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. 17.7 - No One Escapes the Iron Voice
Winston and Julia thought they had a secret — a room, a routine, a bit of freedom. But the telescreen was listening the whole time. In this brutal end to Chapter 17, Orwell rips away the last illusion of safety. Dan and Jennifer react in real time to one of the novel’s darkest turns: betrayal, surveillance, and state violence crashing through the walls.
Things To Listen For:
- the moment the telescreen answers back
- jennifer’s call to fight back — even if it’s hopeless
- dan’s theory on using bodily fluids as weapons
Banworthy to Bingeworthy:
Check out Good News for Lefties, the daily podcast that delivers progressive wins and cultural pushback — now featuring a new collab with Banned Camp!
And don’t miss Nicolle Wallace’s new podcast, The Best People. It’s smart, relentless, and a great listen after crawling through a dystopia like 1984. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
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Disclaimer:
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of 1984 by George Orwell 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 remain faithful to the author’s intent. We strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the full text.
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to George Orwell’s estate or his publishers. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed. Our goal is to foster literary appreciation, critical thought, and community engagement around banned and challenged books.
Topics Covered:
1984, george orwell, telescreens, betrayal, surveillance, state violence, winston and julia, thought police, glass paperweight, resistance, book bans, censorship, banned books