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Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
If you think banning books is stupid, so do we.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books and try to figure out why they were banned in the first place.
If you’re new here, don’t sweat it. You can start anywhere. We’ll get you oriented fast (and if you get confused, there’s a good chance we’re confused too).
Here’s what makes us different: we actually read the book out loud, every chapter, cover to cover, and we’ve never read it before. So you hear us stumble through the text, mispronounce names, miss obvious foreshadowing, and slowly piece together what freaks Moms for Liberty and the pudding-fingered politicians out.
Our listeners are called The Scary Book People. You’ll fit right in.
Past seasons: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and 1984 by George Orwell.
This season we’re reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. A dystopia built on pleasure instead of fear. People are engineered, drugged, and distracted into obedience, and taught to love the system that controls them. It’s funny, creepy, and way too familiar right now.
Book bans are at a 20-year high. The people doing the banning usually haven’t read the books… so we read them out loud together, and by the end you can honestly say you’ve read it too.
Nine seasons in. #1 ranked banned books comedy podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hit follow. The book banners are idiots. Come help us prove it.
Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
1984 | Ch. 9 - Flirting Under Fascism
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Chapter 9 of Orwell's 1984 (also known as Part Two). Sparks fly—literally and figuratively—as Winston receives a handwritten note in a government bathroom and tries to decode its meaning without peeing on it. The suspense builds as Winston navigates telescreens, paranoia, and a near-miss cafeteria meet-cute. Can love bloom in a dystopian cafeteria line?
Things To Listen For:
- The most paranoid cafeteria crush ever.
- How not to flirt under totalitarianism.
- A rare moment of Winston showing empathy.
- Jennifer's beef with Bruno Mars.
- Beowulf Rochlen breaks down why Finland is crushing us in happiness rankings.
Banworthy to Bingeworthy: Check out Good News for Lefties, where Beowulf Rochlen delivers daily progressive news with a side of bell dings. Also, tune into The Baggage Podcast for wild, real-life stories told by a doctor, a prosecutor, a comedian, and a writer. Search both wherever you get your podcasts!
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us!
Featured Clips:
- Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You"
- "What is Love" by Haddaway ("Don't hurt me, no more")
- APT. by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
All rights and copyrights are the property of their respective owners and are used here for entertainment and educational purposes under fair use guidelines. No copyright infringement intended.
Disclaimer: Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. To ensure the best listening experience, some sections may be lightly abridged for clarity and pacing. However, we always stay true to the author’s intent and encourage listeners to purchase the book in full.
The material used from the book 1984 by George Orwell is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety.
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to George Orwell, his estate, or the publishers of 1984. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Our goal is to foster literary appreciation, critical discussion, and educational engagement within the fair use framework—because we all know what happens when people start letting governments or corporations decide what can and can’t be read.
Topics Covered: 1984, Winston and Julia, dystopian romance, telescreens, Thought Police, Oceania, government control, cafeteria crushes, banned books, censorship, Bruno Mars slander, prisoner convoys, Beowulf Rochlen, social democracy, Finland, happiness report