The Catcher in the Rye Ch. 1: Why Did This Depressed Teen Scare America for 21 Years?

Holden Caulfield got kicked out of his fourth prep school and refuses to tell us his whole "David Copperfield kind of crap" autobiography. Instead, he stands on a freezing hill watching a football game he's not allowed to play in anymore, trying to feel some kind of goodbye before heading to see his old teacher. It's December, it's cold as hell, and Holden keeps feeling like he's disappearing every time he crosses a road.

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 and Jennifer immediately like Holden's sarcastic "I don't feel like going into it" energy
- The great prep school debate: is it just rich people paying others to raise their kids?
- Holden calls out his school's fake advertising ("horses that don't exist") and "strictly for the birds" claims about molding splendid young men
- Robot clarifies that "falsies" are fake fingernails, not what Dan was thinking
- The new PPP rubric: testing whether Chapter 1 is objectively ban-worthy using three yes/no questions

Why was The Catcher in the Rye banned? Holden Caulfield sees through institutional phoniness and refuses to perform gratitude for systems that failed him—which is exactly what authoritarian thinking can't tolerate, even if they claim it's about profanity.

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
Check out **Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order**, a deep dive into one of America's darkest chapters—when the U.S. military deployed on American streets to forcibly remove whole communities, and the burn order that tried to cover it all up.

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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 Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 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.

This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to J.D. Salinger, his estate, or the publishers of The Catcher in the Rye. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.

Topics Covered:
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, Chapter 1, Holden Caulfield, Mr. Spencer, Mrs. Spencer, DB, Selma Thurmer, Robert Tichener, Paul Campbell, Mr. Zambesi, prep school culture, institutional phoniness, depression, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast