Dark Humour for Dark Times: Ben Bankas

This whole idea that you don't feel safe because somebody's making jokes is so dangerous for society. Some guy was trying to get people to call the police during the show to have me arrested for hate speech. One of my audience members told me that her union, teachers union, sent her an email saying not to attend my show. Imagine an email going out to a company or an organization saying, "Please do not attend this drag time story hour." Improving your own life will do more for the country than marching around with a sign trying to get a comedy show canceled. Be successful. Start a business. >> Clean your room. >> Clean your room. And I sound like a parent, but the right needs to parent the left. >> Your universities are incredibly prestigious. You've got literally everything. >> They've all been infiltrated. All the universities are infiltrated by China. We need to make the gay people in charge of the country. and then fill the country with mudroom. >> Ben Bankers, welcome to trigonometry. >> Thank you so much for having me. >> Oh man, it's awesome. You are absolutely blowing up. We were just talking before we started. The reason we really like your stuff a is you're very very funny. Just very funny. But also, I think you're very authentic with the voice that you represent, which is like a lot of comedians who do offensive material, they play that sort of like guilty liberal card. It's like, well, you know, I you know, I'm not woke, but I'm also not that other evil thing, whereas you embrace the evil. >> What are we talking? Ricky Jerb. >> No, I just think he stays out of politics, but you know what I mean, right? >> Yeah. No, he takes good pictures of his cat. I um >> We're starting strong here. I like it. I mean, look, I I I say things that I think of, and that's what the art form is, and they're things that I would say to probably my mom if she was still alive and she to make her laugh. I would, you know, growing up, my mom had a pretty dark sense of humor. She was a high school teacher, 35 years in Scarboro, Ontario, which is a little bit of a rough suburb of of Toronto. And she always had, you know, there was always things happening at her school, you know, robberies and murders and um she had a student shoot somebody in the in a bus with a saw off shotgun on on the, you know, and it was a kid that she had just thrown out of her class like a week before. And so she, you know, she saw stuff and she had a real life and and you know, her like she was born in 1948, so right after the war and stuff. So, I always made jokes about whatever I wanted at home. There was never a a line, you know, maybe if it was really bad joke, my mom would go, "Stop, stop." But that's what comedy is. Sometimes it is. You're making somebody laugh and they're going, "Stop. That is not the right time." >> But when it's on a stage and the people have paid for it, it is the right time. And I don't believe in censoring myself, especially on stage. Sometimes I'll I make the joke with my audience. I'll make a really bad joke. will be like not posting that one. >> And then you post it. >> And then I post it. Yeah. No. No, I don't. Some some I mean some of my my worst stuff is not being posted yet because it's for the audience to come and pay and see. You said I believe in free speech. I believe in speech for pay. >> Well, you got into uh trouble uh if you can say it that way with your stuff about ICE, right? >> Um >> what was your take on on the whole ICE thing? I mean, as I mean, I'm I'm Canadian, so I'm an immigrant. And uh I think we need to get rid of these people. I don't know. I don't know what to say. It's the same thing in Canada. Canada does not have ICE. I think the number is now around 400,000 people waiting for deportation who've had or more. Maybe there's millions, but officially I think there's four or 500,000 in Canada. There's no ICE. There's no deporting those people. they they just get a notice and they're supposed to self-deport and that's not good for the country to just have a bunch of illegal I mean right now they in Canada has IRGC members and and stuff in the country and you know during this like the Canada is becoming a safe haven for you know IRGC members I mean is that a good thing I don't think so I I think that I I believe in a safe. I want to have a safe, healthy, beautiful country. Whether it's Canada, America, wherever I'm living, I want it to be beautiful and amazing. And and the people who are pro or anti-ICE are also in favor of letting people out of jail for committing serious crimes and um you know, giving money to illegal immigrants. It it's it I I just don't know how I can be in favor of that stuff. But you didn't get in trouble for that. You got in trouble for a joke about ICE, right? Yeah. >> Something to do with Renee. Good. >> Yeah. Yeah. I made a joke about it right when it happened. And you know, it was it was very funny for my audience. And the people who were upset, of course, they're going to be upset. You know, they >> But they canceled a bunch of your shows, right? Is that what happened? >> No. I think that I mean, a lot of this is interesting. A lot of people are like, "Are your shows all getting cancelled?" No, not at all. I mean, we had shows in Minnesota h got cancelled because there was an active riot and I mean I should have canceled it myself. People were like you should maybe not go like people were worried about me and the venue canled because I mean they said it was for safety reasons. The real reason is they were liberal and the people who ran the business were liberal. So even though Democrats because they believe in like communism now they don't care about making money. So it's like, oh, six sold out shows. Six sold out shows. We'll cancel them because it's for the greater good of the greater Renee good. I'm just I'm just saying it's not. >> So yeah, this this idea that shows are being canceled is not in America is not true. >> Canada, they canled a few. They have these the Canadian Anti-hate Network and all these uh organizations that are paid for they just found out are paid for by the Liberal Party in Canada, which is like the Democrat party in Canada uh through back channels apparently. Um and um that organization's goal is to shut down people like me, I guess, that don't aren't censoring themselves or aren't woke. Basically, it's if you're not woke, you shouldn't be allowed to perform. You shouldn't be allowed to be platformed. You shouldn't be allowed to blah blah blah even when the shows are sold out. And that's wrong. I mean, it's obviously wrong. And a lot of it has to do with in Canada, if you're going to be at a venue, a lot of them are cityfunded or or or you know, government funded venues and they're saying he shouldn't be allowed to perform there because it's government funded and they have a mandate to have DEI and and you know, not what what you know, all those [ __ ] things that they write in those, you know, our mission statement is that we acknowledge that we are stolen land and there is no freedom of speech allowed in this establishment and if you say anything naughty you'll be you know >> they have great names though those organizations the anti-hate ones like we have one of them in the UK called hope not hate and all they do is go around doxing anyone who's not >> well yeah it's like so oh you're anti-hate what do you do oh we hate Ben bankas and we discriminate we don't discriminate against uh broad groups we discriminate of one person at a time and that's apparently Okay. But the shows were sold out. I mean, we're talking I just had a show Naimo BC 900 people sold out. It's been sold out for like a month and a half and then they cancel it. You know, there was a whole thing. They had they had a city it was a city funded venue but not affiliated with the city or something. So, people went to the they protested they protested the city council meeting. They got into the city council meeting. They raised this concern. The mayor of Nimo said that, "Well, we don't want to be part of censorship, even though his material is disgusting and horrific and and awful, but it's we don't want to take part in censorship." So, they basically said, "We're not going to pressure the venue to shut it down, but we will make a statement that we this is the new thing. Something bad happens, let's make a we make a statement reaffirming our uh commitment to diversity, inclusion." What does that even mean? It means nothing. And so they sent that statement to the the venue and of course there's somebody woke working at the venue who goes, "Finally, there's a statement. This means we can cancel." And then they get some woke lawyer to look at it. And the woke lawyer goes, "Well, with the statement, you just say that we didn't feel safe. The staff was didn't feel safe." This whole idea that you don't feel safe because somebody's making jokes is so dangerous for society. The idea that it's like safety has to do with words is not it's it's just not true. It's it's a lie and it's being pedled and that venue uh is is getting bombarded by my fans of course. So this is the weird thing. Venues will cancel my shows in Canada if 10 people complain apparently, you know, if they're loud enough or you know. Okay. Oh, there was 50. Okay, there's 50 that they gathered over. We had 900 >> just buying tickets. Then plus the other thousands that wanted to buy tickets that couldn't get tickets plus the millions online and the venue seems to just only worry about liberal complaints because the second they cancel my show, what do they do? They turn off comments on all their posts. They turn off reviews on Facebook. any review, any negative review on that venue that says, "You guys canled the show. I'm very upset about this," they just mark as spam and get it deleted. So, if they don't care about complaints coming from the right or from people who already bought tickets, who legitimately were going to go to your venue, but care about complaints from people who are never going to go to your venue, might not even live in your city, but are calling in, >> is that a free country? Is that free speech? No. And this the left pushes back and goes, "Well, it is free speech, but it's not free of consequences. It's a soldout show. It's been on sale for seven months. We sold it out. I did my part. The venue decides to cancel it because they're getting complaints." That is a that is a violation of free speech. I'm sorry. In my eyes, maybe. I don't know what you know, British Columbia and Canada has some really crazy laws. So, I'm sure you know I they they were suggested the guy some guy was trying to get people to call the police during the show to have me arrested for hate speech. Do you When did it become the case that nerds like these people like I'm just really offended and we used to take the piss out of them back