.png)
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. 11.2 - The Ministry of Love Is a Lie
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dig into Chapter 11.2 of 1984, where Winston and Julia lean fully into their doomed rebellion—with jam, real sugar, and a mattress that probably has bedbugs. As they debate whether pushing people off cliffs counts as progress, they also break down Orwell’s not-so-subtle misogyny, the illusion of privacy, and whether the Party really knows everything… or just wants you to believe it does.
Things To Listen For:
- Dan’s theory about old man Charrington’s “love nest empire”
- The darker meaning behind “pleasure is subversive”
- Whether the Party lets you rebel just enough to keep you functional
- A real-world lawsuit exposing how Moms for Liberty influences school book bans
- A reminder that just showing up can be the start of fighting back
Banworthy to Bingeworthy
Good News for Lefties – Smart, sharp, and progressive as hell. Beowulf Rochlen joins us again with the latest in the fight for free thought.
Making Space with Hoda Kotb – Insightful conversations that bring warmth, perspective, and sometimes, just the right kind of hope.
New: Robot’s Ban-Worthiness Scorecard
Want to know if a book really deserves to be banned? Robot created a totally biased, somewhat logical, and oddly satisfying scorecard to help you decide for yourself.
Download it here: bannedcamppodcast.com/scorecard
How to Stop Moms for Liberty from Taking Over Your School Board
Fighting back starts with showing up—this free framework helps you do it without losing your mind.
Get it here: bannedcamppodcast.com/framework
It’s your starter kit to stop Moms for Liberty before they take over your school board.
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. 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, George Orwell, Winston and Julia, telescreens, rebellion, Ministry of Love, pigeon dung, Moms for Liberty, book bans, censorship, forbidden joy, resistance, surveillance culture, AI evolution, banned books
Don’t forget, you can grab a free ‘I Read Banned Books’ decal at BannedCampPodcast.com/stickers. Supplies are limited, so don’t wait.