Brave New World | Ch. 4.2 – Bernard’s Inches and Helmholtz’s Hunger

In this episode of Banned Camp, Jennifer and Dan continue Chapter 4 of Brave New World, where Bernard sulks about being shorter than the average Alpha and Helmholtz Watson proves that too much brain can be just as isolating as too little brawn. Bernard struggles with his insecurities, yells at lower castes, and tries to brag about his date with Lenina. Meanwhile, Helmholtz, the stud of the dystopia, admits that having 640 conquests and winning escalator squash still doesn’t fill the emptiness inside. 

Things To Listen For:

• Bernard’s deep insecurity about being three inches shorter than an Alpha “should” be.
• The awkward flex of boasting about taking Lenina to New Mexico.
• Helmholtz Watson: Alpha stud, escalator squash champion, and existential wreck.
• Dan comparing Bernard’s plight to “Little Marco” on the campaign trail.
• Jennifer questioning whether Huxley was mocking eugenics or just being racist.
• Robot explaining the Greek alphabet and converting centimeters for the “dumb Americans.”

Featured clip includes a few seconds from Roy Wood Jr.: Father Figure comedy special. 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.

Banworthy to Bingeworthy

Looking for more to binge? After this episode, check out Good News For Lefties for a hopeful, progressive take on the week’s chaos — because sometimes you need good news to balance out dystopias.

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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. To ensure the best listening experience, some sections may be lightly abridged for clarity and pacing. However, we always stay true to the author’s intent and encourage listeners to purchase the book in full.

The material used from the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 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 Aldous Huxley, his estate, or the publishers of Brave New World. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.

Topics Covered:

Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, Bernard Marx, Helmholtz Watson, Lenina, Delta castes, insecurities, eugenics satire, escalator squash, sex hormone chewing gum, dystopia, censorship, banned books