Aflac duck Gottfried plucked for tweets

LOS ANGELES, March 14 (UPI) -- The Aflac insurance company has fired spokesman Gilbert Gottfried for making jokes via Twitter about the recent natural disaster in Japan.

The comedian lends his distinctive voice to a duck character in Aflac's commercials.

During the weekend, he tweeted: "Japan is really advanced; they don't go to the beach, the beach comes to them." And, "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, there'll be another one floating by any minute now."

Thousands of people have been reported dead in Japan following an earthquake and tsunami last week.

"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," the company said in a statement issued to TMZ Monday. "Aflac will immediately set plans in motion to conduct a nationwide casting call to find a new voice of the iconic Aflac duck."

TMZ said it was unable to reach Gottfried for comment.