The Worst of All Possible Worlds

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall HEART OF DUCKNESS TICKETS The lads return to Odyssey for further adventures in gentrification, mini-golf, and the increasingly complicated corporate espionage of a children's television production company. Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey 468-469: Chains 470: Break a Leg 471: Fifteen Minutes 473: Breaking Point TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Helena Hotspur” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Hollis Beck as “Helena Hotspur” Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

(originally Episode 146, aired Sept 2, 2024) HEART OF DUCKNESS TICKETS The lads made this episode with their own hands!

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. “A Complete History of Bee Movie's Many, Many Memes" by Paris Martineau. New York Magazine. November 2nd, 2017. “Bee Movie: A Seinfeldian Society” by Joe Strike. Animation World. November 2nd, 2007. “How Bee Movie Won 2016” by Laura Bradley. Vanity Fair. December 30th, 2016. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A Series of Voicemails Left on Jerry Seinfeld's Answering Machine by one Stephen Sondheim, Composer of Musical Theater and Lover of Bees” // Written by A.J. Ditty and Brian Alford // feat. David Armstrong as “Stephen Sondheim” and Brian Alford as “Jerry” Episode edited by Brian Alford. Interstitial edited by A.J. Ditty. Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Coming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Can you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. - Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp… under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive City graduating class of… …9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick our job today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as… Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Oatches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Oan anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! “What's the difference?” How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Oheck it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! You guys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can'tjust decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it. Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Oouple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody “dawg”! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Oome on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal… - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Oongratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should… Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine… What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Cool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Oould be daisies. Don't we need those? Oopy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Ohemical-y. Oareful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Oandy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Ooming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny! What are you doing?! Wow… the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Oan't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Oheck out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This… Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that… …kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All right, here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Oome on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? “You like jazz?” No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you… I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. “Mama, Dada, honey.” You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway… Oan I… …get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean… I don't know. Ooffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Oome on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, “Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?” Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look… There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you…? Oan I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then… I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again… for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but… Anyway… This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your “experience.” Now you can pick out yourjob and be normal. - Well… - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's… human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up… Sit down! …really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic ‘N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Orazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads! Pinhead. - Oheck out the new smoker. - Oh, sweet. That's the one you want. The Thomas 3000! Smoker? Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic. Twice the nicotine, all the tar. A couple breaths of this knocks them right out. They make the honey, and we make the money. “They make the honey, and we make the money”? Oh, my! What's going on? Are you OK? Yeah. It doesn't last too long. Do you know you're in a fake hive with fake walls? Our queen was moved here. We had no choice. This is your queen? That's a man in women's clothes! That's a drag queen! What is this? Oh, no! There's hundreds of them! Bee honey. Our honey is being brazenly stolen on a massive scale! This is worse than anything bears have done! I intend to do something. Oh, Barry, stop. Who told you humans are taking our honey? That's a rumor. Do these look like rumors? That's a conspiracy theory. These are obviously doctored photos. How did you get mixed up in this? He's been talking to humans. - What? - Talking to humans?! He has a human girlfriend. And they make out! Make out? Barry! We do not. - You wish you could. - Whose side are you on? The bees! I dated a cricket once in San Antonio. Those crazy legs kept me up all night. Barry, this is what you want to do with your life? I want to do it for all our lives. Nobody works harder than bees! Dad, I remember you coming home so overworked your hands were still stirring. You couldn't stop. I remember that. What right do they have to our honey? We live on two cups a year. They put it in lip balm for no reason whatsoever! Even if it's true, what can one bee do? Sting them where it really hurts. In the face! The eye! - That would hurt. - No. Up the nose? That's a killer. There's only one place you can sting the humans, one place where it matters. Hive at Five, the hive's only full-hour action news source. No more bee beards! With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk. Weather with Storm Stinger. Sports with Buzz Larvi. And Jeanette Chung. - Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble. - And I'm Jeanette Chung. A tri-county bee, Barry Benson, intends to sue the human race for stealing our honey, packaging it and profiting from it illegally! Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King, we'll have three former queens here in our studio, discussing their new book, Classy Ladies, out this week on Hexagon. Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson. Did you ever think, “I'm a kid from the hive. I can't do this”? Bees have never been afraid to change the world. What about Bee Columbus? Bee Gandhi? Bee Jesus? Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans. We were thinking of stickball or candy stores. How old are you? The bee community is supporting you in this case, which will be the trial of the bee century. You know, they have a Larry King in the human world too. It's a common name. Next week… He looks like you and has a show and suspenders and colored dots… Next week… Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the guest even though you just heard ‘em. Bear Week next week! They're scary, hairy and here live. Always leans forward, pointy shoulders, squinty eyes, very Jewish. In tennis, you attack at the point of weakness! It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81. Honey, her backhand's a joke! I'm not gonna take advantage of that? Quiet, please. Actual work going on here. - Is that that same bee? - Yes, it is! I'm helping him sue the human race. - Hello. - Hello, bee. This is Ken. Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe. Why does he talk again? Listen, you better go ‘cause we're really busy working. But it's our yogurt night! Bye-bye. Why is yogurt night so difficult?! You poor thing. You two have been at this for hours! Yes, and Adam here has been a huge help. - Frosting… - How many sugars? Just one. I try not to use the competition. So why are you helping me? Bees have good qualities. And it takes my mind off the shop. Instead of flowers, people are giving balloon bouquets now. Those are great, if you're three. And artificial flowers. - Oh, those just get me psychotic! - Yeah, me too. Bent stingers, pointless pollination. Bees must hate those fake things! Nothing worse than a daffodil that's had work done. Maybe this could make up for it a little bit. - This lawsuit's a pretty big deal. - I guess. You sure you want to go through with it? Am I sure? When I'm done with the humans, they won't be able to say, “Honey, I'm home,” without paying a royalty! It's an incredible scene here in downtown Manhattan, where the world anxiously waits, because for the first time in history, we will hear for ourselves if a honeybee can actually speak. What have we gotten into here, Barry? It's pretty big, isn't it? I can't believe how many humans don't work during the day. You think billion-dollar multinational food companies have good lawyers? Everybody needs to stay behind the barricade. - What's the matter? - I don't know, I just got a chill. Well, if it isn't the bee team. You boys work on this? All rise! The Honorable Judge Bumbleton presiding. All right. Case number 4475, Superior Court of New York, Barry Bee Benson v. The Honey Industry is now in session. Mr. Montgomery, you're representing the five food companies collectively? A privilege. Mr. Benson… you're representing all the bees of the world? I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Montgomery, your opening statement, please. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my grandmother was a simple woman. Born on a farm, she believed it was man's divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature God put before us. If we lived in the topsy-turvy world Mr. Benson imagines, just think of what would it mean. I would have to negotiate with the silkworm for the elastic in my britches! Talking bee! How do we know this isn't some sort of holographic motion-picture-capture Hollywood wizardry? They could be using laser beams! Robotics! Ventriloquism! Oloning! For all we know, he could be on steroids! Mr. Benson? Ladies and gentlemen, there's no trickery here. I'm just an ordinary bee. Honey's pretty important to me. It's important to all bees. We invented it! We make it. And we protect it with our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people in this room who think they can take it from us ‘cause we're the little guys! I'm hoping that, after this is all over, you'll see how, by taking our honey, you not only take everything we have but everything we are! I wish he'd dress like that all the time. So nice! Oall your first witness. So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden of Honey Farms, big company you have. I suppose so. I see you also own Honeyburton and Honron! Yes, they provide beekeepers for our farms. Beekeeper. I find that to be a very disturbing term. I don't imagine you employ any bee-free-ers, do you? - No. - I couldn't hear you. - No. - No. Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear. You mean like this? Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows! OK, that's enough. Take him away. So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me. - Where have I heard it before? - I was with a band called The Police. But you've never been a police officer, have you? No, I haven't. No, you haven't. And so here we have yet another example of bee culture casually stolen by a human for nothing more than a prance-about stage name. Oh, please. Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting? Because I'm feeling a little stung, Sting. Or should I say… Mr. Gordon M. Sumner! That's not his real name?! You idiots! Mr. Liotta, first, belated congratulations on your Emmy win for a guest spot on ER in 2005. Thank you. Thank you. I see from your resume that you're devilishly handsome with a churning inner turmoil that's ready to blow. I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime? Not yet it isn't. But is this what it's come to for you? Exploiting tiny, helpless bees so you don't have to rehearse your part and learn your lines, sir? Watch it, Benson! I could blow right now! This isn't a goodfella. This is a badfella! Why doesn't someone just step on this creep, and we can all go home?! - Order in this court! - You're all thinking it! Order! Order, I say! - Say it! - Mr. Liotta, please sit down! I think it was awfully nice of that bear to pitch in like that. I think the jury's on our side. Are we doing everything right, legally? I'm a florist. Right. Well, here's to a great team. To a great team! Well, hello. - Ken! - Hello. I didn't think you were coming. No, I was just late. I tried to call, but… the battery. I didn't want all this to go to waste, so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free. Oh, that was lucky. There's a little left. I could heat it up. Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever. So I hear you're quite a tennis player. I'm not much for the game myself. The ball's a little grabby. That's where I usually sit. Right… there. Ken, Barry was looking at your resume, and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks isn't really a special skill. You think I don't see what you're doing? I know how hard it is to find the rightjob. We have that in common. Do we? Bees have 100 percent employment, but we do jobs like taking the crud out. That's just what I was thinking about doing. Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor for his fuzz. I hope that was all right. I'm going to drain the old stinger. Yeah, you do that. Look at that. You know, I've just about had it with your little mind games. - What's that? - Italian Vogue. Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages. A lot of ads. Remember what Van said, why is your life more valuable than mine? Funny, I just can't seem to recall that! I think something stinks in here! I love the smell of flowers. How do you like the smell of flames?! Not as much. Water bug! Not taking sides! Ken, I'm wearing a Ohapstick hat! This is pathetic! I've got issues! Well, well, well, a royal flush! - You're bluffing. - Am I? Surf's up, dude! Poo water! That bowl is gnarly. Except for those dirty yellow rings! Kenneth! What are you doing?! You know, I don't even like honey! I don't eat it! We need to talk! He's just a little bee! And he happens to be the nicest bee I've met in a long time! Long time? What are you talking about?! Are there other bugs in your life? No, but there are other things bugging me in life. And you're one of them! Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night… My nerves are fried from riding on this emotional roller coaster! Goodbye, Ken. And for your information, I prefer sugar-free, artificial sweeteners made by man! I'm sorry about all that. I know it's got an aftertaste! I like it! I always felt there was some kind of barrier between Ken and me. I couldn't overcome it. Oh, well. Are you OK for the trial? I believe Mr. Montgomery is about out of ideas. We would like to call Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand. Good idea! You can really see why he's considered one of the best lawyers… Yeah. Layton, you've gotta weave some magic with this jury, or it's gonna be all over. Don't worry. The only thing I have to do to turn this jury around is to remind them of what they don't like about bees. - You got the tweezers? - Are you allergic? Only to losing, son. Only to losing. Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you what I think we'd all like to know. What exactly is your relationship to that woman? We're friends. - Good friends? - Yes. How good? Do you live together? Wait a minute… Are you her little… …bedbug? I've seen a bee documentary or two. From what I understand, doesn't your queen give birth to all the bee children? - Yeah, but… - So those aren't your real parents! - Oh, Barry… - Yes, they are! Hold me back! You're an illegitimate bee, aren't you, Benson? He's denouncing bees! Don't y'all date your cousins? - Objection! - I'm going to pincushion this guy! Adam, don't! It's what he wants! Oh, I'm hit!! Oh, lordy, I am hit! Order! Order! The venom! The venom is coursing through my veins! I have been felled by a winged beast of destruction! You see? You can't treat them like equals! They're striped savages! Stinging's the only thing they know! It's their way! - Adam, stay with me. - I can't feel my legs. What angel of mercy will come forward to suck the poison from my heaving buttocks? I will have order in this court. Order! Order, please! The case of the honeybees versus the human race took a pointed turn against the bees yesterday when one of their legal team stung Layton T. Montgomery. - Hey, buddy. - Hey. - Is there much pain? - Yeah. I… I blew the whole case, didn't I? It doesn't matter. What matters is you're alive. You could have died. I'd be better off dead. Look at me. They got it from the cafeteria downstairs, in a tuna sandwich. Look, there's a little celery still on it. What was it like to sting someone? I can't explain it. It was all… All adrenaline and then… and then ecstasy! All right. You think it was all a trap? Of course. I'm sorry. I flew us right into this. What were we thinking? Look at us. We're just a couple of bugs in this world. What will the humans do to us if they win? I don't know. I hear they put the roaches in motels. That doesn't sound so bad. Adam, they check in, but they don't check out! Oh, my. Oould you get a nurse to close that window? - Why? - The smoke. Bees don't smoke. Right. Bees don't smoke. Bees don't smoke! But some bees are smoking. That's it! That's our case! It is? It's not over? Get dressed. I've gotta go somewhere. Get back to the court and stall. Stall any way you can. And assuming you've done step correctly, you're ready for the tub. Mr. Flayman. Yes? Yes, Your Honor! Where is the rest of your team? Well, Your Honor, it's interesting. Bees are trained to fly haphazardly, and as a result, we don't make very good time. I actually heard a funny story about… Your Honor, haven't these ridiculous bugs taken up enough of this court's valuable time? How much longer will we allow these absurd shenanigans to go on? They have presented no compelling evidence to support their charges against my clients, who run legitimate businesses. I move for a complete dismissal of this entire case! Mr. Flayman, I'm afraid I'm going to have to consider Mr. Montgomery's motion. But you can't! We have a terrific case. Where is your proof? Where is the evidence? Show me the smoking gun! Hold it, Your Honor! You want a smoking gun? Here is your smoking gun. What is that? It's a bee smoker! What, this? This harmless little contraption? This couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a bee. Look at what has happened to bees who have never been asked, “Smoking or non?” Is this what nature intended for us? To be forcibly addicted to smoke machines and man-made wooden slat work camps? Living out our lives as honey slaves to the white man? - What are we gonna do? - He's playing the species card. Ladies and gentlemen, please, free these bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! Free the bees! The court finds in favor of the bees! Vanessa, we won! I knew you could do it! High-five! Sorry. I'm OK! You know what this means? All the honey will finally belong to the bees. Now we won't have to work so hard all the time. This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. You'll regret this. Barry, how much honey is out there? All right. One at a time. Barry, who are you wearing? My sweater is Ralph Lauren, and I have no pants. - What if Montgomery's right? - What do you mean? We've been living the bee way a long time, 27 million years. Oongratulations on your victory. What will you demand as a settlement? First, we'll demand a complete shutdown of all bee work camps. Then we want back the honey that was ours to begin with, every last drop. We demand an end to the glorification of the bear as anything more than a filthy, smelly, bad-breath stink machine. We're all aware of what they do in the woods. Wait for my signal. Take him out. He'll have nauseous for a few hours, then he'll be fine. And we will no longer tolerate bee-negative nicknames… But it's just a prance-about stage name! …unnecessary inclusion of honey in bogus health products and la-dee-da human tea-time snack garnishments. Oan't breathe. Bring it in, boys! Hold it right there! Good. Tap it. Mr. Buzzwell, we just passed three cups, and there's gallons more coming! - I think we need to shut down! - Shut down? We've never shut down. Shut down honey production! Stop making honey! Turn your key, sir! What do we do now? Oannonball! We're shutting honey production! Mission abort. Aborting pollination and nectar detail. Returning to base. Adam, you wouldn't believe how much honey was out there. Oh, yeah? What's going on? Where is everybody? - Are they out celebrating? - They're home. They don't know what to do. Laying out, sleeping in. I heard your Uncle Oarl was on his way to San Antonio with a cricket. At least we got our honey back. Sometimes I think, so what if humans liked our honey? Who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world! I was excited to be part of making it. This was my new desk. This was my new job. I wanted to do it really well. And now… Now I can't. I don't understand why they're not happy. I thought their lives would be better! They're doing nothing. It's amazing. Honey really changes people. You don't have any idea what's going on, do you? - What did you want to show me? - This. What happened here? That is not the half of it. Oh, no. Oh, my. They're all wilting. Doesn't look very good, does it? No. And whose fault do you think that is? You know, I'm gonna guess bees. Bees? Specifically, me. I didn't think bees not needing to make honey would affect all these things. It's notjust flowers. Fruits, vegetables, they all need bees. That's our whole SAT test right there. Take away produce, that affects the entire animal kingdom. And then, of course… The human species? So if there's no more pollination, it could all just go south here, couldn't it? I know this is also partly my fault. How about a suicide pact? How do we do it? - I'll sting you, you step on me. - That just kills you twice. Right, right. Listen, Barry… sorry, but I gotta get going. I had to open my mouth and talk. Vanessa? Vanessa? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? To the final Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. They've moved it to this weekend because all the flowers are dying. It's the last chance I'll ever have to see it. Vanessa, I just wanna say I'm sorry. I never meant it to turn out like this. I know. Me neither. Tournament of Roses. Roses can't do sports. Wait a minute. Roses. Roses? Roses! Vanessa! Roses?! Barry? - Roses are flowers! - Yes, they are. Flowers, bees, pollen! I know. That's why this is the last parade. Maybe not. Oould you ask him to slow down? Oould you slow down? Barry! OK, I made a huge mistake. This is a total disaster, all my fault. Yes, it kind of is. I've ruined the planet. I wanted to help you with the flower shop. I've made it worse. Actually, it's completely closed down. I thought maybe you were remodeling. But I have another idea, and it's greater than my previous ideas combined. I don't want to hear it! All right, they have the roses, the roses have the pollen. I know every bee, plant and flower bud in this park. All we gotta do is get what they've got back here with what we've got. - Bees. - Park. - Pollen! - Flowers. - Repollination! - Across the nation! Tournament of Roses, Pasadena, Oalifornia. They've got nothing but flowers, floats and cotton candy. Security will be tight. I have an idea. Vanessa Bloome, FTD. Official floral business. It's real. Sorry, ma'am. Nice brooch. Thank you. It was a gift. Once inside, we just pick the right float. How about The Princess and the Pea? I could be the princess, and you could be the pea! Yes, I got it. - Where should I sit? - What are you? - I believe I'm the pea. - The pea? It goes under the mattresses. - Not in this fairy tale, sweetheart. - I'm getting the marshal. You do that! This whole parade is a fiasco! Let's see what this baby'll do. Hey, what are you doing?! Then all we do is blend in with traffic… …without arousing suspicion. Once at the airport, there's no stopping us. Stop! Security. - You and your insect pack your float? - Yes. Has it been in your possession the entire time? Would you remove your shoes? - Remove your stinger. - It's part of me. I know. Just having some fun. Enjoy your flight. Then if we're lucky, we'll have just enough pollen to do the job. Oan you believe how lucky we are? We have just enough pollen to do the job! I think this is gonna work. It's got to work. Attention, passengers, this is Oaptain Scott. We have a bit of bad weather in New York. It looks like we'll experience a couple hours delay. Barry, these are cut flowers with no water. They'll never make it. I gotta get up there and talk to them. Be careful. Oan I get help with the Sky Mall magazine? I'd like to order the talking inflatable nose and ear hair trimmer. Oaptain, I'm in a real situation. - What'd you say, Hal? - Nothing. Bee! Don't freak out! My entire species… What are you doing? - Wait a minute! I'm an attorney! - Who's an attorney? Don't move. Oh, Barry. Good afternoon, passengers. This is your captain. Would a Miss Vanessa Bloome in 24B please report to the cockpit? And please hurry! What happened here? There was a DustBuster, a toupee, a life raft exploded. One's bald, one's in a boat, they're both unconscious! - Is that another bee joke? - No! No one's flying the plane! This is JFK control tower, Flight 356. What's your status? This is Vanessa Bloome. I'm a florist from New York. Where's the pilot? He's unconscious, and so is the copilot. Not good. Does anyone onboard have flight experience? As a matter of fact, there is. - Who's that? - Barry Benson. From the honey trial?! Oh, great. Vanessa, this is nothing more than a big metal bee. It's got giant wings, huge engines. I can't fly a plane. - Why not? Isn't John Travolta a pilot? - Yes. How hard could it be? Wait, Barry! We're headed into some lightning. This is Bob Bumble. We have some late-breaking news from JFK Airport, where a suspenseful scene is developing. Barry Benson, fresh from his legal victory… That's Barry! …is attempting to land a plane, loaded with people, flowers and an incapacitated flight crew. Flowers?! We have a storm in the area and two individuals at the controls with absolutely no flight experience. Just a minute. There's a bee on that plane. I'm quite familiar with Mr. Benson and his no-account compadres. They've done enough damage. But isn't he your only hope? Technically, a bee shouldn't be able to fly at all. Their wings are too small… Haven't we heard this a million times? “The surface area of the wings and body mass make no sense.” - Get this on the air! - Got it. - Stand by. - We're going live. The way we work may be a mystery to you. Making honey takes a lot of bees doing a lot of small jobs. But let me tell you about a small job. If you do it well, it makes a big difference. More than we realized. To us, to everyone. That's why I want to get bees back to working together. That's the bee way! We're not made of Jell-O. We get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow! - Hello! Left, right, down, hover. - Hover? - Forget hover. This isn't so hard. Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Barry, what happened?! Wait, I think we were on autopilot the whole time. - That may have been helping me. - And now we're not! So it turns out I cannot fly a plane. All of you, let's get behind this fellow! Move it out! Move out! Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! Don't have to yell. I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! It's not a tone. I'm panicking! I can't do this! Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! You snap out of it. You snap out of it. - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - Hold it! - Why? Oome on, it's my turn. How is the plane flying? I don't know. Hello? Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? The Pollen Jocks! They do get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow. - Hello. All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. Where? I can't see anything. Oan you? No, nothing. It's all cloudy. Oome on. You got to think bee, Barry. - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. - What? - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. Bring the nose down. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - What in the world is on the tarmac? - Get some lights on that! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - Vanessa, aim for the flower. - OK. Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? Affirmative! Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. Land on that flower! Ready? Full reverse! Spin it around! - Not that flower! The other one! - Which one? - That flower. - I'm aiming at the flower! That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. Rotate around it. - This is insane, Barry! - This's the only way I know how to fly. Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! Just drop it. Be a part of it. Aim for the center! Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! Oome on, already. Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! - Yes. No high-five! - Right. Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! - Thank you. - But we're not done yet. Listen, everyone! This runway is covered with the last pollen from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. That means this is our last chance. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? Are we going to be bees, orjust Museum of Natural History keychains? We're bees! Keychain! Then follow me! Except Keychain. Hold on, Barry. Here. You've earned this. Yeah! I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. Oh, yeah. That's our Barry. Mom! The bees are back! If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Oan I help who's next? Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see a nickel! Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! I had no idea. Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. Sorry I'm late. He's a lawyer too? I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. Have a great afternoon! Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. You're a lifesaver, Barry. Oan I help who's next? All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. Thank you, Barry! That bee is living my life! Let it go, Kenny. - When will this nightmare end?! - Let it all go. - Beautiful day to fly. - Sure is. Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. - Thinking bee! - Me? Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Can we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. I had virtually no rehearsal for that.

