Gilbert Gottfried Faults Media for Tsunami Backlash

Gilbert Gottfried found himself in the news recently, but for all the wrong reasons, starting with too-soon jokes about the Japan tsunami that led Aflac to replace him as their mouthy duck. Despite losing a lucrative and stable gig, Gilbert tells me on my HDNet show that he's not letting this mishap get to him.

"I was the headline on every news station, like 'Gilbert said something off color,'" he says on 'Naughty But Nice.' "I'm sure when Christ was on the cross, people were doing jokes about it. But he wasn't Christ at the time, just some schmuck. Then he came back and they were like 'he did do it.'"

His jokes following the tragedy in Japan included "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now,'" and "Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The beach comes to them."

He later apologized.

The funnyman dubbed himself the "big arch-enemy number one in the world" after the scandal broke, but nowadays he can't say much about Aflac or risk getting in deeper legal trouble.

"Here's the worst part. I'm still at this part where I can't say anything about the company," he admits. "I realize that's like being from GM and going, 'I'll do the interview but nothing about cars! ... My beak is sealed for the time being."

He says the media went out of their way to make him into a villain. "I was on the news constantly, and they referred to it as 'comments and remarks' that I made. Because if you say 'jokes' then it's like, 'f**k jokes.'"

Gilbert, who has just released his memoir 'Rubber Balls and Liquor,' hasn't given up Twittering and was happy to see that both Howard Stern and Joan Rivers defended him after his was fired from Aflac. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been more blow-back for the jokes.

"Had about three comedy clubs cancel out," Gilbert told me after the Aflac incident. "Why would we want him? He makes jokes."

For my complete interview with Gilbert and also 'Celebrity Apprentice' star Lisa Rinna, tune into 'Naughty But Nice' exclusively on HDNet at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Saturday.

Hilarie Burton Tara Conner Amanda Bynes Marley Shelton Vitamin C