The Worst of All Possible Worlds

42 - 1776

The lads drink rum, swat flies, and endure the heat of Philadelphia in July as they try to crack the egg that is the Sherman Edwards/Peter Stone musical extravaganza: 1776. They discuss the surprisingly subversive book, the hit-or-miss score, and the inherent rot at the core of the American experiment.

 

The Reactionary Mind by Corey Robin

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-reactionary-mind-9780190692001

 

TWOAPW Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

 

Theme by Brendan Dalton

www.brendan-dalton.com

https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

41 - Red Dead Redemption 2

THIS IS A PREVIEW. THE FULL EPISODE CAN BE HEARD OVER AT https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

The lads head eastbound and down as they take a ride through the American Inferno and sharp cultural commentary of Rockstar Games’ magnum opus: Red Dead Redemption 2. They discuss the magnificent open world, the labor abuses that went into its creation, and the hauntingly empty void at the heart of the American Dream.

How the West Was Digitized:
The Making of Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 by Harold Goldberg.
https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/the-making-of-rockstar-games-red-dead-redemption-2.html

Jessica Hoffman Davis’ Essay on Playing Red Dead Redemption:
https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadredemption/comments/f31bz4/at_75_my_mother_decided_to_play_through_red_dead/

TWOAPW Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

40 - PragerU Kids At Their Whit’s End! (feat. Bryan Quinby) [Whit’s Endless Summer #15]

Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) takes the lads on a stroll through the hellscape of modern far-right children’s entertainment (with a pit-stop in the far-right children’s entertainment of yesteryear, Adventures in Odyssey) as they endure the deeply uncomfortable scream-fest and non-union acting showcase that is PragerU Kids. Topics include the ethics of child labor, the importance of flag maintenance, and the enduring legacy of notable genocidal maniac Christopher Columbus.

Adventures in Odyssey episodes discussed:

• #209 - Columbus: The Grand Voyage
• #81 - Good Business

YouTube playlist for the PragerU Kids videos we cover in this episode:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8u3LFUV-tzj9KKb6ZMWtFlgZwyG-nDm2

Street Fight Radio Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/streetfightradio

Bryan Quinby:
Twitter: @murderxbryan

TWOAPW Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

39 - The Screwtape Letters (feat. Emily Robinson)

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE GO TO https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

 

Emily Robinson (My Brother, My Captain, My Podcast) joins the lads in Hell as they excavate the epistolary proselytizing and smug finger-wagging of C.S. Lewis’ scourge of YA reading lists everywhere: The Screwtape Letters. Topics include the rivalry between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, the rampant misogyny of Screwtape’s letters, and what it means to live your life in constant fear that you’ll one day be devoured by demons.

 

My Brother, My Captain, My Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/27HIVoL3VACQZxGyrhmeEx?si=39edc487850b4bd7

 

My Brother, My Captain, My Podcast Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/ManuclearBomb

 

TWOAPW Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

 

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

38 - Man of the Year (feat. Luke Savage)

Luke Savage (Michael and Us, Jacobin) joins the lads for some minor election fraud as they cover Barry Levinson’s 2006 political satire//thriller/rom-com/centrist fever dream: Man of the Year. Topics include the movie’s tonal whiplash, Laura Linney’s bafflingly committed performance, and the hollowness of centrist ideology as reflected through Robin Williams doing fart jokes.

