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. 19.3 - You Do Not Exist (But Big Brother Does)
In Chapter 19.3 of 1984, things go from bad to flesh-zombie worse. O’Brien continues Winston’s psychological beatdown with Orwell’s signature brand of state-sanctioned gaslighting. Jennifer has a theory about promotion to the Inner Party, Dan gets haunted by the return of the dove from Season One, and Robot wants to know if you saw five fingers… or just forgot how math works. The torture is brutal. The dialogue is chilling. And somehow, it still turns slightly erotic.
Things To Listen For:
- Dan’s theory that O’Brien is just a sadistic ex with a God complex
- Jennifer wondering if Winston’s basically a “flesh zombie” now
- Why martyrs don’t matter in Orwell’s world—and why that matters now
Banworthy to Bingeworthy:
Check out Good News for Lefties, the progressive daily podcast fighting fascism one fact at a time—and The Best People with Nicolle Wallace for behind-the-scenes dirt on the Trump years.
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Disclaimer:
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of 1984 by George Orwell for the purposes of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. Some passages may be lightly abridged for pacing, but we remain true to Orwell’s intent. To experience the full work, purchase a copy here. We are not affiliated with Orwell’s estate or publisher.
Topics Covered:
1984, torture as truth, psychological manipulation, O’Brien’s madness, martyrdom, political gaslighting, Party loyalty, Julia’s fate, identity erasure, censorship, banned books, flesh zombies, room 101