The Worst of All Possible Worlds

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.

Episodes

December 5, 2025 64 mins

MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE THROUGH 12/31

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH 12/31

 

Tom Stoppard, the acclaimed, prolific playwright behind Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Rock 'n' Roll and so many other plays, along with the screenplays to Shakespeare in Love, Brazil, and Anna Karenina, has died. He leaves behind a staggering, inspiring, often frustrating bod...

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MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE THROUGH 12/31

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH 12/31

 

On their fourth annual remembrance of Pearl Harbor, the lads hop in their B-17’s and throw Los Angeles into chaos as they cover Steven Spielberg’s notorious 1979 WWII flop: 1941. Topics include the duality of Jon Belushi, the real-life horror of the Zoot Suit Riots, and the difficulties of del...

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November 26, 2025 30 mins

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The lads throw on their bowler hats and blame on their shoes the faults of their feet as they cover Samuel Beckett’s tragicomic masterpiece: Waiting for Godot. Topics include the origins of Godot, the benefits of being stabbed in the chest, and the enduring legacy of a stage play where nothing happens twice.

Media Referen...

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We've done it. Charlotte and Libby are back to join us in the Hunter's Nightmare, a blood-drenched valhalla where no one's having a good time.

What’s All This Then?: A podcast about Britain, hosted by Charlotte McDonnell and Libby Watson. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts

Libby Watson: Twitch // Bluesky

C...

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The godfather of Christian media podcasts Kevin T. Porter (Good Christian Fun) joins the lads in Odyssey as they cover three episodes from the series that would one day become Adventures in Odyssey: Family Portraits. Topics include the dangers of yokel discrimination, the bizarro world of pre-Odyssey Odyssey, and what it means to have your mail delivered by a man named George Poindexter.

 

...

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November 12, 2025 23 mins

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall

Donovan Eyre (Radio Free Tote Bag, DonoHell) and the lads throw on their trenchcoats and putter around some crime scenes as they cover the hit NBC/ABC mystery sensation: Columbo. Topics include the genius of Peter Falk, the many crimes of the Kong family, and what we can learn from watching a working class detective one more thing his way towards bringing justice...

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Jolenta Greenberg (Hot Mess-Terpiece Theatre) and the lads attend the dinner party from hell and down goblets of cocktails as they cover season one of the hit-Bravo reality show: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Topics include the origins of the Real Housewives, the art of the talking head one-liner, and what we can learn from the horrifying darkness that comes with being married to Frasier Crane.

 

...

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October 29, 2025 30 mins

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall

 

The lads take the Breeze to Crockett island and drink the blood of the angels as they attend Mike Flanagan’s 2021 Catholic horrorfest: Midnight Mass. Topics include the origins of Mike Flanagan, the banal evil of Hamish Linklater, and what it means to try to fight addiction while doing battle with Nosferatu-worshipping ...

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Charlotte and Libby from the What’s All This Then podcast join the lads in Yharnam as they cover the nightmare that is FromSoftware’s 2015 gothic horror opus: Bloodborne. Topics include the steep learning curve, the masterful escalation of horror, and what it means to conquer your anxieties in the greatest Britain simulator ever made.

What’s All This Then?: A podcast about Britain, hosted by Charlotte Mc...

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THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall

Jake from the I Hate James Dobson podcast and the lads return to Odyssey for further adventures in trust funds, marriage counseling, and the next mayor of Odyssey: Margaret Faye. Topics include the never ending Eugene and Katrina will they/won’t they, the effects of bingeing 400 episodes of AiO in an incredibly short amount of time, an...

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Mattie Lubchansky (Boys Weekend, Simplicity) and the lads grab their cow as white as milk, their cape as red as blood, their hair as yellow as corn, their slipper as pure as gold, and feed a potion to a rapping witch as they cover Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1986 fairy tale musical: Into the Woods. Topics include the massive reworking of the second act, the many allegations against the Big Bad Wolf, and how So...

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October 3, 2025 25 mins

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall

The lads hop in their 1964 metallic mint-green Buick Skylarks and get arrested for murder as they cover Jonathan Lynn’s 1992 legal comedy: My Cousin Vinny. Topics include the Era of the Screenplay, the film’s dedication to legal procedure, and the unspeakable cinematic power of having Marisa Tomei talk about tire-tracks.

Media Referenced in this Episode:

  • My ...
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October 1, 2025 14 mins

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall On this episode of Fancy Movie Time with Brian and A.J., the Fancy Lads head to Taipei and dance with the pigeon man as they cover Edward Yang's coming-of-age drama Yi Yi (2000). Do the film's novelistic approach and impeccable characterizations make it a Fancy Feast? Or does its vibes-based tone and myriad of plots make it a Failure to Fancy? One thing's for su...

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September 24, 2025 149 mins
Slowpuke (SlowpukeLIVE) and the lads stake out a bar and scream in the faces of undiagnosed alcoholics as we cover Jon Taffer’s hit reality-television show: Bar Rescue. Topics include Taffer’s self-aggrandized past, the ethics of robot performers, and what it means to watch a man transform a bar from terrible to an entirely different kind of terrible.   Slowpuke: Twitch // Bluesky // Instagram   Media Referenced in this Episode:
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September 17, 2025 30 mins

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall

The lads boot up Newgrounds and take The Impossible Quiz as they dive into the bizarre and labyrinthine world of the bread and butter of the Web 2.0: Flash Games. Topics include the origins of Newgrounds, the boundless creativity (and trolling) of the flash scene, and what it means to be the lead gay technician of one of the most influ...

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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

 

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September 3, 2025 23 mins

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 ...

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August 27, 2025 134 mins

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 Pa...

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THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Well, the dude croaked. https://jamesdobsonmemorial.com

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