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 discover the truth buried deep in the heart of Shrek. Memoria: YouTube // Twitch gl;hf podcast: the world's first podcast in video games Media Referenced in this Episode: Shrek. Dir. Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson. 2001. Shrek! by William Steig. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 1990. “The Agony and Shrekstasy: The Unlikely Legacy of America's Favorite Ogre” by Jonathan Parks Ramage. Vice. April 22nd, 2016. “The Epic Disney Blow-Up of 1994: Eisner, Katzenberg and Ovitz 20 Years Later” by Kim Masters. The Hollywood Reporter. April 9th, 2014. Fairy Tales Transformed? Twenty-First Century Adaptations & the Politics of Wonder by Cristina Bacchilega. Wayne State University Press. 2013. Shrek Retold TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Exclusive Access Hollywood Interview of Shrek” // Written by Brian Alford and A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Billy Bush” and Brian Alford as “Shrek” Credits: Episode and Interstitial Edited by: Brian Alford Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

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 Digital Circus. Topics include the origins of Gooseworx, the hugbox of Tumblr, and what it means to find meaning in a world where a sentient mouth can absolutely ruin your life. Donovan Eyre: Twitch // Bluesky // Instagram // SoundCloud Audrey: Twitch // Bluesky Radio Free Tote Bag: A weekly relationship advice podcast hosted by Audrey and Donovan. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: The Amazing Digital Circus. Dir. Gooseworx. 2023-2026 How to Attract the Wrong Audience by The Ludo Mancer Is this LOST? By Door Monster I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Elison “‘The Amazing Digital Circus' Team Talk the Making of a Viral Hit” by Dani Di Placido. Forbes. December 22nd, 2023. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Disappearing Guy Presents: ‘Here for a Good Time, Not a Long Time!‘: A Treatise on the Ephemeral Nature of Being and The Unknowability of a Finite Universe Speeding Hastily towards its Demise: A Rootin'-Tootin' Fantasia on Mannequin Themes Featuring Text from William Shakespeare's ‘Hamlet'” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Announcer” and Donovan Eyre as “Disappearing Guy” Credits: Episode Edited by: Brian Alford Interstitial Edited by: A.J. Ditty Produced by Josh Boerman, A.J. Ditty, and Brian Alford. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

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 published a book about in 2019 called Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. But the bulk of his recent reporting has been about Meta, the company that owns Facebook. Last week Josh interviewed Mike about what exactly is going on over there, what prompted Meta to make such a big bet on a VR metaverse, and what—from wearable smart glasses to prediction markets—we can expect Mark Zuckerberg to do next. MIKE ISAAC: Bluesky / Instagram Buy Mike's book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber WANT MORE TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Relevant back catalog episodes include: 245 - Meta Horizons and the Death of the Metaverse 176 - The Social Network 146 - Shrimp Jesus and the Death of Facebook

Despite everything, it's still us. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Hollis Beck: Website Media Referenced in this Episode: Undertale. Toby Fox. 2015. “What the Internet did to Untertale” by Super Eyepatch Wolf. 2020. Game Informer's Interview with Toby Fox. Retrospective on Untertale's Popularity by Toby Fox. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Everybody Comes to Grillby's” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Grillby”, Brian Alford as “Papyrus”, A.J. Ditty as “Sans/Aaron/Napstablook”, Josh Boerman as “Flowey”, and Hollis Beck as “Undyne/Alphys/Temmie” // Music from the Undertale Soundtrack by Toby Fox This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

Ben Collins is CEO of The Onion, the satirical newspaper that bills itself as America's Finest News Source. In 2024, Collins announced that The Onion had acquired Infowars, the longtime flagship brand of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, at bankruptcy auction. However, thanks to a series of higher court stays, the Infowars name remains in legal limbo. This month, The Onion relaunched "Real Infowars" at theonion.info as part of a broader strategy to pressure the courts into unblocking the deal. Josh sat down with Ben Collins to learn about the history of the case, the legal roadblocks that remain in their way, and the longer-term plans to build a comedy network using the brand as a flagship logo.

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads waltz with potatoes up and down the produce aisle as they begin their coverage of Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki's seminal Christian children's video series: Veggietales. Topics include Vischer's Disney-esque upbringing, the horrors of divorce, and what it means to advocate for the importance of silliness for silliness' sake. Media Referenced in the Episode: Veggietales. Big Idea Productions. #1: “Where's God when I'm S-Scared?” #2: “God Wants Me to Forgive!?!” #4: “Rack, Shack, and Benny” All 1990s Veggietales Commentaries “Big Idea Productions: A Success Story Anyone Can Believe In” by Rick DeMott. Animation World Network. October 4th, 2002. Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer. Thomas Nelson Incorporated. 2008. Original “Where's God When I'm S-Scared?” “One Cool Cucumber” by Chicago Tribune. October 2nd, 1998. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Oh No, What's It Gonna Be?” // Music by Kevin Heinecke // Lyrics by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Marshall”, Brian Alford as “Paul”, Josh Boerman as “Phil”, and Eleanor Philips as “Narrator”. This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Agreement.

