The Worst of All Possible Worlds

160 - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

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

The lads protect their precious bodily fluids and fight in the war room as they cover Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War paranoia masterwork: Dr. Strangelove or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Topics include Kubrick’s early career, fluoridation, and what it means to worry about the bomb when the rest of the world is burning.

DONATE TO PRISM COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE, PROVIDING SERVICES FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Bomb. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. 1964.
• “Armando Iannucci: Why I rewrote Dr Strangelove for our new era of nuclear terror” by Armando Iannucci. The Telegraph. October 5th, 2024.
• Citations Needed: Episode 134: The 80-Year PR Campaign that Killed Universal Healthcare
• “Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy and the Ideology of Liberal Consensus” by Charles Maland. American Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 5, Special Issue: Film and American Studies (Winter, 1979), pp. 697-717. The John Hopkins University Press.
• “Mr. Roughcut: or: how graphic designer Pablo Ferro learned to split the screen, cut the crap and tell the story (in the time it took to run the titles)” by Steven Heller and Pablo Ferro. Eye Magazine. Summer 1999.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “Dr. Strangelove’s Subterranean Swingalows” // Performed and Improvised by David Armstrong // Encouraged by A.J. Ditty

159 - Father Shades of Gilbert (feat. Kevin Vibert) [Whit’s Endless Summer 39]

Kevin Vibert (The Penumbra Podcast) and the lads get kidnapped and do battle with demons as they dive into the neurotic mind of one of the pivotal showrunners of Adventures in Odyssey: Paul McCusker. Topics include the utility of goons, the intricacies of sound design, and why Father Gilbert Mysteries might be the show that finally breaks them all.

Kevin Vibert: Twitter // Twitch

The Penumbra Podcast: At the Penumbra, you might follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships. Or you might enter the world of the Second Citadel, where the merciless Sir Caroline must corral a team of emotionally distraught all-male knights to defend their city against mind-manipulating monsters...even the ones they’ve fallen in love with. These audio dramas and more await you in the Penumbra, dear traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

• Supercast // Website // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Adventures in Odyssey

• • #309-311: “The Perfect Witness Parts 1-3"

• Father Gilbert Mysteries
  • #3: “Dead Air”

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “Nic Nicea” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring Joshua Ilon as “Nic Nicea” // Piano Cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” by Gleesinnpiano

158 - Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared

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

The lads grab their chicken picnics and get creative as they dive into the madness and glitter of THIS IS IT’s 2010s horror musical sensation: Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared. Topics include the virality of the pilot, DIGITAL STYLE, and how to fully express your creativity when you’re trapped in a house of nightmares.

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (THIS IS IT, 2011-2016)

  • Episode 1

  • Episode 2

  • Episode 3

  • Episode 4

  • Episode 5

  • Episode 6

• Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (Blink Industries/Channel 4, 2022). Available at Channel4.com

• “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared press pack interview with Becky Sloan, Joe Pelling and Baker Terry”, Channel 4.

• “The creators of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared offer us a glimpse behind the puppets” by Liz Gorny. It’s Nice That. September 23rd, 2022.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “Skin” // Music by Donovan Eyre // Book and Lyrics by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. Ditty as “Red Guy/Yellow Guy/Duck” and Donovan Eyre as “Boneman/Skinman” 

157 - Blasphemous II (feat. Tom O'Mahony)

Tom O’Mahony (Beneath the Skin, Lions Led by Donkeys) and the lads grab their rosary blades and make for the miraculous city of Cvstodia as they cover The Game Kitchen’s gothic 2023 Metroidvania: Blasphemous II. Topics include the game’s Sevillian origins, the literal Piss-Christ, and the importance of gamifying Catholicism as a merciless, guilt-ridden bloodbath.

Tom O’Mahony: Twitter

Beneath the Skin: A podcast chronicling the interconnected history of the world through the complicated history of tattooing. Hosted by Art History professor, museum curator, and tattoo historian Dr. Matt Lodder, and podcast producer, and tattoo collector Thomas O’Mahony. The show is trying to tell the history of tattooing as it interweaves with politics, society, and the weirdest corners of the world. So why don’t you join us, and take a journey beneath the skin.

Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Twitter // Instagram

Lions Led By Donkeys: A military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict.

Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Twitter // Instagram

Glue Factory Podcast: A new comedy podcast from the creators of Trashfuture, BudPod and more. Milo Edwards, Olga Koch, Pierre Novellie and Riley get together with guests and pour out the contents of their addled minds.

Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Twitter // Instagram // Youtube

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Blasphemous 2. The Game Kitchen/Team17, 2023.

• Blasphemous. The Game Kitchen/Team17, 2019.

• “Blasphemous: 16th-17th Century Andalucía Nightmare Fuel for the Soul—now in Spanish!” by Tiffany Funk. VGA Gallery. September, 2020.

• “Blasphemous: How Spanish Art & History Inspired The World of Cvstodia.” The Lore Hunter. October 21st, 2019.

• “Blasphemous II, EP02: Touring Cvstodia | Dev Diaries” The Game Kitchen. 2023

• “Blasphemous II, EP03: “The Art and the Miracle” | Dev Diaries” The Game Kitchen. 2023.

• Landing Blasphemous: The Making of Blasphemous 1 (Full Documentary). Dir. Rodri Vazcano. The Game Kitchen. 2021.

• “La historia de Blasphemous 1 y 2 explicada – Análisis a fondo del ‘lore’” by Julián Ramírez. GamerFocus. October 21st, 2023.

• “Feeling History in Blasphemous: Monstrosity and Spectacle through Time” by Jack Orchard. Play the Past. February 22nd, 2022.

• “Spain’s dwindling knife sharpeners” by Tom Burridge. BBC News, Madrid. January 8th, 2014.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

156 - The Magic School Bus

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

The lads go surfing on a soundwave and swing through the stars as they tag along on the increasingly alarming field trips of Ms. Frizzle in the landmark children’s franchise: The Magic School Bus. Topics include the original books, the extraordinary TV show, and the computer game adaptations that taught a generation about the nightmarish mini-games hiding in their kidneys.

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Scholastic. 1989.
• The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Scholastic. 1990.
• The Magic School Bus TV Show:

• • #1: “Gets Lost in Space”
  • #2: “For Lunch”

• The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body (Computer Game) Developed by Music Pen. 1994.
• The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System (Computer Game) Developed by Music Pen. 1994.
• Interview With Bruce Degen (Magic School Bus)
• Interview With Joanna Cole
• “Joanna Cole, Author of ‘The Magic School Bus’ Book Series, Dies at 75” by . The Hollywood Reporter. July 15th, 2020.
• “Two Decades of Fun and Learning on the Magic School Bus” by Sally Lodge. Publisher’s Weekly. July 27th, 2006.
• Obituary: Joanna Cole by Shannon Maughan. Publisher’s Weekly. July 16th, 2020.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “A Normal Field Trip” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring Josh Boerman as “Arnold”

• “Ride On the Magic School Bus” Covers by:

• • Piano: Guess the Theme Songs
  • Organ: Jonny Music
  • Electronic: Stuart Pett

155 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (feat. Mattie Lubchansky)

Mattie Lubchansky (Boys Weekend) and the lads hop in Benny the Cab and floor it to Toontown as they cover Robert Zemeckis’ seminal live-action/animated triumph: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Topics include the perfect storm of the film’s creation, the meticulous production design, and the vital importance of venerating comedy that hits you like a piano to the head.

Mattie Lubchansky: Twitter // Instagram // Patreon

Boys Weekend: A hilarious trans-“final girl” horror graphic novel about a bachelor party gone very, very wrong. A witty, tender romp through the cosmic horror of being alive.

Temporal Culture War: Mattie Lubchansky and Clayton Ashley figure out what the hell was going on in culture in the early 2000s while they wade through episodes of Star Trek Enterprise.

