Gilbert Gottfried Fired as Aflac Duck After Insensitive Japan Jokes

After tweeting a string of insensitive jokes about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, comedian Gilbert Gottfried lost his gig as the voice of Alfac's duck mascot, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

"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 statement Monday. "There is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times."

"Aflac will immediately set plans in motion to conduct a nationwide casting call to find a new voice of the iconic Aflac Duck," the statement continued.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Aflac does about 75% of its business in Japan. The company plans to donate about $100 million to disaster relief.
The comedian hasn't apologized for his controversial jokes, which included, "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now.'"