Does anyone else find Zoidberg’s accent from Futurama a little weird? It might be just me, but I can help but grimace a little every time he says “Ro-but” instead of “Ro-bot”. Was it created to make fun of anyone or anything?
And is it an inside joke that they pronounce “ask” as “axe”?
I love Zoidberg’s accent! Voiced by Billy West, y’know. I always thought of it as sort of a generic Jewish (or is that Yiddish?) accent.
And yeah, I noticed the “axe” thing as well. I loved how Leela just did it one time, without any real joke attached to it, as though it were completely natural. Still, sort of scary to think how language may evolve in the future.
There was an episode on Adult Swim recently where Leela had mentioned to Fry that some of the language that he used in the past had evolved. The example that she used was that “ask” had, indeed, become “axe.”
Russian Jew. Or maybe just generic European Jew, whynot. I guess it’s only natural, what with us not being allowed to eat shellfish and him BEING a shellfish!
Definitely Catskill-ian Yiddish/Jewish. The whole idea is that even though he’s an alien in the future, his character is basically a hackneyed Jewish doctor.
I offer as additional proof his Jewish grandpa syntax (“Again with the yelling!” or “Come and visit, why don’t you?”) and him trying on the shirt with the Slurm logo in Hebrew.
Have you seen his uncle, the great Harold Zoid? Provides more answers maybe it does?
More specifically, I think the accent is modeled on Borscht Belt comedian George Jessel.
Actually, they pronounce it aks instead of ask and I believe its pronounciation or evolution of the word was referred to in one of the episodes in the first season (can’t remember which one though)
It’s discussed in the Christmas episode. It goes a little like this (premise: Fry keeps discussing Christmas, and people get confused)
Leela:“Ohh, you mean X-mas! You must be using some archaic pronunciation. Like when you say ask instead of axe.”
I’m not sure if they’ve always stuck to saying “axe” but it does crop up occasionally.
Incindentally, Billy West discusses Zoidberg’s voice on the DVD commentary, but I can’t remember exactly what he says about it.
Jewish eh? That explains it somewhat.
But Zoidberg in general annoys me. I don’t find his character funny.
I like Zoidberg, but the best joke he’s part of is when Fry first arrives in the future and Professor Farnsworth is introducing him
Farnsworth: Now, you may find him a little strange… he wears sandals.
See that’s what I was thinking. I mean it’s obviously Yiddish, but it seemed like it was more distincive than that, like it was based on someone in particular.
George Jessel sounds plausable. Did he have tenticles around his mouth too?
I thought the episode around him was a bit much (the mating one), but I enjoy him as the underdog in small doses. I did like the end of the second season with the “Now Zoidberg can be the one everyone talks to. Hooray!” “Yes! Let’s all talk to Dr. Zoidberg!”
Good ole Dr. Zoidberg 
You can catch George Jessel as himself in Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) on the Fox Movie Channel, at 4 p.m. (EDT), Wednesday, August 27.
tenticles ? i think it’s spelled tentacles… I read that as testicles…
what?
Also, notice how sometimes he’ll whoop like Curley from the 3 stooges? The 3 stooges were Jewish, IIRC.
Zoidberg is rather strange, but I find him quite funny.
betenoir! George Jessel did not have tentacles around his mouth. Stop putting those images in my mind!!!
The 3 Stooges were a pastiche of comedy business.
Actually, they had already posted this information. Honestly, I don’t mind so much if someone skips part of a 6-page whopper thread, but this isn’t even a whole page yet!
sheesh
Don’t mind me, I’m just being repressed.
Anti-Semite! ;j
I love Zoidberg… and the episode when they all went road tripping in a Volkswagon. Yeah, Zoidberg kept barfin up pretty stones to sell to the hippies!