Mark Simmons, a comedian, has won the prestigious award for telling the best joke at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. However, he admits that it’s not his favourite. This joke won him the award: “I thought I was dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.” Simmons is a regular panellist on “Mock the Week” and is now in his 10th year at the Fringe. The joke has made him famous, but Simmons says it doesn’t quite fit his preferred style of humour.
Simmons, who is known for his quick puns and clever wordplay, said that the winning joke is well-written, but it’s not the kind of joke that makes him laugh the most. “That’s probably the best one I could have written down,” he said. “But I like jokes where you lead them in a certain direction and then surprise them with a nice twist.” Simmons’s overall style of comedy includes teasing people in a certain way before delivering a punchline that turns their expectations on their heads.
Behind the laughs: Mark Simmons’ award-winning joke wasn’t his top pick, but the audience loved it!
The Fringe, which is known for having a wide range of performances and new artists, has always been a place where comedians try out their material and see what works with audiences. Getting the award for the best joke is a big deal, especially when you think about how many performers there were at the festival. Simmons, on the other hand, loves the subtleties of humour, so the joke’s popularity is both good and bad for him. It shows how good he is at making a memorable punchline, but it also shows how difficult it is to balance personal happiness with pleasing others.
Simmons’s mixed feelings about the winning joke are a big part of a larger conversation about what makes a joke great. For many comedians, the best jokes aren’t just the ones that make people laugh the most; they’re also the ones that show off their unique style of humour. Simmons’ style, which is often a mix of wit and surprise, is characterised by his love of jokes with a twist. This mix of being smart and unpredictable is what makes him stand out in the comedy world, even if it means that not every joke that gets a lot of attention is his favourite.
Many comedians use the Edinburgh Fringe as a testing ground, where they can try out different styles and see how people react. Simmons’ success at the festival is a measure of his ability to connect with a wide audience, but it also raises questions about the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity. In a festival setting where the pressure to stand out is intense, the desire to go for the most crowd-pleasing jokes is strong. Yet, for comedians like Simmons, who value the craft of joke-telling as much as the laughter it causes, keeping true to their comedic principles is just as important as winning awards.
Comedy gold at the Fringe! Mark Simmons takes home the best joke award, even if it’s not his personal favorite.
In the end, Simmons’ win is a warning that humor is subjective. What resonates with one crowd might not be the comedian’s favorite, but that’s part of the magic of stand-up. Every joke tells a story, not just in its content but in how it reflects the comedian’s journey. For Simmons, the winning joke is a milestone, but it’s clear that his true passion lies in the jokes that surprise, delight, and, most importantly, stay true to his comedic style.