in the day. These people were losers and we all used to laugh at them. They still are. >> Yeah. And they still are. They'd be the people at school who would grasp you up to the teachers like, "He said something nasty." But now it's like, "Oh, we listen to these people." Guess it's the payback we get for bullying the crap out of them in high school, right? They uh we bullied them and and then we bullied them in university when they took liberal arts degrees and we said, "You're not going to have a job. You're not going to be anybody. You're going to be nobody. You're going to be working at McDonald's." We used to do that at my uh alma mater in Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, the frost week, the first week, like freshman week. >> And they would, you know, the uh the engineers would say to the the arts majors that their thing was McDonald's, McDonald's, that you're going to work at McDonald's because your career, your degree means nothing. So those people got upset and those people were like, maybe I'll get into politics. And then they got into politics and then all the other people who were bullied and felt, you know, done wrong by voted for them and wanted to, yes, we're going to change things. We're going to get rid of the jocks and the meanies and and the, you know, the toxic men and we're going to replace it with feminized men and and woke women and and LGBTQ plus 2IA and uh, you know, bipac and all this stuff. and they don't want to lead for everybody. That's the big difference is that people who were in power before who weren't like ultralleft did primaril they they they would make speeches and say we're we're trying to make we're here for everybody even though we won. You know, your guy lost, but we're we want to make sure that you know that we care about you and and your problems. And for the most part, they did. Conservatives were in power in Canada. Uh homosexuality was not illegal. Uh it so what >> you win some, you lose some. >> But I don't think homosexuality should be illegal. But but I know but but that's the point is that >> they think people on the right are like homophobic, anti-semitic. That it's like not true at all. A lot of people on the right are pro-Semitic or Jews >> or are Jews. >> And like I have a joke about, you know, people like oh the right they they don't like gay people. It's like not true. If I meet a gay guy and he he goes, "I like Trump." I'm like, "Oh, maybe I like Dick." You know, it's But it's the point is that we should all be getting along and respecting each other's differences. And if I have a difference of opinion and a difference of joke and you don't like it, don't go to the show, ignore it and move on with your life. And if you can't, well, I guess it was a good joke. Has it come to the point do you think in Canada? Because I do think in the UK a friend of the show, a magnificent comedian called Scott Capuro, he regularly tells me, he calls me up, I go, "Scott, how's this week been?" He went, "Well, I played a comedy club uh recently in London and I got reported to the European Court of Human Rights." >> Yeah. >> And that's seriously like people and I think the problem is it's you're dealing with children. The more you allow this sort of behavior to continue, the more you embolden it and the more it happens. Whereas if you just turn around and go, you're being, to use British vernacular, a bit of a ming, mate, grow up, I think we'd see this stamped out pretty quick. >> Is that us saying it to them or them? >> Yeah. Yeah. Go to But if everybody did it, not just us, but if literally everybody just turned around and went, you can have your tantrum, but ultimately I don't care. I think a lot of conservatives traditionally, people who voted conservatively weren't that involved in everything. They had their jobs, they had their good life, and they go, "Okay, and then I vote conservative cuz screw all these people. I don't want to give them money. I don't care about them." >> Which is your right. You You have a right to not care. >> You don't have to care about everything. What about the What? >> I don't care. I'm not allow I'm allowed to not care. So, um I don't know what was the question. >> So, I guess the question is is that if we do >> or tell them to stop. >> Well, or even just go, look, you can do it, but it's going to make no difference. Have your tantrum, have your tweets, whatever else, it's not going to change anything. Eventually, it would stop working, wouldn't it? >> Correct. And a big problem is again in Canada, the medium-sized venues have these mission statements that they came up with. I don't know why, but they they came up with these woke mission statements, and it gives ammunition to the people who want my show canceled to say, "Hey, look, you're on your website. It says you support fairness and being nice and no bad words or whatever." And then this guy's doing the opposite of this. And then they and then they go, "Oh, no." And then the person in charge who's un probably unsophisticated, probably doesn't understand what's going on in the world from both sides is looking at it from one perspective goes, "Good, we can get rid of them. We don't have to do it and we can just move on." And they think that they they're going to be uh the only backlash is going to come from the left. >> Most people think they're informed. In reality, they're selectively informed. Modern media doesn't just tell stories. It quietly decides which ones you never hear about at all. That's why I use ground news. It's the only app that compares how the same story is covered across the political spectrum and show you what whole audiences are not being told. The blind spot feed is one of my favorite features. Every day it flags upwards of 20 stories that are being ignored either by the left or the right. Follow along at ground.news/trigonometry. Take this story. A major US poll found that Republican voters confidence in Trump's economic leadership has dropped sharply during his second term. That is not a minor data point. If you only read right-leaning publications, you would have missed this completely. On the other hand, look at this. The UAE drops UK from scholarship list over radicalization concerns on university campuses. That's a significant story. Yet, coverage from left-leaning outlets was almost non-existent. Ground news puts all of this in one place. headlines, bias breakdowns, ownership, and context so you can actually understand what's going on, not just react to what you're told. Go to ground.new/trigonometry to get 40% off their unlimited vantage plan, the same one we use, and stop being managed by the media. It seems like America's kind of got past the point that Francis is talking about though, right? like my sense Britain and by by your telling Canada as well hasn't but in the US it feels like no one actually gives a anymore right >> thanks to Trump I mean he's the guy openly saying [ __ ] and >> um you know uh what what speech has been limited by Trump according to the left it would be you can't say that you want to destroy America and uh kill all the Jews you're not allowed to do that anymore I mean that's that that you were never allowed. It's just that the the Democrats were bad, you know, wouldn't bat an eye at it even though they knew it was illegal, just like the uh immigration. They knew the immigration was coming in illegally, but uh it's going to help us. So, let's let's keep doing it. So, >> there is a lot of gaslighting going. I don't know if you saw this story yesterday as we're recording this. Um somebody there was a protest outside Mam Dany's mansion in New York, right? And then somebody threw two uh improvised explosive devices and they and most of the mainstream media reported it like like I just told you. What they failed to say is the devices were thrown by two Islamists at the protesters who were outside. Like the the amount of just misrepresentation of what's going on is quite incredible. Well, if there's an incident where somebody throws a bomb at a protest, the main question is, wait, what was the protest? And that's wrong. I mean, if you're throwing a bomb at any protest, that's a big problem. But for some, if it was a liberal leftist protest, they would have said uh white supremacist uh attacks peaceful LGBTQ anti-abortion rally uh or proabort pro-abortion rally. If it was an anti-abortion rally, that's the thing. Proabortion rally, somebody tries to blow it up. >> How you know uh how dare you? These people anti-abortion rally. Well, they were they were causing some ruckus, you know, they were causing some problems out there. And it shouldn't be like that. Free speech is free speech. You want to say what you want to say. If you want to protest, protest. If that's being attacked violently, it should be called out. And I saw that Mom Donnie half called it out, but really was more more calling out the protest. And the thing that I always find surprising though, Ben, is we talk about your comedy being offensive. I think back to like what me and my mates used to joke about 20 years ago and what goes on in people's WhatsApp groups. If our WhatsApp groups, anybody's WhatsApp groups were doxed, it'll be over for all of us. So, actually, what you're doing is a more honest version of comedy where you're going, "Hey, you know these up thoughts that we all have? I'm going to say them in a funny way. >> I'm doing something different and people can argue that. People can hate on me. People can whatever, but I know what I'm doing in my heart and I know that it's a good thing for this world and for regular people to be able to feel free to express themselves and not feel afraid. Um, and and every time I make a joke and I post it and it gets 10 million views, that broadens the free speech array or or what's what's, you know, and that's what the left really hates about my comedy. If he makes that joke, that means somebody else is going to make another joke and then somebody else is Yeah. Because you guys are trying to stop that. You're trying to suppress free speech and then turn around. Like in Canada, they'll they'll shut down a show and then the people shutting it down will make a statement and go, >> "We believe in free speech, >> but >> when it comes to this, we don't." That's you don't believe in free speech. Why not just come out and be honest? Be like, "We are against free speech. Free speech is dangerous. We don't like it." Cuz that's the reality. >> I'm sick of hearing I'm all in favor of freedom of speech except this guy really pushed What are you talking about? That's what free speech is for. >> But it's also just not the fact that what you're saying aren't opinions. This is what really annoys me. You're a comedian. You do comedy. The purpose of comedy by its nature is that you don't take it seriously. You're not a politician getting up there and going, "Well, she died. That's a good thing." >> Yeah. Might have to be though. Might have to be a politician. >> Don't become a polit. >> But doesn't that frustrate you in a way? Um, I mean it doesn't really frust I I think the more angry people get I mean good rene Okay. So I'm if anything I'm actually doing the people who are angry a favor because instead of being angry at their own lives and their own failures and what's going on in the world and being angry that they can't pay their bills, they get to just go online and look at my comedy and go, "This is what I'm going to spend time on. this is what I'm going to be mad about. So, you're welcome to the people who are angry that I've given you a break from your own problems. >> I do think you've hit on something very true there, which and and it's true of like everybody on all sides. Like, you know, you in Britain, you go in England, you go to a football game, there's some very very angry men about somebody who's kicked the ball the wrong way. Like, it's probably your divorce. It's not that. You know what I mean? And it's like that with everything. I think the internet just allows people to channel their rage >> at the failings and things that we all have to deal with in life >> at some figure that they claim is ruining everything cuz you told the joke in a comedy club. You know, >> they're not necessarily angry about the material or what I'm saying. They're angry that I'm doing it in a way that is successful and in a way that is that if I did it on a podcast, they'd go, "Well, that wasn't funny. He's that funny. And they still say that on my standup, >> but they know it's not true because they're watching people die laughing >> and clapping. And that that's what really pisses them off. And then they go, "Okay, well, let me do the math. If you 20 30 tickets are $35 a piece, he did 700 seats. Oh [ __ ] cancel it. We can't let him get money. We can't let him be successful. We can't let him." Because they know that once you get successful, once you have money, you your words mean a lot more. and and you're a that's that's a much better form of protest than standing outside in the rain with a sign screaming with a whistle is to get that's that's all good, but how about I just get rich and then say what I want. That's scary for people because when you're rich and and you have some heat behind you, people are going to um listen and and like you said, it's comedy. I'm trying to make people laugh. And when they laugh, that is a threat to the left because they are anti- humor right now. >> They're anti- don't laugh at that. You can't laugh at that. Here's what you can laugh at. And to them, a good joke is something that only if it's not doesn't offend anybody, doesn't hurt anybody, that's not going to make me laugh necessarily. Maybe if I'm at my, you know, a kid's recital, I'll, you know, I >> I laugh at some borderline woke stuff. And honestly, some woke comedy, it's offensive the other way talking about Trump and and sometimes I do laugh. I I I don't get angry. I don't watch comedy and get angry ever. I I'm curious what the other side's doing. I I I watch I and do their thing. I would never say, "I hope he doesn't he shouldn't make it. He shouldn't be paid." No. Do your thing. Make your money. >> And you can appreciate a good joke even if you don't agree with the premise of it. I do that all the time >> for sure. I mean, I'll laugh. And that's the thing is that people laugh at some of the people complaining about my comedy. I bet you anything did laugh. They watched it. They laughed and they go, "Oh my god, I'm so mad that I laughed." And then they, "How dare you? You're this wasn't funny." And it's like, you laugh. Just just just relax. It's >> We're in a very tumultuous world and crazy time. And the best way to get through hard times is to laugh. >> That's what soldiers do. That's what paramedics do. That's what doctors do. That's what everybody who has a tough job and a tough life does. And you know, the left needs to loosen up. Stop with the stop dying on the hill of free speech and what the other side is allowed to make jokes of what the other side is allowed to. You guys do something better. Then Canada, there was a video. It's absolutely hilarious. I don't know if you we'll show it to you later, but the CBC, which is like the BBC um made, you know, so after my show, one of my shows was canceled in Kitchener, I think, Ontario, >> now they're getting another woke comedy group, which is like a a 65year-old woman who has like 200 followers >> and like some other lady who's like not just nobody. And they're gonna do a comedy show for good. And a comedy show, it's called Laugh Good or whatever. And it's it's to to promote and it's we have 12 local comics. So complete nobodyies. And this is this is our alternative. We're giving an alternative for Ben Bankus. No, you're not. You're canceling my show and then you're saying this is what yours's allowed and then nobody's going to buy tickets. Nobody's going to go to that show. But that's fun. Let's let's that's they they almost rather have nobody show up to the show, but it's not offensive than offensive and it's sold out >> because the way they portray you is that you're this kind of edgy dark lord who lives in the recesses of the internet and the ever loads of people that I know and I would include normies under this umbrella love your stuff, share your stuff. You are the mainstream. You are far more mainstream in that sense than somebody who's like, I don't know what a woman is. >> They want to discredit me. Especially in the Canadian media, they want to make it like I I think in this video the woman was saying he is this new ragebait comedy. It's like, oh yeah, you mean like Lenny Bruce, right? >> Rage bait comedy from 1962. I mean this new phenomenon where a guy goes on stage, says something really funny about a recent topic that's sensitive and everybody laughs. They are. It's pure propaganda. They have a billion dollars behind them and I'm an independent artist and I'm Canadian getting cancelled in my own country by the Canadian Arts Council and all that those people in order to put in their terrible comics that nobody knows. And in their and they're so stupid that they think that my fans who are regular people are gonna get a refund notice on their ticket for my show and go, "Well, I'm glad. I'm glad cuz that was going to be really bad. What else is there to see?" Oh, uh, comedy two female queer comics doing a a d interpretive dance. Let's go to that instead. I mean, where are they that stupid that they really think that they're going to convince my fans who are working people, jocks, ex-hockey players, cop, uh, lawyers, professionals, business owners, they're going to go and watch an extremely far-left performance of nobody, no name comics. And this is what that, you know, people, it's like, they just think like they just bought tickets. They didn't know what they were buying tickets. No, they're my fans. There's right now 1.4 four something million between Facebook and Instagram and they want to see me. They don't want to see your crap and they're gonna all those all the venues that have tried or or or want to cancel in Canada, they're going to be begging for me to come back in a couple years when I'm, you know, and they're going to say, "We're sorry. We we got new management. We got I'm" I'm going to say, "I'm not coming back there, man. I'm not supporting a business that does that." I think you're overestimating woke people's ability to change their mind, man. >> And they're not going to change their mind. They're just going to be they're going to be kicked out because and because they >> do you really think that, Ben? Because >> you said yourself, they since they believe in communism, they don't give a [ __ ] about the money. >> They don't. But it's going to I I have faith that it will change. I mean, Pierre Polyv, maybe he'll win. If not, maybe I'll have to run. >> I'm not going to do that. We just had on the show. I know. I know. I I I listen to it and you know he I've met Pier and I really respect Pier, but he needs to win because he needs to go a little bit harder. And I've said this to a few MPs in Canada that I know because look at Trump. He went really hard. He went hard. >> Okay? >> And he won. >> So you either go hard and win or you pretend to be kind of in the middle and you lose. the people you're going to the way you're going to win an election in Canada and I mean in the states this is what happened is you're going to activate voters that never voted. Stop trying to win over you know the new the the little India. We're going to go to Little India and we're going to put on a turb the white politician puts on a turban and goes please vote for No. No. Stop it. Just say what you actually want to do. We're going to deport all these people. go into the Little India and be like, "Hey, who's here legally? Raise your hand. Who's not? Okay, get out." I'm But I'm saying that there has to be some some aggressive policy. Like, if I was to run for prime minister in Canada, I would say we're going to get rid of all wokeness in every establishment in the country that is government funded. anybody who's government funded, we are gonna if you want to be woke, you can be private and you can lose money, but the government's not going to lose money and sub subsidize something that uh like these venues. Why does the government have to subsidize a venue if they're going to cancel arbitrarily different performances and lose money? Why? We should be we should Canada should be encouraging all the best comedians in America to come to all of the venues and treat them with the utmost respect and the utmost uh be super welcoming especially if they're selling out especially if the people that the government represents who are the taxpayers are buying tickets to the venue. That's the whole their whole argument is it's a taxpayer venue. Yeah. You know who's a taxpayer? Me. >> You know who's a taxpayer? All the all the people who are going to the show. You know who isn't or barely is a taxpayer? The people complaining. Well, oh yeah, they're a taxpayer. They but they got a tax return. They're they're actually getting paid by the government. They're not a tax they're not a taxpayer. They're getting three, four, five, $6,000 at the end of the year because they they made so little money. A while back, I pushed myself in training because I'm a bit of a legend, but ended up with a back strain that took far longer to recover from than it ever used to. Nothing dramatic, just one of those moments where you realize your body isn't snapping back the way it once did. And as you get older, those moments start adding up. Turns out there's a real reason for that. Your stem cells are the repair system your body relies on. They're the internal maintenance crew that keeps you healing, recovering, and functioning. But that system slows with age. Fewer cells, weaker signals, slower bounce back. That's exactly why Qualia built their stem cell formula. It uses wellressearched ingredients like seab buckthornne and royal jelly to support your repair system so your body can keep doing what it's meant to do. And it isn't something you take every day. Just 4 days a month to help maintain your regenerative capacity over time. So if you've ever felt like your body just doesn't bounce back like it used to. Whether it's after a tough workout, getting sick, or the wear and tear of life, Qualia Stem Cell is for you. Qualia stem cell was designed to support your body's natural repair systems, helping you heal, recover, and keep going strong. And right now, you can try it for up to 50% off at qualia.com/trig. And here's a bonus. Use the code trig for an additional 15% off your order. That's quali a life.com/trig. Your body's built to repair itself. Qualia helps it to do that better. Big thanks to Qualia for sponsoring this episode. >> Would you not think uh and I honestly don't know about Canada, but when I think about the UK and there seem to be some similarities, I go I think the reason that a lot of politicians and this kind of center right don't go the Trump route is that the public are very different like the population of the country like >> or they're bought and paid for. >> But but you what I'm getting at is like there's a big cultural difference between Canada and America and America and Britain. No, >> I mean Ari Matias is this great joke. I think he went to Canada. Uh we had him on the show a while back and he just went, "It's great to be in Canada as I call it gay America, you know, like is there is >> very creative. >> Yeah. Never heard that one. >> But you know, but like if an American made that joke in Britain, there is a kernel of truth to it in that people see the world differently. people are much more they are on on the balance of things more work or at least there's more of them you know is that not fair >> what did Pierre lose by like a percentage or something like one or two% it's so close it's so 50/50 >> right >> and and that's of the people that vote which is only like 60% or 70% of the whole country >> so that 30% >> they're mostly not woke because >> woke people vote that's why they keep wedding because they're so organized and they're they got their organizations and they're in their unions and sending out emails. Oh, that was another one in Sudbury, Ontario. One of the one of my audience members told me that her union her union teachers union sent her an email saying not to attend my show. So, that's where they're at. But, um >> the teachers union >> teachers union sent an email to the teachers in Sudbury, Ontario saying do not attend the Ben Bankus comedy show. It's hatefilled. Blah blah blah. Do you know they were right? >> But you know what's interesting about teachers is that the good ones they have the darkest sense of humor because the thing Yeah. Because when I was working in schools the the stuff that you deal with on a dayto-day basis. >> Here's the thing. There aren't any good ones anymore. >> Well, the good one was the one that came to my show and ignored that. But there's no Imagine an email going out to a company or an organization saying, "Please do not attend this drag story hour." This is that can't that Oh, that's that's and even the show in Nimo that they canceled 900 seats. The next day they announced an all ages drag event. >> Literally the next day they announced it. That was their like we're so sorry that we even were about to maybe have him here. So, let's have as many gay people on stage with their penises out as possible. >> So, um the people who love my comedy are definitely, you know, most in Canada. I bet you most of them, if not 99% of them would become American like this or be okay with 51st state. And the reason is because of like what you said, they're trying so hard to convince the people on the right that you have no option. Your opinion is invalid. You're not allowed to have it. You'll be fired if you have it. You're a comedian. You like this guy. He's been cancel. We're not going to allow him to perform. And so it pushes people to be like well maybe we should just get an you know be part of America where free speech is allowed because why is why are we being pushed and pulled by the left who is not the dominant force in Canada in ter financially >> just politically >> you have a bunch of poor loser people protesting things you know like how on a scale of 1 to 10 how insane do you have to be to protest a comedy show like how like are you like do you just do that and then after you're like that was a tough day. All right, tomorrow uh we got to talk to my accountant. I got to talk to my lawyer. No, they're they're nobodyies. Right. So the answer is a Trump style thing would work well in Britain and in Canada. It's just a matter of stop being afraid that you're going to lose. Stop being afraid to lose. What I find interesting is how unaware these people are that like 40 years ago it was exactly way the other way around and it was the religious right that was protesting and cancelling comedians. I mean Bill Hicks final letterman appearance that wasn't broadcast because I think he came out as being pro- lesbian or made a joke that sounded like he was you know daddy's too like Billy's two mummies or whatever. Um and other George Carlin George Carlin wasn't being arrested because he wasn't woke enough like do you know what I mean? So, it's it's funny how the very movement and ideology that came up on this idea of like, well, artists should be free to be creative and shouldn't be restricted by the state and all, they're now doing the exact same thing. Is incredible. >> They're doing it in an even more aggressive way because it, you know, back then it had never been done. >> So, it was kind of like, where's this coming from? Why are they swearing so much? Why are they talking about vulgarity um and sex and and all these things? like when Lenny Bruce would be arrested and George Carlin and and Richard Brier and um now it's like we had the 80s and 90s and the 2000s and now all of a sudden it's let's go back. Let's actually No, no, no. All that stuff we've been doing for 30 years that people have been loving that's been making billions and billions of dollars for the entertainment industry and Hollywood and made all these stars famous and made Jimmy Kimmel famous because he was doing blackface and you know made Jimmy Fallon did black. Everybody was doing black and >> but now only those people can be famous and those people that were bad before are now the most woke and nobody can come into the industry. That's what it is because really to break out in the industry you have to be different. have to say what you really think and be yourself and yeah maybe in 20 30 years when you know maybe I'll be like you know what some of what I said was a little too far >> but that's cuz you already have money right >> you know what I'm saying so >> you've already made it >> it's uh >> and by the way you don't want to lose it there's other part of it which is like they all have to act like they're super woke even if a lot of them aren't because if you push back against this well you did blackface here's a photo on the front page of the New York Times. What are you going to do now? >> They're worth enough money to speak their mind. It's pretty I think it's now. It's just that they truly are and have been brainwashed. And I think that even millionaires who are part of the Hollywood system are being brainwick goes a little this way. I I don't know if that I don't know if that's actually happening, but if you're a late night TV show, there is some affiliation with like public policy and and and there's a reason why they're doing it. So, it's not purely money cuz they they know how much is Jimmy Hima worth? >> I don't think it's about money enough to walk status. It's about status and friendship groups and whatever. Like, you have you have a cozy life. You have your friends. you have your the golf club that you all of that bull and and people fear I think losing being ostracized by their community a lot more than they fear losing money actually or losing future earnings >> having friends is overrated if you have time to have friends you're doing something wrong I mean you I mean you're you're a friend but like it's nice to have but >> you can even say the word when you're a >> No you're not a friend >> but like you know we're not sitting on the couch playing Xbox for four hours. You know what I'm saying? Like we're adults. This is, you know, >> do I go I have a family. Once you have a family and you're working all the time, >> who's who's your friend, right? >> Nobody, >> right? >> Your agent. You know, >> you're going to find out one day that is not true. >> I know. But Well, maybe not. But I do think it's important. I mean, look, I rather be friends with people I'm paying >> because then I can fire them if >> I don't want to be friends with them anymore. >> True friendship, right? Then >> I mean, that show business friendship. But yeah, >> I think the thing is as well is that >> you know once you get to a certain point you define yourself by having the Jimmy Kimmel show. Are you really Jimmy Kimmel without the Jimmy Kimmel show? And also you see a lot of people who work in legacy media there's this fear because on a part of on a on a level they got given something. They got given an opportunity. Now to be fair to all of them they made the most of that opportunity. the show became successful, whatever, but there's still a part of it that was given to you. You were given that opportunity. No one gave the opportunity to you, Ben. >> You built it off your own back, which means that you are far more stable and secure than even the Jimmy Kimmels of this world who knows that at a split second it can be taken away from them. Well, when Jimmy Kimmel made the comments about uh Charlie Kirk and they took his show off the air and it was this whole like fake thing where it's like cancel culture is coming to the you know the Trump shut it down and then he was back on the air two days later. >> Mhm. >> So it was never like he was shut down. It was never like he stopped getting paid. It was all fake. Now here's my question to Jimmy Kimmel. You think that there's a a lack of freedom of speech for people on the left? Well, how about change your show all of a sudden and go completely right and you know just go like gutfeld be on the right. See what happens. See what happens. Will your speech be taken away? Cuz that's the true test. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. >> Number one, >> it might they might question it until the viewership goes up. Gotfeld gets more views than than all of those other late night TV shows. Why? Because because he's he's not lying. I I don't even think some of the people like the Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy this and Jimmy that they don't even believe the stuff they're pushing. Like you said, they're they're just they're doing a job and um they're doing it well >> in the sense that they'll cry on they'll cry. >> They'll cry on command if they got to prove their point. Or maybe maybe they do believe it. I don't know. But the point is, if they switched up and tried to become right-wing, they would have their speech taken away very quickly by those uh networks in my opinion. >> But it's also it's not about being rightwing, it's just about being honest. You see sometimes they present these stories and you go, "Nobody believes this. The vast majority of people don't believe this." And if you're not prepared to take risks in a creative industry as an artist, you're done. Yeah, >> it doesn't matter. Even if you're doing observational material, you still need to take risks. >> I just don't understand this whole thing is like people like it's like you're not allowed to say it's right-wing, but the left is allowed to say it's rightwing. You know what I'm saying? So like they'll they'll look at my comedy and go it's far right. It's anti-woke. It's a But if you yourself are like right-wing openly, then it's like, you know, you're not allowed to do that. what why can't we the the right if they want to continue being in power in America and if they want to be in power in Europe and and stuff like that they have to kind of unfortunately use some of the tactics of the left at least in being loud and and annoying um to win because otherwise the other side will just be louder and more annoying with less people and you know it's like you're not allowed to say at a workplace if you work for a bank and you're in the office and you You know what? I like ICE. Let's get rid of more people. I think they shouldn't be here. That's not allowed. You could be fired. But if you come in and say we need to get rid of ICE, I would I think we need to go around and round up the ICE agents and put them in jail and take away their rights. That's fine. So that's not right. And generally my comedy is existing for the people who are frustrated about that to have some cathartic relief and laugh about the current state of the lack of freedom of speech. and they should be allowed to do it. They should be allowed to go to the show. They should be allowed to laugh at it. And if they're not, then it's getting more serious. You know, it's it's they're the the left is making this more serious than it has to be. They they claim some of the the Naimo BC, we're canceling the show for the safety of the community. It's a comedy show. What safety are you worried about? Well, we're worried that some of the words in there are going to raise. Everybody laughing at those jokes already agrees with those things. So, you're just saying that they're not allowed to agree or they're not allowed to laugh. And now you're actually making it more dangerous because now you have 900 people who live in your community. You can favorite thing that they were going to go do. Now they're pissed off. Now, they might go out into the community and say something crazy to uh who knows what at some bus stop and be like, you know, start instead of biting their tongue, if they went to my show and laughed about it, they'd look at it and just go, "Whatever." >> But I would I would disagree with what you said that say that they agree with your points of view. One of my favorite comedians who you probably have never heard of is a guy called Jerry Sadawitz. Jerry Sadawitz is one of the most brilliant comedians to ever grace the stage. He's brilliant. And what Jerry Sadawitz does is he plays this character of the most pathetic, awful human being that you could ever see. He is the lowest of the low. And because of that, he does jokes about everyone that are really dark, really hateful, really offensive. He got cancelled from the Edera Festival because, you know, people got upset, you know, the standard stuff. I don't agree with what Jerry Sadit says. I go to watch Jerry Sawit. >> Why does everybody have to say that? No, no, no, no, no. Agree with no France making a >> different I don't know what these jokes were. >> The point he's trying to make is Jerry Sandowitz is not expressing his opinion on stage. He's telling jokes and there's a big difference. A character telling jokes and a person expressing their opinions. Now in your case, I think they're much more closely aligned, but Franc's point is sometimes it's just a joke. So for instance, one of Jerry Sadawitz's jokes is uh Gary Glitter is the greatest rock star of our generation. He should be allowed to who he wants, when he wants, how he wants. Gary Glitter is a pedophile who got arrested in Thailand. >> But but the whole purpose of Jerry is that I'm going to say the most dark, outrageous, awful stuff, which is indefensible on any level, >> but I'm going to express it beautifully. I'm going to write it immaculately and I'm going to deliver it phenomenally well so that you have to laugh despite you know you knowing full well that what I'm saying >> might have already walked out of the shop >> is awful. But do you see what I mean? You know how at the beginning of every year people say this is a year things change then by February everything looks the same. If you've been sitting on a business idea for months or even years 2026 is your line in the sand. The most common thing that separates people who talk about building something from the people who actually do it is taking the first step. And if you want this to be the year you finally launch, the smartest move you can make is starting your business with Shopify. 2026 is the year you launch your business. The year you transform into an entrepreneur, founder, or boss. One powerful move puts your future firmly in your hands. Starting a business with Shopify. Maybe you've got a product you can't stop thinking about. A skill everyone tells you to monetize or a store you've already imagined in your head. Shopify is how you make that real. Shopify provides everything you need to sell online and in person. Millions of entrepreneurs have already made this leap. From household names to people launching their first ever business. Shopify gives you all the tools to build your dream store easily. You can choose from hundreds of beautiful templates and customize everything to match your brand. Setup is fast thank to Shopify's built-in AI tools. They write product descriptions and headlines for you and even help you edit your product photos. Marketing is builtin, too. You can create email and social campaigns that reach customers wherever they scroll. As you grow, Shopify grows with you. Handle more orders, expand into new markets, and manage everything from one simple dashboard. In 2026, stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for your one pound a month trial and start selling today at shopify.co.uk/trigger. Go to shopify.co.uk/trigger. That's shopify.co.uk/trigger. >> I say things that I don't mean. Every comic does that. I mean, some of the things I do mean, but like not to the extreme of like, you know, the Renee good. Do I think it was actually good? No. And I talk about it's like her name was good. That's why it's funny. >> Yeah. if her name was, you know, what some other random last name and you just said, "I'm glad." Like, it doesn't good. It doesn't make sense. So, yeah, of course, the jokes, you know, are are exaggerated over the top. But to laugh at them, you have to be in agreeance with something. You have to be in agreeance with me that I'm telling you a joke and that you're not going to to to to be offended at it. You don't necessarily have to agree politically, but you have to agree to something. You're you're making when you go into a comedy show, there's a there's an unwritten un contract of I'm going to tell the jokes and if you don't like it, you don't have to laugh. If you really don't like it, you can leave. You can't yell out. You can't cause problems during the show. But if I and and you understand that I am joking. You know what I'm saying? >> Do you get a lot of people heckling you? >> Uh yeah, normal amount. I get a lot people are really excited for my shows. They get really drunk. they get really drunk and then I you know they they end up actling um but they love me. You know what I'm saying? And then I have Yeah. If I go to a random place and do a show, somebody might freak out and get mad and >> um >> but you know, I just don't understand this whole like it's like why do you have to explain that you're like that pedophile joke? It's like why do you have to explain that you're against it? Like it's like obviously >> you know what I'm saying? Like I I do Epstein jokes and it's like somebody got mad at Mothership. I made a joke and I because I was saying that um you know whatever that he was a good guy you know so why is that but it's funny because it's obviously not true >> you know what I'm saying >> now some of my jokes are funny because they are true >> or maybe maybe Epstein was a good guy I don't know >> but you know like people he made jokes about indigenous people in Canada so you're not allowed to you're not allowed to talk about a group of Canadians that I'm I'm born and raised in Canada grew up with the whole learn the history blah blah blah and I still can't make a joke. Well, if you knew the history, you'd know it's not funny. Give me a freaking break. Let me deal with what's funny. You deal with what's serious. You know what I'm saying? Or I'll have to come over there and tell you what's serious and then they won't like that. That won't be very funny. >> I don't imagine they will. >> No, they'll be scaredless. If I was in power in Canada, full power, you'd be scaredless of me. >> I mean, you've got a glint in your eye when when you say that. I'm going to have to do it. I'm going to have to maybe 10 10 15 years from now. We'll see. But >> how did Canada get in this mess? This is a question that I've actually wanted to ask can Canadians. >> I mean, the same look at Europe. It's in the same problem. >> Do you think it's the same problem? >> Yeah. Well, it's the same. >> What's the problem? >> Civilization. >> The problem is overmpathy and feeling bad for people that we shouldn't feel bad for. and you know letting in millions and millions of immigrants into the country that have completely different views, hate the West, want to change the West, want to implement Sharia law, want to implement um you know, okay, we'll split up the West basically. Okay, this is the Sharia part, this is the LGBTQ plus uh trans part. Uh this is the uh Hindu part and then there's a little sliver for the people who yeah, you remember your country. This is where you go. So, and