Show notes
The Handmaid kneels in a sitting room full of expensive objects, waiting for the Ceremony to begin. She's surrounded by velvet drapes, a china cupid, and dried flowers, and she realizes she's no different than any of them. Then the chapter takes a hard turn into a flashback nobody saw coming, and suddenly she's in a car with forged passports, hard-boiled eggs, and a drugged child heading for the Canadian border.
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:
Dan's theory about Serena Joy's "cuck chair" and what the sitting room is actually designed for
Jennifer's observation that all the "civilized" objects in the room are set dressing for something beastly
The moment Dan asks Jennifer to roleplay as a uterus in a fancy room, and her answer gets unexpectedly real
Nick touching Offred's foot with his boot while everyone else is in the room
Jennifer comparing the Gilead news broadcast to 1984's permanent war, and whether any of it is real
Jennifer revealing she's actually planning escape routes to Canada from Washington state, and the moment Dan tells her to just go now while she still can
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
This chapter shows a woman kneeling in a room designed for a ritual she has no power to refuse, watching state propaganda she knows is fake but wants to believe anyway. The book has been challenged for showing how religion and tradition can be used to strip women of their autonomy, and Chapter 14 puts the reader inside that experience with unbearable specificity.
If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers).
Banworthy to Bingeworthy
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Good News for Lefties — Beowulf Rochlén delivers daily good news stories for progressives who are tired of doom-scrolling. This week he found a Republican governor who actually vetoed a book ban. Twice. Find him wherever you find podcasts.
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Featured Clips
This episode includes short clips from a 1977 Sucrets TV commercial. All rights belong to their respective owners and are used here under fair use for the purpose of 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 the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety.
https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity, sexually explicit content, and content deemed "offensive to Christians." But the deeper reason is that Margaret Atwood showed what happens when a government uses religion, tradition, and "protecting families" as justification for stripping women of their rights, their names, and their autonomy. That's the part that actually scares book banners, because it looks a lot like Tuesday.
Is there a podcast that reads The Handmaid's Tale chapter by chapter?
That's us. Banned Camp reads a different banned book every season, one chapter at a time — neither host has read ahead, so you're discovering the story together in real time. Season 11 covers The Handmaid's Tale, and every episode includes the chapter reading, discussion, a fact-checking Robot, and a segment on why books get banned.
Do I need to start Banned Camp from the beginning?
No. Every episode opens with Robot's recap of the previous chapter, so you can jump in anywhere. Most listeners tell us they started mid-season and went back to the beginning after they were hooked.
What is "the Ceremony" in The Handmaid's Tale?
The Ceremony is Gilead's ritualized sexual act where the Commander, his Wife, and the Handmaid are all present. Chapter 14 builds toward it as Offred kneels in the sitting room waiting for the household to assemble. Banned Camp's reading of this chapter explores the power dynamics of a room where nobody actually wants to be there.
Does Offred try to escape in The Handmaid's Tale?
Chapter 14 reveals a flashback to Offred's family attempting to flee to Canada with forged passports and a drugged child. The escape attempt is told mid-chapter without warning, cutting from the sitting room to a car on a Saturday morning. Banned Camp's hosts don't see it coming, and their real-time reactions are part of what makes the episode hit so hard.
Topics Covered:
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood, Chapter 14, Offred, Serena Joy, Nick, Commander, Luke, Cora, Rita, the Ceremony, propaganda, escape to Canada, Quakers, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast