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. 12.2: Bernard Spirals, Shakespeare Lands | Banned Books Podcast
Bernard’s crash back to reality continues as jealousy, insecurity, and Shakespeare all collide. John and Hemholtz bond hard over forbidden ideas, Bernard sulks, and Jennifer and Dan try to untangle what friendship even means in a society terrified of individuality.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter, discovering the story with you as it unfolds.
Things To Listen For:
- Bernard’s ongoing meltdown over not being the center of attention
- Hemholtz getting in trouble for writing rhymes about being alone
- Robot stepping in to decode a confusing poem about loneliness
- John (and Dan's) ’s dramatic Shakespeare performance… and Hemholtz breaking into laughter
- Bernard’s pettiness reaching new heights as he tries to sabotage their friendship
Why was Brave New World banned?
This chapter hits the core themes that get this book challenged: individuality, emotional control, and the danger of ideas that make people feel something real.
Banworthy to Bingeworthy
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Featured Clips
This episode includes short clips from Arrested Development Soundtrack – Selections From The TV Series by David Schwartz. All rights belong to their respective owners and are used here under fair use for cultural commentary and education.
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.
The material used from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders — consider purchasing a copy here to experience the book in full.
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Aldous Huxley, his estate, or the publishers of Brave New World.
Topics Covered:
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Chapter 12, Bernard, John the Savage, Hemholtz, Mustapha Mond, loneliness, propaganda, individuality, Shakespeare, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast