Comedian Gilbert Gottfried dies at 67

[LM117]

RIP Iago.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/gilbert-gottfried-iconic-comedian-dies-67-long-illness-rcna24111

[formulanone]

Just to prove what an brilliantly annoying voice he had, I read that entire article in Gilbert Gottfried's voice and I have no shame admitting that.

[skluth]

He only fit certain roles, but he did them with gusto. I wonder if someone else will voice the AFLAC duck or if they will just use his old voiceovers.

[catch22]

He only fit certain roles, but he did them with gusto. I wonder if someone else will voice the AFLAC duck or if they will just use his old voiceovers.

He got fired from the Aflac Duck job in 2011.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflac#The_Aflac_Duck

[kphoger]

He only fit certain roles, but he did them with gusto. I wonder if someone else will voice the AFLAC duck or if they will just use his old voiceovers.

He got fired from the Aflac Duck job in 2011.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflac#The_Aflac_Duck

Following the source links:

After saying goodbye to comedian Gilbert Gottfried, Aflac selects a sales manager from Minnesota to voice its mascot.

It didn't take Aflac (AFL) long to find a new voice for its duck.

After ousting comedian Gilbert Gottfried from the job, the insurance company has picked Daniel McKeague, a 36-year-old television advertising sales manager and father of three from Hugo, Minn., The Associated Press reports.

McKeague was one of 12,500 contestants who sent Aflac voice samples. He had the luxury of recording his 30-second clip at KQRS, the Minneapolis station where he works. He uploaded it to Aflac's website and later did a formal audition.

McKeague said he has imitated the Aflac duck for years. "Whenever that ad would come on, I would imitate the duck, and the kids loved it," he told AP. His children are 5, 8 and 11.

He will get paid a sum in the low six figures for a one-year contract, AP reports, and the contract will likely be renewed for several years. Not bad for making a silly voice.

Gottfried was fired after making jokes on Twitter about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Aflac might have given him a pass if he had been talking about another country, but the company gets 75% of its revenue from Japan. Gottfried later apologized, but Aflac was ready to move on.

Aflac and its advertising agency culled the list of entries to three, and chief executive Dan Amos said McKeague was the obvious choice. "We thought he was the best by far," Amos said. "I can't explain to you why. It just was. Maybe it is part of the mystique of the Aflac duck."

A six-figure contract for quacking like a duck in a commercial???

[elsmere241]

Back in 1993, MAD Magazine had an informal survey, asking readers what celebrity they thought was most deserving of an unnecessary root canal.  Gottfried came in second, behind Rush Limbaugh.  (Barney the Dinosaur was third.)

[JayhawkCO]

[Henry]

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to miss his strident way of talking. I remember him best as a regular panelist on Tom Bergeron's Hollywood Squares.

[abefroman329]

I remember him best as a regular panelist on Tom Bergeron's Hollywood Squares.

I remember him best as one of the hosts of USA Up All Night.

[NWI_Irish96]

I was a regular watcher of HS and remember watching that episode when it first aired. I wish one of the dozens of streaming services would buy that show and make the old episodes available.

[abefroman329]

I was a regular watcher of HS and remember watching that episode when it first aired. I wish one of the dozens of streaming services would buy that show and make the old episodes available.

I'm surprised they don't air it on GSN or Buzzr.

[NWI_Irish96]

I was a regular watcher of HS and remember watching that episode when it first aired. I wish one of the dozens of streaming services would buy that show and make the old episodes available.

I'm surprised they don't air it on GSN or Buzzr.

Haven't been able to find it on either. I check back every 6 months or so to see if the lineup has changed.

[triplemultiplex]

Bummer man.
I don't think most people appreciate how good of a mimic Gottfried was.  We're all so used to his typical voice that it throws ya off to hear him do impressions.