FILE - In this Nov. 20, 2006, file photo, Jamie Masada, owner of the venerable Hollywood nightclub The Laugh Factory, speaks at the club in West Hollywood, Calif. It was this summer and Israeli-Palestinian tensions were at the highest they'd been in some time when Masada hit on a formula for world peace: Forget about guns and bombs, and just tell jokes to each other. He knew it'd be a challenge to bring together people from across the world who dislike each other, and hope they will laugh at each other. And yet, that's what he's trying to do with what he calls the first Funniest Person in the World competition. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
October 19, 2014 - 8:48 AM
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - It was last summer and Israeli-Palestinian tensions were at their highest when Los Angeles comedy entrepreneur Jamie Masada hit on a formula for world peace: Forget about guns and bombs, just tell jokes to each other.
So Masada scoured joke festivals from the Middle East to Asia in search of people to take part in Monday night's Funniest Person in the World competition at his Laugh Factory nightclub in Hollywood.
Five finalists selected by online voters will advance to a championship round Friday at the Las Vegas Laugh Factory.
The winner of that stand-up showdown will be crowned world's funniest person.
Masada admits his plan might seem funny to some people.
But he figures if we can laugh at each other's foibles we won't want to fight each other.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014