Laugh Factory Gives $100K to Funniest Person in the World

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Comedy went global for an all foreign line-up (to this American writer) in the winners’ circle at the 2016 Laugh Factory Funniest Person in the World competition.

Earlier in December, the contest was held as a bona fide event, with parades and everything, in past victor Ismo Leikola’s hometown of Helsinki. Malaysia’s Harith Iskander brought home the title this time, and $100,000. Not only did Iskander beat out 85 other comedians from 56 countries, but his win ensured the next competition will be held in Malaysia in 2018. Despite this being only the second biennial competition, over 70 million viewers voted for their victor. Viewers also awarded Philippine comedian Alex Calleja with second place and Greece’s Katerina Vrana a third place finish. The last two spots in the top five were for Israel’s David Kilmnick and Mino van Nassau of India.

Laugh Factory sought to bring the world closer by showcasing talent from all corners. Representation from Pakistan, Finland and so, so many other countries presented comedians you may not otherwise have the opportunity to find, with their videos still airing on the Laugh Factory YouTube channel. At the competition’s start, competitors were set in showdowns with other comedians from their home country. Then, those victors took on one another until audiences picked a champion. Videos amassed millions of view, an interesting footnote to cultural relativity in comedy overcoming barriers of understanding or recognition. Besides that, the contest seeks to overcome a lot of how awful the world can be with the Laugh Factory’s statement for their winner being to, “act as an alternative ambassador for peace, the kind that brings diplomacy and builds bridges between countries and nations through smiles and laughter.”

That genuinely lovely sentiment plus all profits going to charity and all 20 finalists receiving impressive cash prizes is a pretty awesome legacy for the fledgling tournament. See ya in 2018 in Malaysia, funniest person in the world (whoever you are).

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