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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. 12 - Bugs, Beds, and Brown Snow
In this episode of Banned Camp, Winston and Julia’s secret love nest gets less romantic and more... rodent-infested. Jennifer and Dan wade through Orwell’s sensual rebellion: contraband jam, lipstick resistance, and an entire kilo of “hot bean felony.” But just when things seem safe, reality bites—literally. There are rats. And bugs.
Things To Listen For:
- Why makeup might be the most subversive act in Oceania
- “Hot bean felony” – Robot’s street name for contraband coffee
- A full Orwellian takedown of Trump’s facial expressions
- Rats, bedbugs, and lipstick: the worst Airbnb ever
- Winston’s dream of love, still stuck in surveillance
- That one creepy moment where even Robot hesitates
Banworthy to Bingeworthy:
Need some smart, progressive news to balance out all the fascist rats in your life?
🎧 Check out Good News for Lefties—a daily hit of wins, resilience, and hope. Beowulf Rochlen delivers the stories that prove the fight isn’t over. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.
Also featured: Making Space with Hoda Kotb. If you like hearing people talk about truth, discovery, and transformation without rats or telescreens, this is your vibe.
Robot’s Scorecard
Want to decide for yourself if a book deserves to be banned?
Download Robot’s BAN-WORTHINESS Scorecard—a completely unscientific, weirdly satisfying way to evaluate every chapter.
Get it now at band camp podcast dot com slash scorecard
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, Winston and Julia, surveillance, bugs in the wall, banned books, contraband coffee, lipstick rebellion, authoritarianism, rats, free expression, censorship
Don’t forget, you can grab a free ‘I Read Banned Books’ decal at BannedCampPodcast.com/stickers. Supplies are limited, so don’t wait.