The lads dive right into the heart of NOVACOM as they return to Odyssey for further adventures in franchising, gang warfare, and the terrifying video game that makes you old: Gloobers. Topics include the “evils” of VR, the inescapable childhood of the Boomer, and the vital importance of gloobin' it with your buds. 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: Adventures in Odyssey #455: “Best Laid Plans” #462: The W.E. #463: Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips #415: Gloobers! The Dobson Newsletters November 1998 November 2000 February 2001 The Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast #66 TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Sister Location” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Josh Boerman as “Timmy ‘Taxman' Thompson”, A.J. Ditty as “Estragon Estragonov/Phoebear/Melvin Mulligan”, and Brian Alford as “John/Alistair Adelman” // Music: “The Chain (Violin Cover) by Steve Bingham

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall   We're not throwing away our shot.       Media Referenced in this Episode: Hamilton. Dir. Thomas Kail. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. 2015. “Alexander Hamilton, the Wrong Founder” by William Hogeland. The Nation. June 16th, 2026. “Disaster Act” by Shellyne Rodriguez, Iris Dipni and Comité Por La Defensa Antillana. The New Inquiry. September 11th, 2019. “Father's Day with Luis and Lin-Manuel Miranda: Joy, Hustle, and Building a Legacy” by Ana Navarro. Bleep! With Ana Navarro. June 22, 2026. “Hamilton's America”. PBS. “Hamilton and the Death of the Obama Era” by Alexander Avila. “'Hamilton' Arrives In Puerto Rico, Bringing A Bit Of Controversy With It” by Adrian Florido. NPR. January 11th, 2019. Puerto Rico: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) “The Mixed Reception of the 'Hamilton' Premiere in Puerto Rico” by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner. The Atlantic. January 18th, 2019. Siempre, Luis. Dir John Antonio James. 2020 Black Actors Dress Up like Slave Traders…and It's Not Halloween - ISHMAEL REED TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Princess Track” // Music by Lin-Manuel Miranda // Lyrics by Dr. Samuel Bultch, D.D.S. // feat. Josh Boerman, Eleanor Philips, and Anne Boerman as “Ensemble” and A.J. Ditty as “Dr. Samuel Bultch, D.D.S.”

November Kelly (Kill James Bond!; No Gods No Mayors; Trashfuture; Well There's Your Problem; Be Gay Solve Crimes) enrolls the lads in the 00 program as they cover IO Interactive's 2026 spy-fest: 007: First Light. Topics include the origins of IO, the importance of fluted windows, and what it means to try to maintain a modern franchise featuring nothing but a stupid policeman. November Kelly: Website // Bluesky Kill James Bond! is a comedy film review/ pop culture commentary podcast about the portrayal of masculinity in cinema. November Kelly, Abigail Thorn, and Devon have watched Bond movies, War on Terror movies, Eurospy movies, and now they take on their biggest task yet: Heist Movies. What can Heat, Oceans' 11, and the Fast and Furious movies teach us about how masculinity was imagined by the people who created them? What does that say about Society? Free episodes are released every fortnight on all major podcast platforms and bonus episodes are released for supporters on Patreon on the interstitial weeks. Website // Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify Trashfuture is a podcast about business success and making yourself smarter with the continued psychic trauma of capitalism. Website // Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify Well There's Your Problem is a podcast about engineering disasters and systemic failures, from a leftist perspective, with jokes. Youtube // Instagram // Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify No Gods No Mayors: Municipal government: a trap that catches those too incompetent, too corrupt, too strange 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. Spotify // Apple Podcasts // RSS Feed Be Gay, Solve Crimes: Join Mia Mulder, November Kelly, and their local librarian Lucy as they investigate pop-culture copaganda and solve the mystery of why they wanted to become detectives before they transitioned. Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon Media Referenced in the Episode: 007: First Light. IO Interactive. 2026. “007 First Light Dev IO Interactive Says It's Now Sold 3 Million Copies, Tracking ‘Well Above Our Forecasts at This Point'” by Wesley Yin-Poole and Simon Cardy. June 6th, 2026. "I've been MANIFESTING this!" 007 First Light's Patrick Gibson REVEALS James Bond casting process by Radio Times Gaming. Jonas Eneroth's Profile. Moby Games. “Long-awaited James Bond game shows how big games have become” by Julie Wurtz and Jesper Dein. Dr.Dk. May 26th, 2026. “The Making of: Hitman: Codename 47” by Edward Love. Retro Gamer. May 17th, 2018. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Untitled Bond Movie 2026” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Josh Boerman as “Announcer”, Brian Alford as “Q”, A.J. Ditty as “M/Salazar”, Eleanor Philips as “Moneypenny/Norah”, and introducing Devon as “James Bond”.

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Mark Zuckerberg spent seven years and $80 billion attempting to build Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality "metaverse" that peaked at around 200,000 monthly users in October 2022. After years of decay, Horizon froze the creation of new worlds in VR this week, shifting the platform's focus back to mobile and marking the effective end of Meta's virtual reality ambitions. This week, the lads perform an autopsy on both Horizon Worlds and Mark Zuckerberg's dream of the metaverse more broadly, discovering how a platform built on the vision of a revolutionary gaming headset eventually gave way to a world solely inhabited by dozens of eight-year-olds screaming slurs in 360 degrees of immersive 3D. Media Referenced in this Episode: Meta Horizons Worlds for Oculus Quest, including the following worlds: “Horizon Central” “Bobber Bay Fishing” “NBA Arena” “Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour” “METDONALD'S” “Pizza Kitchen” “Bad Roommates UPDATED!” “I Spent A Week Alone In The Metaverse” by Jarvis Johnson (August 1, 2023) Kickstarter campaign for Oculus Rift Oculus VR profile on Crunchbase “Happy Go Luckey: Meet the 20-year-old creator of Oculus Rift” by Robert Purchase (Eurogamer, July 11, 2013) “John Carmack's former employer claims he stole tech for Oculus VR when he left” by Ben Gilbert (Engadget, May 1, 2014) “Palmer Luckey: The Facebook Near-Billionaire Secretly Funding Trump's Meme Machine” by Ben Collins and Gideon Resnick (The Daily Beast, September 22, 2016) Palmer Luckey's post about Nimble American on Facebook (September 23, 2016) “Palmer Luckey distances himself from Nimble America group” by Matt Kamen (Wired, September 26, 2016) “Facebook launches beta of Spaces, its goofy and fun social VR platform” by Lucas Matney (TechCrunch, April 18, 2017) The Mark Zuckerberg/Sweet Baby Ray's edit “Zuckerberg blasted for tone-deaf 'magical' VR tour of Puerto Rico” from CNET News (October 10, 2017) Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Flatiron Books, 2025) “Introducing Oculus Quest” from Meta Developers (February 13, 2019) “Oculus Quest Basics Tutorial” from Meta Quest (May 20, 2019) “Everything revealed at Facebook's Oculus Horizon presentation” from CNET Highlights (September 25, 2019) “Building the Tools to Power the Future of Work” press release from Facebook (May 21, 2020) “Growth At Any Cost: Top Facebook Executive Defended Data Collection In 2016 Memo — And Warned That Facebook Could Get People Killed” by Ryan Mac, Charlie Warzel, and Alex Kantrowitz (BuzzFeed News, March 29, 2018) “Zuckerberg Says He Strongly Disagrees With “The Ugly” Memo By Top Facebook Exec” by Jim Dalrymple II (BuzzFeed News, March 29, 2018) “Facebook Horizon | New Worlds in the Making” from Meta Quest (August 27, 2020) “Facebook launches ‘Horizon Workrooms.' Here's how it works” from CBS Mornings (August 19, 2021) “The Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together -- Connect 2021” from Meta (October 28, 2021) Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook post announcing Horizon Worlds launching in France and Spain Announcement that legs are coming soon Footage of Meta Connect 2024 in Horizon Worlds “What Went Wrong With Horizon Worlds? Former Meta Devs Share Surprising Insights -- And a Solution to Still Save It” by Wagner James Au (March 12, 2025; archived from the original on March 16, 2025) “Eli Roth Brings His Brand of Horror to Meta Horizon Worlds + Meta Quest TV” Meta press release (October 14, 2022) “Why The Metaverse Was Doomed From The Start” by The Art of Storytelling (March 27, 2026) “Zuck Never Understood the Metaverse” by The Morbid Zoo (April 4, 2026) “How Did the Metaverse Fail So Badly?” by Patrick Boyle (April 12, 2026) “What does Meta actually do now?” by Good Work (May 8, 2026) “Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any better” by Lucas Ropek (TechCrunch, January 28, 2026) Announcement from Meta that Spark will be shutting down in January 2025 “Meta is closing down its VR meeting rooms as part of its wider cull” by Mariella Moon (Engadget, January 16, 2026) “Meta Lays Off 8,000 Employees, as A.I. Casualties Mount” by Eli Tan, Kalley Huang, and Mike Isaac (The New York Times, May 19, 2026) “Backrooms uses the bluntest of metaphors to capture a uniquely Gen Z fear” by Joshua Rivera (The A.V. Club, June 5th, 2026) TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Connect Keynote Address 2026” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Brian Alford as “Zucks”

maia arson crimew joins the lads for a gruesome game of Slayer and a quick round of Society as they cover the rich text of toxic masculinity that is Neveldine/Taylor's 2009 murderfest: Gamer. Topics include Michael C. Hall's puppet moves, the film's deep fear of penises, and what it means to live in a world where tech billionaires want to control your every thought. maia arson crimew: Website // Bluesky 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: Gamer. Neveldine/Taylor. 2009. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Ken Castle's Crazy Kart” // Written and Performed by A.J. Ditty

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall David Armstrong (Bonus Action) upgrades the lads to the Rainbow Package as they cover Ben Stiller's 1996 cult thriller/comedy: The Cable Guy. Topics include trials of the century, the cultural significance of Medieval Times, and what it means to contemplate 90s monoculture in a post-cable world. Bonus Action: Hail and well met, Peaches! Adam and Jay from the reaction channel pReview'd have started an Actual Play TTRPG channel with their DM friend David Armstrong. Youtube Media Referenced in this Episode: The Cable Guy. Dir. Ben Stiller. 1996. “How a Sure Summer Hit Missed” by Bernard Weinraub. New York Times. June 27th, 1996. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Sound of Larry the Cable Guy Encouraging Renowned British Theater Director Trevor Nunn to Attack A Critic at a Local Pub Mere Hours After Said Critic Panned His, and By His I Mean Trevor Nunn's, Revival of The Sound of Music” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Larry the Cable Guy”

The lads bring Odyssey to Brooklyn as they, along with their newly-formed acting troupe Théǎtre Voltaire, get to the bottom of the Gay Agenda by covering the infamously never-produced episode of Adventures in Odyssey: “One-In-Ten”. Topics include the structure of a very special episode, the resplendent beauty of a crow's call, and the paramount importance of being as gay as humanly possible. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Théâtre Voltaire Jessie Cannizzaro as Jimmy Madeleine Bundy as Artie/Donna James Fouhey as Sam/Mr. Andrews Alex Ptak as Mr. Michaels Jeremy Kaplowitz as Rodney Rathbone Patrick Harvey as George Cristina Pitter as Mary Dara Swisher as Foley TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “James Dobson in Hell” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “James Dobson” and William Vaughn as “James Dobson's BFF”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall TICKETS TO OUR MAY 24 LIVE SHOW IN BROOKLYN ARE ON GENERAL SALE NOW! LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE! To get your tickets, go to Littlefieldnyc.com The lads hide their demon marks and move their shoulders to Sodapop as they cover Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans' 2025 musical megahit: KPop Demon Hunters. Topics include the origins of KPop, the frustrating narrative choices, and the absolute joy of watching a group of demon slayers cap off a successful hunt with some much deserved couch time. Media Referenced in this Episode: KPop Demon Hunters. Dir. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. 2025 “‘KPop Demon Hunters' Directors on Why This Was Too Personal To Walk Away From: ‘We're Gonna Do It Even if It Kills Us'” by Jake Hodges & Perri Nemiroff. Collider. October 4th, 2025. “KPop Demon Hunters is Officially Entering Its Sequel Era” by Stephan Lee. Tudum by Netflix. March 12th, 2026. “‘KPop Demon Hunters' Smash Hit ‘Golden' Surpasses 1 Billion Views on Youtube” by Hannah Dailey. Billboard. January 14th, 2026. “KPop Demon Hunters Took 7 Years to Make But a Lifetime to Experience” by Regina Kim. New York Times. July 21st, 2025. “Netflix announces ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters' world concert tour” by Fred Topel. Y! Entertainment. May 13th, 2026. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Hi everyone, Josh here with your (hopefully) one-stop shop for all details regarding the May 24 7PM ET live show, including how the livestream will work. HERE'S THE LINK TO TICKETS AT LITTLEFIELDNYC.COM. TL;DR: We're excited to have you on the livestream to bring in as much of our audience as possible The stream will be on YouTube. You'll get the link right before the show and the VOD will stay up for at least 30 days We'll have live chat during the stream The video of the show will only be available to people who purchased a livestream ticket via VOD. The edited audio will be released as the main feed episode on May 27, but it will not include the special live-only interstitial This is the most ambitious thing we've attempted for this show so far and we need you to help us tear this shit apart Get those tickets and we'll see you on the 24th. Love, Josh

LIVESTREAM AND IN PERSON TICKETS TO OUR MAY 24 LIVE SHOW IN BROOKLYN ARE AVAILABLE NOW! To get your tickets, go to Littlefieldnyc.com The lads ring in their fifth anniversary by finally explaining the show's title as they cover the 1974 revival of Leonard Bernstein's hit operetta: Candide. Topics include Voltaire's poster mind, the masterful direction of Hal Prince, and what it takes to remain hopeful in the face of the worst of all possible worlds. Media Referenced in this Episode: Candide. Dir. Hal Prince. 1974. “Candide” by Voltaire Libretto for the 1974 Production Libretto for the 1956 Production TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Worst of All Possible Worlds” // Music by Leonard Bernstein // Lyrics by A.J. Ditty // featuring A.J. Ditty as “A.J.“, Josh Boerman as “Josh”, and Brian Alford as “Briangloss”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall   TICKETS TO OUR MAY 24 LIVE SHOW IN BROOKLYN ARE ON GENERAL SALE NOW! To get your tickets, go to Littlefieldnyc.com   The lads grab their fedoras and make for Cairo as they cover Steven Spielberg's 1981 megahit: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Topics include the undeniable charm of Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones' skeevy origins, and what it means to be an active part of living history.   Media Referenced In this Episode: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dir. Steven Spielberg. 1981. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Dir. John Huston. 1948. King Solomon's Mines. Dir. Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton. 1950. Secret of the Incas. Dir. Jerry Hopper. 1954. Kiss Me Deadly. Dir. Robert Aldrich. 1955. Tim Tyler's Luck. Dir. Ford Beebe and Wyndham Gittens. 1937. The S From Hell by Rodney Ascher. 2010. Jungle Jim. Dir. Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith. 1937. Alfred Molina remembers Raiders CBS - Great Movie Stunts: Raiders of the Lost Ark “How Spielberg, Lucas, and Kasdan Created Raiders of the Lost Ark (Story Conference Transcript)” by Indie Film Hustle. Indie Film Hustle. May 31st, 2023. “Indiana Jones was an abusive creep (but he was almost much worse)” by Ben Kuchera. Polygon. August 3rd, 2015. “Raiders Floorplan Animatic” by Vashy Nedomansky and Jonathan Ochmann “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People” by Jack G. Shaheen. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 588, 2003, pp. 171–93. “The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark” by Empire. Empire. June 11th, 2021. The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Feature Documentary “The Spielberg Oner” by Every Frame a Painting     TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Florizo Forrestal and the Booby Trap of Doom” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Florizo Forrestal/Indy” and A.J. Ditty as “Marcus” // Music by: Indiana Jones - Bad Recorder Cover 

TICKETS TO OUR MAY 24 LIVE SHOW IN BROOKLYN ARE ON GENERAL SALE NOW! To get your tickets, go to Littlefieldnyc.com Heath Saunders (Jesus Christ Superstar Live; Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812) joins the lads on the line as they kick-ball-change their way through Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood Jr., and Nicholas Dante's 1975 musical megahit: A Chorus Line. Topics include the rise of Michael Bennett, the serendipity of surprise playbills, and what it means to produce a show about 1970s labor in 2026. Heath Saunders: Instagram // Bluesky // spectra.theater Media Referenced in this Episode: A Chorus Line. 1975. Dir. Michael Bennett. A Chorus Line. 1984. Dir. Richard Attenborough. A Chorus Line. 2006. Dir. Bob Avian. Every Little Step. 2008. Dir. James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo. Free For All: Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp. Knopf Publishing. 2009. On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line by Robert Viagas, Baayork Lee, and Thommie Walsh. Limelight Editions. 1990. “What I Think About When I Hear That Broadway is Racist” by Heath Saunders. Medium. June 10th, 2020. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “I Can't Do That” // Music by Marvin Hamlisch // Lyrics by Dr. Samuel Bultch, D.D.S. // feat. Dr. Samuel Bultch, D.D.S. as “Dr. Samuel Bultch, D.D.S.”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall   HEADS UP: Tickets to our Brooklyn live show on May 24 are on general sale now! To get your tickets, go to Littlefieldnyc.com   In 2011, as he sat in his recliner in the liminal state between asleep and awake with Fox News blaring, an Orlando firefighter named Mark Taylor received a message from God: the man yelling about the devaluation of the dollar on TV right then would be the next president of the United States, serving for this nation as Benjamin Neteyahu had for Israel. Four years later, when Donald Trump announced his candidacy, a woman named Mary Colbert and her husband Don cited this “prophecy” to convince evangelical Christians that they should back him, conveniently raising their own profiles in the process. While evangelical support for Trump has remained overwhelming and steadfast since then, events within the past few weeks have raised serious questions about the durability of Trump's appeal to Christians. This week, Josh and Brian read the 2017 book The Trump Prophecy and watch its bizarre Liberty University-backed 2018 film adaptation of the same name to try to figure out how evangelicals coalesced behind Trump so quickly and strongly, why the state of Israel is such a pervasive rallying point for them, and whether things can ever change for a group of people willing to believe in a fire lieutenant and self-titled prophet who also goes by the name Shakina Kami. Media referenced in this episode: The Trump Prophecies: The Astonishing True Story of the Man Who Saw Tomorrow...and What He Says Is Coming Next by Mark Taylor (Defender Publishing, 2017) The Trump Prophecy dir. Stephan Schultze (ReelWorksStudios, 2018) TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

