Show notes
Rita's cutting radishes into little Aztec hearts and Offred just wants a match. That's it, that's the whole ask, and somehow it turns into the most loaded transaction in the house. This chapter gives us a stolen cigarette, a hidden plan, and a commander who wants credit for building the world he broke.
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:
Dan calls his shot early: someone in this book is going to cut themselves, and he wants credit if he's right
Robot traces the Marthas back to Luke 10 and roasts Martha Stewart along the way
The Commander explains why "better" never means better for everyone, and Dan explains what he'd have asked for instead
A detour through Real Sex, powerful men, and dominatrix economics that somehow loops back to who really holds the power in this house
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
This chapter's version of the Commander explaining away a system built on controlling women's bodies, paired with the quiet menace of Rita's "burn the house down" line, is exactly the kind of content that gets books like this pulled from shelves. It's not the sex or the violence that scares people, it's how reasonable the man justifying it sounds.
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).
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
Rate, review, and follow us on Apple Podcasts to help other scary book people find us!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-camp-banned-books-comedy-and-free-speech-vs/id1676866857
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.
Why does Offred want a match in The Handmaid's Tale?
In Chapter 32, Offred trades a small favor from Serena Joy for a single cigarette and a match, then spends the whole walk back to her room planning what to do with them, from smoking it to eating it to hiding it in her mattress. Banned Camp digs into why one match feels like this much power on this week's episode of their Season 11 reading.
Topics Covered:
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood, Chapter 32, Jennifer Davis, Dan Schulz, Robot, Beowulf Rochlen, Rita, Serena Joy, the Commander, Ofglen, Cora, power and control, quiet resistance, complicity, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast