Gilbert Gottfried was always known for his scathing wit and willingness to push boundaries.
And before he passed away, he gave the world one more taste of his humor.
Keep watching to find out about Gottfried’s final tweet.
The entertainment industry is still reeling from the devastating death of legendary comedian
Gilbert Gottfried on April 12, 2022.
Gottfried was an iconic performer and voice actor, who worked on many big projects throughout
his lengthy career.
Perhaps the one characteristic that defined his work more than any other was his shrill,
high-pitched voice.
He would often use it for exaggerated, comedic effect in film roles and during stand-up sets.
Beyond the quality of his voice, however, Gottfried was well-respected by many of his
peers for his razor-sharp wit.
This particular skill of his was memorialized online by the likes of Jason Alexander and
Ben Stiller, among many other well-known actors and comedians.
When performing his material, Gottfried liked to push people's buttons, and he would venture
into crude territory in many of his routines.
While this approach was one of many reasons why fans loved him, it also cost him work
at times.
"I have to admire anyone who doesn't respect me as a performer."
In one notable case, he lost his gig voicing the Aflac duck after sharing what many considered
to be an insensitive joke on Twitter.
This never dissuaded Gottfried from leaning into his particular brand of humor, though,
as evidenced by his final Tweeted joke, where he appeared to throw a little shade at none
other than fellow comedian Chris Rock.
On March 28, through his official Twitter account, Gottfried posted a picture of himself
and Chris Rock.
The text accompanying the photo seemed like it was poking fun at Rock, who had only just
been slapped by actor Will Smith.
Gottfried asked,
"Which is the worst crime?
Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?"
Gottfried later posed the exact same question to the Associated Press in an interview, but
added,
“That’s it, pure and simple.
He made a joke.”
This takes the sting off the tweet a bit, and makes it clear that Gottfried was defending
his friend.
But the tweet on its own could be read as a jab at Rock’s dated “G.I.
Jane” joke.
These types of humorous provocations were Gottfried’s bread and butter as a comedian.
The comic loved to make light of what was being talked about in the world from his own
idiosyncratic point-of-view.
In a particularly edgy performance, Gottfried told a joke about the 9/11 attacks only weeks
after they took place, which led to him being booed by the crowd.
Furthermore, roasting other comedians and actors was something for which Gottfried was
well-known.
For example, he was a regular participant in "Comedy Central Roast" specials, oftentimes
delivering some of the most-laughed-at bits of the night at the expense of the celebrity
guest.
It's fitting, then, that Gottfried's last joke on Twitter was one that so clearly matched
his particular brand of humor: commenting on current events and roasting celebs.
Responses to Gilbert Gottfried's final Tweet varied significantly before and after news
of his death became public knowledge.
One Twitter user felt that Will Smith's slap should be taken more seriously.
That Tweet was liked more than 100 times.
Many other replies from that same day contain arguments about the significance of the slap,
while humorous replies appear to be few and far between compared to mostly sincere responses.
Following news of Gottfried's death, however, the tone shifted with many Twitter users sharing
his joke as a testament to his skill as a comic.
One user Quote Tweeted Gottfried's quip and added the caption, "Brutal to the end."
Another shared Gottfried's Tweet and wrote,
"This gotta be the best last tweet someone ever said."
Similarly, another poster Retweeted Gottfried's joke and added,
"He's gone too soon, but at least he left twitter on a high note."
In total, Gottfried's final Twitter joke was Quote Tweeted more than 350 times, typically
by users sharing it in tribute to his sense of humor and the fact that it endured into
his final days.
The Tweet was also Retweeted with no accompanying text more than 1,600 times and liked by more
than 20,000 users.
Given that much of this engagement seems to have occurred not when it was originally posted
but following news of his passing, this Tweet now stands as something of an online monument
to the late comic.