Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
Love banned books? Hate censorship?
Same. You’re our kind of people.
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. 17.3 - Obedience by Design
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive into Chapter 17.3 of Orwell’s 1984, where Goldstein’s manifesto outlines how perpetual war preserves power, not peace. From floating fortresses that serve no purpose to a society engineered to stay just uncomfortable enough, Jennifer and Dan unpack the twisted logic of manufactured scarcity and distraction.
Things To Listen For:
- Jennifer’s dried mango ASMR interlude mid-rant
- Why building useless weapons is the whole point
- A real-life story about a “mosquito bomb” that wasn’t
- The growing suspicion that all three superstates might be one
Banworthy to Bingeworthy:
If you’re not already listening to Good News for Lefties, it’s time. Beowulf Rochlen brings you the progressive stories the mainstream skips—every day, with heart and humor. Find Good News for Lefties on your favorite podcast app.
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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. Some sections may be lightly abridged for clarity and pacing, but we always stay true to the author’s intent. The material used from the book 1984 by George Orwell is shared under these principles. We strongly encourage you to purchase the book here to experience it in full.
This podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Orwell estate or its publishers. We exist to keep banned stories alive—because once you give someone the power to decide what’s “safe” to read, they’ll never stop using it.
Topics Covered:
1984, George Orwell, perpetual war, scarcity, censorship, obedience, propaganda, atomic bombs, doublethink, book bans, podcast comedy, authoritarianism