1984 | Ch. 1 - Big Brother is Watching (And So Are We)

Welcome to the new season of Banned Camp, where we dive into 1984 by George Orwell—a book that somehow gets more relevant every year. In Chapter 1, we meet Winston Smith, a guy whose daily routine includes rewriting history for the Party, avoiding omnipresent surveillance, and secretly questioning whether Big Brother is really all that great. Jennifer and Dan unpack Orwell’s terrifyingly prophetic world, discuss the eerie parallels to today’s society, and debate whether we’re all just living in a never-ending episode of Black Mirror. Also, Robot is here to make sure we don’t get any historical details “wrong” (as if Winston’s job isn’t to rewrite them anyway).

Things to Listen For:

• A terrifyingly relatable first glimpse at Orwell’s dystopia.
• Dan and Jennifer question if 1984 is a book or a user manual.
• The most awkward way to journal in a surveillance state.
• Why Winston’s fascination with an old bookshop might get him vaporized.
• News speaker, truth seeker Beowulf Rochlen has news about the resurgence of 1984 in book sales due to Trump’s return to office.

Banworthy to Bingeworthy:

This episode’s Bingeworthy pick: Good News for Lefties—the daily progressive news podcast that actually focuses on wins, not just the doom. Hosted by Beowulf Rochlen, it’s your antidote to despair in the dystopian hellscape we’re all living in. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Featured Clips:

Featured clips include a segment from CNN’s Brian Todd, who reports on the reprints and resurgent sales of 1984, proving that Orwell’s dystopia never really went out of style. We also played a few seconds from Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell—because, well, you get it. And for those who love a good performance, check out DonRock’s full rendition of The Imposter on YouTube: Watch Here.

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.

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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.  1984 by George Orwell is shared under these principles. We strongly encourage listeners to purchase the book in full: Buy Here from Penguin Random House.

This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to George Orwell’s estate or publisher. Our goal is to foster literary appreciation, critical discussion, and educational engagement—because we all know what happens when people let governments decide what can and can’t be read.

Topics Covered:

1984, George Orwell, Big Brother, Newspeak, thought police, censorship, dystopian fiction, book bans, authoritarianism, free speech, Moms for Liberty (probably).

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