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Comedian's 'Cancellation' Backfires, Boosts Popularity

  //humor-quirks.news-articles.net/content/2026/02 .. -s-cancellation-backfires-boosts-popularity.html
  Published in Humor and Quirks on Friday, February 20th 2026 at 15:10 GMT by breitbart.com
      Locales: California, Texas, Florida, UNITED STATES

Friday, February 20th, 2026 - Comedian Ben Bankas is riding a wave of unprecedented popularity, fueled ironically by attempts to silence him. Following online calls for his 'cancellation' after making jokes referencing comedian Renee Good - herself a figure embroiled in controversy - Bankas has seen a dramatic increase in show bookings and fan engagement. This incident serves as a compelling example of what's become known as the 'Streisand Effect' at play within the increasingly sensitive landscape of modern comedy.

Bankas, in an exclusive interview, described the sudden shift as "crazy." "After the reaction to Renee Good's situation, and my jokes relating to it, there was a concerted effort to get me deplatformed and canceled. But instead of diminishing my reach, it did the opposite. I've added multiple shows, gained a significant number of new fans, and it's been an incredible experience, albeit a bizarre one."

The root of the controversy stems from jokes Bankas made alluding to Renee Good's previous material, which sparked criticism for its treatment of Meghan Markle. Left-leaning groups online quickly mobilized, demanding that venues drop Bankas and that social media platforms remove his content. However, these attempts at censorship appear to have backfired spectacularly.

"I think the larger the outrage, the more people are naturally attracted to it," Bankas explained. "There's a fundamental human curiosity, and people are increasingly receptive to comedians who appear unafraid to articulate their viewpoints, even if those viewpoints are considered controversial. The more attempts are made to silence someone, the more intensely people desire to see and hear them."

This phenomenon isn't unique to Bankas. Over the past several years, a growing number of comedians - from Dave Chappelle to Ricky Gervais - have faced similar attempts at 'cancellation' over jokes perceived as offensive or insensitive. While the specifics of each case differ, the underlying pattern remains consistent: attempts to deplatform a comedian often lead to increased visibility and a surge in support from audiences who feel their own freedoms of expression are under threat.

Experts in social psychology suggest this is a clear manifestation of the Streisand Effect - a social phenomenon where an attempt to hide, remove, or censor information has the unintended consequence of publicizing it more widely. Named after Barbra Streisand, who in 2003 unsuccessfully attempted to have a photograph of her Malibu home removed from an online database, thereby drawing far more attention to it, the effect demonstrates the power of suppressed information to gain traction.

"People are fundamentally resistant to being told what they can and can't think, say, or laugh at," explains Dr. Eleanor Vance, a professor of communication studies at the University of California, Berkeley. "When an attempt is made to censor a comedian, it's often perceived as an attack on the audience's own right to decide what is and isn't funny. This triggers a defensive reaction, and people rally around the target of censorship."

Bankas, too, emphasized the principle at stake. "It's not just about the jokes themselves; it's about the broader issue of free speech. People are tired of being lectured and told what they can and can't say. They want to be able to enjoy comedy without having to worry about whether or not it conforms to a particular ideological framework."

The situation highlights a growing tension between the desire to create inclusive and respectful spaces and the preservation of artistic freedom. While many agree that hate speech and genuinely harmful content should be addressed, there's a growing concern that overly broad definitions of 'offensive' or 'insensitive' are being used to stifle legitimate comedic expression. The case of Ben Bankas suggests that such attempts at censorship may ultimately be self-defeating, driving audiences towards the very content they're trying to suppress.