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The Handmaid's Tale | Chapter 36: If Anyone Asks, Say You're a Rental
Description
The Commander summons the Handmaid to his study for what starts as an awkward round of Scrabble and turns into something much stranger: a smuggled costume covered in feathers and sequins, a stolen cloak, and a car ride into the dark. By the end of the night she's wearing a purple wristband, and it's not a fashion statement. Jennifer and Dan react to one of the most quietly brutal images this season has produced, and find the real-world hypocrisy hiding underneath it.
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:
- The Commander produces a "surprise" that turns out to be a costume covered in feathers and purple sequins, and Jennifer and Dan spend a solid few minutes guessing what it could be before the reveal lands
- A real-talk tangent about political hypocrisy, including a fact-checked detour into Lauren Boebert's very public "outwardly disgusted, inwardly thrilled" moment
- Nick, the driver, gets a closer look as Jennifer and Dan debate whether he's a victim of the same system or something creepier
- Beowulf brings news of a country literally paying its citizens to read books instead of doom-scrolling
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
This chapter's costume-and-checkpoint scene is exactly the kind of content challengers flag as "sexually explicit," but the chapter's real target is the ruling class's hypocrisy: a government that outlawed lingerie and nightclubs still needs a smuggled disguise and a fake pass to enjoy both. That's the part banners don't like to talk about.
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
Beowulf Rochlen from Good News for Lefties joins for the news segment this episode:
- Good News for Lefties — Beowulf's news segment on this episode covers Singapore's new program paying citizens small rewards to read physical books instead of doom-scrolling, plus a look back at Florida's Moms for Liberty losing ground in school board races.
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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 19