

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.
Also, we have bits.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 10, 2024 • 2h 32min
133 - Sam Shepard’s Buried Child (feat. Yurié Collins)
Yurié Collins (@babypinkhaus) and the lads grab their shovels and go digging for babies as they cover Sam Shepard’s 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning fever dream of a play: Buried Child. Topics include the toxic masculinity of the cowboy persona, the plays’ morbidly rich imagery, and the terrors of any generation, past or present, facing the dead baby buried in the backyard.
Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!
Yurié Collins: Tiktok // Instagram
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Buried Child by Sam Shepard. 1979.
The New Group production of Buried Child. 2016.
“Flashback: Sam Shepard, the Rolling Stone Interview” by Jonathan Cott. Rolling Stone. August 1st, 2017.
“Rhythms & Truths: An Interview with Sam Shepard” by Amy Lippman. American Theatre Magazine. April 1st, 1984.
“Sam Shepard: ‘America is on its way out as a culture’” by Laura Barton. The Guardian. September 7th, 2014.
“Sam Shepard, The Art of Theatre No. 12.” by Benjamin Ryder Howe, Jeanne McCulloch & Mona Simpson. The Paris Review. Issue 142, Spring 1997.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “The Autograph Theatre’s Pearl Fartbor Season Announcement” feat. David Armstrong as “Jim/Tom/Mark/John/Ray” and Yurié Collins as “Pearl Fartbor”

Apr 3, 2024 • 31min
132 - Macbeth in Canada: Slings and Arrows, Season Two [feat. Graham Techler]
Graham Techler (Tooning Out the News, Fairview) joins the lads for another cursed production of Macbeth as they return to both the New Burbage Theatre Festival and the second season of the hit AcornTV Canadian dramedy: Slings and Arrows. Topics include the curse of The Scottish Play, the showrunners’ dedication to an authentic portrayal of a life in the theater, and the importance of doing your taxes in a world teetering on the edge of a youthquake.
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!
Graham Techler: Instagram // “Our Upcoming Theatrical Season” // “Lane Gaullson’s Revenge!”
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Slings and Arrows: Season Two. AcornTV. 2005.
The AI Upscale of Slings and Arrows
Emily St. James’ AV Club coverage of Slings and Arrows
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “2Frog2Hammer” feat. David Armstrong as “Curd Sorryboutthat”

Mar 27, 2024 • 2h 28min
131 - MASH (1970)
The lads hop in a chopper and get into some morally dubious hijinks as they cover Robert Altman’s 1970 war/frat house comedy that inspired one of the most well-regarded TV shows of all time: M*A*S*H. Topics include Eliot Gould’s mustache, rampant 70s misogyny, and what it means to live in a country that can only define itself by settler conquest.
Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!
Media Referenced in this Episode:
M*A*S*H. Dir. Robert Altman. 20th Century Fox. 1970.
Golden Rainbow 1968 Tony Award Performance
Looking Back, 1952: York doctors join war effort
middle school 9/11 tribute dance
Mash The Movie Backstory
MASH: A Story About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker. William Morrow. 1968.
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) - American Helicopter Museum & Education Center
“Richard Hornberger” by Variety Staff. Variety. Nov. 19th, 1997.
“Robert Altman on Being The 15th Director Cast To Make MASH”
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “The 4077th Morning Announcements”

Mar 20, 2024 • 25min
130 - Heaven is for Real (feat. Radio Free Tote Bag)
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO at Patreon.com/worstofall
This week, Josh and Brian are joined by Radio Free Tote Bag as they take the next direct flight straight to God’s Throne. We discuss the history of books about heaven, the Near-Death Experience community, and the many thrills of saying “Burpo” over and over again.
Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!
Radio Free Tote Bag is a weekly relationship advice podcast hosted by Audrey and Donovan. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Twitter // Instagram
Data Transfer - Apple Podcasts // Spotify
Audrey Brehm - Twitter
Donovan Eyre - Twitter
Media Referenced in this episode:
Where is Colton Burpo Now? - Pureflix
Interview with Kevin Malarkey
I Did Not Die. I Did Not Go to Heaven. - Slate Magazine
John Wesley as Dream Reader - Pawel Rutkowski
Colton Burpo on Ordinary Discussions
Interview with Todd and Colton Burpo
The Burpos on Marilyn and Sarah
IMDb - Heaven is for Real
Near-Death Experience Research Foundation

Mar 13, 2024 • 2h 21min
129 - Blackgaard Begins (feat. Devon) [Whit’s Endless Summer #33]
Devon (Kill James Bond!) becomes an Odyssian convert as they and the lads journey to Odyssey for further adventures in vandalism, charge cards, and the impending return of the Devious Dutchman himself: Regis Blackgaard. Topics include New York solo shows, the proper way to cook a Chansey, and what it means to be the only pirate in a gang of roaming middle-schoolers.
Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!
Devon: Twitter // Bluesky // Streaming
Kill James Bond! is a comedy film review/pop culture commentary podcast about the eponymous English spy, James Bond. November Kelly, Abigail Thorn, and Devon watch a different Bond movie every fortnight in an attempt to give 007 the socialist, feminist comeuppance he so richly deserves. 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
#323: A Little Credit, Please
#324: Small Fires, Little Pools
#325: Angels Unaware
#326: Gathering Thunder
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “Patrick Smother’s Plumber Brothers”