when you do that and you have people in power, so that the LGBTQ plus people created all these woke rules that now ultra uh is like Islamists are taking advantage of, >> right? So, their rules were originally like we're just gay. We just want to be gay and we don't want anybody to make fun of us and we don't want to get our feelings hurt. We want to be able to shake our dates in front of kids and do drag queen story hour and all this stuff. And then the Islamists are like coming in going, "Oh my god, if they're falling for this, they'll fall for our stuff, you know, that if if oh, and then they can say whatever they want." And anybody who says anything to me, that's discrimination based on the laws that the gay people pass. And now, so it's and and another reason that all this nonsense because normal regular people are busy doing comedy and podcasts instead of politics because we don't want to. We we thought we could just live in a country and be successful and follow our dreams and the people who didn't think that was the case are now in power, >> right? >> So, they don't want you to live your life. They want to be in your they want to be in your business 24. >> We need to make being in politics cool again for the cool people. And the cool people might need to go back into politics and start saying what they really want to say and pushing what they really want instead of just being at home shaking their head going, "Oh, this is horrible." Anyway, got to go to work. >> Yeah, it's a good point. Actually, we need to get back to the era of JFK where you could basically be a cool president and have sex with Marilyn Monroe. >> Nothing wrong with it. Nothing wrong with being a cool president. Nothing wrong with being a cool prime minister. Um, and and you know, Kier Starmer is so not that and he's so he's so aggressively uh so aggressively woke and so you know, I've never seen him laugh or smile. He takes everything super seriously. Everything is Hello to the British people. This is one of the worst. There's no fun. Where's the fun? When's the last time a politician talked about have fun? When's the last time a politician said we need to care about families and worry about the the health and longevity and the love? The left has hijacked love. They now like bad bunny I am against I am love is stronger than hate. >> First of all, no it's not. >> But second of all, >> yeah, historically speaking, I think you're you're on to something. But why does the community who aborts kids wants to transes their kids uh doesn't really or doesn't have kids or doesn't want kids. Why are they the community of love and it's all about what's when they when the left says love what they really mean is allowing illegal immigration to happen unfettered. Nobody should check it. uh love is that uh you know we have to loving our trans community and loving what about but the the left the the right is the one who actually loves they love their family they love their country they would die for their country die for their family protect their f like I have kids I love my kids you're telling me that the love that the LGBTQ plus community has for each other is stronger than the love that people have for their children like what are we doing here. >> They're not the arbiter of truth. They're not the arbiter of love. And if anything, the left is the hateful, evil side of things now that has disregarded God. I mean, you don't have to be religious to believe in God. You don't have to be. We're on a rock spinning in the middle of a a galaxy in a universe we don't understand, swimming in some sort of soup that we're all in, that we can't see, that we breathe in. Something insane is going on on Earth. And when you're thinking about these trivial well, he said a joke that I didn't like. And does he not know how serious it is that women historically have been marginalized? You don't. We're in a universe. Like you could do anything. You could become an astronaut. You could invent something. You can become the next Elon. You can >> But they hate that. >> But this is where you're wrong though. This is where you're wrong. They can't become the next Elon because becoming the next Elen is hard. You got to be smart. You got to work hard. You got to take big risks. >> They can. They just don't want to. >> I don't think they even can. They They neither want to nor do they have the talent, which is why they sit in the corner and I can't believe he said that because it's so I'm >> trying to give them better than No, but this is what I don't I I did a debate with this Destiny guy and I met some of his audience and this it radicalized me. Uh cuz because these people they just they they don't like you said they don't want to do the work that it takes to achieve anything. But a lot of them also maybe just and can't and so they are stuck in Loserville and because of that they hate everyone who isn't >> well that's why they side with Hamas they side with like terrorist organizations because like you said they feel that well I'm not going I can't become anything so let's just burn it all down and let's just you know uh let's let's not like you know I hate Elon because he's a billionaire and because he works and I hate this person and I hate that person. It's like, you know, if you're if you're not waking up every day going, how do I become more successful or how do I fix something? How do I improve my life? Improving your own life will do more for the country than marching around with a sign uh trying to get a comedy show canceled or trying to get anything canled. And that goes for both sides. Like if you're on the right and you really you're you're out of protest, I get it. But like, be successful. Start a business. Buy some pool cleaning equipment. >> Uh, clean your room. >> Clean your room. But I'm saying buy some pool cleaning equipment and create a pool business that cleans pools and do something. It's It's not that hard to start a business than to be successful. And my message to the left is the opposite of yours in a way that because I want them to snap out of it. I do think they're capable of doing great things, but they have to put down the sign, push the put down the phone, and focus on something. And I'm I know I and I sound like a parent, maybe a parent that they never had or the parent they did have that they resent, but this is what's going on right now is the right needs to parent the left and they need to basically say, "Hey, like you said, this no, you're ruining the country. you're destroying everything. You have to stop. And if they don't, what what do we do? What is the consequence? We just have no more uh you know, Canada will have no comedy shows, cancel everything, unless you're a government funded comedian like in the Soviet Union. Like my dad, he's a he's from the Soviet Union, former Soviet Union, Lithuania. >> And he talks when he watches the CBC in Canada, he goes, "This is Soviet." like the level of propaganda. It's It's legit. So, no, comedy is comedy. If you don't like it, don't go. Uh, and as for everything else, I show me one thing where the left has improved anything. Like one thing, >> the coffee. >> That's true. >> It's coffee. Look, I'm Look, it's >> at the very end at after all the uh the human trafficking and and the and the in the Colombian forest jungle and the children picking at the tree and the bing bing bing and then and then finally and and then it's processed by at a plant with a bunch of probably Republican people working at it and it and the company's and then finally in the last second some woke person goes, "Do you want uh do you want Americano or do you want cow milk. Okay. Yeah. But you can't deny it. Conservatives are terrible at making coffee. And also they're terrible at making movies. >> And they're terrible at making breakfast. >> Really? >> Yeah. Conservative breakfast are terrible. >> What's a conservative breakfast? >> Oh, you know, it's heavy and it's stodgy and it's >> What about the English breakfast? Surely that's conservative because it's traditional, right? The English. Have you ever had an English? You look like you've had >> You You look like you enjoy an English breakfast. >> What is it? >> What do you mean? >> Get out. Get out. >> No, it's like tea and crumpets, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. Tea and Well, no, it's it's it's it's black pudding, >> sausage, egg, bacon, baked beans, hash brown, all that good stuff. >> Yeah, I've had that. That's a conservative breakfast. Surely. >> Yeah. When you come to basically Canada Mark 2, which is a >> movies have conservatives made that are bad or >> because the push back to that is Clint Eastwood is a conservative. >> He's made some great movies. >> Yeah. >> The issue is that conservatives don't want to make movies. The ones that would be good at it are making money doing something else, owning a, you know, a a some random company that does pool cleaning or, you know, >> and they never they just made their money. They're like, I'm not going to get into movies. >> You know what my hope is? Is that we reached the peak of this in politics with Justin Trudeau, who was the wokest of the woke of the woke. And you talk about Canada and I think what we're doing is we're not being really honest in a way because your population voted for Trudeau. Who was the literal worst? You know what was what what did he say once when he went our men and he said a woman or woman? >> That wasn't him though. >> Wasn't it him? >> No. Some American senator. >> Mailin ballot. I mean I'm not a conspiracy guy fully but I know that mailin ballots were huge in that election um because it was co You know, Pierre Polyv again, he didn't push hard enough. He should have. He didn't push hard enough against everything. And he made a lot of conservatives vote for this other party that is like more right >> and that's why they lost because if they had not had that other party, they would have voted for him and he would have won. So, um the idea that everybody supported him is not true. the the people who vote he won from the people who vote. The people who don't vote didn't vote. Why didn't they vote? Well, because the Conservative guy didn't make them want to vote. >> I mean, that's absolutely fair. Do you think that we're going to see Canada get better? Do Do you have hope for Canada? >> I have hope. I think that me doing my shows is helping. I I mean, I I I do because when they happen, it gives people hope. They cancelled two and then and then we're still going to do three or I just did this weekend of six sold out in Niagara Falls and then sold out in Lethbridge, Alberta. Sold out in Cranbrook, BC, sold out in Campbell River, BC, sold out in Colona, BC. And when those shows happen, people see it and they feel hope um that that the country is is what it used to be. And when and they think that they're going to cancel