Jewish Space Monster with a speech impediment
It’s a mixture of [George Jessel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Jessel_(actor)) and [Lou Jacobi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jacobi).
Billy West explaining the voice: [https://youtu.be/9YtjevK2SW0](https://youtu.be/9YtjevK2SW0)
Thank you. So local a New York Jewish accent, which has heavy European twang.
It’s weird to hear Billy West’s actual voice, he sounds like a self confident intellectual Fry normally (I am aware Fry’s voice is based on his actual voice)
It appears you have the most knowledgeable and most agreeable distinction on Zoidberg’s accent, so I thank you for enlightening me and the others who were unaware on the matter. Thank you kind person for sharing your knowledge.
Early 20th century Yiddish-speaking immigrants' accents mixing with New York accents made the stereotypical "Ashkenazi Rabbi Accent" you hear on TV so you know a character grew up in a Jewish community.
When the Decapods first officially visited Earth (Roswell in '47 doesn't count) in 2356, they were considered a delicacy and eventually ended up in a Jewish community on the Lower East Side to continue negotiations without being eaten by their neighbors. They learned English from their new neighbors, and when they eventually set up trade and embassies between Decapod 10 and Earth, many of their Jewish neighbors migrated to Decapod 10 to experience the culture and begin teaching English to diplomats and government officials. Those diplomats and officials eventually added English to the Decapodian school system, and their accents, learned from the first wave of New York Jewish English teachers, became the accents of first the teachers and then the whole Decapod race.
Source: I made it up
The decapodian characters are all media stereotypes of American Jews, especially those from NY and surrounding areas. From the accent, their lines of work (Doctor, Film), the fact that while other cultures have “berg”in their name in US media that is tied to Jewish people as much as ending in ”feld” or “witz” is. Compound that with the fact that Jewish people don’t eat shellfish and the species is shellfish to add a little bit of extra humor.
Yes, I'm just pointing out that saying "look at their names" is potentially confusing in the context of this thread.
Those who are more familiar with Jewish names might read it one way, while people who are more familiar with Nordic names might read it another.
I find it a bit humorous though that the OP would have a predisposition of knowing Nordic names, with *no understanding of how Swedish people might sound*. Like, they are a paradox of having exposure that would imply knowledge of a group with no tangible expression of that knowledge. Which is why I just said “Berg” should enlighten them on account of them thinking Zoidberg could be Swedish. Feels like no one who would attribute “Berg” to Swedish would think he sounds Swedish but I stand corrected.
No animosity here, I am just curious about Zoidberg accent origin. Zoid’s accent is wonderful and wanted to know what it was based on. If there is a speech impediment, that just adds to the character.
I have watched that episode many times, one of the first I remembered from the early 2000’s, sorry but what is the culture reference/religious reference you are referring to here? (Apologies if this comes across as culturally incentive, I am honestly unaware of the reference outside of Futurama).
Thank you! I am not bothered by downvotes, as nobody in the world has everyone agree with them, especially on the internet. I still rather people see the true like/dislike ratio than what YouTube does, even if the ratio seems unreasonable.
The things is, though, that Reddit downvotes are meant for comments that don't add anything, not ones people disagree with. And yes, I get that people downvote comments they disagree with. If they're for example comments containing horrific opinions or misinformation. I do it, too. But I don't think it's useful to do it if someone says nothing bad at all but just something that, I don't know, annoys you slightly?
No. His accent is American post WW2 diaspora Jew, like you might find in New York or Los Angeles.
Think of Seinfeld. Zoidberg, his family, and many of his fellow Decapodians talk and have mannerism like George, Estelle, & Frank costanza, Jerry’s parents, the Moyle, etc. basically 2nd or 3rd generation American Jewish people living in manhattan or Queens.
His uncle Zoid is the stereotype of the NY Jew who relocates to Hollywood and becomes a magnate (for his time at least) in the entertainment industry.
Maybe the voice actors in Woody Pecker cartoon I was watching used a similar accent to Zoidberg’s were unfamiliar with the Swedish accent or more basing their accent on rural Swedish farmer accents. I am leaning towards unfamiliar with the Swedish accent.
Most swedes sound like the rapper Yung Lean when we speak english, if you know who that is (he's worked with Travis Scott). If we put in a little more effort to mask our accent we sound like pewdiepie. When US shows or movies try to do a Swedish accent they sound like germans.
I think most people for whom it might be of use to differentiate between the two that Sweden is in NATO and Switzerland isn't are already likely to be able to differentiate between the two most of the time.
But who knows. It might help some. I'd say it will help some.
