

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

Sep 10, 2025 • 2h 12min
206 - Eugene: Monk (feat. Joe Kassabian) [Whit’s Endless Summer 46]
Joe Kassabian (Lions Led By Donkeys) joins the lads in Odyssey for further adventures in monastic life, missionary work, and the dreaded attraction between cousins. Topics include evangelical views of Catholicism, the blatantly political work of missionaries, and why cruelty begetting cruelty is at the heart of the Evangelical project.
Joe Kassabian: Bluesky // 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
STREAMING TICKETS FOR LIONS LED BY DONKEYS LIVE FROM GLASGOW
Media Referenced in Episode:
Adventures in Odyssey
#366: “Solitary Refinement”
#377: “Just Say Yes”
#384: “Amazing Grace”
#91: “A Mission for Jimmy”
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “Thirteen Madmen for Twenty-One Monks on the Nineteenth of April at the End of the 20th Century” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “Estragon Estragonov/Melvin Mulligan/Phoebear”

Sep 3, 2025 • 23min
205 - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads take a walk through this beautiful world and feel the cool rain on their shoulders as they cover Anthony Bourdain’s award-winning CNN travelogue: Parts Unknown. Topics include Bourdain’s rise to prominence, his successes and failures as a documentarian, and the complex legacy of one of the most prolific observers of the modern world.
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Season 2, Episode 2: “Jerusalem”
Season 2, Episode 9: “Detroit”
Season 6, Episode 7: “Borneo”
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Season 1, Episode 4: “Malaysia: Into the Jungle”
Kitchen Confidential: Adventure in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. Bloomsbury Press. 2000.
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain. Ecco. 2010.
“Anthony Bourdain obituary” by Tim Hayward. The Guardian. June 9th, 2018.
Bourdain’s Tumblr Post “Fighting Mad”
“Don’t Eat Before Reading This” by Anthony Bourdain. New Yorker. April 19th, 1999.
“New Yorker Editor David Remnick on Anthony Bourdain” by Matt Buchanan. Eater. June 8th, 2018.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “Anthony Ditty: Parts Known: Escondido, CA” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Anthony Ditty/Producer/Dustin Bendin”

Aug 27, 2025 • 2h 15min
204 - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The lads throw back some drinks and bray the night away as they cover Edward Albee’s 1962 nightcap from hell: Who’s Afraid of Virignia Woolf? Topics include Albee’s traumatizing childhood, the music of his dialogue, and the boomer mentality of being afraid of Virginia Woolf.
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:
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee. 1962.
“Edward Albee, The Art of Theater No. 4” Interviewed by William Flanagan. The Paris Review. Issue 39. Fall 1966.
Edward Albee: A Singular Journey by Mel Gussow. Applause Books. 2000.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Original Cast Recording. Columbia Records. 1963.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Dir. Mike Nichols. 1966.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “The Autograph Theatre Company’s Season Announcement: The Unproduced Plays of Edward Albee” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Josh Boerman as “Daddy/Albee”, Anne Huston as “Mommy”, David Armstrong as “Irish Priest”, Eleanor Philips as “Mrs. Wife/Sea Monster”, and A.J. Ditty as “Announcer/Tiniest Alice/Mr. Husband”

Aug 22, 2025 • 5min
EMERGENCY POD - Dobson Died, Dead Dobson
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
Well, the dude croaked.
https://jamesdobsonmemorial.com

Aug 21, 2025 • 25min
203 - The Sweatbox/The Emperor’s New Groove
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads grab their pencils and go back to the drawing board as they cover the never released behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of The Emperor’s New Groove: The Sweatbox. Topics include the history of Disney animation, the similarities between the animating and acting life, and what it means to make art while walking the llama-llama and taking in the panorama.
Media Referenced in this Episode:
The Sweatbox. Dir. Trudy Styler. 2000.
The Emperor’s New Groove. Dir. Mark Dindal. 2000.
“An Oral History of Disney’s ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’” by Bilge Ebiri. Vulture. July 26th, 2024.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “Sting: The Kingdom of the Sun Sessions” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Sting/Announcer”

Aug 13, 2025 • 2h 24min
202 - Steven Spielberg’s The Dig
The lads grab their engraved rods and play with some loose bones as they cover the LucasArts’ 1995 xenoarchaeologist point-and-click adventure: The Dig. Topics include the gaming prowess of Steven Spielberg, the incredibly fraught production process, and what it means to have have a point and click adventure imprint upon you as a child that requires you to turn a turtle into a bomb.
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 Dig. LucasArts. 1995.
A Conversation with Gary Brubaker. Tech Talk with Daniel Albu. April 6th, 2025.
“The Dig is a weird LucasArts adventure dreamed up by Steven Spielberg” by Andy Kelly. PC Gamer. May 15th, 2020.
The Dig by Jimmy Maher. Digital Antiquarian. July 23rd. 2021.
“Exclusive Interview with Noah Falstein” by Santiago Mendez. The Dig Museum. December 27th, 2004.
“Interview with Brian Moriarty” by Paco García. Aventura y CÍA. March 2006.
“LucasArts Secret History #11: The Dig Bills Tiller and Eaken”. The International House of Mojo.
“LucasArts Secret History #11: The Dig Sean Clark’s Recollections of Joy”. The International House of Mojo.
Original Design Document for The Dig
“So, a Giant Asteroid is Heading for Earth…Again…” by Luke Plunkett. Kotaku. November 2nd, 2011.
“Steven Spielberg Apparently Won’t Play Uncharted Because He’s a Big PC Gamer and Only Likes Mouse and Keyboard” by Kat Bailey. IGN. October 2nd, 2024.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “Brink” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Professor Ludger Brink”