shows and it's somehow going to like get rid of me. It's like you're literally, you know, making me bigger. You're making me more people who haven't heard of me go, "Who are these people complaining about? These people that I hate. Who are they complaining about?" Then they see it's me and they go, "Oh, I love him. Oh, I can't believe I never heard of this guy. Where's when is he performing? Okay, I'm going to go get tickets." So, yeah. Thank you to the haters and keep keep billing the venues. you know, do your thing and try to they're trying to get the shows canceled because they have nothing better to do and really what they're doing is me a huge favor. So, If you didn't understand that, but you want to, then listen up. If you did, apologies. I'm about to repeat myself. If you learn a language only from a book, you're going to hit a ceiling. What actually changes everything is hearing how people really speak in real situations. That's why I genuinely recommend Lingo Pie. I'm fluent in Spanish and immersion is what got me there, not textbooks. Lingo Pie is built around that same idea. You learn by watching real TV shows and movies. And while you're watching, the subtitles are interactive. You can click any word for an instant translation. Save it automatically and later review it with flashcards, quizzes, and pronunciation tools. Lingo Pi turns passive watching into active learning without making it feel like studying. And I'll give you an example of what I've been watching. There's a Venezuelan adaptation of Wthering Heights on there called Kumbres Borascosas. So yes, I'm quietly working my way through a Spanish language gothic romance. It's dramatic, intense, very emotional, bit like my love life. And it's brilliant for picking up the kinds of expressions and turns of phrase you never meet in a textbook. You start noticing how people actually argue, confess things, exaggerate, all in real Spanish at full speed. They've got 3,000 plus shows and movies across 14 languages. And you can use it on your phone, laptop, or TV, which makes sticking with it much easier. And consistency is the whole game. If you want to learn a language the way people actually speak it, click the link in the description for 55% off an annual plan. If you want to understand the language the way it's actually spoken, this is one of the best ways to do it I've ever seen. So once again, click the link in the description or go to learn.ingopi.com/trigonometry because the concern is Ben is that the people who are entrepreneurial, the people who are on the right, the people who want to achieve things, build things, they're going to leave Canada because quite frankly, why would you stay? >> They already have. A lot of them already have. >> Um I mean I ran into I mean when I'm in Canada I do get recognized on the street. I ran into two people in Yorkville um just crossing the street and the one guy was a young guy, tall guy and he was like, "Love everything you're doing, you know, thank you for for being brave enough to just do what you're doing." And um and he's like, "You live in the States mostly." I'm like, "Yeah." He's like, "Man, I was just in Scottdale. So nice. It's so good. I just I want to get down." everybody wants to go. Um because they're the regular normal people who aren't woke can't handle it anymore. And that's part of the part of the goal of the woke in my opinion is to make it so horrible that the people they hate leave, which is successful people. >> Who's going to pay all the taxes when that happens? >> They don't care. They just borrow money. It's all fake. >> They just keep borrowing from whoever in China and they do that. they have some system where they they buy the bonds back from themselves and to print the money and it I for I don't know I'm not a finance but I know that it's not good it's not sustainable but they want this this world and then they have more crime and more poverty and more starvation and all these problems and then they have eventually they're going to have nobody but themselves to blame. So, it might maybe it will be a 30-year thing where they go full full communist and everybody any dissenters are either arrested or have to leave and then um when finally the new generation of woke people go wait a second why is everything like this I don't like this then it'll change because the people now are brainwashed to the extreme they are the people who and like you said there's more of them I don't know if there's more but they're they're loud And they're super brainwashed and they believe it so much that they they'll do anything they'll do anything to shut things down including violence because it's so bizarre because Canada should be one of the most successful richest nations on the planet. When you look at the resources that you have, you should be literally top five, top six, richest nations and you look at the population as well who are educated. Your universities are incredibly prestigious. You've got literally everything. >> They've all been infiltrated. All the universities are infiltrated by China and super I mean part of ultra woke is China. I believe >> that they they knew they knew they studied how do we destroy the west and they go let's woke and then >> um Ben you can't do the ch without doing the action come on >> we need to make the gay people in charge of the country and then fill the country with mushroom and then then we can have control of the farm r but that's really the um what they want is is is control. It's all about control. part of the apology stuff and not like for why did they cancel all those pipelines where they could have been pumping gas to the entire world and Canada could have been a leader in natural gas and oil production or whatever getting it out of the ground because of woke because it's environmentally not friendly and because the indigenous people and because of this and it's like but although the environment and the indigenous people would be better taken care of if Canada was rich. It's the same thing. Like it's like it's the same I'm going to hold the sign up and say I'm for this instead of I'm going to forget about all that, focus on my business, get rich, and then maybe have an opinion about something once I'm a prominent individual. So Canada decided, let's not be a prominent country. Let's stand up for all these uh BS woke takes. So there's no pipeline. Now they're giving all the land back to the indigenous people that are already impoverished. And sorry to say, a lot of them are, you know, it's they're not in great shape. And what is the reason for that? They've been given billions of dollars. Why are they not in great shape? Oh, well, they need the land back. Okay, here's the land. Oh, they're still not in great shape. What do they need? Well, they need to make sure that there's no freedom of speech so nobody can talk badly about them. And then they'll be okay. And then they're destroying good countries. And it's coming from these people who are brainwashed maybe by China, maybe you know the the Tik Toks. I don't know what it is, but I'm against it. I want Canada to be a great safe amazing place to raise your families to you should be able to have the schools should not be filled with political >> stuff and political I mean transgender ideology and all that stuff which imagine having to learn about transgender ideology a week after there was a trans person who shot up to school and there's people dead and then the next the first class back like well we need to first of all let's acknowledge the land we're on It's all fake. It's all meant to make you insane. It's all meant to make you angry so that you hopefully I think their main goal is that you do something crazy and then they can really now we're trapped. >> Well, you mentioned a good place for families. How are you finding being a dad? >> I love being a dad. I think everybody should be a parent. I think that you grow up. And a lot of these people who are out there protesting who have no kids, no nothing, no job, no no responsibilities. It's like you didn't grow up. Once you have a kid, that's when you have your own kid, you deal with your own, you know, traumas as from when you grew up or whatever. Like you remember, oh, that's why my dad was mad because this and that. Everything starts to make sense. You you It's healing. It's a healing thing to have your own family and and these people who want to destroy that and take away, you know, first of all, the first way they destroy it, well, women need to work, too. They want women's rights, but what they really mean is they want women to work as hard as men and then also be taken care of like they're women. It's like, you can't have both. You can't have both. And women like staying at home and and taking care of kids. I guess not all women do. I guess >> some women, >> not all women, >> not all women. But you there's nobody's forcing you to do that. But people are forcing other people >> to go to work because uh because the the economy is getting so horrible that it's like you can't in Canada at least, you can't do it. In America, you can't. There's more and more uh state moms every day. >> Well, the evidence is very clear. Statistically speaking, most women would prefer the opportunity to stay at home with their kids for a lot longer than they get to. >> And now there's these like, you know, women in their 50s and they're like, "My kids, I just don't know what happened to them. They were so sweet." What happened is you didn't stay home and you sent them to some school and you and you made a false reality of what they're working towards and their whole goal is to get 85 average so they can get into some university so that they can go there and have sex with a million people and then they and then after that they can hopefully go into the workforce and then hopefully they meet a guy by 35 and then hope it's all bull. The reason why people used to get married so young, I think, and why it makes more sense is because you actually can love somebody then, >> you know, like think about your first and second, you know, loves versus, you know, dating in your 30s or dating in your 40s or 50s. That's why those marriages lasted. They met young. They had kids young. They grew up in their 20s. They didn't grow up in their 40s. Like now it's like people are I'm adulting. You're 43. like you should have had a kid at 20. I mean, I wish I had kids earlier and I had a kid at 30, >> but I would have maybe, you know, maybe it was the right time, but either way, 30 is still young nowadays. But my message to people who love me and love my comedy is thank you. Love yourself. Forget about these people. Do what you need to do. Stand up. Don't forget about them in the sense that don't let them ruin your day. But if you're if you need to stand up to somebody or say something in public, like do it. Don't break the