kassabian)

    JAN 29

    174 - Final Fantasy VII (feat. Joe Kassabian)

    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 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   TICKETS TO GO SEE JOSH’S PLAY AT THE TANK IN NEW YORK CITY!   Media Referenced in this Episode: Final Fantasy VII. Square. 1997. “Final Fantasy 7: An Oral History” by Matt Leone. Polygon. January 9th, 2017. “Final Fantasy Creators Reveal The True Origins of the Franchise’s Name” by Aaron Greenbaum. Den of Geek. July 12th, 2023. “The Story of Final Fantasy” by /u/DubTheeBustocles Jegged Final Fantasy VII Walkthrough “Quest 64: Days of Grief and Werehares” by A.J. Ditty TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Pazino Pagliacci’s Pizza Parlor” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Pazino Pagliacci” // Music by A M 4 N “[PlayStation] Final Fantasy VII | Pizza Mission”

    2h 18m
  8. 173 - MASH on TV (Bangers of MASH #1)

    JAN 22

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

    THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall   The 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 One, Episode Six: “Yankee Doodle Doctor” Season One, Episode Fifteen: “Tuttle” Season Two, Episode Thirteen: “Deal Me Out” Season Three, Episode Twenty-Four: “Abyssinia, Henry” Alan Alda discusses how MASH tackled the subject of war - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG Bobby Pickett "Monster Swim" Jamie Farr on getting cast on "M.A.S.H" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG Larry Gelbart | US comedy writer | Obituary by Michael Carlson. The Guardian. September 13th, 2009. MASH Ratings & Rankings - MASH4077TV.com MASH’s Revolutionary Gay Episode by Matt Baume   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “A Brief Message from Alan Alda” // Written by Ellie Philips and A.J. Ditty // Featuring Ellie Philips as “Ellie Philips” and A.J. Ditty as “Alan Alda”

    29 min
See All (191)

4.8
out of 5
98 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 - 2025
  • Episodes
    191
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021-22 TWOAPW. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Worst of All Possible Worlds

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada