Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books and try to figure out why they were banned in the first place.
Each season, we tackle a new banned book, reading it chapter by chapter and asking: What made someone clutch their pearls and scream, "BAN IT!"? (Spoiler: It’s rarely what you’d expect.) One thing is clear—the people banning these books often haven’t read them. While we uncover some eyebrow-raising moments, nothing truly justifies censorship.
Join us—and our listeners, "The Scary Book People"—as we explore the strange, hilarious, and sometimes baffling world of banned books.
Past seasons have featured classics like 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, and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
This season, we’re diving into 1984 by George Orwell—a dystopian warning that feels eerily real today. From thought control to banned books, its message is more relevant than ever, and that’s exactly why it remains one of the most challenged books of all time.
By reading these books, we ask big questions: Why are banned books important? What does “banned” mean? What does “challenged” mean? How do book bans affect students? Are book bans constitutional?
Come hang out with us and have some laughs while we dig into the drama behind banned books—you might even learn something cool along the way!
Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
1984 | Ch. 11.1 – Love in the Time of Telescreens
In Chapter 11.1 of 1984, Winston and Julia’s rebellion gets complicated. Their secret meetups involve shoelace codes, bird-scented hideouts, and dodging telescreens like Olympic sprinters. Meanwhile, Julia drops a few bombshells of her own—like her year in the Party’s porn department, “Muck House.” Dan and Jennifer try to make sense of it all, from the Party’s weaponization of horniness to the sad fate of romantic connection in a world run by snitches and slogans.
Things To Listen For:
- The Party’s steamy war on sex (and how it fuels fascism)
- Julia’s surprising resume: anti-sex activist by day, porn producer by... also day
- Winston’s workweek: 60 hours of dystopia plus part-time bomb assembly
- Why Dan would not grab a beer with anyone in this book
Featured clip include a segment from "Memories" by Maroon 5 (Interscope Records). 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.
Banworthy to Bingeworthy:
Looking for more truth bombs with a side of snark?
Check out Good News For Lefties and Baggage the Podcast—both dive into culture and politics with humor, brains, and zero tolerance for fascist nonsense. Find them on your favorite podcast app!
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us!
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. 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, Julia, Winston, Junior Anti-Sex League, telescreens, secret rendezvous, sexual repression, porno sec, Muck House, party doctrine, Newspeak, censorship, book bans, dystopian romance, totalitarianism, thought police
Don’t forget, you can grab a free ‘I Read Banned Books’ decal at BannedCampPodcast.com/stickers. Supplies are limited, so don’t wait.