# Aflac fires Gilbert Gottfried after tsunami jokes via Twitter



## Big Don (Mar 15, 2011)

*Aflac fires Gilbert Gottfried after tsunami jokes via Twitter*


Posted: 03/14/2011


By: Mollie Reynolds WPTV/NBC Excerpt:

   Aflac has fired actor Gilbert Gottfried,  voice of the Aflac duck, for offensive remarks about the Japanese  earthquake and tsunami on Twitter.
  @RealGilbert   tweeted, "Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The  beach comes to them." Another tweet said, "I just split up with my  girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, They'll be another one floating  by any minute now."
 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, Aflac Senior Vice President  and Chief Marketing Officer Michael Zuna said in a written release.
End Excerpt
Fired for not being funny?! Gottfried has NEVER been funny.


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## Touch Of Death (Mar 15, 2011)

Big Don said:


> *Aflac fires Gilbert Gottfried after tsunami jokes via Twitter*
> 
> 
> Posted: 03/14/2011
> ...


He is funny. China is where the, "floating by" joke comes from; he messed up there. However, all tragedies have jokes made about them. He is just the first.
Sean


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## Big Don (Mar 15, 2011)

Touch Of Death said:


> He is funny. China is where the, "floating by" joke comes from; he messed up there. However, all tragedies have jokes made about them. He is just the first.
> Sean


I remember hearing, two days after the Challenger exploded, the following:
What was the last thing the Challenger crew said?
I should have asked for a Bud Light.
(oh, does that date me?)
But, No, Gilbert is not now, nor has he ever been funny.


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## Touch Of Death (Mar 15, 2011)

Big Don said:


> I remember hearing, two days after the Challenger exploded, the following:
> What was the last thing the Challenger crew said?
> I should have asked for a Bud Light.
> (oh, does that date me?)
> But, No, Gilbert is not now, nor has he ever been funny.


Dude, he is even funny as a parrot in a cartoon.
Sean


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## Big Don (Mar 15, 2011)

Touch Of Death said:


> Dude, he is even funny as a parrot in a cartoon.
> Sean


He wasn't funny, his voice is funny, mildly, to people who would laugh at someone's obviously horrible health condition, that voice...


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## Bob Hubbard (Mar 15, 2011)

Gottfried, 50 cent, and Hulk Hogan. A few more.  Sorry, I have problems finding anything funny about 100B$ disaster with an estimated 10k dead.  Fire them all, or better yet, make them go drag bodies out of the surf for a day or 2 then ask them if it's still funny.


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## Aiki Lee (Mar 15, 2011)

As a comedian, humor may be his way of dealing with stress caused by tragedy. Humor is a ego defense, especially dark humor. I agree it was insensitive to those who are suffering so it shouldn't have been posted. That just wasn't a smart move on his part.


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## elder999 (Mar 15, 2011)

Bob Hubbard said:


> Gottfried, 50 cent, and Hulk Hogan. A few more. Sorry, I have problems finding anything funny about 100B$ disaster with an estimated 10k dead. Fire them all, or better yet, make them go drag bodies out of the surf for a day or 2 then ask them if it's still funny.


 

I'm not sure where I stand on this-though I don't think it's funny, as Kenshin pointed out, it's often a coping mechanism for some people-though I have to wonder at sharing it in a Tweet...my first though with this thread was that in 10 years, I hadn't heard a Twin Towers joke.

Then I searched Twin Towers Jokes


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## Empty Hands (Mar 15, 2011)

Gottfried does really offensive stuff.  That's his thing.  It's a little precious for Aflac to find offense now.  How about his Aristocrats joke or the Bob Sagat Roast? (NSFW)


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## granfire (Mar 15, 2011)

Touch Of Death said:


> Dude, he is even funny as a parrot in a cartoon.
> Sean



LOL, that is probably the only time he is funny....(and as AFLAC duck)


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## granfire (Mar 15, 2011)

Bob Hubbard said:


> Gottfried, 50 cent, and Hulk Hogan. A few more.  Sorry, I have problems finding anything funny about 100B$ disaster with an estimated 10k dead.  Fire them all, or better yet, make them go drag bodies out of the surf for a day or 2 then ask them if it's still funny.




Chances are they's make more jokes, more dark and yuckie. It's the nature of the beast, the worse the subject matter humans deal with the more jokes pop up. Or we'd just end up blowong our heads off.


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## Twin Fist (Mar 15, 2011)

he has the right to say anything he wants

they have the right to fire him

everyone gets to exercise thier rights, it is a win win


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## Nomad (Mar 15, 2011)

Good job, Gilbert, on blowing what had to be the easiest paycheck in entertainment... show up for 10 minutes, say one word in a funny voice, and get paid every time the commercials air.

