AFLAC has announced it has opened a national casting call
for the new voice of its TV spokesduck. That came after comedian Gilbert
Gottfried was dropped as the voice for some tweeted "jokes"
about the Japanese tsunami attributed to him.
"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 SeniorVP and Chief Marketing Officer Michael
Zuna said in a statement Monday. "Aflac Japan
- and, by extension, Japan
itself - is part of the Aflac family, and there is no place for anything but
compassion and concern during these difficult times."
The company pointed out that Gottfried had not been the
voice of the duck in Japan.
AFLAC last week committed $100 million to disaster assistance, according to the
company.
