Talk:Zoidberg/Archive 1

Comment
Would someone like to define tetchy, or replace it with a more well-known synonym? Robogymnast 20:58, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

Zoidberg plays Diablo II? Is this vandalism, or mentioned in one of the comic books/games?

How is Zoidberg modeled on Yakoff Smirnoff? That is a stretch to me. 10:30, 1 July 2006 (UTC)Removed "The Zoidberg character is obviously inspired by Cthulhu." This isn't obvious to me. Does anyone have a reference for any connection between the characters? -- Oliver P. 04:46 6 Jul 2003 (UTC)
 * Well, both are aquatic, are humanoid, and have facial tentacles. Both are also considered to be hideous by most (or, rather, by most folks in their respective universes). Dr Archeville 19:22, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

What evidence is there that Zoidberg adds salt to the water cooler? It's not shown in any episodes of the cartoon IIRC. 12.01pm 27 July 2006 (GMT)


 * Well we at least know that there is a salt-water cooler. Hermes said something about getting rid of it as a cost-cutting measure in one of the earlier episodes. --Foot Dragoon 02:42, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Now that somebody has graciously expounded upon Zoidberg's jewish traits, it might be interesting to also note that Zoidberg's uncle--the famous silent hologram comedian Harold Zoid--deliberately dropped the 'berg' from his name (perhaps to gentile-ize' it for show business) problem is, I don't know enough about the history of hiding one's jewish heritage by creating a stage name, anybody want to pick up this particular baton? -- Brendan Brown 10:10 12-12-03 (MST)

John?
John Zoidberg?

Where did it say that his name was John?


 * It's mentioned at least twice. It's on Zoidberg's letterhead, used for the forged confession note in 30% Iron Chef. Nixon introduces him as John Zoidberg at the end of A Taste of Freedom. I think it may be written on his office door in one episode, but I'm not sure. -- Cyrius|&#9998; 05:28, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Zoidfarb, son of Harold?
Who wrote that? We see Harold Zoidberg in That's Lobstertainment! and what we know of Decapodian reproduction from Why Must I Be A Crustacean in Love? argues strongly that Zoidfarb's father is not Harold Zoidberg. If no one speaks up for a while, I'll edit out that part. -- Wyvern 22:56, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)


 * It's never stated in the episodes. John Zoidberg's got a cousin Zoidfarb, and an uncle Harold Zoid, but no mention is made of Zoidfarb and Harold's relationship. Or how they know who they're related to in the first place. -- Cyrius|&#9998; 01:23, 31 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Right, but Harold Zoid is alive in That's Lobstertainment!; since Decapodians die after mating (as we learn in Why Must I Be A Crustacean in Love?), it logically follows that Harold Zoid has no children and that Zoidfarb's parents include some as-yet unnamed relation (deceased). As for how Decapodians track their relations, darned if I know. Of course, this is also show in which the speed of light was increased in the 23rd century (but old TV signals take a millenium to go 1000 light years), Zoidberg's underwater house burned down, and Abraham Lincoln's intact head lives on in a jar; maybe we shouldn't rely too much on logic! Either way, I'm going to edit out ", although it is not known if Zoidfarb is Harold Zoid's son." for now; anyone who really objects can put it back. -- Wyvern 14:45, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)


 * Ah, good point about the dying. Slipped my mind, that did. -- Cyrius|&#9998; 17:51, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

In the silent movie era, Jewish comediens and writers would often take the "berg" off of the end of their name, as some people would refuse to watch something made by Jews. Zoidberg's long lost uncle from the "silent hologram" era was just Harold Zoid.

John wanted to be a comedian but his mother said it would make his grandparents roll over in the grave.

Arguing with yourself

 * "The decopodians are contradictory. In "A Taste Of Freedom", a young Zoidberg is stood talking to his mother about his dreams of becoming a comedian, but in "Why Must I Be A Crustacean in Love?" we find out that the decopodians die after mating, therefore, making the above scene completely contradictory. It is possible that Zoidberg is talking to another relative in "A Taste of Freedom", for example he may live with his aunt. As the older female figure says "sure, you can be a comedian--if you want your parents to roll over in their graves!," it is more than unlikely that she is his biological mother."

So the author of the above piece starts out buy saying that the decapodians are contradictory, then argues with himself, and concludes that decapodians aren't, in fact contradictory. Anyone else agree that this sort of debate is best left for those unkempt people traveling the streets with shopping carts, and that it shouldn't really be included in a Wikipedia article? Unigolyn 23:44, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

There was clearly more than 1 author, just in case you weren't intentionally being ironic, but yes, it should go if it hasn't already.

Fictional Jews
Just to make sure, Zoidberg is Jewish, right?

--WalterJid 13:29, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, he ain't Kosher... But I believe he still is. :) OzOz 15:39, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

No, I think he's just based on the Jewish sterotype. His religion is never discussed in the show, although he IS refused entry to a Jewish Bot-Mitzvah in Future Stock. - 12.01pm 27 July 2006 (GMT)

Trivia section
Well I trimmed it down some. Would you guys say it still needs the "too much trivia" tag at the top?--Foot Dragoon 23:14, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

He could be Sephardic Jewish; I mean he's a Jewish shelfish that can Flamenco dance.

