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, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and 1984 by George Orwell.
This season, we’re diving into Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It's a dystopia built on pleasure, not fear. People are engineered, drugged, and distracted into obedience, and they’re taught to love the system that controls them. It’s funny, creepy, and disturbingly familiar. And like all great banned books, it makes you question the world you're living in.
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
Brave New World | Ch. 2.2: Elementary Sex Ed and Sleep Obedience
In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan dive deeper into Chapter 2 of Brave New World, where sleep is for indoctrination and moral education must never be rational. From creepy nursery whisper sessions to the bizarre idea of "elementary sex education," the chapter takes a dark turn.
Things To Listen For:
- Why even alphas tiptoe in sibilant hallways
- What happens when morality is whispered in your sleep
- A disturbing bit about Deltas and bad smells
- Jennifer’s impromptu TED Talk on racism, classism, and subconscious bias
- Dan’s new favorite expletive: “Oh Ford!”
Banworthy to Bingeworthy:
Check out Good News for Lefties, a podcast that highlights real progressive wins every day—even when the news feels grim. A great counterbalance to dystopia. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. Also check out Here’s The Scoop from NBC — it’s a sharp daily news show clocking in under 15 minutes.
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Disclaimer:
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 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. We encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the full work.
This podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Aldous Huxley, his estate, or the book’s publisher. All rights remain with their respective holders.
Topics Covered:
Brave New World, sleep learning, subconscious conditioning, class indoctrination, moral education, asafoetida, dystopian satire, Ford as god, banned books, censorship, sibilance, loudspeakers, whisper propaganda, PillowGate