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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
James Dobson
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Chrono Trigger
Animation
Facebook
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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes283Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

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Artwork for The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Latest Episodes

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

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly.

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Bee Movie. Dir. Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner. 2007.... more

YouTube

Memoria (@memoriamatters) and the lads grab their tiny vests and make for Duloc as they cover the movie that launched a thousand memes: Shrek. Topics include William Steig’s original book, the politics of Disney in the 90s, and what it means to disco... more

YouTube

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

Audrey and Dono (Radio Free Tote Bag, No I’m Listening) join the lads on some wacky adventures with Pomni and Co. as they cover Gooseworx’s indie animation megahit: The Amazing Di... more

YouTube

Mike Isaac is a long-time technology writer who has been Technology Correspondent at the New York Times since June 2014. During that time he’s covered a variety of technology companies, including OpenAI, SpaceX, Anthropic, Apple, and Uber, which he p... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

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
November Kelly
Photographer and podcaster (guest)
Trashfuture / Be Gay Solve Crimes / Kill James Bond
Episode: 246 - 007 First Light (feat. November Kelly)
Maya Crymu
Prolific DJ and cybersecurity researcher; previously appeared on the show
Maia Arson Crimew
Episode: 244 - Gamer (feat. maia arson crimew)
David Armstrong
Guest, frequent contributor and voice of context on screenwriting and adaptation
Episode: 243 - The Cable Guy (feat. David Armstrong)
Jeremy Kaplowitz
Actor in Théâtre Voltaire reading as Rodney Rathbone
Théâtre Voltaire
Episode: 242 - The Gay Agenda: LIVE (feat. Théâtre Voltaire)
Jesse Kanazaro
Actor in Théâtre Voltaire reading as Jimmy Barkley
Théâtre Voltaire
Episode: 242 - The Gay Agenda: LIVE (feat. Théâtre Voltaire)

Hosts

Josh
Host of The Worst of All Possible Worlds
Brian
Host of The Worst of All Possible Worlds
A.J.
Co-host and host with primary on-air presence, frequent in-depth analysis

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 464 ratings
  • 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
    Canada2 months ago
  • 5 years!

    Congratulations on this milestone good gents! The final monologue message at the end of Candide (#240) brought tears to my eyes; our dystopian world weighs heavy on everything and everyone lately, and your words are inspiring. Thank you and blessings to you and yours.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lindnerfish
    United States3 months ago
  • A Best of All Possible Nerds

    First (in pompous aristocratic tone, weirdly unsarcastic but nonetheless very silly): Gentlemen of TWOPW, thank you for your incomparable work dissecting some of the best pieces of pop culture of my childhood. I was delighted that you devoted an entire episode to Day of the Tentacle, a game that has haunted me since 1998. A game that, dare I say, encapsulated the very zeitgeist of dorky children who loved idiotic quests that by their very nature were Quixotic in their inanity, but offered respit... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Albobadalbo
    United States4 months ago
  • I came here when I ran out of Kill James Bond

    I keep telling myself I don’t understand hangout media where people who have some sort of chemistry hang out or play video games or whatever and you listen to them and live a kind of safe friendship vicariously through them in order to make life in The Hellscape a little more bearable.

    Anyway this is a show about pop culture. It’s quite good! Good enough that I’m paying for it, even though I told myself I couldn’t afford another patreon.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    amanda.systems
    Sweden5 months ago
  • I hope they EXPLODE (respectfully)

    A hugely entertaining, funny and insightful podcast on culture from three wickedly talented hosts with extensive experience in theater and entertainment. The Kingdom Hearts episode drew me in and made me laugh, the episode on the 1985 play “As Is” on the AIDS epidemic made me tear up. Highly recommend!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wee Bb Shaymouse
    United States5 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Occasionally long episodes; great for fans who want depth and context.
Guest variety adds breadth but keeps a consistent critical voice.
The hosts' rapport and deep dives into production history stand out.
Insightful, witty cultural critique with sharp theater and media context.
Strong production bits and humor balance dense analysis.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#172
Ukraine/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#224
Colombia/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

INTERVIEW: Ben Collins on Infowars' past, present, and future
Q: What monetization and growth paths are you exploring beyond merchandise?
Beyond merch, there are plans to launch a streaming service, host live and digital content with Tim Heidecker and others, expand into a full-fledged content universe, and leverage the Infowars brand to support the families through IP and channel revenues, while maintaining independence from traditional media gatekeepers.
INTERVIEW: Ben Collins on Infowars' past, present, and future
Q: How does the ownership and branding arrangement work between The Onion, Global Tetrahedron, and Infowars assets?
Infowars is being treated as a separate bucket under The Onion's umbrella, with plans to curate a standalone ecosystem that could eventually operate with its own streaming service and value proposition, while initially relying on Onion membership and merchandise to fund growth.
INTERVIEW: Ben Collins on Infowars' past, present, and future
Q: What was the initial core idea when you began organizing to bring The Onion back and target Infowars?
The primary aim was to revive the newspaper in a way that could sustain a business beyond traditional online ads, remove slop ads, and build a compelling, purchasable product while leveraging The Onion's brand to fuel a broader media strategy around Infowars rather than simply copying the old brand.
INTERVIEW: Mike Isaac on Mark Zuckerberg and the future of Meta
Q: What went wrong with Horizon Worlds and related initiatives?
The push into immersive hardware and mixed reality didn't translate into widely adopted, valuable consumer use cases, leading to a strategic retrenchment toward more proven, scalable avenues like ads improvements and AI integration in existing apps.
INTERVIEW: Mike Isaac on Mark Zuckerberg and the future of Meta
Q: Why did Zuckerberg invest so heavily in the Metaverse despite mixed signals from users and developers?
Because he was chasing a sense of platform leadership and ownership over the next computing frontier, believing it could anchor Meta's dominance even as the desktop era waned; it was as much about owning the standards and ecosystems as about immediate revenue.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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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?

This show routinely dissects pop culture artifacts through a critical lens that ties narrative choices to broader political and cultural dynamics. Recurring threads include theater, video games, film, and evangelical media, all analyzed with sharp humor and insider knowledge from hosts who bring industry context and personal experience. Across episodes, the hosts examine how storytelling reflects reactionary projects, while also highlighting moments of innovation, labor discussions, and ethical questions in media production. A notable strength is the dynamic banter among seasoned commentators who can pivot from scholarly critique to playful bitwork, making dense topics accessible and entertaining. Potential listeners will find in-depth anal... 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. Kill The Computer
3. Kill James Bond!
4. Blood Work
5. TRASHFUTURE

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

The Worst of All Possible Worlds launched 5 years ago and published 283 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. Sonya Burbo
2. Mike Isaac
3. Ben Collins
4. Tim Heidecker
5. November Kelly
6. Maya Crymu
7. David Armstrong
8. Jeremy Kaplowitz

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