Comedian's Sold-Out Minnesota Shows Canceled... Because He Made a Joke

PJ Media ^ | 01/31/2026 | Sarah Anderson

[SeekAndFind]

I had no idea who Ben Bankas was until I heard that all of his sold-out stand-up comedy shows in Minnesota were abruptly canceled. So I had to do a little digging.

The internet tells me that he's originally from Toronto, but now based in Austin, Texas, and he has a podcast that's pretty popular, as well as a solid, cult-like following. He regularly sells out shows in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

I took a look at his social media pages, and he's actually pretty funny. His humor is dark, just the way I like it, and he's outspoken, edgy, and doesn't shy away from controversial topics, including politics, social issues, and current events. From what I saw, he's not a leftist, but he does make a lot of fun of them. Many people seem to find him offensive. I'm guessing they are the leftists he mocks.

But to the point, Bankas sells out shows pretty easily, and it looks as if he has several sold out this year already, including six at the Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St. Paul, Minn. that were supposed to happen this weekend. But as we've learned recently, Minnesota is a state that takes itself way too seriously. Or at least its Democrats do.

Last week, the Laugh Camp Comedy Club announced that it was canceling those six shows. Bill Collins issued a statement to People magazine that said, "After discussions with, and concern from public authorities, legal counsel and staff, combined with heightened threats, increasing media attention and civil disorder we have determined the risks and related liabilities cannot be overcome."

So what warranted all of this? A joke.

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TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: cancellation; cancelled; comedy; hesbetterthantrolls; hesnobody; minnesota; reneegood

[SeekAndFind]

In a video posted on his Instagram page on Jan. 13, Bankas does a bit on Renee Good, the woman who was shot while attempting to run over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis earlier this month.

"Now for a moment of silence for Renee Good," he begins. "Really hope that dog's okay...and her pet." He's referring to Good's dog, who was in the car at the time of the shooting, as well as Good's wife.

[alternatives?]

Minneapolis is a lawless city. It is tyranny by the few.

[Georgia Girl 2]

He is so funny.

[MinorityRepublican]

[E. Pluribus Unum]

To be fair, there is little doubt the insurrectionist “protesters” would have burned the place to the ground if they didn’t cancel.

[FreedomPoster]

Preventable tragedies:
• Renee Good
• Alex Pretti

Preventable tragedies:
• Brianna Kelson
• Karen Diamond
• Billy McKellar
• Zabar McKellar
• Krishaun McKellar
• Kason McKellar
• Nicole Gregory
• Larisha Sharell Thompson
• Jimmy Friesenhahn
• Ava Moore
• Jorge Gonzalez
• Aleksandre Modebadze
• Jim McCammon
• Camillia Williams
• Lesbia Mileth Ramirez-Guerra
• Ilias “Louie” Mavros
• Adan Lopez Lorenzo
• Matias Roblero Emanuel
• Debrina Kawam
• Grayson Christopher Davis
• Angel Samaniego
• Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno
• Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno
• Fraime Ubaldo
• Marangely Moreno-Santiago
• Tiger Gutierrez
• Rylan Oncale
• Taliyah Crochet
• Melody Waldecker
• Kaitlyn Weaver
• Jocelyn Nungaray
• Scott Miller
• Matthew Carney
• Anilson Mauricio Perez Gomez
• Kristie Thibodeaux
• Lauryn Ni’Kole Leonard
• Laken Riley
• Shannon Patricia Jungwirth
• Mario Alberto Trejo Estrada
• Jorge Alexander Reyes-Jungwirth
• Riordan Powell
• Melissa Powell
• Travis Wolfe
• Catalina Valdez Andrade
• Merced Andrade Bailon
• Ruperto Mondragon Salgado
• Jario Hernandez-Sanchez
• Carmen Unilda Navas Zuniga
• Michael Kunovich
• Diana Velazquez Alvarado
• Julisa Molina Rivera
• Jose Jonathan Casarez
• Sonia Argentina Guzman
• Daniel Enrique Laso
• David Breaux
• Karim Abou Najm
• Matteo Garcia
• Erpharo Gilbert
• Limber Lopez Funez
• Diane Hill Luckett
• Maria Rios
• Maris Mareen DiGiovanni
• Brent Allan Hallett
• Martin Iran Carreon Adame
• Ned Byrd
• Kayla Marie Hamilton
• Sandra Vazquez Ceja
• Victor Huerta
• Terry Aultman
• Brenda Aultman
• Erin Simanskis
• Rachel Morin
• Ruby Garcia
• George Levin
• Lizbeth Medina
• Maria Gonzalez
• Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz
• Luis Jocsan Nanez Lopez
• Hallie Helgeson
• Brady Heiling
• Ivory Smith
• Alex “AJ” Wise Jr.
• Mustaffa Muhammad
• Nicacio Hernandez Gonzalez
• Jon Douglas Ratcliffe
• Jacques Price
• Amalia Coc Choc de Pec
• Estrella Anastasia Pec Coc
• Maricela Simon Franco
• Christopher Gadd
• Jeremy Poou-Caceras
• Santiago Jacobo
• Ni’Kole Leonard
• Anjelica Guadelupe
• Amaya Briceño
• Aiden Clark
• Kimberlee Guillory
• Gloria Stephanie Palomec
• Paul Osokin
• Anya Varfolomeev
• Jennifer Ann Morton
• Dania Cruz-Mejia
• Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno
• Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno
• Christopher Gadd
• Dennis Buan
• David Hang
• Colby Brice Compton
• Gretchen Gross
• Crecensio Rosas De La Rosa
• Corbin Wagner
• Francisco Javier Cuellar
• Douglas R. Cline
• Isidro Cortes
• Karina Torres
• Moussa Fofana
• Andi Lynn Blair
• Cheston Edwards
• Cindy Goulding
• Evelyn Falcon
• Miguel Ruiz
• Francisco Zamora
• Victoria Eileen Harwell

