The Catcher in the Rye Ch. 3.1: Holden Calls Out Phony Bastards | Banned Books Podcast

Holden admits he's "the most terrific liar you ever saw," then proceeds to spend the entire chapter calling out every phony around him. Meet Ossenburger: a businessman who made his fortune streamlining death at five bucks per body, then stood in chapel telling students to think of Jesus as their buddy while he's probably asking for a few more stiffs. Plus: Ackley the interloper who won't take a hint, even when Holden says he's been trying to read the same sentence for 20 minutes.

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:

• Holden's perfect read on Ossenburger: "I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs"
• The terrific fart that Edgar Marsella let rip during Ossenburger's chapel speech
• Jennifer connecting phony performances to Trump - everyone pretending not to smell it
• Dan's question: why wouldn't someone with money just fix the smell and the hair?

Why was The Catcher in the Rye banned? This chapter shows another layer: Holden teaches readers to spot phonies, see through performances, and recognize when people in power are the biggest frauds. That's more dangerous than any swear word.

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 We're swapping promos with some excellent podcasts this week:

• Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order - A deep dive into when the US military was deployed on American streets, targeting whole communities for removal, and the burn order issued to cover it all up. A stain on this country we said we'd never repeat.
• Good News for Lefties - Beowulf Rochlen brings you the positive news on the progressive front that mainstream media won't cover.

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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 3, Holden Caulfield, Ossenburger, Edgar Marsella, Ackley, phoniness, authenticity, spotting frauds, chapel farts, sarcasm as defense, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast