With some wildly inappropriate tweets, the quack has been silenced.

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried sent out a slate of offensive twitter missives about the tragic Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and instead of drawing laughs, it cost him his job. The longtime voice of the iconic Aflac Duck, Gottfried was fired by the insurance company on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Gilbert's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac," the company, which does 75% of its business in Japan, said in a statement. "There is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times."

Gottfried's tweets certainly didn't show compassion. Buzzfeed compiled screen captures of the tweets, which were later deleted from the comedian's feed. Amongst the worst:

"I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, "They'll be another one floating by any minute now."

"I was talking to my Japanese real estate agent. I said 'is there a school in this area.' She said 'not now, but just wait.'"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/gilbert-gottfried-fired-aflac_n_835692.html

"I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, "They'll be another one floating by any minute now."

NOT FUNNY!

Gottfried is now going to be with Michael Richards in the unemployment line of celebrities!

Say goodnight, Gilbert.

http://janeheller.mlblogs.com/DOWN-THE-DRAIN-w1-curv-wht-.jpg

Wow, talk about insensitive of him.

Rapper 50 Cent also made some equally insensitive twitter remarks about the earthquake/tsunami, but it'll probably increase sales for him... pair of idiots, both of them...

Say goodnight, Gilbert.

http://janeheller.mlblogs.com/DOWN-THE-DRAIN-w1-curv-wht-.jpg
That's a very appropriate picture considering he just flushed his career down the toilet!!

His reaction to this was probably "JUST KIDDING!!!!""JUST KIDDING????"I don't think so.What he said isn't funny.Neither was the AFLAC duck he did. I'm glad in that one (the AFLAC ad)about the barbecue,the duck got his comeuppance.

...this was coming, even if Gilbert hadn't sent that "Tweet" about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. ANYONE could scream "AFLAC-C-C-C-C!" in a choked voice, and earn the same salary he did. It will be interesting to see exatly how they'll "replace" him, if at all.

Gottfried can be funny at times, but like the "FAMILY GUY" writer who sent that item "humorously" comparing the events of the past few days to those losing their lives at Pearl Harbor in December 1941....there is a wriggly line between "humor" and "insensitivity".


:tv:

And the sad truth is......this was coming, even if Gilbert hadn't sent that "Tweet" about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. ANYONE could scream "AFLAC-C-C-C-C!" in a choked voice, and earn the same salary he did.


Is this an opinion or do you have any proof to back up your claim that he was going to be let go regardless the tweet?

No comment! :rolleyes:

His remarks were insenstive but I doubt his career will go down the toilet. Controversial comedians will always manage to be successful. Bill Hicks said plenty of controversial comments during his career and he still maintained a good fanbase. Gilbert's career won't be ruined in the long run.

Lousy insensitive remarks, but I doubt his career is over.

He's an insensitive assh**e. I don't think he's going to be washed up, but I do hope his career takes a very nice battering. The jerk. I think he should be forced to go a Japanase locale ravaged by quake and do some clean up work. Then let's see what a big joke he thinks it is. My final words: "Quack Quack Quack SMACK! The voice of the duck is a shm**ck!"

Gilbert Gottfried Apologizes for Offensive Tweets
Mar 15, 2011
by Kate Stanhope


One day after being fired as the voice of Aflac's mascot, Gilbert Gottfried issued an apology for making offensive jokes about the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan that has claimed hundreds of lives.

"I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my attempt at humor regarding the tragedy in Japan," Gottfried said in a statement obtained by People.

"I meant no disrespect, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families."



Aflac plans to start a nationwide casting call to replace Gottfried.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Gilbert-Gottfried-Apologizes-1030747.aspx

I don't think that Gilbert Godfried should have been fired for making insensitive jokes about the Japan Tsunamis/earthquake. He obviously was trying to get laughs, not trying to be vindictive or evil. I think that the fact that no one laughed at his jokes was punishment enough. Isn't having no one laugh at your jokes one of the worst things that can happen to a Comedian? At the very least, he should have been forced by Aflac to apologize for the ill-thought out and ill-received jokes(which he did one day after) and be Suspended/take a pay cut(not be fired).

^ Normally, I'd agree with you Janice J., however, apparently 75% of Afac's business is in Japan. That's where I can see a firing would be possible.

I've always liked him actually (I know, I know, I'm probably in the minority here). He make an inappropriate joke when Geraldo died last year, but that was a totally different circumstance. Geraldo himself would have been the first to make a crack similar and they were both comedians who understand that use of humour. But when it's a huge group of innocent people and it's actually still happening it's highly inappropriate.

He's lost that gig, but not his career for this.

btw, to those who mentioned the huge bucks he was earning for the duck voice, how do you know exactly what he was paid? Do you work in Aflac's payroll department or has it ever been publicized?

http://punchlinemagazine.com/blog/2011/03/gilbert-gottfried-petition-g oes-live-fans-want-him-back-as-aflac-duck

Eric Hansen, of New Jersey, who started the petition, writes:

He was on your payroll in 2001 when, less than 2 months after 9/11, he roasted Hugh Hefner in New York City where he joked “my flight in got re-routed into the Empire State Building.” Prior to that, he had a well-established reputation as a filthy, tasteless comedian in both his stand up comedy act and as the most frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show; joking about subjects as controversial as race, the Holocaust, pedophilia, bestiality among others, however this didn’t prevent his being hired by such child-oriented employers as PBS or even Disney.

Go here if you want to check out the full petition letter; and if you feel so inclined, you can sign it to show your support.

http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-back-gilbert-gottfried-as-the-af lac-duck#?opt_new=t&opt_fb=t