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Artwork for The Worst of All Possible Worlds

The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford
Adventures In Odyssey
Focus On the Family
Evangelical Christianity
Disney
Bloodborne
Broadway
Steven Spielberg
Youtube
Final Fantasy VII
The Last Of Us Part II
Christianity
Donald Trump
Facebook
James Dobson
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Animation
Chrono Trigger
AIDS
Silent Hill 2
Catholicism

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 t... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes295Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

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Artwork for The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Latest Episodes

The prequel to Riven.

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:

• Myst. Cyan Worlds. 1993.

• Ars Technica extended in... more

YouTube

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

Mackenna Goodrich (Informed Attraction) and the lads hop in their spaceships and make for the center of the Earth as they cover the crossover event of 1996: Space Jam. Topics incl... more

YouTube

Caitlin Nellist (SlowpukeLIVE) joins the lads for a lovely day out with the Egg Council of America as they cover one of the worst and most popular game shows of all time: Queen for a Day. Topics include the ineptitude of Jack Bailey, the bakeries of ... more

YouTube

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

Snake, it’s Colonel Copywriter. I’m responsible for writing the copy for every product in the world. Have you heard of a podcast called The Worst of All Possible Worlds? They do w... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Recent Guests

Mackenna Goodrich
Co-host of Informed Attraction, a podcast about beauty, body image, and media.
Informed Attraction
Episode: 263 - Space Jam (feat. Mackenna Goodrich)
Caitlin Nellist
Actor, comedian, entertainer, and Twitch streamer known as Slowpuke
SlowpukeLIVE
Episode: 262 - Queen for a Day (feat. Caitlin “Slowpuke” Nellist)
Trevor Strunk
Co-host of No Cartridge; author of Story Mode
No Cartridge / Speaker
Episode: 260 - Children of the Connie (feat. Trevor Strunk) [Whit’s Endless Summer 54]
Julian Feeld
Co-host of QAnon Anonymous and host of Super Structure
QAnon Anonymous, Super Structure
Episode: 258 - The Late Great Planet Earth (feat. Julian Feeld)
Patrick Wyman
Historian with a PhD in history from the University of Southern California; author of Lost Worlds
Harper|Past Lives|Masters of Our Domain
Episode: 256 - The Hurt Locker (feat. Patrick Wyman)
Sonya Burbo
Guest on episode
Episode: 251 - The Amazing Digital Circus (feat. Radio Free Tote Bag)
Mike Isaac
Long-time technology writer and NYT reporter focused on Meta and AI
The New York Times
Episode: INTERVIEW: Mike Isaac on Mark Zuckerberg and the future of Meta
Ben Collins
CEO of The Onion
The Onion / Global Tetrahedron
Episode: INTERVIEW: Ben Collins on Infowars' past, present, and future
Tim Heidecker
Creative director for the Infowars parody project
The Onion / Tim Heidecker collaboration
Episode: INTERVIEW: Ben Collins on Infowars' past, present, and future

Hosts

Josh
Co-host and interviewer; known for sharp, fast-paced cultural critique.
Brian
Co-host; brings historical context and a theatre/arts-informed perspective.
A. J.
Co-host; contributes theoretical framing and subcultural knowledge.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 502 ratings
  • Finally

    A horse corner!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    suzemw
    United Statesa month ago
  • Some of the best cultural criticism online

    I’m going to be upfront about it: this show had exactly two types of episode to me. One; the best possible cultural criticism I can imagine, lovingly investigated to a depth that’s flat out ludicrous. Two: completely incomprehensible in joke episodes about a cultural artefact I don’t know, don’t like, and don’t even understand how to approach. They rate about 1:4, but the good ones are so good it doesn’t matter.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    amanda.systems
    Swedena month ago
  • Wow

    This is one of the best podcasts I’ve found in a while. All three of these guys are hilarious and their dynamic is really fun.

    Edit: alright so after listening to the ENTIRE podcast start to finish, I have become a die hard supporter of TWOAPW. No one does it better.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DwuudZ
    United Statesa month ago
  • The Best of all Possible Cultural Commentary

    Whatever you enjoy: musicals, movies, christian radio dramas, horses, vaguely disturbing interstitials, or fancy movies TWOAPW has something for you. Sharp and deep analysis of everything they choose to cover with humor that most of the time doesn’t get too weird. But when it does get weird, it’s still good. Great even. Political only in the sense that everything is political, the lads offer some of the most prescient analysis of cultural output you can find for free on the internet. Even more ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Shadyproject
    United States3 months ago
  • I’m Just Disappointed

    I think the Sky King episode of this podcast is one of the best podcasts I’ve listened too. I’ve listened to it repeatedly and found the message within to be powerful, which is a shame that other podcast episodes don’t share this sincerity. Maybe that’s part of reviewing the pop culture of a dying empire, you have to become Joss Whedon characters. Shame.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Jake737
    Canada4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners admire the hosts' rapport and depth of analysis.
Production quality and humorous interludes are frequently praised.
Guests are integrated smoothly with strong, thoughtful conversations.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#206
Ukraine/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

263 - Space Jam (feat. Mackenna Goodrich)
Q: What was Michael Jordan's relationship with baseball, and was he actually bad at it?
The hosts describe Jordan's 1994 season with the Birmingham Barons as competent but limited by his age and experience. They argue that his performance was respectable and that the MLB strike interrupted his baseball career.
263 - Space Jam (feat. Mackenna Goodrich)
Q: What is your relationship with Space Jam?
Mackenna Goodrich says she grew up watching the movie on VHS and DVD, loved it as a child, and rewatched it later because of her interest in Lola Bunny. She found it less impressive as an adult.
262 - Queen for a Day (feat. Caitlin “Slowpuke” Nellist)
Q: Do you have any thoughts about how Queen for a Day's treatment of women on television connects to modern reality TV?
Caitlin says women may gain a platform to speak and pursue opportunities through reality television, but remain constrained by the men and producers who shape how they appear. She connects this pattern to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
262 - Queen for a Day (feat. Caitlin “Slowpuke” Nellist)
Q: Were you aware of Queen for a Day before we handed these episodes to you?
Caitlin says she had never encountered the show and had mostly watched newer bad television, including short-lived streaming originals. She calls Queen for a Day a blueprint for modern reality TV.
261 - Metal Gear Solid (feat. Manu)
Q: How would you describe what it was like sort of having not had Metal Gear Solid and then existing in a post-Metal Gear Solid world?
Manu says the game reshaped his sense of video games as art by combining complex storytelling, trope interrogation, and influences from action films and other works.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Worst of All Possible Worlds

What is The Worst of All Possible Worlds about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, culturally savvy show that dissects a rotating roster of pop-culture artifacts through a political lens. Across episodes, hosts trade brisk analysis on video games, films, theater, and evangelical media, calling out narrative choices that reflect or subvert reactionary tendencies. The show frequently blends humor with rigorous context, drawing on history, media theory, and insider industry details to reveal how culture helps shape broader social dynamics. Noteworthy is the trio's running bit energy, candid debates, and willingness to embrace long-form, deeply sourced conversations around thorny topics. Potential listeners who enjoy thoughtful media critique with a satirical edge, plus a theater/broadcast background, are likely to f... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Worst of All Possible Worlds?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Worst of All Possible Worlds:

1. Ill Conceived
2. TRASHFUTURE
3. Kill The Computer
4. Blood Work
5. Kill James Bond!

How many episodes of The Worst of All Possible Worlds are there?

The Worst of All Possible Worlds launched 5 years ago and published 295 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Worst of All Possible Worlds?

Recent guests on The Worst of All Possible Worlds include:

1. Mackenna Goodrich
2. Caitlin Nellist
3. Trevor Strunk
4. Julian Feeld
5. Patrick Wyman
6. Sonya Burbo
7. Mike Isaac
8. Ben Collins

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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