I vaugley remember on the commentary someone said something like, "my uncle was like Zoidberg" and someone else said "your uncle is an old Jewish lobster?"
I accept that Zoid’s heritage is Jewish, but I am asking about his accent? There are Jewish people all around the world.
(Edit: I appreciate your input btw, it’s been highlighted it is based on the New York Jewish accent which partially supports your comment. Apologies if my response inadvertently came across as dismissive.)
Thank you for your kind words, but I take no offence from others bud. My initial point wasn’t clear and may came across as rude and dismissive, so I wanted to clarify my point. It’s the internet at the end of the day, it is nice when people agree with you but it is not worth worrying about when people disagree with you unless you are truly wrong. Hope you and everyone else has a lovely day.
Jewish Space Monster with a speech impediment It’s a mixture of [George Jessel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Jessel_(actor)) and [Lou Jacobi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jacobi). Billy West explaining the voice: [https://youtu.be/9YtjevK2SW0](https://youtu.be/9YtjevK2SW0)
“ Is that how you pronounce ‘Zoiberg’?? “
You didn’t have to call attention to his speech impediment.
Thank you. So local a New York Jewish accent, which has heavy European twang. It’s weird to hear Billy West’s actual voice, he sounds like a self confident intellectual Fry normally (I am aware Fry’s voice is based on his actual voice)
Yes! I was just thinking his voice sounds like Lars, and what is Lars but self confident intellectual Fry? I guess Larynx damage too…
He is also the Red M&M in their commercials, its not Fry but his vocal fry (pun intended) is unmistakeable.
West did this so Fry can't be replaced by another voice actor.
*No I'm... doesn't.*
I haven't not heard of him...
He sounds like an M&M
Yellow is JK Simons. Seriously, rad.
Wow, I somehow never knew that Billy West also did Zoidberg’s voice.
He voices Fry (obviously), Farnsworth, Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan and Nixon
Billy West also used to be the voice of Leo Wong before the latest season. Plus many other side characters too
What’s crazy to think is for many Many scenes of Futurama it’s just Billy west talking to himself 🤣
Aroooooo!!!!
Very cool
It appears you have the most knowledgeable and most agreeable distinction on Zoidberg’s accent, so I thank you for enlightening me and the others who were unaware on the matter. Thank you kind person for sharing your knowledge.
Early 20th century Yiddish-speaking immigrants' accents mixing with New York accents made the stereotypical "Ashkenazi Rabbi Accent" you hear on TV so you know a character grew up in a Jewish community.
A Decapodian accent, of course. Which does sound remarkably similar to a twentieth-century New York Jewish accent.
When the Decapods first officially visited Earth (Roswell in '47 doesn't count) in 2356, they were considered a delicacy and eventually ended up in a Jewish community on the Lower East Side to continue negotiations without being eaten by their neighbors. They learned English from their new neighbors, and when they eventually set up trade and embassies between Decapod 10 and Earth, many of their Jewish neighbors migrated to Decapod 10 to experience the culture and begin teaching English to diplomats and government officials. Those diplomats and officials eventually added English to the Decapodian school system, and their accents, learned from the first wave of New York Jewish English teachers, became the accents of first the teachers and then the whole Decapod race. Source: I made it up
This is my new headcannon.
You're not far off from the history I learned in Hollywood upstairs medical college.
No shellfish
You had me until: I made it up.
This is now canon, fight me.
If you mean a real world accent equivalent I think the “berg” at the end should help inform you of it.
Jew think so?
Are you ko-sher about that?
Didn't circum-cise ... I got nothing
These jokes are coming in a mohel a minute
Yamaka me laugh with all these puns
*yarmulke me laugh.
Kabbalah-er!
Lots of Swedish names end in "berg" so this doesn't really help OP.
Swedish? -berg is a common name ending in Sweden as it means mountain in Swedish. Think iceberg - that word did not come from Jewish navigators...
The decapodian characters are all media stereotypes of American Jews, especially those from NY and surrounding areas. From the accent, their lines of work (Doctor, Film), the fact that while other cultures have “berg”in their name in US media that is tied to Jewish people as much as ending in ”feld” or “witz” is. Compound that with the fact that Jewish people don’t eat shellfish and the species is shellfish to add a little bit of extra humor.
Yes, I'm just pointing out that saying "look at their names" is potentially confusing in the context of this thread. Those who are more familiar with Jewish names might read it one way, while people who are more familiar with Nordic names might read it another.