HEADS UP: TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR OUR MAY 24 LIVE SHOW IN BROOKLYN, EXCLUSIVELY AT PATREON.COM/WORSTOFALL JP Brammer (¡Hola Papi!) and the lads throw on their raincoats, dance to Huey Lewis and the News, and commit some mild homicide as they cover both Bret Easton Ellis' original book and Mary Harron's film adaptation of the trials and tribulations of Patrick Bateman: American Psycho. Topics include Ellis' rage-bait politics, Christian Bale's hardbody, and what it means when a significant portion of a population aspires to be Patrick Bateman. JP Brammer: Substack // Bluesky // Instagram Media referenced in this episode: American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. Vintage. 1991. American Psycho. Dir. Mary Harron. 2000. “An 'American Psycho' Drama : Books: The flap surrounding Bret Easton Ellis' third novel flares again. NOW is seeking a boycott of his new publisher. Other observers raise questions of censorship.” by Elizabeth Venant. Los Angeles Times. December 11th, 1990. “Bret Easton Ellis on American Psycho, Christian Bale, and His Problem with Women Directors”. Movieline. May 18th, 2010. "Bret Easton Ellis on Talking Porn With Kanye, a New Novel, and (Yes) Trump" by Corey Seymour. Vogue. April 16th, 2019. “On Adapting American Psycho” by Mary Harron. London Review of Books. February 28th, 2024. “Phil Collins webchat – your questions answered on prog rock, self-doubt and Miami Vice.” The Guardian. October 19th, 2016. Music/audio used in this episode: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Dancing In The Street 緑茶：日本の伝統茶道 - Nhạc Jazz Không Lời Huey Lewis & The News - Hip To Be Square Phil Collins - Sussudio Genesis - In Too Deep Genesis - Mama Genesis - That's All Genesis - Home By The Sea LilMati - Air Conditioner Fan Hum.wav jzielke011 - Urban Rain 01.wav TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Salve & Salve” // Written and Performed by A.J. Ditty

Presale for PATREON MEMBERS ONLY goes live April 15th, 2026 at patreon.com/worstofall General Sale goes live Wednesday April 24th, 2026 $25 for seated, $20 for standing. 6pm doors/7pm show. Littlefield, 635 sackett st, brooklyn 11217 Join us as we get to the bottom of the gay agenda once and for all.

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall June and Caleb from Kill the Computer meet the lads for another round of stacking blocks in Beast City as they cover the second season of MrBeast's nightmare of a game show: Beast Games: Strong/Smart. Topics include the improvements to the games themselves, the professionalism of Jeff Probst, and what it means to model yourself as a philanthropic savior while actively taking money from some of the worst people on the planet. June: Twitch // Patreon // Bluesky Caleb: Bluesky Kill the Computer: June and Caleb talk about the ways in which internet culture spills out into the real world; good and bad. Patreon // Apple Podcasts // Spotify Ill Conceived: A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Western Kabuki, The Onion) Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: Beast Games: StrongSmart. Amazon Studios. 2026. “Gov. Stein approves $15 millions grant for filming Beast Games second season” by WITN Web Team. WITN First Alert. September 11th, 2025. “In 'Beast Games,' contestants get buried alive before heading to Saudi Arabia” by Jim Halterman. LA Times. February 11th, 2026. “MrBeast ‘Beast Games' Hits 50 Million Viewers in 25 Days, Amazon's Biggest Unscripted Show Ever” by Selome Hailu. Variety. January 16th, 2025. “MrBeast: If You Want To Be Liked, Don't Help People! I Lost Tens Of Millions on Beast Games…But I'm Worth $1 Billion!” The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. February 20th, 2025. North Carolina Department of Commerce Film Industry Grants “Prime Video Gives Two-Season Renewal to Global Hit Competition Series Beast Games.” Amazon Press Release. May 13th, 2025. “The REAL Tea on Beast Games (with Michelle the Human Calculator)”. Wait, Say More with Eric Cheng. January 15th, 2026 TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “2 People Play Hopscotch for $2,000,000” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “MrBeast”, Eleanor Philips as “Contestant 1/Chandler”, and A.J. Ditty as “Contestant 2/Young Jimmy/Planet Jimmy”

Those of you who have been listening to our show for a while might remember last year when we did a cross-over collaboration with our friends at Kill The Computer to celebrate the work of Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson. We called it Beast Week. And now, Beast Week is back. In this episode of Kill The Computer, we talked with June and Caleb about a number of videos MrBeast released in 2025. Then we dug into his theme park Beast Land, a temporary pop-up in Riyadh that was open for 45 days as part of the annual Saudi entertainment festival known as Riyadh Season. Next up, on Wednesday, June and Caleb will be joining us on The Worst of All Possible Worlds Patreon for a premium episode about season 2 of Beast Games. Finally, on Friday, we'll conclude Beast Week on the Kill The Computer Patreon with an in-depth conversation about what Jimmy's been up to so far this year and where we think he might go next. Thanks for listening. Cool Voltaire loves you!

Brooke from the I Hate James Dobson podcast joins the lads in Odyssey for further adventures in local access television, getting boils in the land of Uz, and the increasingly diabolical schemes of the Novacom Corporation. Topics include the questionable accent choices, the dubious ethics of Whit's latest invention, and what it means to craft a serialized plot where you rail against the evils of teaching kids about pollution. 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: Adventures in Odyssey #317: “B-TV: Envy” #419: “Another Man's Shoes” #399: “Bernard and Job” #460: “Nova Rising” “The Disturbing Views of God and Suffering in the Book of Job” by Bart D. Ehrman. Misquoting Jesus Podcast with Bart D. Ehrman #75. April 23rd, 2025. “The Historical Context of the Book of Job” by Edward L. Greenstein. Yale University Press. August 5th, 2020. “Speaking Truth to Power, Job Accuses God of Being Unjust” by Edward L. Greenstein. The Torah.com. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Joe Kassabian (Lions Led by Donkeys) rejoins the lads in their fight against the Paintress they cover the final two acts of Sandfall Interactive's hit 2025 grief simulator: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Topics include the importance of le family, Monoco's feet collect-a-thon, and what it means to use art as a balm for one's grief and, more importantly, when to let that art go. Joe Kassabian: Bluesky Lions Led by Donkeys: The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict. Patreon // Youtube // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sandfall Interactive. 2025. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Expedition 32 ½: Tatienne” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Eleanor Philips as “Tatienne”, David Arsmstrong as “Gaston”, and A.J. Ditty as “Esquie/Verso”

Joe Kassabian (Lions Led by Donkeys) and the lads throw on their expedition armbands and make for the Paintress as they cover the first act of Sandfall Interactive's hit 2025 French simulator: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Topics include the AI controversy, Ubu Roi, and what it means to make a game that finds the clair in the obscur. Preorder Joe's Upcoming Book The Highlands Burn here!!! Joe Kassabian: Bluesky Lions Led by Donkeys: The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict. Patreon // Youtube // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sandfall Interactive. 2025. “After GOTY pull, Clair Obscur devs draw line in sand over AI: 'Everything will be made by humans by us'” by Patricia Hernandez. Polygon. December 24th, 2025. “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Lead Writer talks Story, Ending, and More” by Game Maker's Notebook Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Sandfall Interactive Q&A by Sushi “Interview Clair Obscur Expedition 33 : ‘On ne s'attendait pas à une réception aussi énorme'” by Par Kelma. Gamekult. August 28th, 2024. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Gaston Garbageman's Gommage-Proof Garbage Can” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. David Armstrong as “Gaston” and A.J. Ditty as “Citizen of Lumière”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads cast off their pop idol personas and get caught up in the murderous world of Japanese procedurals as they cover Satoshi Kon's first animated feature: Perfect Blue. Topics include the Aranofsky drama, the podcaster's persona, and what it means to exist in a world that necessitates breaking yourself into many different personalities just to survive. Media Referenced in this Episode: Perfect Blue. Dir. Satoshi Kon. 1997 Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist. Dir. Pascal-Alex Vincent. 2021. “Interview with Satoshi Kon” by Bill Aguiar. Tokyo Pop. April 25th, 2007. The Real History of 'Perfect Blue' and 'Requiem for a Dream'. Animation Obsessive. March 20th, 2022. “Satoshi Kon Interview for Perfectblue.com”. September 4th, 1997. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Two-Step Verification” // Written and Performed by A.J. Ditty

Peter Shamshiri (5-4, If Books Could Kill) and the lads throw on their green cloaks and make for the castle at Inverness as they cover the fourth season of the hit reality game show: The Traitors. Topics include the show's Dutch origins, Alan Cumming's fabulous fits, and what it means to move through the world thinking that you're a faithful surrounded by traitors. Peter Shamshiri: Bluesky 5-4 is a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks. Hosted by Peter Shamshiri, Michael Liroff, and Rhiannon Hamam, produced by Rachel Ward, and presented by Slow Burn co-creator Leon Neyfakh. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts If Books Could Kill: Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri discuss the airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts   Media Referenced in this Episode: The Traitors US: Season Four “40 Traitors Rules and Sneaky Behind-the-Scenes Secrets You Didn't Know” by Madison McGee. Men's Health. February 9th, 2024. “9 Rules You Didn't Know The Traitors Contestants Have to Follow” by Rebecca Aizin and Jordana Comiter. People. January 9th, 2026. “8 Unexpected Rules the Cast of 'The Traitors' Has to Follow” by Emily Kelleher. Instyle. January 8th, 2026. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com  Interstitial: Brian Alford by Brian Alford, written by Brian Alford, featuring the voices of Brian Alford and Brian Alford

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads return to Odyssey for more adventures in fractured fairy tales, the start of the Novacom Saga, and the final and fond farewell to everyone's favorite devious Dutchman: Dr. Regis Blackgaard. Topics include Phil Lollar's long-awaited goodbye, the logistics of time portals, and what it means to stare down Odyssey's next big movement in serialized storytelling. Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #418: Opening Day #424-425: Blackgaard's Revenge #446b: The Seven Deadly Dwarves #457: Opportunity Knocks TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The Hound” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Jessie Cannizzaro as “Dr. Chris Cavalcante”, Brendan Dalton as “Dr. Wesley Winthrop”, and A.J. Ditty as “The Pilgrim”