Aug 6, 2025 • 25min
201 - My Big, Fat Shank Wedding [Whit’s Endless Summer 45]
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
The lads return once again to Odyssey for further adventures in jet-lag, cyber security, and the long awaited return of the godking of Odyssey: John Avery Whittaker. Topics include the interminable will-they/won’t-they of Eugene and Katrina, the logistics of proposing in the year 1996, and what it means to grow up in a religion that asks you to actively throw your feelings through the No-No Door.
Media Referenced in this Episode:
Adventures in Odyssey
#362: The Right Choice Part I
#363: The Right Choice Part II
#364: Home, Sweet Home
#365: Clara
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “Evidence #381914: Camcorder Belonging to Chester A. Chandler, Found at the Scene of the Lakeshore Lodge Incident on June 22nd, 1996" // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring Brian Alford as “Chester A. Chandler” // “The Chain Piano Cover” by GleesinnPiano

Jul 30, 2025 • 3h 7min
200 - Thief II: The Metal Age
Dive into the immersive world of 'Thief II: The Metal Age,' where gameplay mechanics and atmospheric settings take center stage. The hosts share humorous personal anecdotes and critique Garrett's nonchalance amidst chaos. Explore the innovative stealth tactics and unique design elements that differentiate the game from modern AAA titles. They discuss the legacy of the Thief series, its dedicated fan community, and the absurdities of wealth in gaming. Celebrating 200 episodes, the camaraderie shines through as they reflect on their podcasting journey.

Jul 23, 2025 • 32min
199 - What Remains of Edith Finch (feat. Lenore and Aysha U. Farah)
THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall
Aysha U. Farah (All My Maidens) and Lenore (The Socialist Shelf) return to the pod to take the lads on a heartfelt journey of death and birds as they cover Giant Sparrow’s 2017 walking sim megahit: What Remains of Edith Finch. Topics include games about death, the importance of twee in the face of tragedy, and what remains of both the walking sim genre and the titular Edith Finch.
Aysha U. Farah: Website // Bluesky // Instagram
Lenore: Bluesky
BUY AMPLITUDES HERE
PREORDER JACOB’S BOOK HERE
The Socialist Shelf: A podcast where we care about two things: good fiction and changing the world. From your favorite pseudointellectuals, Jacob Dallas-Main and Lenore Olson.
Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Instagram // Youtube // Bluesky
All My Maidens: Welcome to All My Maidens, an Elden Ring lore podcast. Have you ever played 100 hours of Elden Ring and then thought, wow. I have no idea what the heck this game is about? Well, join award winning game writer Aysha U. Farah as she invites various friends and confidants to come on and Explain Elden Ring to her. What is an Elden Ring, anyway? What makes it elden? Who are the Tarnished? Why do a bunch of guys have weird horns on their faces? Who is that dude made of roots? Answer all these questions and more, right here!
Spotify // Apple Podcasts
Media Referenced in this Episode:
What Remains of Edith Finch. Giant Sparrow. 2017.
“The making of What Remains of Edith Finch” by Chris Schilling. PC GAMER. June 2nd, 2018.
“Whitespace: The man behind ‘The Unfinished Swan’” by Evan Shamoon. Polygon. October 9th, 2012.
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “What Remains of Joshua Boerman” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “AJ Ditty”, Brian Alford as “Brian Alflord”, Josh Boerman as “Joshua Boerman”

Jul 16, 2025 • 2h 13min
198 - Rambo: First Blood (feat. Andrew Law)
Andrew Law (Boonta Vista) and the lads make for the Pacific Northwest and set up little traps in the woods as they cover Ted Kotcheff’s 1982 debut of Rambo: First Blood. Topics include the joys of practical stunts, the brilliance of Brian Dennehy, and the reactionary politics at the center of both the film and the Italian Stallion himself: Sylvester Stallone.
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
Media Referenced in the Episode:
First Blood. Dir. Ted Kotcheff. 1982.
First Blood by David Morrell. Rowman & Littlefield, 1972
My First Thriller: David Morrell by Rick Pullen. Crime Reads. August 12th, 2020.
"'Rambo' in the Garden: The POW Film as Pastoral" by Paul Budra. Literature/Film Quarterly, vol 18, no. 3
TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com
Interstitial: “Rambo: Last Blood Part II” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “Sly/Sico”