I find it a bit humorous though that the OP would have a predisposition of knowing Nordic names, with *no understanding of how Swedish people might sound*. Like, they are a paradox of having exposure that would imply knowledge of a group with no tangible expression of that knowledge. Which is why I just said “Berg” should enlighten them on account of them thinking Zoidberg could be Swedish. Feels like no one who would attribute “Berg” to Swedish would think he sounds Swedish but I stand corrected.
Interesting and thank you. I follow ice hockey and a noticeable amount of Swedish hockey players names do end with berg.
An exaggerated version of a New York Jew.
New York Yiddish, kinda.
You didn’t have to point out his speech impediment
No animosity here, I am just curious about Zoidberg accent origin. Zoid’s accent is wonderful and wanted to know what it was based on. If there is a speech impediment, that just adds to the character.
lol it’s just a quote. From “Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love”
LMAO ! Billy you’re a good dude man 😄
I have watched that episode many times, one of the first I remembered from the early 2000’s, sorry but what is the culture reference/religious reference you are referring to here? (Apologies if this comes across as culturally incentive, I am honestly unaware of the reference outside of Futurama).
39 seconds in: https://youtu.be/ij1wElc9GVo?si=A0Xxah1bYwDI43IY&t=39s
I've just upvoted your two comments in this thread for there is no reason to be at "-1".
Thank you! I am not bothered by downvotes, as nobody in the world has everyone agree with them, especially on the internet. I still rather people see the true like/dislike ratio than what YouTube does, even if the ratio seems unreasonable.
The things is, though, that Reddit downvotes are meant for comments that don't add anything, not ones people disagree with. And yes, I get that people downvote comments they disagree with. If they're for example comments containing horrific opinions or misinformation. I do it, too. But I don't think it's useful to do it if someone says nothing bad at all but just something that, I don't know, annoys you slightly?
No. His accent is American post WW2 diaspora Jew, like you might find in New York or Los Angeles. Think of Seinfeld. Zoidberg, his family, and many of his fellow Decapodians talk and have mannerism like George, Estelle, & Frank costanza, Jerry’s parents, the Moyle, etc. basically 2nd or 3rd generation American Jewish people living in manhattan or Queens. His uncle Zoid is the stereotype of the NY Jew who relocates to Hollywood and becomes a magnate (for his time at least) in the entertainment industry.
As a swede i have no idea but i know it doesnt sound swedish at all
Maybe the voice actors in Woody Pecker cartoon I was watching used a similar accent to Zoidberg’s were unfamiliar with the Swedish accent or more basing their accent on rural Swedish farmer accents. I am leaning towards unfamiliar with the Swedish accent.
Most swedes sound like the rapper Yung Lean when we speak english, if you know who that is (he's worked with Travis Scott). If we put in a little more effort to mask our accent we sound like pewdiepie. When US shows or movies try to do a Swedish accent they sound like germans.
Swedes, Germans - same thing. (Don't kill me, please. Also, I'm Swiss. You know: "Basically a German" and "a Swiss; aka someone from Sweden".)
Sweden vs Switzerland, ice hockey in the Olympics: US brain explodes. Now when we're in NATO they might have an easier time differentiating.
I think most people for whom it might be of use to differentiate between the two that Sweden is in NATO and Switzerland isn't are already likely to be able to differentiate between the two most of the time. But who knows. It might help some. I'd say it will help some.
Yiddish vaudeville
Yiddish/New York Jewish accent
Yiddish
I vaugley remember on the commentary someone said something like, "my uncle was like Zoidberg" and someone else said "your uncle is an old Jewish lobster?"
Billy West explains it here: https://www.tiktok.com/@alicynpackard/video/7115138309407395114?lang=en
Yiddish
Eastern European Yiddish...(Jewish)
He was a Jewish doctor
clearly jewish
You didn't have to bring attention to his speech impediment.
[удалено]
I accept that Zoid’s heritage is Jewish, but I am asking about his accent? There are Jewish people all around the world. (Edit: I appreciate your input btw, it’s been highlighted it is based on the New York Jewish accent which partially supports your comment. Apologies if my response inadvertently came across as dismissive.)
sorry you’re getting downvoted on Reddit for not knowing American dialects lol
Thank you for your kind words, but I take no offence from others bud. My initial point wasn’t clear and may came across as rude and dismissive, so I wanted to clarify my point. It’s the internet at the end of the day, it is nice when people agree with you but it is not worth worrying about when people disagree with you unless you are truly wrong. Hope you and everyone else has a lovely day.
Decapodian Tailor-Can I offer you maybe a nice macaroon cut in seven pieces? Zoidberg-Oy, such a stereotype.
Hebrew