 

Michael and Us: https://open.spotify.com/show/44Uwr3yMXRlqE5Elh5KuL9?si=f74aa9293f6a4a9c

 

Michael and Us Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

 

A Link to Luke’s Book The Dead Center: https://www.orbooks.com/catalog/the-dead-center/

 

The “Stars and Strife” episode of Chapo Trap House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95FwFqqgvhE

 

The NYC Pinball Championships:

nycpinballchamps.com

 

TWOAPW Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

 

Theme by Brendan Dalton

www.brendan-dalton.com

https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

37 - Perchance To Eugene (feat. Jen Albright) [Whit’s Endless Summer #14]

THIS IS A PREVIEW. CHECK OUT THE FULL EPISODE AT https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Brian and Josh return to Odyssey with Have You Seen This? host Jen Albright (@Bowsnonk) in tow, this time to focus on everyone’s favorite polymath and teenage genius: Eugene Meltsner. And Eugene’s secret shame—his lack of a driver’s license—doesn’t prevent us from going all in on his various annoying tendencies. Additional topics include the uneven standards that Christians apply to shock jocks, the inherent difficulty of reshaping one’s opinion, and obscure town ordinances about horses.

Episodes covered:

• #157 - Last in a Long Line
• #193 - A Tongue of Fire
• #194 - A License to Drive
• #200 - Food for Thought

Have You Seen This? website:
https://www.haveyouseen.us

Have You Seen This? on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/haveyouseenthis

TWOAPW Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

36 - Dear Evan Hansen (2021): The Gang Exploits a Teenager’s Death (feat. Brendan Dalton)

The lads wave through a window as they force theme song composer/wandering troubadour  Brendan Dalton (Dickinson, Younger) to climb the great rotting tree that is the 2022 film adaptation of the hit 2016 Broadway hit: Dear Evan Hansen. They discuss the musical’s baffling plot, Ben Platt’s trip to the beach that makes you old, and the greater state of mental health in a world where you won’t necessarily #befound.

 

Christmas in Middle-Earth: https://www.brendan-dalton.com/christmas-in-middle-earth.html https://open.spotify.com/album/5dhwDnIufW1vdorSYQGGpc?si=C8ieo9nSR8CQk6-MZOruow

 

TWOAPW Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

 

Theme by Brendan Dalton

www.brendan-dalton.com

https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

35 - The Visit: One Day an Old Lady Will Come for Us Too

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full episode at patreon.com/worstofall

The lads hop on the midnight train to Güllen as they explore the delightfully weird and morally murky depths of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s classic tragicomedy: The Visit. They discuss the many adaptations of the play, the enduring legacy of its themes, and the uneasy feelings brought on by the justice of an unstoppable bionic woman.

TWOAPW Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

34 - Kenneth Branagh’s William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

While Josh is out sick with the novel coronavirus, Brian and A.J. return once again to Elsinore Castle as they dive headlong into the four-hour, bloated monstrosity that is Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. They discuss the difficulties of adapting Hamlet to the screen, Kenneth Branagh’s lips, and the dangers of treating any text, no matter how great, as sacrosanct.

 

TWOAPW
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

 

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

UNLOCKED: Josh interviews Harm Venhuizen on Calvin University’s recent controversies

Last week, Josh got on a call with Harm Venhuizen, outgoing editor-in-chief of Calvin University's student newspaper Chimes to discuss the recent policy choices made by the school and their consequences.

Links to Harm’s articles:

“Calvin’s Policies Against Same Sex Marriage a Motivator in Split with Center for Social Research, Sources Say”https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/14/calvins-policies-against-same-sex-marriage-a-motivator-in-split-with-center-for-social-research-sources-say/

"‘I’m not going to be ashamed’: Queer CSR employee quits to speak freely about split from Calvin”
https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/21/im-not-going-to-be-ashamed-queer-csr-employee-quits-to-speak-freely-about-split-from-calvin/

“‘Walking a tightrope’: Calvin’s complicated stance on LGBTQ+ issues has caused problems for decades”
https://calvinchimes.org/2022/04/10/walking-a-tightrope-calvins-complicated-stance-on-lgbtq-issues-has-caused-problems-for-decades/

“Calvin denies reappointment for professor who officiated same-sex marriage”
https://calvinchimes.org/2022/04/21/calvin-denies-reappointment-for-professor-who-officiated-same-sex-marriage/

TWOAPW Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Theme by Brendan Dalton
www.brendan-dalton.com
https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com