Mar 6, 2024 • 24min
128 - Supermarket Sweep
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads grab their carts and make straight for the turkeys as they cover four iterations of one of America’s favorite game shows: Supermarket Sweep. Topics include the history of supermarkets, the insidiousness of Whammies, and the difficulties of weaponizing 90s nostalgia in the turbulent world of the 2020s.
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!
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Supermarket Sweep
January 17th, 1967
October 4th, 1991
Nancy & Kathy vs. Ron & Dru vs. Keah & Micki (1993)
Marina & Tim vs Stephanie & Cyndee vs Vanessa & Dustin (2001)
The New Supermarket Sweep 2020 (Season 2 Episode 7): Don't Be Twerking On My Show!
Supermarket Sweep - SNL
“An Oral History Of 'Supermarket Sweep' And Its Surprising Shelf Life” by Matthew Jacobs. Huffpost. July 31, 2020.
“The Surprising Way a Supermarket Changed the World” by Ashley Ross. Time. September 9th, 2016.
The Edsel Show - CBS-TV (October 13, 1957)
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “Wife-B-Gone”

Feb 28, 2024 • 2h 4min
127 - Death Beconnies Her [Whit’s Endless Summer #32]
The lads return to Odyssey for further adventures in disability, grief, and how to solve a love triangle when the third point is Jesus Christ. Topics include the edification of the disabled, Bill Kendall’s penchant for cruises, and how to properly mourn the loss of a loved one like a good, honest Christian.
Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Adventures in Odyssey
#318: A Touch of Healing, Part 1
#319: A Tough of Healing, Part 2
#320: Where is Thy Sting?
#322: The Turning Point
This your first Whit’s Endless Summer? Here’s the story so far!
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “Dr. Oswald Oliver, M.D.” feat. Brendan Dalton as “318".

Feb 21, 2024 • 24min
126 - Reds (feat. Jake Beckhard and Andy Boyd)
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
Jake Beckhard and Andy Boyd (Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist) join the lads as they head on back to the U.S.S.R. to cover Warren Beatty’s 1981 communist blockbuster: Reds. Topics include the brilliance of Diane Keaton, the terrifying smoochability of Eugene O’Neill, and how to make art in a world teetering on the edge of revolution.
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!
Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist - Tickets // Instagram
Jake Beckhard - Website // Twitter // Instagram
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
Andy Boyd: Website // NPX // Instagram // Better Than Shakespeare Podcast
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Reds. Dir. Warren Beatty. 1981.
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.
O’Neill: Son and Playwright by Louis Sheaffer. Little, Brown, and Company. 1968.
“Thunder on the Left” by Peter Biskind. Vanity Fair. January 22nd, 2007.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “‘Goodbye For Now’ Demos” feat. David Armstrong as “Stephen Sondheim”.

Feb 14, 2024 • 1h 53min
125 - Airplane! (feat. Bernie Wagenblast)
The voice of the NYC Subway Bernie Wagenblast (Cranford Radio, ITE Talks Transportation) and the lads conquer their drinking problems and call each other Shirley as they cover the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker comedy blockbuster Airplane!. Topics include the film’s incredible joke variety, the brilliance of Leslie Nielsen, and what it means to like gladiator movies and have seen a grown man naked in the year of our LORD 2024.
Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!
Bernie Wagenblast: Twitter // Instagram // TikTok
Cranford Radio presents the sounds and voices of Cranford, New Jersey. Hosted by Bernie Wagenblast. Available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify
ITE Talks Transportation is a collaboration between ITE and Bernie Wagenblast, founder and editor of the Transportation Communication Newsletter and host of Transportation Radio. Each month, a new podcast features a thought leader within the transportation industry. In keeping with #transportationtuesday, a new episode will be available the 4th Tuesday of every month. Available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify
The Stream by AASHTO explores environmental topics important to people involved in transportation and infrastructure programs. Available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify
The Transport Communications Newsletter
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Airplane! Dir. by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker. Paramount Pictures. 1980.
Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of NYC subways, finding her true voice after sharing her transition by CBS.
"Finger Flickin' Funny" by Rich Markey. UW Alumni Magazine, Spring 2007.
“How We Made: Airplane!” by Simon Bland. The Guardian. May 25th, 2020.
“Short Takes : Airport Announcer Is No Star” by the Los Angeles Times. Jan. 7th. 1991.
Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! by David Zuker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zuker. St. Martin’s Publishing Group. 2023.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Feb 7, 2024 • 26min
124 - Alan Wake II
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
My name is Alan Wake. I’m a writer. Two years ago, three “critics” from The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast decided to slander my good name and drag my first game through the mud. Now, they’ve Returned from their previous Departure and have fully Initiated themselves into my torment anew. Will they dub me the Champion of Light? Or cast me off as the Herald of Darkness? Only one thing’s for sure: Stephen King once wrote “Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger.” He said this before snorting three lines of cocaine and trying to fight a bus. He would later go on to marry that bus in a private ceremony in Maine. This marriage was quickly annulled when everyone involved realized you cannot marry a bus. I married Alice, a human woman. I know this because I know the difference between a woman and a bus. That’s why I famously wrote the line: “It’s not a woman, it’s a bus.”
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!
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Alan Wake II. Remedy Entertainment. 2023.
13 Minutes of Alan Wake 2 GAMEPLAY (Unreleased). Polygon. 2016.
Alan Wake 2 Announcement: World Premiere Trailer and Interview. The Game Awards, 2021.
“Sam Lake and the Remedy Team shine a light on what it takes to make games like Alan Wake 2”. BAFTA, 2024.
“Sisu: A Word that Explains Finland” by Hudson Strode Professor of English, University of Alabamapenguin (sic), Bonney-Elisofon, Solbelman and Black Star. NYTimes. Jan. 14th, 1940.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Commercial: “The Hydraulic Press Channel”


