Show notes
The Handmaid counts her days, walks the wall with Ofglen, and gets pulled aside by Serena Joy for a yarn-winding session that turns into something a lot more calculated. Dan and Jennifer dig into what's really going on with the Commander's Scrabble habit, a body on the wall marked with a mysterious "J," and an offer from Serena that could get everyone involved killed.
This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot.
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:
Robot fact-checks whether Handmaids wear corsets or restrictive clothing under their robes, and the real answer is somehow worse
Dan and Jennifer try to work out what peyot are, and Robot shuts down the "braided hair" theory for good
A full Secret Service codename detour, including Trump's real one and Robot's better suggestions
The toilet-cleaning dare: Dan challenges listeners to skip cleaning theirs for two weeks and report back
Serena Joy hands Offred a skein of wool to hold, then an offer that could end in a hanging
Robot's closing log on hope, coercion, and what "but only maybe" is really built to do
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
This chapter's wall scene, where a body is marked only with a "J" and its meaning is left deliberately unclear, sits right on top of the book's religious persecution imagery, one of the exact reasons challengers cite when they call the book "offensive." Add in Serena Joy's proposal to break the law around adultery and reproduction, and you've got two of the most commonly flagged reasons for banning this book in one chapter.
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
No promo swap this episode, but we always make room for the news.
Good News for Lefties — Beowulf covers a Somerset County, Maryland school board that tried to lock young adult books away from almost every student in the district, and the appeal that says it violates both the First Amendment and the state's Freedom to Read Act.
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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.
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 does the "J" on the Wall mean in The Handmaid's Tale?
In chapter 31, Offred sees a body on the Wall marked only with a red "J," and specifically notes it isn't a yellow star, so it doesn't mean Jewish. The book leaves the exact meaning ambiguous on purpose. Banned Camp breaks down the possible meanings, from Jezebel to Jehovah's Witness, in their Season 11 reading of this chapter.
Why does Serena Joy offer to help Offred break the law in The Handmaid's Tale?
Serena Joy proposes that Offred sleep with someone other than the Commander to get pregnant, since the law only forbids it in theory. She frames it as help, then dangles a photo of Offred's daughter as a "maybe" reward for cooperating. Banned Camp unpacks why that offer is really about control, not kindness.
Topics Covered:
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood, Chapter 31, Offred, Ofglen, Serena Joy, Nick, Luke, Moira, Rita, religious persecution, forced reproduction, coercion and hope, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast