Unfortunately, while Renee Good’s death should be treated as a tragedy, some people have shown no hesitation in mocking her and what happened. One example is conservative comedian Ben Bankas, who is known for targeting the Left in his routines but, according to many, crossed a new line with a joke about Good.
As a result, people in Minnesota are now calling for a boycott of Camp Bar, which is scheduled to host Bankas. One post urging the boycott shared a clip of the comedian’s remarks made after Good’s death. In the clip, he said, “They’re gonna get shirts ‘I am Renee Good. I am a dumb [expletive] lesbian’.”
What many found especially disturbing was not just the comment itself, but the fact that the audience laughed in response. For critics, the moment underscored how cruel and dehumanizing the rhetoric surrounding Good’s death has become, even in spaces meant for entertainment.
The owners of the Minnesota bar didn’t even attempt to stand by their decision to host someone who mocked a dead person. According to the Reddit user who shared the post, Camp Bar had six sold-out shows scheduled for Ben Bankas. After facing significant backlash, the bar quietly removed the shows from its website, creating the impression that they had been canceled. However, the performances were still set to go on.
“I’m all for the First Amendment, but I’m also for holding local businesses accountable when they disrespect the community,” the original poster wrote. They added, “Camp Bar knows they are doing something harmful and that is why they are hiding it. Trying to bring some awareness so people have the choice to continue frequenting there.”
To make matters worse, the bar later put the listings back on its website, once again advertising Bankas’ sold-out shows. The longer version of Bankas’ set only intensified the outrage. In it, he said, “Her last name was Good. That’s what I said after they shot her in the face.” He then went even further, claiming that anyone who watched the footage would see that Good should have been shot 10 minutes earlier.
For many people, the so-called jokes and the crowd laughing at them said far more about their character than anything else.
People Reacting to the Minnesota Bar’s Planned Shows
While the comments under Bankas’ video largely celebrated his mockery of Good, the reaction was very different in the Reddit thread discussing the situation. Many users called for a boycott of the bar, with some even suggesting public protests.
Others pushed back on that idea, arguing that public outrage was exactly what Bankas was looking for. “My guess is that’s what he wants. It’s a badge of honor that he’s ‘triggered’ the libs,” another commenter said. Someone else agreed, adding, “Best thing to do is just ignore him so he passes like a fart in the wind. Protesting will just validate what he’s trying to do. There’s higher value protest targets than this.”
The discussion highlighted a divide over how to respond, with some believing accountability matters most, while others felt that denying attention would be the more effective approach.
More people voiced their outrage over the Minnesota bar’s plans, with some taking aim at the comedian himself and the broader political culture they felt he represented. “God, right wingers are painfully bad at comedy,” one person wrote. Another expanded on that sentiment, saying, “Art requires empathy, compassion, humanity, and the ability to share those with others. Conservatives fail at art because they don’t have empathy, compassion, humanity, and they don’t like sharing.”
Despite the heated back-and-forth, many agreed on one point. Regardless of politics or personal beliefs, mocking someone’s death crosses a line and should never be considered acceptable or comedic.
