Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
If you think banning books is stupid, so do we.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books and try to figure out why they were banned in the first place.
If you’re new here, don’t sweat it. You can start anywhere. We’ll get you oriented fast (and if you get confused, there’s a good chance we’re confused too).
Here’s what makes us different: we actually read the book out loud, every chapter, cover to cover, and we’ve never read it before. So you hear us stumble through the text, mispronounce names, miss obvious foreshadowing, and slowly piece together what freaks Moms for Liberty and the pudding-fingered politicians out.
Our listeners are called The Scary Book People. You’ll fit right in.
Past seasons: 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 reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. A dystopia built on pleasure instead of fear. People are engineered, drugged, and distracted into obedience, and taught to love the system that controls them. It’s funny, creepy, and way too familiar right now.
Book bans are at a 20-year high. The people doing the banning usually haven’t read the books… so we read them out loud together, and by the end you can honestly say you’ve read it too.
Nine seasons in. #1 ranked banned books comedy podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hit follow. The book banners are idiots. Come help us prove it.
Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
Brave New World | Ch. 12.1: The Party That Broke Bernard | Banned Books Podcast
In this chapter of Brave New World, everything falls apart for Bernard. The Savage refuses to attend his party, Lenina wrestles with rejection, and the façade of happiness starts to crack. Meanwhile, Mustapha Mond quietly decides which ideas are too dangerous for the public to read.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter. We don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us.
Things To Listen For:
- Bernard’s big party turns into public humiliation (and a little crying).
- Lenina’s crush spirals into full-on existential despair.
- Jennifer questions the “world state,” and Robot finally explains it twelve chapters in.
- Dan connects Huxley’s censorship to Trump-era book bans and the “queer-genda.”
Why was Brave New World banned?
Because it questions conformity, control, and chemically induced happiness — and it’s full of sex, drugs, and ideas that make dictators sweat.
New to Banned Camp? Start anywhere—each episode stands alone while building on the story.
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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.
Material used from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is shared under these principles to provoke thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and society. We strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety.
This podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Aldous Huxley, his estate, or the publishers of Brave New World.
Topics Covered:
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Chapter 12, Bernard Marx, Lenina Crowne, John the Savage, Mustapha Mond, book banning, censorship, banned books, banned books podcast, comedy podcast