Gilbert Gottfried Faults Media for Tsunami Backlash
Gilbert Gottfried found himself in the news recently, but for all the wrong reasons, starting with
too-soon jokes about the Japan tsunami that led Aflac to replace him as their mouthy duck. Despite losing a lucrative and stable gig, Gilbert tells me on my HDNet show that he's not letting this mishap get to him.
"I was the headline on every news station, like 'Gilbert said something off color,'" he says on 'Naughty But Nice.' "I'm sure when Christ was on the cross, people were doing jokes about it. But he wasn't Christ at the time, just some schmuck. Then he came back and they were like 'he did do it.'"
His jokes following the tragedy in Japan included "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now,'" and "Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The beach comes to them."
He
later apologized.
The funnyman dubbed himself the "big arch-enemy number one in the world" after the scandal broke, but nowadays he can't say much about Aflac or risk getting in deeper legal trouble.
"Here's the worst part. I'm still at this part where I can't say anything about the company," he admits. "I realize that's like being from GM and going, 'I'll do the interview but nothing about cars! ... My beak is sealed for the time being."
He says the media went out of their way to make him into a villain. "I was on the news constantly, and they referred to it as 'comments and remarks' that I made. Because if you say 'jokes' then it's like, 'f**k jokes.'"
Gilbert, who has just released his memoir
'Rubber Balls and Liquor,' hasn't given up Twittering and was happy to see that both Howard Stern and Joan Rivers defended him after his was fired from Aflac. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been more blow-back for the jokes.
"Had about three comedy clubs cancel out," Gilbert told me after the Aflac incident. "Why would we want him? He makes jokes."
For my complete interview with Gilbert and also 'Celebrity Apprentice' star Lisa Rinna, tune into 'Naughty But Nice' exclusively on HDNet at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Saturday.
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Gilbert Why in the heck did you spit all over the walls leavign Howards studio the other day. One of the few guys that openly defended you on Air saying it more than 1 time and you thank him for Hocking a trail from the studio door to the Stern Offices Exit at Sirius the other day. Wow what a path of destruction you are creating.
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THERE should never be any jokes about the tsunami in Japan, EVER! And spitting on the walls? You're a disgusting pig!
Oh jeeze! Yet another person BLAMING SOMEONE ELSE for their mistake! Own up to the fact that the joke that came out of YOUR mouth was in bad taste and THAT is the reason you were let go. Move on. Good Luck, because you suck and have always been annoying and so not funny.
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Exactly! He blames the media for broadcasting what he said, but you notice he never said he was misquoted. You said despicable things and then played the 'it was a joke' card. It didn't work. No one to blame but yourself.
Absolutely agree. He still doesn't get it. This guy must be surrounded by a bunch of sycophants who don't have the guts to tell him how wrong he was.
That "joke" he made about not being worried about breaking up with his girlfriend because there would be other woman floating by soon? Can you imagine if he'd made the same joke after Sept. 11, saying he wasn't worried about losing his girlfriend because there were women falling from the skies in New York? Would a single person in this country have defended him? Of course not - his career would have been over and rightfully so.
Aflac is the largest insurer in Japan and they had every right to fire him. He was a fool for biting the hand that feeds him in addition to being an insensitive jerk.
It was a joke people, and a pretty good one at that. So get over it. He shouldnt have lost his job over it.
Exactly. Well said.
Trisha, your last sentence nailed it. Why people think that jerk is funny is way beyond me.
Gilbert, just shut up. What you said speaks for itself. Remember that jerk that played Kramer from Seinfeld and what he did to his career? ooops. Well anyway, just shut up and like the water, maybe it will all just sort of go away. Maybe not.
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All he did, was tell the truth.
Gilbert, don't blame the media for losing your job. Blame the DUCK in you, that made you utter insensitive jokes!!
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It's not The Duck. The Duck was cool. Iago the Parrot (from Disney's Aladdin) was his insensitive character.
Gilbert Gottfried? More like Gilbert Gotfired. There's a joke. I'll be here all night, folks.
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99% of Gilbert's jokes are off-color or in bad taste - that's his act! That's ALWAYS been his act! Aflac shouldn't have hired him if they didn't like his act. Instead they overreacted to a few tweets and MILLIONS of people have now seen/heard them instead of just Gilbert's Twitter followers. Dumb move.
It took a few years for Gilbert to grow on me. He's hilarious, bad taste or not.
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Almost 80% of Aflac business is Japanese.
Never funny...still isn't
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I agree. His voice is like chalk on a blackboard. I absolutely loathe this guy. Never funny, I don't get it.
Noticed you made a Christ joke and not an Allah joke. You don't have the stones to make fun of the Muslim faith. Christians are used to the jokes. Muslims blow people up. I am not afraid. GFY Allah
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Right On, Chavez!!! Has anybody noticed that it is "open season" on Christians (especially Catholics) on TV these days? The writers of "South Park" were going to do an episode featuring muhammed, but they backed down when the muslims threatened them with death. Look what happend when Terry Jones burned a koran! The punks in Hollyweird make fun of Jesus and Christians because we do not fight back. They are too afraid of the muslims to poke any fun at their so-called "religion". The muslims are NOT a religion of peace. Their koran instructs them to destroy all infidels (anybody who is not muslim). The Bible tells us to "turn the other cheek".
Gilbert made some very funny jokes. I hope he starts doing Hiroshima humor next.
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