Rax King (Sloppy, Low Culture Boil) joins the lads in Patagonia for adventures in catching fish and staving off the dread as they cover the third season of the History Channel's hit reality TV show: Alone. Topics include the history of the History Channel, the appeal of Dad TV, and what it means to make a show there's always a puma lurking right off screen. Rax King: Bluesky // Instagram // Website BUY RAX'S BOOK SLOPPY HERE! Low Culture Boil: Hosted by trashy babes Rax King and Amber Rollo. If you've ever asked yourself “would Susan Sontag have enjoyed ‘Jersey Shore',” why did Twinkie file for bankruptcy, or if you don't know how to read and at this point you know it's too late to ask, this is the podcast for you! Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon Media Referenced in this Episode: Alone Season Three. The History Channel. “Whoever Starves Least, Wins” by Nicholas Quah. Vulture. June 13th, 2024. “Why Did Jami Fowler Leave?” by Jami Fowler TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Zac Skatchewan: Days 1-2" // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. David Armstrong as “Zac/Mr. Producer” and A.J. Ditty as “Monty/Intern”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads grab their heart-boxes and make for the creepy woods as they cover Walt Disney's 1937 landmark animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Topics include the origins of Walter Elias Disney, the make-it-up-as-you-go-along production, and the enduring legacy of the film that built the Disney empire. Media Referenced in this Episode: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Dir. Walt Disney. 1937. “Before Snow White” by J.B. Kaufman. Film History, Jun., 1993, Vol. 5, No. 2, Animation (Jun., 1993), pp. 158-175 “The Disney Way of Death” by Gary Laderman. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Mar., 2000, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Mar., 2000), pp. 27-46. Oxford University Press. “The Great Animation Strike” by Kristin Hunt. JSTOR Daily. January 2nd, 2020. Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas. Simon & Schuster. 1976. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler. Alfred A. Knopf. 2006. “‘With a smile and a song …': Walt Disney and the Birth of the American Fairy Tale” by Tracey Mollet. Marvels & Tales, Vol. 27, No. 1 (2013), pp. 109-124. Wayne State University Press TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Hermann Huntsmann's Heart-Box Hut” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty “Hermann Huntsmann/The Animals” and Eleanor Philips “Snow White”

Lucy Valentine (Boonta Vista, Savant-Garde) and the lads hop in their Gummi Ship and make for Hollow Bastion as they cover the infamous Square and Disney RPG crossover of 2002: Kingdom Hearts. Topics include Tetsuya Nomura's incredible character designs, the dated gameplay, and what it means to create a game where Donald Duck is seduced by a gorilla. Lucy Valentine: Bluesky Boonta Vista: The least consequential news from around the world from the least informed minds in Australia. Andrew, Theo, Lucy and Ben bring you the week's stories that conveniently fit into one of their countless, concerningly specific segments. Keep up with the latest news from Nature Corner, Paging Dr. Lucy, Planely Speaking, Omens and Portents, The Hole Report and many, many more. Patreon // Website // Merch // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Savant-Garde: Hosted by Lucy Valentine (Boonta Vista) and Jesse Black (Sludgefest). Savant-Garde is almost certainly the world's only podcast where one autistic ex-wife and one OCD ex-husband unpack the disgracefully disordered worlds of Adrian Monk and the Good Doctor, Shaun Murphy, through the lens of two very normal brains. Patreon // Instagram // Spotify // Apple Podcasts Media Referenced in this Episode: Kingdom Hearts. Dir. Tetsuya Nomura. 2002 The Collaborative History of Disney & Square Enix to the Development of Kingdom Hearts by Evan “ScooterNape” Phillips. Reddit. TGS 2004: Tetsuya Nomura Q&A by Anoop Gantayat. IGN. Updated June 30th, 2016. Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS Vol. 12: Dream Drop Distance. TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Kingdom Hearts 4.3 Prologue: A Maritime Fragment: H(earts). M(inds). S(ora). Titanic Trailer (Version 1.5)” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Sora/Donald/Goofy/Billy Zane/Mickey/Announcer”, David Armstrong as “Winnie the Pooh/Eeyore/Fabrizio/Shipmaster/Jack”, and Eleanor Philips as “Rose/Margaret”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall Justin Roczniak (Well There's Your Problem) joins the lads in Philly for a good old fashioned rags-to-riches and riches to rags switcheroo as they cover John Landis' 1983 Eddie Murphy-fest: Trading Places. Topics include the joys of seeing your hometown on screen, the rapid rise of Eddie Murphy, and what it means to have a movie where the climax entails the future price of frozen orange juice. Justin Roczniak: Twitter // Youtube // Bluesky 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: Trading Places. Dir. John Landis. 1983. “It's The 30-Year Anniversary Of The Greatest Wall Street Movie Ever Made: Here's The Story Behind It” by Rob Wile. Business Insider. June 27th, 2013. AFF At Home: Comedy Q&A with Herschel Weingrod. May 4th, 2020.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Harry Hypemen Inc.” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. A.J. Ditty as “Harry Hypeman/Werner B/Announcer”, Brian Alford as “Horace Hypeman/Werner A”, David Armstrong as “Holden Hypeman/Werner C”

Tom O'Mahony (Lions Led by Donkeys, Beneath the Skin, Bloodwork) joins the lads in Odyssey for further adventures in tower construction, child death dreams, and what happens when an honest to God ANGEL comes to town. Topics include the myth of the Tower of Babel, the brain soup of Phil Lollar, and what it means to believe that incredibly attractive men in very expensive suits are constantly watching your every move. Tom O'Mahony: Bluesky // Instagram BLOOD WORK: A podcast about the economy of violence. Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Patreon // Bluesky // Instagram 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 // Bluesky // 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 // Bluesky // Instagram Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #416 - “The Tower” #144 - “Someone to Watch Over Me” #406-408 - “Malachi's Message, Parts 1-3” TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Three Guys, A Bear, and A Burger Place” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Brian Alford as “Alistair Adelman”, A.J. Ditty as “Melvin/Estragon/Phoebear”, and Josh Boerman as “Timmy ‘Taxman' Thompson”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads return to the New Year just in time for the end of the world as they kick off their annual Rapture Ranuary with a follow up to one of the most influential Christian films of all time: A Thief in the Night: A Distant Thunder. Topics include the origins of premillennial dispensationalism, the trustworthiness of mustaches, and what it means to be shaped by a world view where you live in constant fear of the U.N. beheading you with a guillotine. Media Referenced in this Episode: A Distant Thunder. Dir. Donald W. Thompson. 1978. Evangelical Millenialism in the trans-Atlantic world 1500-2000 by Crawford Gribben Judgement Day by Joshua Hill Foster Mine Eyes have Seen the Glory by Randall Ballmer Raptured by Ernest Angley That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay Titan, Son of Saturn: The Coming World Emperor: A Story of the Other Christ by Joseph Birkbeck Burroughs Writing the Rapture by Crawford Gribben ReligionfForBreakfast: the origins of the rapture ReligionForBreakfast: Who are the 144,000 in the book of Revelation The Bart Ehrman Blog: The Community Behind the Gospel of John   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Slasher Jesus” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “Announcer/Jesus/Big Al”, David Armstrong as “Flurk/Mayor”, and Eleanor Philips as “Timmy/Reporter” // Music: “Something's Not Right” by Lucas Quinn Creations

Time to reach once more into the ol' Cool Vaultaire Jake Beckhard (Blue Balls NYCFC) challenges the lads to the match of the century as they try to outmaneuver the bopping songs and confounding political intrigue of the infamous Tim Rice/Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus flop musical: Chess. Topics include the many different versions of the show, the innate appeal of a broken musical, and the ever increasing eccentricities of one Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to the rest of this episode, our full back catalogue of premium and bonus episodes, and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Jake Beckhard Website: jake-beck.com Bluesky: @jakebeckhard.bsky.social Instagram: @jakebeckhard Blue Balls NYCFC: You've got Blue Balls! How lucky for you. Check in every week for rapturous pod talk on all things NYCFC. With NYC Hosts Jake Beckhard and Trey Fillmore. Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Podomatic Media Referenced in this Episode: Get Onto My Cloud: The Tim Rice Podcast: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts “Chess Seeks to Shed Its Checkered Past” by Stephen Holden, NYTimes Chess (1986 London Concept Cast): Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Chess In Concert (2008): AppleTV / YouTube / Letterboxd TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: brendan-dalton.com / brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Caleb @BirdRespecter (Kill The Computer, 60 Minute Drill) joins Brian and Josh to tell the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, a man who walked off his job as a baggage handler at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport one day in 2018 to steal an airplane. Russell and his ill-fated flight quickly became a cause célèbre among some of the darkest corners of the internet, continuing to this day. This episode tries to figure out how and why that happened. Note: This episode deals with suicide and racist extremism. Caleb: Bluesky // Twitter // Linktree Kill The Computer: June and Caleb talk about the ways in which internet culture spills out into the real world; good and bad. Patreon // Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Bluesky // YouTube Media referenced this episode: “The Sky Thief: Beebo Russell's Last Flight” by Tim Dickinson. Rolling Stone, June 24, 2021. “I Worked With Richard Russell at Horizon Air, and I Understand Why He Did What He Did” by Todd Bunker. The Stranger, August 17, 2018. “‘Airplane of opportunity'? Richard Russell raised pilot's suspicions a year before Sea-Tac plane heist” by Lewis Kamb. The Seattle Times, September 12, 2018. “Sea-Tac air traffic controller faced ‘one in a million' scenario with stolen plane” by Daniel Beekman and Michelle Baruchman. The Seattle Times, August 11, 2018. “FBI: Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on purpose; motive a mystery” by Lewis Kamb. The Seattle Times, November 9, 2018. “Human remains, flight data recorder found among wreckage of stolen plane on Ketron Island” by Stacia Glenn. The News Tribune, August 13, 2018. “Airline job was way for man who crashed stolen plane to visit Alaska” by Adam Lynn, Alexis Krell, Sue Kidd, Lauren Smith and Craig Sailor. The News Tribune, August 12, 2018. “White nationalists and the ‘Sky King'” by Martin McKenzie-Murray. The Saturday Paper, August 18, 2018. FBI press release on investigation from November 2018 Redacted FBI report from the investigation Music used in this episode: Anticipation by Drill Folly Lookin' For That Orca (Beebo's Song) by Johny Maudlin TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: The first seven pages of “The Hidden Enemy,” written and performed by Josh Boerman with music by Sean Callery from 24

