Norm Macdonald Was Almost The Aflac Duck

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Did you know that Norm Macdonald was ALMOST the most iconic duck since Donald? Ok, fine. Since Daffy.   #normmacdonald #gilbertgottfried #aflac #comedians

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00:00Did you know that Norm Macdonald was almost the Aflac duck?

00:03Or that the role of the famous insurance duck has a bit of a dramatic history?

00:07Yeah!

00:08Well, Gilbert Gottfried blew it.

00:09His job squawking Aflac on insurance commercials was one of the cushiest gigs around, earning

00:14him big paychecks for easy afternoons of voiceover work.

00:17He lost the gig in 2011, however, when he took to Twitter to make jokes about a Japanese

00:21earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

00:23Despite an eventual apology, Gottfried's gags were a step too far for Aflac, especially

00:28because Japan accounted for about 75% of Aflac's business, so the breakup with Gottfried

00:33was understandable.

00:34But it meant the insurer needed a new duck voice, prompting a casting call that saw more

00:38than 12,000 people competing to quack for Aflac.

00:42One of the people who auditioned for the gig?

00:44Comedian Norm Macdonald.

00:45He told the gang on The Howard Stern Show that he tried out for the job, but wasn't

00:48super into it.

00:49I want you to create a story.

00:51She goes, just create a story.

00:52Have fun.

00:53So then, like, three seconds in, I'm like, I want to get the f*** out of here.

00:56I'll just say Aflac.

00:57Get the f*** out of here.

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