( CNN ) -- In days of yore , comedian Steve Martin said he used to try out jokes in clubs and adjust them based on an audience 's feedback . `` Today , the process is faster . It 's your brain , a button , then millions of reactions , '' he said on his website . Martin was writing Monday to explain himself after sending a tweet that , by his own admission , was `` unfortunate . '' `` To those who were offended , again , I offer a deep , sincere , and humble apology without reservation , '' he wrote . `` But I feel I need to tell you the context and origin of the joke . '' The storm started Friday when he invited people to ask him grammar questions on Twitter . Someone wrote , `` Is this how you spell lasonia ? '' to which Martin replied : `` It depends . Are you in an African-American neighborhood or at an Italian restaurant . '' `` I knew of the name Lasonia . I did not make it up , nor do I find it funny . So to me the answer was either Lasonia ( with a capital ) , or Lasagna , depending on what you meant . That they sounded alike in this rare and particular context struck me as funny . That was the joke , '' he wrote on his website . `` When the tweet went out , I saw some negative comments and immediately deleted the tweet and apologized . I gathered the perception was that I was making fun of African American names . '' The story did n't stop there . Martin said his tweet was picked up and quoted , inaccurately , by various outlets , including Salon . `` It depends . Are you in an African-American restaurant or at an Italian restaurant , '' Salon said Martin wrote , suggesting he meant to imply that African-American restaurants ca n't spell `` lasagna . '' The inaccurate version spread , and Martin said he felt he `` could n't get out of hell . '' `` Comedy is treacherous , '' he wrote . `` But it 's my job to know . ''
The comedian lands in hot water after getting people to ask him questions on Twitter . He posts a response that appeared to some to be from African - Americans . ` ` It 's your brain , a response , then millions of reactions , '' he writes .