It is time once again for our cherished annual tradition: taking calls from listeners and guests, then stitching them together with your favorite moments from the year. (Plus, very special messages from A.J., Brian, and Josh starting at the 1:51:02 mark.) Thanks to everyone who called in, and hold on for 2026. We will find a way.

MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE THROUGH 12/31 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH 12/31 The lads grab their tiny red scarves and head for Fozziwig's Rubber Chicken Factory as they cover Brian Henson's 1992 holiday classic: The Muppet Christmas Carol. Topics include the arch prose of Dickens, the cutting of “When Love is Gone”, and what it means to create a staple of the holiday season that involves Michael Caine throwing a wreath at a tiny puppet.   Media Referenced in this Episode: The Muppet Christmas Carol. Dir. Brian Henson. 1992. “Michael Caine Loves The Muppet Christmas Carol as Much as You Do” by Laruen Larson. GQ. December 15th, 2016. “Brian Henson on What Makes ‘A Muppet Christmas Carol' So Special and His Father's legacy” by Alyssa Fikse. Uproxx. December 23rd, 2015. “How we made: The Muppet Christmas Carol” by Ben Beaumont-Thomas. The Guardian. December 21st, 2015.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “A Letter from Charles Dickens to His Son, Edward ‘Plorn' Dickens, on the Day of His Departure to Australia, September 26th, 1868" // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. Brian Alford as “Charles Dickens” // Additional Text by Charles Dickens in a Letter to his son, Plorn

MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE THROUGH 12/31 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH 12/31 Jacob and Lenore of Workers' Lit join the lads down under for some ghost busting and coffin surfing as they cover Hideo Kojima's 2025 delivery simulator: Death Stranding 2. Topics include the unmatchable gameplay loop, the polarity of Dollman, and the horrors lurking under the surface of a game where evil is defeated through the power of dance. BUY JACOB'S BOOK HERE Workers' Lit: A podcast about books and the news with Lenore, Aysha, Jen, and Jacob. Books/Culture episodes on Mondays! News/Politics episodes on Wednesdays! Read good books, tell bad jokes, and fight for a better future! Spotify // Apple Podcasts // Youtube // Bluesky Media Referenced in the Episode: Death Stranding 2. Kojima Productions. 2025. TWOAPW #104: Death Stranding (feat. Drew Toothpaste) Ladscast 13: Somehow, More Death Stranding Workers' Lit: “On The Beach, ft. Brian Alford” Hideo Kojima presents Brain Structure #15 Hideo Kojima x TGA Special: DEATH STRANDING [ENGLISH] “Hideo Kojima on ‘Death Stranding 2,' the Sequel's Big Changes and Improvements Post-Pandemic, and How He Hoped to Cast David Lynch in a Game” by Nick Newman. Indiewire. August 7th, 2025. “Hideo Kojima on How His Illness Affected ‘Death Stranding 2,' Developing A24 Film Adaptation and Why His Collaboration With GU Is About More Than Fashion” by Jennifer Maas. Variety. June 19th, 2025. “Hideo Kojima Says Death Stranding's Now Had Over 20 Million Players and The Fact Folk Are Still Playing ‘Makes Me the Happiest'” by Rich Stanton. PC Gamer. April 2025. https://liberationnews.org/child-labor-in-alabamas-hyundai-supply-plants/ TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A Message from Tobogganman, Prime Minister of the Canadian Autonomous Network of Underground Cities” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. David Armstrong as “Tobogganman”

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TOPatreon.com/worstofall MERCHANDISE NOW ON SALE THROUGH 12/31 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH 12/31 Scott Benson and Bethany Hockenberry (Night in the Woods) join the lads aboard the Demeter and double back to Transylvania as they cover Francis Ford Coppola's vampiric 1992 fever dream: Bram Stoker's Dracula. Topics include the gorgeous aesthetics, the terrors of Gary Oldman, and what it means to create a movie that can only be described as CINNNEEEMMMMAAAA!!!! Scott Benson: Bluesky // Instagram Bethany Hockenberry: Bluesky // Instagram Night in the Woods Night in the Woods Merch Media Referenced in this Episode: Bram Stoker's Dracula. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. 1992. Bram Stoker's Dracula (published 1897) Bram Stoker's Dracula. Williams. Designer Barry Oursler. 1993 TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Tom Waits” // Written and Performed by A.J. Ditty // Music: “Grapefruit Moon” by Tom Waits.

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 unplug their phones and have a good cry as they cover James L. Brooks' 1987 ode to the joys of work: Broadcast News. Does the electric chemistry of the three leads make this movie a Fancy Feast? Or does its overlong runtime make it a Failure to Fancy? One thing's for sure: that Gracie Films' tune sure is catchy.   Next episode: Ordet (1955).

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 body of work that will continue to be seen long after we are gone. We are joined today by Abigail Thorn (The Acolyte, House of the Dragon) to look at the corners of his oeuvre that have spoken to us over the years, and discuss what we can learn from him going forward.   Abigail Thorn: Bluesky // Instagram The Prince: A transformative new play that has everything: sword fighting, lesbianism, Hamlet, and disappointed parents. Available on Nebula.   Philosophy Tube: Giving away philosophy degrees for free! Youtube // Nebula // Patreon   Kill James Bond! is a comedy film review/ pop culture commentary podcast about the portrayal of masculinity in cinema. November Kelly, Abigail Thorn, and Devon have watched Bond movies, War on Terror movies, Eurospy movies, and now they take on their biggest task yet: Heist Movies. What can Heat, Oceans' 11, and the Fast and Furious movies teach us about how masculinity was imagined by the people who created them? What does that say about Society? Free episodes are released every fortnight on all major podcast platforms and bonus episodes are released for supporters on Patreon on the interstitial weeks. Website / Twitter / Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcast

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 delivering a punchline when everyone around you is screaming.   Media Referenced in this Episode: 1941. Dir. Steven Spielberg. 1979 “Civilian Casualties: Pearl Harbor”. National Park Service. Last updated September 18th, 2024. “How Pearl Harbor created a climate of fear” by Daniel Greene. CNN. December 7th, 2016. “Inn Owner Tells of Shelling; SUBMARINE SHELLS A CALIFORNIA PLANT U.S. MAINLAND SHELLED” by The New York Times. February 24th, 1942. Remember Pearl Harbor! By Thomas Blake Clark. Modern age books. 1942. Steven Spielberg's 1941 | The Making Of. “The 1942 Battle of L.A.” by Scott Harrison. The Los Angeles Times. February 23rd, 2017.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Something Special” // Written and performed by A.J. Ditty // Music: “Inkwell Hell” by Kristopher Maddigan

A very special message from Josh.  https://store.worstpossible.world https://www.patreon.com/worstofall

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall 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 Referenced in this Episode: Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. 1953. Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett by James Knowlson. Simon and Schuster. 1996. Panic Attack by John Lahr. The New Yorker. May 11th, 2009. SAMUEL BECKETT: Waiting for Godot : Bert Lahr / E. G. Marshall The 1957 All-Black Broadway Cast of 'Waiting For Godot' in the Archives | The New York Public Library TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “A Message from Mr. Godot” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring A.J. DItty as “Mr. Godot” and Eleanor Philips as “The Weird Brother”.

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall 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 Charlotte McDonnell: Twitch // Bluesky TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

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.   Kevin T. Porter: Instagram // Website Good Christian Fun: Good Christian Fun is a podcast delving into the strange upside-down world of Christian pop culture. Hosts Kevin T. Porter and Caroline Ely are your tour guides through the weird and hilarious world of faith-based entertainment. GCF is a show for skeptics and believers alike, all are welcome. Don't worry, they won't make you go to church ;) Patreon // Apple Podcasts // Website Listen to Josh's episode of GCF about Mary Rice Hopkins Media Referenced in this Episode Family Portraits S01E01: “Whit's Visitor” S01E03: “The New Kid in Town” S01E09: “A New Kind of Peer Pressure” TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “J2o18h15n th11e Fi5rs14t” // Written by A.J. Ditty // feat. Brian Alford as “John/Jimmy/Michael”, A.J. Ditty as “Dr. Oswald Oliver”, and Jessie Cannizzaro as “Dr. Christina Cavalcante” // Violin Cover of “The Chain” by Steve Bingham, Arranged by Rowan Marshall