

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

Mar 8, 2023 • 23min
77 - Who’s Afraid of Mr. Beast?
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
THE LADS WATCH 8 MRBEAST VIDEOS AND THEN TALK ABOUT THEM (Not Clickbait). Topics include MrBeast’s humble origins, the monetization of altruism, and the internet’s canonization of St. Jimmy Donaldson.
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:
The Beast Playlist
“Is MrBeast for Real? Inside the Outrageous World of YouTube's Cash-Happy Stunt King” by EJ Dickson, Rolling Stone April 9th, 2022.
“Mr. Beast, YouTube Star, Wants to Take Over the Business World” by Taylor Lorenz, NYTimes, May 4th, 2021.
The CouRage and Nadeshot Show, Episode 38: "MrBeast Shares His BIGGEST YouTube Secrets!"
The Joe Rogan Experience, Episode #1788: MrBeast.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Mar 1, 2023 • 2h 8min
76 - Hackers (feat. maia arson crimew)
TSA hacker maia arson crimew (@_nyancrimew) teaches Josh and Brian how to hack the planet as they ride the internet superhighway straight into the eXtreme cyberpunk 90’s nostalgia of Iain Softley’s Hackers. Topics include the art of the 90s montage, the legacy of Hackers in the hacktivist community, and the paramount importance of pulling a righteous hack.
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!
maia arson crimew (it/she) is gay, mostly for girls, and a tiny kitten :3 Website // Ko-Fi // Wikipedia
Media Referenced in this Episode:
BTS Polaroids from the set of Hackers by Roger K Burton. Dazed Digital.
How Telephone Phreaking Worked by The 8-Bit Guy. 2020.
“how to completely own an airline in 3 easy steps” by Maia Arson Crimew, Jan 19th, 2023
HACKERS: Iain Softley - Director Interview by Hackers Curator. Jan 29th, 2021.
“House Republicans demand answers from TSA over No-Fly List hack” by Matthew Foldi. The Spectator, January 27th, 2023.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Feb 22, 2023 • 38min
75 - Gomorrah? I Hardly Know ’Er! (feat. Colby Day) [Whit’s Endless Summer #21]
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
Colby Day (@thecolbyday) is thrown into The Room of Consequences as he and the lads return to Odyssey for Adventures in Sodom, Gomorrah, and the most sinful place of all: the theater. Topics include the big swings of Phil Loller, the camp perfection of Edwin Blackgaard, and the paramount importance of keeping art weird.
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!
Colby Day is a writer/director for theater/film. He wrote the upcoming Netflix film SPACEMAN, directed by Johan Renck (CHERNOBYL), starring Adam Sandler. His script IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE is set to be directed by Andrew Stanton (WALL-E). His short film Lead/Follow is now streaming.
Twitter // Instagram // Website
Watch Lead/Follow here!
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Adventures in Odyssey #210: On Solid Ground
Adventures in Odyssey #236: Into Temptation
Adventures in Odyssey #248: Terror from the Skies
Adventures in Odyssey #218: A Class Act
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com (edited)

Feb 15, 2023 • 2h 8min
74 - The Boss Baby (feat. Patrick Willems)
Patrick Willems (@patrickhwillems) teaches the lads the ABC’s of corporate espionage as they slide down the deeply intricate lore rabbit hole that is Dreamworks’ 2017 fever dream: The Boss Baby. Topics include the scores of Hans Zimmer, the commodification of love, and the eternal and ever-growing rivalry between babies and puppies.
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!
Patrick H. Willems: “Pretty much the Terrence Malick of YouTube.” Twitter // Youtube // Nebula // Instagram // Letterboxd
Night of the Coconut: Nebula // Vinyl
Media Referenced in this Episode:
The Boss Baby (2017) available on Amazon // Apple TV
The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) available on Amazon // Apple TV
The Boss Baby: Back in Business (2018) available on Netflix
The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib (2022) available on Netflix
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial Written and Performed by Eleanor Philips

Feb 8, 2023 • 21min
73 - Hamlet in Canada: Slings and Arrows, Season One
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK US OUT AT Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads hop into their ham trunks and floor it to the Great White North as they cover the trials and tribulations of the New Burbage Theater Festival in 2003’s hit Canadian TV show: Slings and Arrows. Topics include the series’ roots in the Stratford Theater Festival, magical Shakespeare harps, and the enduring legacy of one of the only successful TV shows about a life in the theater.
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:
Slings and Arrows, Season One: Amazon // Acorn TV
The Creators of Slings and Arrows Talk about Creating One of TV’s Greatest Shows by Emily St. James, AV Club, May 30th, 2013.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Feb 1, 2023 • 2h 21min
72 - John Whittaker: Tomb Raider (feat. Trevor Strunk) [Whit’s Endless Summer #20]
Trevor Strunk (No Cartridge Audio) and the lads grab their whips and commit a colonialism as they return to Odyssey for some rip-roaring adventures in treasure hunting, stranger danger, and French missionary pranksters. Topics include the defense of property rights, the treachery of false uncles, and the many, many, many jobs of John Avery Whittaker.Trevor Strunk
Twitter / 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!
Available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Red Circle
Support No Cartridge Audio on Patreon // Twitter
Josh’s Episode of No Cartridge About Thief 2: The Metal AgeMedia Referenced in this Episode:
Episode #102: The Treasure of LaMonde!
Episode #244 and #245: The Mysterious Stranger Parts 1 and 2
Episode #171 and #172: The Cross of Cortes Parts 1 and 2
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Jan 25, 2023 • 17min
71 - Max Payne 2, The Fall of Max Payne
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads dive deep into the gaping hole at the heart of Noir York City as they brave the nauseating, bullet-ridden world of Remedy’s Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. Topics include the Matrix-ization of video games, the tenets of Sam Lake’s storytelling, and the bafflingly acclaimed legacy of the pills and simile-addicted Maximilian Payne.
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:
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Available on Steam // Xbox // PS2
“30 best female video game characters, ranked” by Joal Ryan, CNET, Oct. 13, 2016
“LGR - Adventures of Ninja Nanny - PC Game Review” by LGR, LGR Youtube Channel, November 13, 2015
“Max Payne ‘Clones’” by Lucas Raycevik, Raycevik Youtube Channel
Metacritic Reviews Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne for PC
“Sam Lake: The Remedy Story So Far” by Sam Lake. Digital Dragons Speech, 2017.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.co

