by David Hall
Gilbert Gottfried walks a line between the offensive and questionably pornographic when it comes to stand-up comedy. One such instant spelled trouble for Gottfried when he was recently fired from Aflac after he made a few jokes about the tsunami in Japan on Twitter.
"It was funny, the media made it like I caused the tsunami. When it first happened, you get all these tweets and e-mails of these psychos wishing you and your family dead. Then it quickly overturned, and people seemed to understand that I'm a comedian and that's the kind of jokes we make," says Gottfried.
Making jokes a little too soon is Gottfried's specialty. It wasn't the first time Gottfried found public scrutiny for making light of the horrific events of the world.
"I got the most recognition for the roast of Hugh Heffner, which was just after 9-11. It was a weird time in the country, especially in New York. It was always hanging over the room. I wanted to be the first one to do a bad taste joke about September 11th.
"After I'd totally alienated the audience, and got them to hate me as much as they possibly could, I went into my 'Aristocrats' joke. They rolled – the audience is like, ' oh good, bestiality and incest, this is OK, this we can relate to.' It's very odd how audiences respond," says Gottfried.
Despite widespread public criticism, Gottfried maintains his duties as a comedian with a self-assured philosophy about his "edgy" material.
"I'm sure people were making jokes in the crowd while watching Christ on the cross. But, in fairness to then, he wasn't Christ until he came back," says Gottfried.
Although Gottfried spent many years in obscurity acting in an array of small movie rolls and television appearances, he found a niche in stand-up comedy at 15-years-old. Gottfried's trademark hollering developed over the successive years of his career.
"I never thought consciously about my style. It was just something that seems to have happened. You wake up one day and realize you have a certain way of talking or saying a joke," says Gottfried.
Through and through, Gottfried has been a comedian for the majority of his natural life, and speculates on what his life would be like had he never pursued comedy and acting.
I think I'd be like in real life what Jerry Lewis was in all those movies -- like bad jobs that he keeps screwing up. I've always felt I was too stupid to do anything else. I've always liked how people see the stupidity and incompetence of successful actors as something wonderful – if you found out that Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't know how to tie his shoe laces, that would been seen at admirable," says Gottfried.
Gottfried isn't as incompetent as he promotes, having written a book of mixed memoirs and satirical tangents entitled, "Rubber Balls and Liquor". His book and recent album, "Dirty Jokes," are available on his website, gilbertgottfried.com
"It got great reviews in New York Times and Publishers Weekly, which amazed me and probably means that standards have dropped really low. But, people have said at times the book gets warm and touching, then it quickly veers off into childish and filthy – so basically it's like talking to me in person," says Gottfried. | RDW
Gilbert Gottfried • 6/17, Early Show 7 p.m.; Late Show 10 p.m. • Magic Bag • 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale • 248.544.3030 • Advance tickets $22
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