One group deliberately put themselves in danger by threatening police officers.

The other includes SOME of the actual victims — people who were harmed by illegal immigrants who aren’t supposed to be in our country at all.

Yet the left directs its outrage selectively, and the hypocrisy is both exhausting and morally bankrupt.
https://x.com/AveryDaye/status/2015275975223722471?s=20

[lee martell]

“I started a joke ....
That left the whole world Shrieking!!”

[griswold3]

Funny. But, too soon?

[Disambiguator]

Check out Leonarda Jonie. She’s a comedienne who’s been canceled left and right.

[MayflowerMadam]

Didn’t that happen to Michael Richards, too?

[Lurker]

Well played, sir.

That’s a great song from a great album.

L

[FreedomPoster]

I’m guessing ‘Ask America with Edgar’ won’t be playing there any time soon.

‘Ask America with Edgar’ is a right wing puppet that wears a pink pussy hat and trolls lefty protesters. Top tier trolling!

https://x.com/PuppetEdgar/status/2017278042020732988

[FreeReign]

But to the point, Bankas sells out shows pretty easily, and it looks as if he has several sold out this year already

I see 26 sold out shows on his schedule including one I will be attending.

But don't worry. There are another 125 shows on his schedule where tickets are still available.

[bankwalker]

what would the diceman say?

[lee martell]

Yes, it did. Mike made a long string of bad decisions, one after the other, with each and every ‘N - Word’ response going off like a lit up firecracker. People were shocked to see him acting so different than his character on Friends.

I have always speculated that Mike could come back into public favor, but I think that experience shook him up professionally, and perhaps he has now lost his confidence to even try again. You have to be brave and confident to be a good Comic. Too bad. He had excellent comic timing on that show.

[No name given]

Yes, I think it did.

[21twelve]

I just watched a Norm MacDonald clip where he is telling jokes about “The Crocodile Hunter” death. The host was telling him to stop - the host couldn't stop laughing.

It was 10 days after Steve Irwin's death.

[griffin]

love me sum dark commies!! Mmmhmm.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

"Now for a moment of silence for Renee Good," he begins. "Really hope that dog's okay...and her pet." He's referring to Good's dog, who was in the car at the time of the shooting, as well as Good's wife.

Actually, bolded part should really read "he's referring to Good's wife, as well as Good's dog, who was in the car at the time of the shooting."

But I suppose whomever is relaying that joke deliberately took the sting out of it.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I just watched a Norm MacDonald clip where he is telling jokes about “The Crocodile Hunter” death. The host was telling him to stop - the host couldn't stop laughing.

They were pretty good joke....