Jan 18, 2023 • 2h 9min
70 - Company (feat. Patrick Flynn)
Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Patrick Flynn (The Original Cast) as he and the lads celebrate Bobby’s infamous 35th birthday in the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth deep-dive into marriage: Company. Topics include the many revivals of the show, the superb score/uneven book, and the incomparable performance of Raúl Esparza.
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!
Patrick Flynn: Website / Twitter / New Play Exchange
The Original Cast is a podcast about original cast albums and the people who love them. Each episode, Patrick interviews someone who’d see on-stage, backstage, or in the house of a theatre about an original cast album they love.
Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts
Instagram / Twitter
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Company, dir. John Doyle, 2006. Youtube / Cast Recording
Company, dir. Hal Prince, 1970. Original Cast Recording
Company, dir. Marianne Elliot, 2018. London Cast Recording
“Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes” by Stephen Sondheim, Penguin Random House. 2010.
Original Cast Album: Company. Dir. D.A. Pennebaker. Watch it on HBO Max / Criterion Channel
Masterworks Broadway presents Stephen Sondheim: The Story so Far https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7IiisCxYN0 - This is not the episode where the Stritch interview comes from, but it's the same series. the interview has been completely offline for the last decade
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Feat. David Armstrong as “Larry” and Eleanor Philips as “Multitudes of Amys”.

Jan 11, 2023 • 22min
69 - Uncut Gems
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads grab their opals and dive deep into the Diamond District as they cover the Safdie Brothers’ masterful two-hour panic attack: Uncut Gems. Topics include the sublime pacing, the proliferation of American gambling, and the career-best performance from Mr. Deeds himself: Adam Sandler.
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 the Episode:
Uncut Gems available on Peacock / AppleTV / Amazon
Chapo Trap House: 386 - Brother Magic feat. Josh and Benny Safdie (1/20/20).
“Good Time directors the Safdie brothers: ‘Robert Pattinson was just a guy chasing work’” by Hermione Hoby. The Guardian. November 16th, 2017.
“How Colleges and Sports-Betting Companies Caeserized Campus Life” by Anna Betts, Andrew Little, Elizabeth Sander, Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly and Walt Bogdanich. NYTimes. November 23rd, 2022.
“How The Safdie Brothers & Scribe Ronald Bronstein Took A Decade To Carve Out ‘Uncut Gems’” by Anthony D’Allesandro. Deadline. December 7th, 2019.
“How the Sports Betting Industry Quietly Consumed America” by Wendover Productions, December 2022.
“Meet Wayne Diamond, the man who made Uncut Gems unfuggedable” by Trey Taylor, The Face, December 17th, 2019.
The PluggedIn Uncut Gems Review by Emily Clark. PluggedIn. January 3rd, 2020
“'This Is What Most People Go Through Here on the Block.' The Jewelers of the Diamond District on What's Real and What's Fiction in Uncut Gems” by Rachel E. Greenspan. TIME Magazine. January 8th, 2020.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton:
brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.co

Jan 4, 2023 • 2h 27min
68 - Left Behind The Movie 2000
The lads start 2023 off right by hopping aboard an adulterous plane and flying straight into the Rapture as they cover the disastrous Kirk Cameron vehicle: Left Behind: The Movie (2000).
Topics include the origins of the Tribulation, the clientele of leather bars, and the surprising endurance of the concept that, one day, the Lord will strike Christians nude and yeet them into Heaven.
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 the Episode:
Left Behind: The Movie. Available on Amazon Prime.
“Fast-Selling Thrillers Predict Prophetic View of Final Days” by Laurie Goodstein, New York Times, October 4th, 1998
“Jerry B. Jenkins: The Tim LaHaye I Knew” by Jerry B. Jenkins, Christianity Today, July 25th, 2016
“Success of Christian Thriller Reflects Rising Interest in Religious Fiction” by Dinitia Smith, New York Times, June 8th, 2000
“Tim LaHaye, Evangelical Legend Behind ‘Left Behind’ Series, Dies at 90” by Camila Domonoske, NPR, July 25th, 2016.
“Tim LaHaye Obituary” by Stephen Bates, The Guardian, July 28th, 2016.
“Tim LaHaye Will Move to Washington to Promote Christian Political Activity" Christianity Today, December 14th, 1984.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Featuring Tony Ditty as “A.J. Ditty’s Actual Father”


