10 Funniest Women on the Planet

By Craig Playstead

Sarah Silverman

There might not be a funnier person on the planet than Sarah Silverman. She has the gift of being able to say the most offensive line you've ever heard, but delivers it almost like your little sister would: cute with a side of brutality. Her stand-up is top notch and her TV show, "The Sarah Silverman Show" on Comedy Central is demented and like nothing else you've ever seen. Her former relationship with comedian Jimmy Kimmel boosted her career and inspired one of the funniest things seen in years with the Emmy-winning video short, "I'm F**king Matt Damon."

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Lisa Lampanelli

I can honestly say that there is no comic working today who's more offensive, nasty, and terrifying than Lisa Lampanelli. And that's putting it lightly. She's a brash and brilliant stand-up comedian that packs them in and leaves no one and nothing off-limits, which is why she's referred to as comedy's "Queen of Mean." A regular on Comedy Central's celebrity roasts, she absolutely blows the guys of the dais. She's a dirty, off-the-wall HBO sitcom just waiting to happen.

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Amy Sedaris

This has to be the first time that a brother and sister made a "funniest" list as Amy joins her brother David, who's on "The 10 Funniest Guys on the Planet." A gifted improv actor with Second City, Amy got her big break on the TV show "Strangers with Candy," which she co-wrote with Steven Colbert. She's also an accomplished author with several books under her belt, including the award-winning I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence (Grand Central Publishing, 2008). Word on the street is that she recently signed with Fox to create, write and star in a comedy series. Cross your fingers that network TV doesn't dilute this goofy and completely unique star.

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Kathy Griffin

Kathy will sell out anyone or anything for a joke. You have to admire that kind of dedication. There might not be another person on this planet who longs to be famous more than Kathy, which indicates that she's accomplished that goal. A stand-up comedienne and actress for years, Kathy has won two straight Emmys for her reality show "My Life on the D-List" on Bravo.

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Joan Rivers

Even at 75 years old, Joan Rivers is still one of the funniest women in the world. She's a comedy pioneer who doesn't get the recognition that she deserves, but doesn't let it bother her. Don't let the red-carpet nonsense fool you; Joan's still one hell of a stand-up comic and won't shy away from any topic in this politically correct world. Her wit, knowledge, and courage still blow anyone else on this list away. The plastic surgery may have left her face looking like a Halloween mask, but she's still got it.

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Tina Fey

The brilliance of Tina Fey doesn't lie in her acting, but in her writing. She's been a force on TV, first during her years as the head writer for "Saturday Night Live," and then with the creation of one of today's best sitcoms, "30 Rock" on NBC. She's also penned movies, including Mean Girls starring Lindsay Lohan, and has another movie due out in 2009. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've also howled at her legendary spoofs of Sarah Palin.

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Chelsea Handler

Chelsea is a busy lady. She's a stand-up comic, TV host, actress and author with two hilarious New York Times best-sellers with Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2008), the follow-up to 2005's My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands (Bloomsbury USA). She's had success with her late-night talk show "Chelsea Lately" on E!, a light, free-form half-hour of edgy jokes with other comedians and celebrities. She even co-hosted "The View" for a stint, but we won't hold that against her.

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Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler has been a staple on "Saturday Night Live" for years. And while it looks like that run is coming to an end with the arrival of her baby boy Archie (with husband Will Arnett, who's funny as hell himself), it's been a great one–especially during this election season. Her movie acting might need a bit of work (see this year's "Baby Mama"), but she's a brilliant sketch comedy actress. A veteran of the famous improv group Second City, Poehler's first shot at sketch TV was on Comedy Central's "Upright Citizens Brigade" (its cancellation in 2001 allowed Poehler to join "SNL"). It looks like there's a sitcom in her future with a possible spin-off of "The Office," which promises to be a great fit for her talents.

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Wanda Sykes

There are few comediennes working today who are as versatile as Wanda Sykes. An Emmy Award-winning writer on "The Chris Rock Show," Wanda has also cracked us up in movies, on TV, as animated character voices, and as a brilliant stand-up comedienne. She's currently doing her best to make CBS's "New Adventures of Old Christine" funny, and lending her voice to the animated series "Back at the Barnyard." Hopefully, another HBO special won't be far away.

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Kristin Wiig

"Saturday Night Live" is funnier than it's been in years, and Kristin Wiig is a big reason for that. Her spot-on imitations of Suze Orman, Jessica Simpson, and Nancy Pelosi, among others, have catapulted her into the spotlight. She was trained well in her craft acting in the famous Los Angeles-based improv comedy group The Groundlings. Her role as a brutal E! Channel executive in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up was hilarious, paving the way for a bright movie career. We can't wait.
Craig Playstead is a freelance writer and happily married father of three living in the suburbs of Seattle. He frequently writes about fatherhood and anything else of interest to guys for MSN. You can reach him atplaystead@hotmail.com.

10 of 10 Photo: Avik Gilboa/WireImage

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