When news broke of Gilbert Gottfried’s death on Tuesday, social media was flooded with tributes — as well as hilarious clips of his stand-up, movie, and TV appearances. Some remembered his stunningly filthy take on the “Aristocrats” joke. Others shared his gonzo trolling of contestants on Hollywood Squares. And some dug up one of the last jokes he told, which was aimed at his good friend Chris Rock.
Two weeks before his passing, Gottfried weighed in on what was then the biggest topic: Will Smith smacking Chris Rock at the Oscars because of a joke he made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The incident shocked the nation. It may have destroyed Smith’s career and public image. But Gottfried was always someone who found a joke in anything — even, infamously, unimaginable tragedy — and this was no exception.
“Which is the worst crime?” Gottfried wrote on Instagram. “Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?” Beside it was a picture of the two comics side-by-side, big smiles on their faces, indicating that the joke was made out of love. Rock, who loved a good barb — like the one that got him slapped on live television — no doubt approved.
The cause of Gottfried’s death was not immediately revealed, though it was later confirmed that it was the result of a rare genetic muscle disease. Luckily he left behind an endless supply of jokes like this.