Available on Spotify // Apple Podcasts // RSS Feed

No Gods No Mayors: Municipal government: a trap that catches those too incompetent, too corrupt, too incompetent even for national politics. And the greatest of these, the mayor - the highest political office one can hope to reach with a truly oppositional personality or a crack addiction. Mattie Lubchansky, Riley Quinn and November Kelly are teaming up to make a podcast investigating these mayors. From petty Bonapartes to flagrant mafiosi, these are their stories.

Available on Spotify // Apple Podcasts

Media Referenced in Episode:

• Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Dir. Robert Zemeckis. 1988.
• Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit.
• More info about TV Guardian
• “‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Hits 30: A Look Back at ILM’s AStonishing Old-School Optical VFX” by Ian Failes. Cartoon Brew. June 21st, 2018.
• “‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Creators on How They Broke All The Rules” by Brian Welk. The Wrap. June 19th, 2018.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “The Secret to a Perfect Rabbit Marriage” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Starring A.J. Ditty as “Roger Rabbit”

154 UNLOCKED - When Dobson Met Bundy… (feat. I Hate James Dobson) [Whit’s Endless Summer 38]

Jake from the I Hate James Dobson podcast joins the lads for a Whit’s Endless Summer: Origins as they zero in on Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and his interview with one of the most vicious monsters in American history: Ted Bundy. Topics include the psychopathy of Bundy, the narcissism of Dobson, and the horrific societal implications of trying to ban Santa from your phone sexline.

 

I Hate James Dobson: Join therapists Jake (a former Evangelical) and Brooke (who knows almost nothing about Evangelical culture) as they read and tear apart Dobson’s works. Get ready to laugh, cry, and rip your hair out as we explore the very many reasons why I Hate James Dobson.

• Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Twitter // Instagram

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• The Playlist

• WHMB-TV Indianapolis Ted Bundy Final Interview & Panel Discussion, 1989
• January 23, 1989 Dr James Dobson press conference on eve of Ted Bundy’s execution
• Dr. James Dobson Interview About Pornography & Ted Bundy
• Dr James Dobson - Pornography: Addictive, Progressive and Deadly
• Ted Bundy Dr. James Dobson on the 30th anniversary of Bundy's execution

• The Research

• “3 state attorneys leaving: Tanner didn't run from controversy” by Dana Treen. The Florida-Times Union. Jan. 4th, 2009.
• “Anti-pornography groups reportedly got profits from Ted Bundy tape” Tampa Bay Times, April 7, 1990
• Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, Final Report
• The Historical Timeline of Focus on the Family
• Defending the Devil : My Story as Ted Bundy's Last Lawyer by Polly Nelson. William Morrow and Company. 1952.
• James Dobson's War on America by Gil Alexander-Moegerle. Prometheus Books. 1997.
• “Last Bundy Interview Called ‘Con Game’” Deseret News, September 12, 1989
• The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth. Authorlink Press. 1999.
• “The Root of James Dobson’s Political Power Is Decades of Parenting Advice” by Sarah McCammon. Time. July 25th, 2024.
• The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. Pocket Books. 2009.

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

 

Commercial: “The Interview” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Starring Zac Moon as “Ted Tindale” and James Fouhey as “Kerrin J. Wyatt” // Feat. “Fleetwood Mac - The Chain: violin cover” by Steve Bingham.

154 - When Dobson Met Bundy… (feat. I Hate James Dobson) [Whit’s Endless Summer 38]

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

Jake from the I Hate James Dobson podcast joins the lads for a Whit’s Endless Summer: Origins as they zero in on Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and his interview with one of the most vicious monsters in American history: Ted Bundy. Topics include the psychopathy of Bundy, the narcissism of Dobson, and the horrific societal implications of trying to ban Santa from your phone sexline.

I Hate James Dobson: Join therapists Jake (a former Evangelical) and Brooke (who knows almost nothing about Evangelical culture) as they read and tear apart Dobson’s works. Get ready to laugh, cry, and rip your hair out as we explore the very many reasons why I Hate James Dobson.

• Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Twitter // Instagram

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• The Playlist

• • WHMB-TV Indianapolis Ted Bundy Final Interview & Panel Discussion, 1989
  • January 23, 1989 Dr James Dobson press conference on eve of Ted Bundy’s execution
  • Dr. James Dobson Interview About Pornography & Ted Bundy
  • Dr James Dobson - Pornography: Addictive, Progressive and Deadly
  • Ted Bundy Dr. James Dobson on the 30th anniversary of Bundy's execution

• The Research

• • “3 state attorneys leaving: Tanner didn't run from controversy” by Dana Treen. The Florida-Times Union. Jan. 4th, 2009.
  • “Anti-pornography groups reportedly got profits from Ted Bundy tape” Tampa Bay Times, April 7, 1990
  • Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, Final Report
  • The Historical Timeline of Focus on the Family
  • Defending the Devil : My Story as Ted Bundy's Last Lawyer by Polly Nelson. William Morrow and Company. 1952.
  • James Dobson's War on America by Gil Alexander-Moegerle. Prometheus Books. 1997.
  • “Last Bundy Interview Called ‘Con Game’” Deseret News, September 12, 1989
  • The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth. Authorlink Press. 1999.
  • “The Root of James Dobson’s Political Power Is Decades of Parenting Advice” by Sarah McCammon. Time. July 25th, 2024.
  • The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. Pocket Books. 2009.

 

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “The Interview” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Starring Zac Moon as “Ted Tindale” and James Fouhey as “Kerrin J. Wyatt” // Feat. “Fleetwood Mac - The Chain: violin cover” by Steve Bingham.

INTERVIEW: Jason Koebler on the origins of Shrimp Jesus

Jason Koebler is a co-founder and editor of 404 Media. Throughout 2024 Jason has been reporting on Facebook and how it’s become overrun with uncanny AI content, and last month he figured out where it’s all coming from. This morning Josh sat down with Jason to learn more about his reporting, and over the course of 40 minutes they talked about the degradation of Facebook and how it may be a sign of things to come for the rest of the internet.

Read more from Jason:

• Where Facebook's AI Slop Comes From
• Facebook’s AI Spam Isn’t the ‘Dead Internet’: It’s the Zombie Internet
• Do You Like These AI Images of Dying, Mutilated Children? Facebook Algorithm Wonders
• Facebook’s Algorithm Is Boosting AI Spam That Links to AI-Generated, Ad-Laden Click Farms

Check out Jason’s podcast: The 404 Media Podcast

Listen to Jason's episode of Ten Thousand Posts: The Big Slop Part 1 feat. Jason Koebler

Get access to our full episode about Shrimp Jesus and the Death of Facebook, plus 70+ more premium episodes, for $5/month at our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/worstofall

153 - Cities: Skylines (feat. Justin Roczniak)

Justin Roczniak (Well There’s Your Problem) joins the lads from some good, old-fashioned city planning as they cover Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive’s 2015 city building simulator: Cities: Skylines. Topics include the origins of city building sims, the many pleasures of Ulm, and the horrors of fully-rendered teeth in a game where you just want to optimize traffic flow.

Justin Roczniak: Twitter // Youtube

Well There’s Your Problem is a podcast about engineering disasters and systemic failures, from a leftist perspective, with jokes.

• Youtube / Twitter / Instagram / Patreon
• Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Media Referenced in this Episode:

• Cities: Skylines. Colossal Order. 2015.
• Cities: Skylines 2. Colossal Order. 2023.
• Urban Dynamics. Jay W. Forrester. 1969.
• Playing Cities Skylines 2 While Getting Dangled From a Crane

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Commercial: “Andy Phillips Presenting to the Doodleburg Town Council On the Eve of the Great ‘Fill The Hole’ Construction Project, July 15th, 2044 ” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Starring A.J. Ditty as “Councilman Mancouncil” and David Armstrong as “Andy Phillips” and “Charles Foster Chungus”.