Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship

By: Jennifer Davis and Dan Schulz
  • Summary

  • 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 pick a new banned book, read it chapter by chapter out loud, and then talk about what might have gotten that chapter banned.

    In our sixth season, one thing that has stood out to us is that it seems like the people who want to ban books have never read them. Although we can find specific things here and there, nothing ever comes to the point where we would call it ban-worthy.

    Overall, we think banning books is pretty stupid, but we continue our quest nonetheless.

    Join the fun as we explore why some folks seem to be in such a rush to take us back to the dark ages, one banned book at a time.

    We’ve covered books 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, and "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L’Engle.

    This season, we're diving into “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.


    By reading books like these, we can find answers to important questions like:

    Why are banned books important?
    What does "banned books" mean?
    What does "challenged" books mean?
    How does banning books affect students?
    What is the most banned book?
    How do book bans work?
    Should book banning be allowed?
    Are book bans constitutional?
    Which books are banned in the US?
    What is the most challenged book of all time?

    © 2024 Banned Camp: Banned Books, Comedy, and Free Speech vs. Censorship
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Episodes
  • Slaughterhouse-Five | Ch. 2.3 - Billy Pilgrim: Hero or Numbskull?
    Nov 21 2024

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    Hey, Scary Book People! In this episode, we’re reading Chapter 2.3 of Slaughterhouse-Five. Billy Pilgrim is back with more time-traveling chaos, drifting from near-death moments in the woods to hallucinations of ice skating in sweat socks. Meanwhile, Roland Weary continues to cling to his Three Musketeers fantasy—scarves and all.

    Along the way, Jennifer and Dan tackle life’s big questions: Why would anyone invent floating toilets? What happened to girdles? And how do you even survive being thrown into a pool as a kid? Spoiler alert: Billy might not have figured it out either.

    Things To Listen For:

    • Billy Pilgrim’s steering wheel fiasco—and why it wasn’t stolen (but he thought it was).
    • Roland Weary’s scarf collection: a fashion statement or a red flag?
    • Jennifer’s take on the “good ol’ days” (spoiler: they involved a lot of meth).
    • The Three Musketeers’ unexpected breakup—and why Billy was never a member.

    Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:
    Love what you're hearing? Show your support by rating, reviewing, and following us on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps us keep the laughs—and the banned books—coming!

    Featured Clips:
    This episode features a snippet from "Aunt Bee" by The Liberty Photoshop Crew. All rights and copyrights are the property of their respective owners and are used here for entertainment and educational purposes under fair use guidelines. No copyright infringement intended.

    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 the book Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. We do not claim any ownership over the original work, and all copyrights remain with the original copyright holder. We strongly encourage listeners to purchase copies of the discussed works to appreciate them in their original context fully.

    This podcast is not endorsed by Kurt Vonnegut, his estate, or the publishers of Slaughterhouse-Five. Any monetization of the podcast is separate and not derived directly from the copyrighted material discussed.

    Topics Covered:
    floating toilets, girdles, Billy Pilgrim, time travel, hallucinations, Three Musketeers, Roland Weary, snow-bound conflict, book banning

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    23 mins
  • Slaughterhouse-Five | Ch. 2.2 - Torture Devices and the Three Musketeers
    Nov 19 2024

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    This one’s got it all—awkward trench buddies, a filthy flamingo, and a history lesson on torture devices you didn’t ask for (but can’t look away from). Billy Pilgrim is still stuck in the chaos of war, dodging bullets while Roland Weary lectures anyone who’ll listen about triangular knife wounds and Iron Maidens. Oh, and the history of the world’s first dirty photograph makes an unexpected cameo. Yeah, things get weird.

    Things to Listen For:

    • Who—or what—is the filthy flamingo, and why is it hilarious and tragic all at once?
    • The life-changing arrival of “MF-er” into everyday speech.
    • Roland Weary’s Greatest Hits: creepy collections and over-packing like a pro.
    • How a Shetland pony and Greek mythology collided in a very wrong way.
    • A pitch for the Filthy Flamingo cocktail—shaken, not stirred.

    Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:
    If you’re having fun here, let us know! Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people find the show and fight back against book bans.

    Disclaimer:
    Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment in accordance with fair use guidelines. Excerpts from Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut are shared to provoke thought and discussion on literature, censorship, and societal issues. We claim no ownership of the original work, and all rights remain with Kurt Vonnegut’s estate. We encourage listeners to purchase a copy of the book to fully appreciate it in its original form.

    Topics Covered:
    Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut, banned books, censorship, Billy Pilgrim, Roland Weary, weird war stories, book banning, freedom of speech, comedy podcast.

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    23 mins
  • Slaughterhouse-Five | Ch. 2.1 - Billy Pilgrim Comes Unstuck in Time
    Nov 14 2024

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    In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan delve into the mind-bending world of Chapter 2.1 of Slaughterhouse-Five, where Billy Pilgrim finds himself “unstuck in time.” From abrupt visits to moments spanning his life to peculiar intergalactic encounters, listeners are pulled through Billy's unique perception of time and space. Jennifer and Dan ponder the surreal concept of life on Tralfamadore, where aliens see time as one continuous moment, and wonder how Billy’s newfound understanding will affect his Earthly life—and his optometry practice. Expect discussions on everything from toilet plungers to space zoos in this multidimensional adventure.

    Things to Listen For:

    • A debate over Billy’s “unstuck in time” state—is it time travel or existential whiplash?
    • Dan and Jennifer’s attempt to pronounce “Tralfamadore” (and other alien vocab)!
    • Speculation on what the Tralfamadorians might have in common with household items.
    • Jennifer’s take on why optometrists should be the ones prescribing “soul lenses” for Earthlings.
    • The first appearance of Billy’s famous catchphrase, “So it goes.”

    Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts:
    Love Banned Camp? Help us keep the campfires burning by rating, reviewing, and following us on Apple Podcasts. Your support helps more scary book people find our anti-censorship community. Follow us here!

    Disclaimer:
    Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment in accordance with fair use guidelines. Excerpts from Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut are shared to provoke thought and discussion on literature, censorship, and societal issues. We claim no ownership of the original work, and all rights remain with Kurt Vonnegut’s estate. We encourage listeners to purchase a copy of the book to fully appreciate it in its original form.

    Topics Covered:
    time travel, Tralfamadore, banned books, World War II, existentialism, aliens, censorship, Kurt Vonnegut, Billy Pilgrim, “so it goes”

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    26 mins

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