Gilbert Gottfried

Gilbert Gottfried gets respect from fellow comedians because, on top of being a smart writer with a pretty clear idea of what his voice is, Gottfried just goes for it. While that unfettered boldness can get him in trouble with the P.C. police—a joke on Twitter got him dropped as the voice of the AFLAC duck earlier this year—Gottfried’s ability to belt out a good, dirty joke has nonetheless built his career. He’s a fixture on the dais at Comedy Centrals roasts, he released a DVD called Dirty Jokes, and he gives the most blistering version of “The Aristocrats” joke in the documentary of the same name. Part of the fun of seeing him live is getting his frenzied energy coming right at you.

Updated 11/28/2011