law. >> But like if if somebody's clearly woke and has a mask on and is like causing a scene, be like, "Hey, tell them people don't agree with you. You should know that." People need to people need to to tell people that are pushing this ideology that they're wrong to their face because they don't they don't go out and see that. They they're so protected. M >> from getting the other opinion online. Oh, no. Block block. Oh, I don't look at any of that stuff. I you know, even some of the announcements, they'll they'll make an announcement uh you know, trying to get we we here at the Homosexual Society of whatever town or trying to get Ben Bankers to show and then the first comment is we have muted comments to protect the members of the LG. What do we So there's no debate. There's no debate. Have a debate. I I I'm on the verge I was thinking like maybe I in some of these towns like should I just do a show where I invite people who hate me on stage and like debate them or something like those shows would that make them not what like maybe like don't cancel the show you can come you can come and go on stage and try to debate me in front of my crowd see how it works >> I can see why you'd want to do that >> it would be really fun get some good clips >> yeah for you it'd be fun >> for them it'd be horrible but that's the point that's the Hey, cuz they want attention. Okay, let's give you attention. >> And do do you have any uh any funny thoughts on Iran and what's happening there? >> I mean, only horrible thoughts. All right, next. >> Funny thoughts on Iran. There's, you know, people are against it. I I don't I don't know. I think that we need to blow some people up. >> Listen, that's a very MA point of view. Ma loves the war. >> Yeah. Well, not all of it, but look, >> 85% of America >> I've been saying we should blow somebody like we should blow up everybody because they don't like us. >> Well, they want to blow us up, but we're not. It's the same thing. It's like woke. It's like you you can make fun of me, but if I make fun of you, oh, that's bad. So, and I guess it's different because people are dying. Apparently. Um, >> so you're not pro Ayatollah? >> I'm not pro Ayatollah. >> He's kind of dead, so it's hard to be >> pro. Look, this was something that was going to happen whether it was now or in 20 years or in 50 years. >> You can't have Iran having nuclear weapons, but the rest of it is complicated. >> Also, I mean, this is my intellectual >> people on the left supported the war in Ukraine. >> They support Ukraine against Russia. >> They want Ukraine to win. They still have the Ukrainian thing in their bio >> and they go, "America needs to step up and help us." They and we, America did. I mean, I say we because I live here, not because I'm American, >> but I mean, Canada helped, too. They sent some helmets. But America gave billions, right? Or trillions to the Ukraine push to fight back against Russia. And it's not enough. And the Europeans are saying, "It's not enough. We need to do more." So America goes, "All right, let's blow the out of Iran." Cuz they're giving Russia >> That actually helps Ukraine massively. >> It's huge, >> right? Because the Iranians can't send their drones to >> Iranians are sending >> military equipment to Russia. They're sending uh energy, gas, oil, everything to Russia. They are they support Russia. America goes in, blows out of Iran, and everybody's like, "This is an illegal war." It's like, but we're helping the guy. This is how we You got to think outside the box. What are we just going to go into full force into Ukraine and get all of Europe nuked? No, let's go in and attack their weakest their weakest ally that's supplying them with stuff. So, the Democrats should be happy. And secretly, some of them know this and they're going, "Oh [ __ ] this actually does help the Ukraine poll." And and you know, Zilinski's on board with it. And and here Starmer goes he somebody he probably realized this two two days too late cuz the first day he's like we did not stand with them because we want to make sure the Muslims don't riot here. >> And then two days later he goes uh oh this is good for Ukraine. We got to let's join in. And he goes we're going to join and and Trump goes we don't need uh allies jumping in when we already won the war. >> And it's such an interesting thing to see that. So America played it so good. Trump played it so good that the Europeans, where is America helping us with Ukraine? We need the help billions of dollars from UK. And America was saying, spend your own money more. You need to up your military budget. They weren't doing it. And then finally America goes, "Okay, well I'm going to help you, but in a different way. Are you going to help me?" And they go, "No." So the countries want help from America to fight off Russia, but they won't help America to fight off Russia in an out of the box way because they're not smart enough to realize what's going on. There's a lot of highlevel stuff going on and a lot of smart people are behind closed doors. And I think they have a I think they got a hold of it. I think uh sec Mr. Secretary of War Pete Hagsath is is also very very good. He's he's a he's a genius uh in in some ways. I know that people would disagree with that and hey, don't judge a book by its cover, but he's uh not that he I mean people think he they're like he's not like he's clearly smart. He knows what he's doing and I have faith in those people and if if it goes wrong I would say something or if I disagreed I would say something but so far the only thing I disagree with in the Iran war is the amount of fake news that the left like are they're supporting this AI like fake wars footage and being like look Israel's getting pounded. It's like that's literally AI. >> Like you guys have lost your minds. You're literally posting AI and pretending like something's happening that's not. So that's bad. >> Ben, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the show. Finally, >> say it with a straight face. >> Yeah. >> Like, holy, >> that's really Ben Mag Vegas. >> Uh, final question is always the same. What's the one thing we're not talking about that we really should be? >> Before Ben answers the final question at the end of the interview, make sure to go to triggerpod.co.uk where you'll see this. Are there things you poke fun at in the relatively safe surroundings of Austin that you might be a little more circumspect of in the woke environ of Toronto? >> Who would Muslim extremists have to kill for you to believe that their intentions are are benevolent? >> What's the one thing we're not talking about that we really should be? >> Uh, Jews. We didn't talk about the Jews enough. >> Quite a lot of people talk about Jews nowadays. >> Yeah. Um, >> you you're Jewish background, right? >> No. you won't admit to in the current climate. I >> mean, my dad was uh Jew like he's not religious either. Jewish. >> He's not Yeah, he's not religious, but he was >> born in Lithuania right after the Second World War. >> So, his parents used to be >> a little bit more than bored. >> Born. Oh, born. >> Yeah, I was born. >> I was just bored. >> Yeah. >> No, >> look, people my opinions people can't handle my opinion, but my opinion is that for the most Jews created a lot of good things that we use today and and I I don't I I don't hate them. I think that that's controversial to say. I don't hate Jews at all. >> I like them. People are going to be mad about this. >> Are they Jews? >> I do. I think a lot of >> No, no, I agree with you. I I said, "Are are there a lot of people are going to be mad about this?" You think? >> I don't know. I get sometimes people are like like I'll have like the best bit and they'll be like, "Was funny, but then I researched and found out he's a Jew, so not funny." It's like, "What is that even?" And I'm not I don't go to synagogue. I don't know how to speak Hebrew. I don't know anything. Um, >> are you good with money? >> I mean, I'm making money. >> There you go. And that's the most important thing in this world is to take care of yourself and your family and to have faith in some sort of higher power because you you're going to need that. You're going to need that. If you're fighting off millions of people who hate you, you're going to need the power of the universe to do that. And my goal is to become the biggest comic in the world. So >> prime minister of Canada. >> Well, that's the same thing. But if I have to become to become prime minister, you got to become Canada's never had a famous pre already famous prime minister besides Trudeau, >> but he wasn't famous for something he did himself. Um, so maybe that's maybe that's the future. But for now, we're going to sell out everything and we're going to have a my shows people have the best time of their lives. So we'll see you there. >> Well, you're doing very well, man. So congratulations and thanks for coming on. Head on over to triggerpod.co.uk where we ask Ben your questions. >> What conversations have you had with other comedians that have experienced cancellation? I.e. Shane Gillis, Tony Hinchcliffe, etc. Have they given you any advice? >> This is behind the pay wall. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.

Triggernometry is proudly independent. Thanks to the sponsors below for making that possible: - We use Ground News to escape the echo chamber and stay fully informed. Go to https://ground.news/triggernometry to save 40% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan. - Qualia Stem Cell. Go to https://Qualialife.com/TRIG for up to 50% off AND use code TRIG at checkout for an additional 15% off. - Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.co.uk/trigger/ - Lingopie: immersive language learning. Get 55% off an annual plan https://learn.lingopie.com/triggernometry Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Substack! https://triggernometry.substack.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Shop Merch here - https://shop.triggerpod.co.uk/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media: https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry: Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians. 00:00 Trailer 04:35 Immigration and ICE 09:15 Why I was Cancelled 13:40 Free Speech in the Canadian Comedy Scene 16:42 Advert – Ground News 21:55 Comedy, Anger, and Online Outrage 26:15 Canadian Media Attacks and Smear Campaigns 31:00 Advert – Qualia Stem Cell Formula 34:40 Canada vs US Free Speech Culture 39:00 From Religious Right to Woke Censorship 44:20 Hollywood, Late Night, and Conformity 48:55 Advert – Shopify 51:20 Current State of Comedy 57:20 Hecklers, Fans, and Live Shows 01:03:30 Offensive Comedy Through History 01:09:10 Cancel Culture and Media Narratives 01:15:00 Politics, Trump, and Culture Wars 01:21:30 What's The One Thing We're Not Talking About That We Should Be