St. Paul Bar Cancels Comedian's Shows After Viral Renee Good Rant

Camp Bar cites safety concerns after comic's offensive jokes about woman fatally shot by ICE officer.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 8:39pm

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A downtown St. Paul bar and comedy club has canceled six sold-out performances from a Canadian comic, Ben Bankas, who went viral for posting offensive jokes about Renee Good, a woman fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. The bar's owner, Bill Collins, said it's a safety issue for both the performer and the audience, citing threats of a boycott and picketing in protest.

Why it matters

The cancellation highlights the challenges venues face in balancing free speech and public safety, especially when a performer's controversial material sparks outrage in the local community. It also raises questions about the responsibilities of comedians and their management teams when it comes to sensitive subject matter.

The details

Collins said Bankas' management company, CAA, told him that if he doesn't pay Bankas, CAA won't book any comics at the venue in the future. The six shows scheduled for the 150-capacity club were completely sold out, resulting in an estimated $18,000 loss for the bar. In the viral clip, Bankas made offensive jokes about Good, calling her a "dumb, retarded lesbian" who "should have been shot 10 minutes before." This isn't the first time Bankas has faced backlash for his controversial material, as several venues in Canada canceled his performances last year after he made "crude and offensive" jokes about Indigenous people.

  • The viral clip comes from a Bankas show in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., just days after Good's death on January 7, 2026.
  • The six canceled shows were scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The players

Bill Collins

The owner of Camp Bar and Laugh Camp comedy club in downtown St. Paul.

Ben Bankas

A Canadian comedian whose offensive jokes about Renee Good went viral, leading to the cancellation of his upcoming shows at Camp Bar.

Renee Good

A woman who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on January 7, 2026 in Minneapolis.

CAA

Bankas' management company, which told Collins that if he doesn't pay Bankas, CAA won't book any comics at the venue in the future.

Patrick Strait

The author of the book "Funny Thing About Minnesota...: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Twin Cities Comedy Scene".

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What they’re saying

“I've never had anything happen like this before.”

— Bill Collins, Owner of Camp Bar and Laugh Camp comedy club (twincities.com)

“They keep saying that there's a contract and that they don't see any evidence that there's a force majeure situation and their position is that the comedian is ready and willing to perform and that they need to be paid in full.”

— Bill Collins, Owner of Camp Bar and Laugh Camp comedy club (twincities.com)

“It seems to me he likes the argument. He likes the confrontation. He likes making people uncomfortable. In my opinion, it's offensive and it's extremely unnecessarily vulgar. But I guess there are people who like it, because that is super popular right now.”

— Patrick Strait, Author of "Funny Thing About Minnesota...: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the Twin Cities Comedy Scene" (twincities.com)

What’s next

The bar's owner, Bill Collins, is concerned about the safety of Bankas and the audience if the shows were to go on as scheduled, given the potential for protests and confrontations.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the delicate balance venues must strike between free speech and public safety, as well as the responsibility of comedians to be mindful of the impact their material can have, especially on sensitive topics. The cancellation also raises questions about the role of management teams in advising their clients on navigating controversial content.