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Insurance company fires actor twit who joked about the Japanese tragedy

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 15, 2011 | 2 min read

We don't know what the problem is: somehow not everyone tweeting like mad doesn't realise the rest of world can hear them - and it might just cost them their job

Aflac, which sells supplementary health and benefits insurance, does 75 per cent of its business in Japan. One in four people in the country is a customer.

Yet incredibly comedian Gilbert Gottfried, longtime voice of the Aflac Duck featured in TV advertising nationwide, sent out a series of offensive twitter missives about the tragic Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Gottfried was fired by the insurance company on Monday, according to the website TMZ.

"Gilbert's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humour and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac," the company said in a statement. "There is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times." A nationwide casting call is understood to be under way for a new voice. Aflac plans a substantial contribution to disaster relief

Among the worst of Gilbert's tweets:

"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.'"

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