Of course, the fact that Aflac is "the number one insurance company in Japan in terms of individual policies in force and the largest foreign insurer in Japan in terms of premium income" might account for them not finding this (or anything) particularly funny at the moment.


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## David43515 (Mar 15, 2011)

Nomad said:


> Good job, Gilbert, on blowing what had to be the easiest paycheck in entertainment... show up for 10 minutes, say one word in a funny voice, and get paid every time the commercials air.
> 
> Of course, the fact that Aflac is "the number one insurance company in Japan in terms of individual policies in force and the largest foreign insurer in Japan in terms of premium income" might account for them not finding this (or anything) particularly funny at the moment.


 
Dang. I knew someone would beat me to making that point. When I moved back here 6 years ago I was really suprised to turn on the TV and see Aflac commercials in Japanese (w/o Godfried thatnk goodness). Turns out over 70% of Aflac`s bussiness is done in Japan. Not good to have the mascot`s voice making bad jokes that are sure to make the news over here.


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## crushing (Mar 16, 2011)

Do people _hear_ Gottfried's personal tweets in the voice of the Aflac duck?  If people don't like what he tweets, they should just stop following him on Twitter.  It's pretty simple, and much like turning the TV channel or radio dial.

Anyway, he has apologized and I'm glad that other comedian's are sticking up for him.


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## Nomad (Mar 16, 2011)

crushing said:


> Do people _hear_ Gottfried's personal tweets in the voice of the Aflac duck?  If people don't like what he tweets, they should just stop following him on Twitter.  It's pretty simple, and much like turning the TV channel or radio dial.
> 
> Anyway, he has apologized and I'm glad that other comedian's are sticking up for him.



Agreed.  He has the right to say whatever tasteless crap he wants.  And Aflac has the right to change their spokesperson based on this (or any other reasonable criteria) as well.

I did think his apology was well put, which makes me suspect that a representative wrote it for him.


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## crushing (Mar 16, 2011)

Nomad said:


> Agreed. He has the right to say whatever tasteless crap he wants. And Aflac has the right to change their spokesperson based on this (or any other reasonable criteria) as well.
> 
> I did think his apology was well put, which makes me suspect that a representative wrote it for him.


 
Actually, Aflac doesn't even need reasonable criteria to make such a change.

Gottfried may have wrote his own apology, but didn't write it in character.


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## dowan50 (Mar 16, 2011)

People need to understand that Aflac is a total rip off up here we say kill the duck. We paid into Aflac for 5 years and my wife and I had to have emergency surgery $40,000 our insurance paid the 80% no problem leaving $8,000. Aflac tried everything they could do to get out of paying anything. After 90 Days they finally paid $1,500.00 If we had just put the amount we paid to them in premiums we would have had $5,0000. 

They imply on all their advertising they cover the 20% that insurance does not and they pay cash. Sure they hand you maybe 30% of your own money back. Nice profit I find it more offensive they use our money to pay for Gilbert's mouth and false advertising the last 11 years than his comments about Japan.

A lot of people are starting to opt out of Aflac. Life insurance is another joke it dose not matter what the premium is will they pay after your dead? make them let you see their actuaries that show the % of paid out claims to actual ones filed. I have good friends who's wives spent years in court to get paid or never got paid. You get what you pay for better read the fine print make sure you meet all conditions. Sure no medical history or physical required just like pay $30 a month and get $5,000 in repairs on your car or house regardless of what age or condition. They have no intention of ever paying you you get better odds in the lottery. 

Organized crime has taken its lesson from the insurance corporations. They set up shop advertise car and home warranties to suckers on TV collect the money then close for 6 months and start all over again under another name. Do they pay a few people sure just like a Ponzi scam or pyramid investment.


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## Aiki Lee (Mar 16, 2011)

money grubbing bastards.


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## David43515 (Mar 16, 2011)

crushing said:


> Anyway, he has apologized and I'm glad that other comedian's are sticking up for him.


 
I`m not. When a competent adult does something dispicable his friends shouldn`t stand next to him and say "Ah, that`s just Gil. Don`t mind him he`s always an idiot." Metaphoricly speaking the guy brought hotdogs and marshmallows to a housefire and started yelling "Who`s in the mood for smores?" Takes more than a "Whoops, my bad" to sweep it all under the rug.


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## Touch Of Death (Mar 16, 2011)

David43515 said:


> I`m not. When a competent adult does something dispicable his friends shouldn`t stand next to him and say "Ah, that`s just Gil. Don`t mind him he`s always an idiot." Metaphoricly speaking the guy brought hotdogs and marshmallows to a housefire and started yelling "Who`s in the mood for smores?" Takes more than a "Whoops, my bad" to sweep it all under the rug.


I think you have to realize that jokes are most often a formula. He was simply applying the same old jokes to a relevant situation. Its harsh but he was simply doing what all comedians do, try to be relevant.
Sean


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