Aflac Cans Duck Voice After Tasteless Tsunami Quacks
- Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:31pm by
Meredith Jessup
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As the shocking destruction and death toll mount in Japan following last Friday’s devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami, trademark loudmouth Gilbert Gottfried cracked a number of poor-taste jokes on Twitter that his employer, disability insurer Aflac, didn’t find funny.
“Af-lac!” has since canned the quack.
Here‘s a sampling of Gottfried’s sick (and lame) humor:
In other messages, the stand up comic used the recent tragedy to plug his new book.
On Monday, Aflac condemned Gottfried’s comments as “lacking in humor,“ adding they ”certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac.”
The company said it would soon start a nationwide casting call to find a new voice — and noted that it was already using a different voice in the Japanese market, where it is the No. 1 foreign insurer.
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Comments (224)
Rashomon
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:06pmcome on people, a little song, a little dance
Report Post »a little seltzer down your pants.
mlm1137
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:05pmI feel bad about reporting SLARTIBARTFAST
Report Post »I hit the wrong button. I totally agreed with their comment. Sorry!!
Waltermelon
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:04pmGilbert is starting to show signs of dementia. I’m really surprised that he is still able to earn.
Twitter is not your friend, when will they figure that out?
Report Post »loadingmyclips
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:57pmCould they keep the duck and can the idiot?
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:59pmThey’ll keep the duck..too much money already spent in it’s marketing. It will just have a difference voice.
Report Post »omigosh
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 10:12amThe billy goat made a far more lasting impression on me than the duck anyway. Keep Gilbert? Nah nah nah.
Report Post »King Dave
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:57pmNo sushi for gilbert!
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:56pmEven though I find the jokes less than funny. I still can’t believe that he would get canned as they say for saying it. I guess he must be a conservative. The fact that he put the jokes on his twitter account I don’t see the connection between the jokes and Aflac. It seems to me that you can get fired for just about anything nowdays. I do agree that they were in poor, poor taste. But if everyone got fired for saying something that someone didn’t like there would be a lot of people out of work.
Report Post »psycodad36
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:17pmthere are aolt of people out of work .thanx dems. and obama . and rihnos that won’t stand up for American values.
Report Post »destinykiera
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 3:53amYou must understand, that once it goes public and you are tied to that remark (or joke, I say that, timidly) its is YOU representing whom you represent. It has nothing to do with free speech but that of the policies of whom he represents…..get it?
Report Post »I_can't_believe_this_stuff
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 7:55am“It seems to me that you can get fired for just about anything nowdays.” is interesting … maybe due to the misuse of the purpose and definition of “jobs” in our economy, and unions (really midievil guilds; see Milton Friedman?), jobs may no longer be a useful function. Instead, we’ll become part-timers (consultants?). Maybe that’s what happened to the b/s unemployment figures …
Could this be where we’re really headed?
Report Post »Autonomous_System
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:50pmWhy does twitter make twits out of people?
Report Post »afishfarted
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:50pmyeah, it’s tasteless.
Report Post »I’m not condoning the dude in anyway, but after the Challenger disaster, it wasn’t two days and I started hearing jokes about that. Apparently, so say the shrinks, that’s supposed to be a way for people to cope with a disaster of that magnitude. I don’t fond any humor in it, but then I’m not an out-of-touch-with-reality lib either.
Marylou7
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:04pmJust because people were stupid and cruel after the Challenger disaster does make it right now. Wrong is wrong and that is wrong. Laughter that takes their minds off the disaster may help but not making fun of their situation…thousands of people died, that is not funny.
Report Post »Leadthemtothelight
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:49pmDISGUSTING!!!!!!!!! I can find no humor in the death and destruction in Japan.
Report Post »I guess though that Gibert really Gott Fried on this one……. Serves him right for being such an insensitive jerk.
simple thought
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:48pmsimply shakeing my head with disbelief,
Report Post »is he a union liberal????????/ just ask’n
SAYNOTOSOCIALISM
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:47pm“trademark loudmouth Gilbert Gottfried cracked a number of poor-taste jokes”, so what else is new?
Report Post »This jackass has based his entire career on crap like this and is still getting airtime… and I have to agree, who the hell follows this guy anywhere??
NoMoObama2012
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:47pmTame jokes by any standard. Bad taste? Maybe. But not something he should get canned for. I mean he’s a comedian. What else do you expect of him? Lighten up folks! Geeeeeeeeeeeez!
Report Post »starman70
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 10:34amWhile they might have been “Tame” jokes by some standards, if your relatives or loved ones were in the quake area or missing due to the tsunami, I‘m sure that you wouldn’t find them a bit funny.
The prayers of me and my family go out to the Japanese people. This is a tragedy of a magnitude which is almost apocalyptic.
Remember, it could happen here.
Report Post »JD Carp
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:46pmNo class Gilbert. I loved the commercials but it is time for you to retire.
Report Post »conservativeme
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:46pmWhere did comdeians ever get the idea that they are above racism, defimation and poor taste? Go AFLAC! You did the right thing!
Report Post »trueblueday
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:45pmIt’s difficult to make jest of a disaster. Was there any about 9/11? I really don’t remember if there were any.
Report Post »psycodad36
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:04pmonly on CNN and MSNBC.how it was all GWB’s fault
Report Post »trueblueday
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:30pmAh, that explains it!
Report Post »anutter
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:45pmToo bad. I liked those commercials! Here’s a little tip about comedy Gilbert…Timing is everything!…(and this time you were waaaaayyyy off.)
Report Post »psycodad36
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:43pmwell whatever.a man who makes jokes gets fired for making jokes, they may very well be in poor taste,but that is what the paying public expect.(NOT MYSELF) but are we so shallow and pc that we put another man out of work because we didn’t like what he said?we don’t have enough unemployed here already!poor taste YES ,i wont try to defend the undefendable,but i will say relax,.it could be you next
Report Post »AmericanStrega
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:57pmAFLAC insures a large majority of Japan. Therefore, his “comedy” was in very bad taste where AFLAC is concerned.
Report Post »destinykiera
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 3:49amAre you serious, PsychoDad? Really? Where is your compassion? Where is your humanity? The things he said had nothing to do with Political Correctness, but just awful disgust. He is of the Hollywood Elite, you needn’t worry about him being out of a job, he has his puppet master as well. Think about it.
Report Post »Wildblue3
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:42pmThey aren’t that bad!! They actually are funny.. People are too sensitive..
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:18pmWhen Japan has been hit with as much disaster in the past week, and it is ongoing, it’s not the time to be making a joke about it.
As Boris The Blade said above, “Too soon, Gilbert.”
Timing is important in comedy. “Got-Fried” was waaaaaay off, both in his timing and his rocker!
Report Post »anutter
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:30pm@showtime
Echo?? (see below)
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 7:31amThis type of disgusting crap is funny only to narcissists. Nothing bothers them except when it affects them personally.
Report Post »Jim in Houston
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 10:16amHow funny would it be if the missing and dead were members of your family? You are a sick puppy.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:41pmPeach the Chihuahua: Japan’s newest police dog
TOKYO (Reuters Life!) – Meet Japan’s newest police dog — all 3 kg (6.6 lb) of her.
In what is a first for Japan and perhaps the world, a long-haired Chihuahua named “Momo” — “Peach” — passed exams to become a police dog in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara.
The brown-and-white, perky Momo was one of 32 successful candidates out of 70 dogs, passing a search and rescue test by finding a person in five minutes after merely sniffing their cap.
“Any breed of dog can be entered to become a police dog in the search and rescue division,” said a Nara police spokesman.
But he admitted that news a Chihuahua had been entered may still come as a surprise to many.
“It’s quite unusual,” he said.
Television footage showed the 7-year-old Momo bounding across grass or sitting proudly, long hair blowing in the breeze.
Momo will be used for rescue operations in case of disasters such as earthquakes, in the hope that she may be able to squeeze her tiny frame into places too narrow for more usual rescue dogs, which tend to be German Shepherds.
The public response to the news of Momo’s selection took police by surprise, the spokesman said, adding: “The phone’s been ringing all afternoon.”
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:55pmGreat Story! Thank you. Those rescue dogs are wonderful.
Report Post »TumbleBumble
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:40pmThank you for not posting the tweets he used to plug his book. I don’t want to know anything about it.
Gottfried is a cruel man.
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:38pmI can’t believe he actually has twitter followers…
Report Post »stchuckmom
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:54pmGood one, Doc!
Report Post »boris_the_blade
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:38pmToo soon Gilbert.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:37pmWhat about a goose? The duck is toast.
Report Post »Waltermelon
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:01pmNaaaa.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:12pmHe could cook his goose.
Report Post »MHP
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 4:20pmYea Clarence was our canadian goose. One day he flew into the power lines, and he fried, shut down power for damn near 8 hours.
He’d come take food right out your hand.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:36pmThat’s a shame. He should have used better judgment.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:57pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »@ Showtime,
.
He’s a morally deficient dirt-bag. He’s not capable of better judgement!
…or any good judgement for that matter!
Betcha he votes democrat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert-CA
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:19pmThat was really bad , people are still missing the disaster is not over yet & this loon is making jokes .
Report Post »exdem
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:17pmJapan has suffered a tragedy and the jokes were in poor taste but Aflac’s reaction is more political correctness gone amuck!
Report Post »twofoot_trucker
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:35pmWow. That’s just….wow. Tasteless somehow doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Report Post »SLARTIBARTFAST
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:42pmI loved the Duck commercials and had no idea it was Godfried doing them, but kudos to Aflac for getting rid of this JERK!
Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:55pmCan a duck draw unemployment?
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:57pmThere are other people that can be a better quack than him.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 9:58pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@ Showtime,
Democrats will figure a way!
Report Post »~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
noline
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:00pmHow juvenile. Kudos to Aflac for not yanking us around though.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:00pmBanjarmon, are you referring to Broker?
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:02pm@Slartibartfast ~
Report Post »Me, too. Can they just get rid of Gottfried and keep the duck?
PrfctlyFrank
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:18pmGilbert’s not a public employee union member is he?? Good!! Otherwise you couldn’t get rid of the jerk.. Gottfried can be funny, but he’s a lose cannon… Live by the sword die by the sword…
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:24pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »It amazes me how many morally bankrupt dirtbags have such a strong physical resemblance to…
Well, uh, use your imagination!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:32pmTo bad Gilbert’s goose is cooked. I love his stand up and he really is a funny comic. Just bad timing and material. But that is AFLAC’s perogative, just like when Geico fired their voice over person.
I alway’s thought that was Godfrey as the duck voice.
Report Post »A great DVD to watch sometime is “Gilbert Godfreys Dirty Jokes”, not for kids.
TheRemodel
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:03pmToo soon?
Report Post »taskmaster78
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:04pmGottfried’s, never the funniest yet at this point he may need a new job.
Report Post »jbl8199
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:08pmI always thought he was kind of annoying, but this is just sad. Aflak needs to get rid of the duck anyway and get a new mascot. The duck used to be funny, but lately he’s been kind of lame.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:11pm@Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 10:24pm
It amazes me how many morally bankrupt dirtbags have such a strong physical resemblance to…
Well, uh, use your imagination!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He just needs bigger ears and a little more time in the sun!
Report Post »MiketheTrucker
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:15pmI don’t recall anyone ever accusing G.G. of being the brightest bulb in the hatchery.
Report Post »Quagaar Warrior
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:32pm~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Report Post »@ Showtime,
.
If you ask me, both of them have had to much time in the sun!
After all, Kenya can get pretty sunny and hot!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
missionarydad
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:44pm@showtime,Can a duck draw unemployment?
Well he definitely got hurt and cannot work.
Report Post »TheRemodel
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 11:58pmThis is not the first time Gilbert told a joke too soon. Soon after
9/11 he told this joke: ‘I have to leave early tonight, I have to fly
out to L.A. I couldn’t get a direct flight, I have to make a stop at
the Empire State Building,”
Also, about his dead friend and fellow comediam Greg Giraldo just hours
Report Post »after he passed away ‘If GregGiraldo is cremated, would that be the Greg
Giraldo roast?’ (Greg Giraldo was a staple on nearly every Comedy
Central roast.
cartercupp
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 12:43amDoes Aflac provide his much needed insurance?
http://www.cartercupp.info/aflac-dummy.html
Report Post »cozmo
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 2:53amanother hollywood lefty
Report Post »destinykiera
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 3:37amI am utterly astonished by his remarks! I am stunned that even someone like Gott Fried in his field of work, would even go there. Really? Completely humorless and without any merit of taste. Thank you AFLAC for doing the right thing.
Report Post »alikat
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 3:59amPlease for Justice sake keep the duck, get rid of the jerk. Maybe he could scrub toilets :)
Report Post »joseph mitch nixon
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 5:14amthe true face of the liberals .
Report Post »*************************
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 5:35amQuack! Quack quack quack quack, quack quack. Quack quack. Quack quack quack quack!
LILI VON SHTUPP: “So, tell me, schatze. Is it twue what they say about the way you people are … gifted?”
Report Post »[sound of zipper]
LILI VON SHTUPP: “Oh, it’s twue. It’s twue. It’s twue, it’s twue!”
-Blazing Saddles
*************************
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 5:46amUh, oh. Political Correctness is taking over The Blaze. I suggest a new name … The Red Blaze.
“We will now read from Matthew, Mark, Luke … [stick of dynamite sails in through window] … and DUCK!” -Rev. Johnson, Blazing Saddles
Report Post »AriBenTZion
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 6:43amComics and celebs in general are under the illusion that they must make incongruous and tawdry comments in order to be cute or funny. They are wrong.
Gottfried is a certifiable nescient.
Report Post »JesusFreak95
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 7:41amGive the guy a break. He’s a COMEDIAN, and one with poor taste. It’s like asking a scorpion not to sting. It’s called satire. Illustrating absurdity with absurdity. AFLAC would be better served by asking him to do some spots as the duck asking for aid for the people of Japan. In the midst of tragedy, sometimes, you have to poke fun at the grim.
Report Post »Marcobob69
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 8:30amGee, they were all said by…… a liberal Hollywood loon. Isn’t that a big surprise! Not really. I wonder how spooky dood is taking advantage of Japan’s disaster, watching their stock market dropping like a rock! That is his style, isn’t it??? Taking advantage of countries that are “in trouble”!
Report Post »Beeree
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 8:31amI would have fired him too for not being funny, at least he could have come up with some better jokes if he was going to be tasteless.
Report Post »Miguelito
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 8:40amKeep the duck!
Report Post »davidstep
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 9:08amAnyone ever hear Gotfried do stand up? Although he is funny as heck, all his jokes are tasteless. I think AFLAC should have known that before they hired him. That is like hiring Charlie Sheen to do commercials for RADD.
Report Post »indy1
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 9:17amI find the media’s hysterical coverage more tasteless. They ignore the hundreds of thousands killed, hurt or homeless and obsess about how the nuclear plant problems it will affect the US.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 10:51amI’m sure they will find someone else who sounds similar. Gottlieb is a has-been, who I found more annoying than funny. Maybe he will show up with the other has-beens on “Worlds Dumbest” on TRU-TV.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 10:55amSeriously? This is Gilbert freaking Gottfreid we’re talking about!
Have you ever heard his act? This is totally up his alley.
Report Post »SonOfaCommunist
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 12:40pmIts sad, but he’s a comedian. Freedom to still speak one’s mind?
Report Post »P C BE DAMNED
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 1:24pmGod, can people ever get a grip. I have spent over a half century being called red neck ******* racist and believe these names could really ruin your life. Especially if they are not true. People are always got to have somebody to be insulted by. Get over it. No I am not offended by his comments. But I am offended by all this silly offended constantly people in this world. Please drop dead. Thanks for your time.
Report Post »jackrorabbit
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 1:42pmWell, all these jokes will come out eventually. Kinda like the “nappy-headed hoes” comment. As well as the “Sally Ride” comment, on the shuttle disaster. Tasteless, but inevitable.
Report Post »I Love Section 8 Housing
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 2:09pmSo outraged that the racist white blond gets reprimanded but hey good job on canning this liberal douche. when she goes online and makes a video saying she goes to UCLA then she’s representing them. they should throw her out on her designer jeans.
Report Post »variable51
Posted on March 15, 2011 at 7:48pmI’m an AFLAC agent, I’m glad to see that my company is exhibiting extra-ordinary ethics when dealing with this afront to the Japanese people. Well done Dan Amos!
Report Post »