John Gould
Since when was Zoidberg voiced by John Gould?!?!!? Go Futurama! Us e r:Sp3000 10:48, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Anchovies
Zoidberg's knowledge of anchovies is passed off by the comment: "It is also possible that due to this fact, one of the many food items placed in front of him inside the Roswell Airforce Base may very well have been anchovies." However, the Roswell That Ends Well episode is in Season 3 and A Fishful Of Dollars is in Season 1. As the series progresses in chronological order (with the year incrementing each season) this explaination surely serves no purpose...

Zoidberg's Age
I see that Zoidberg's age has been changed to 800 multiple times in the past weeks. I assume this comes from Professor Farnsworths comment that Zoidberg's people came to Earth about the time anchovies died out. This does not mean that Zoidberg himself is 800 years old. Humans have been on Earth for thousands of years and yet none of us are thousands of years old. If there is another source for this age please provide it here otherwise the age will continue to be removed from the article. Thanks! Stardust8212 20:31, 11 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Probably because Zoidberg implied that he was around when the anchovies existed. He did mention how good they were and snapped when he smelled and ate the last of 'em, wanting more. Maybe he was around during that time.--The Scourge 04:27, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I got the impression that the anchovies were a legend of his people, or something of the sort. HE may have been told that anchovies were so good by his parents or some other Decapodians.--Blackmagicfish 10:17, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
 * My impression was that when he walked in he smelled the anchovies (he says something asking what the delicious smell is) and that he devoured them because they smelled good and became addicted to them (thus his flipping out at the end) if the Decapodians 800 years ago had the same reaction it wouldn't be surprising they ate ALL the anchovies on the planet. Stardust8212 14:22, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

Lobster Newberg => Zoidberg?
Is Zoidberg's name based possibly based off of this lobster dish? Totema1 20:37, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
 * It's possible but I find it unlikely. A joke about the similarities in the dish and the name is used in "The Deep South" (I think) so certainly the writers are aware of this but is it the basis? Hard to say and unfortunately claiming to know what the creators were thinking without a source to back it up is original research. Stardust8212 21:13, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Mean Drunk
I forget the episode, but doesn't Zoidberg self profess that he is a mean drunk? I think this would be a cool quirk about him to put into his bio.Laugh-O-Gram 23:59, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

"I'LL TAKE EIGHT!"
Amazingly, that most famous of famous Zoidbergism is absent from this Wikipedia article! Show the Doctor the respect he so richly deserves! Or you will get his tear-jerking "Ohhh...." sigh, I tell you! *shakes claw at world* 199.214.28.95 23:09, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Dr. Zoidberg.jpg
Image:Dr. Zoidberg.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 05:04, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Requested move
I think this page should be located at Doctor Zoidberg. The page has been moved about 5 times in the past and all of them have been without discussion on the talk page including the most recent move from Doctor Zoidberg to Doctor John D. Zoidberg less than a month ago. Naming conventions states that "Generally, article naming should prefer what the majority of English speakers would most easily recognize, with a reasonable minimum of ambiguity, while at the same time making linking to those articles easy and second nature.". As noted above, the name John Zoidberg appears only twice or perhaps three times in the entire 72 episode run of the series and never as a significant part of the plot. The middle initial D, as discussed above might appear, maybe, in one episode that nobody has been able to name. This was also noted at Talk:Futurama as sounding like something a fan came up with. I think the name most in line with policy considering these items would be Doctor Zoidberg and am thus requesting a move back to that name for what will hopefully be the final time. Stardust8212 22:38, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Support move to Doctor Zoidberd or even Dr. Zoidberg. I stumbled across this page a while ago and wondered why it was titled that way. Shorter is better. Speciate 23:26, 26 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Done. &rArr;   SWAT Jester    Son of the Defender  00:23, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Would you like to ask Billy West a question?
I am interviewing Billy West, voice of Philip J. Fry, Professor Hubert Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan, next Thursday, November 15. If you have questions for West, leave them on my talk page. -- David  Shankbone  22:45, 8 November 2007 (UTC)

Intestines
There are alot of mentions of Zoidbergs various organs, he has four (i think?) hearts, a gas bladder, a swim bladder, an ink pouch, etc. Maybe there should be a mention of these things somewhere in here? - Fjafjan


 * I believe there is a lot of mention of this in Roswell That Ends Well, and if you need a screenshot of his insides, I know there is one in How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back. Also, you can sign your posts by putting four tildes ( ~ ). This will also give a link to your page. -- Will Mak  050389  19:00, 6 April 2007 (UTC)


 * If you follow the episode, you'll see that a lot of those organs are removed during his alien autopsy and so are no longer present. Evidence for that is when in Roswell That Ends Well during the alien autopsy, one of Zoidberg's hearts is removed with him saying "Take... I have four". Later in the series, in A Taste of Freedom, he remarks that two of his three hearts are having heart attacks, proving that one of the four were lost.124.171.190.169 (talk) 04:00, 23 May 2008 (UTC)

John D. Zoidberg?
I noticed someone has recently changed the name here and at Futurama to "John D. Zoidberg", I don't recall ever hearing his middle initial referred to in any way. I haven't reverted yet but I was wondering where this supposedly came from? Stardust8212 21:10, 12 June 2007 (UTC)


 * I think its from a notepad, at the bottom it says "Dr. John Zoidberg M.D." and D. may be included as his middle initial. I cannot remember the episode in order to check. Anyone know? -- Will Mak  050389  06:33, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
 * The page has now been moved to "Doctor John D. Zoidberg" but the origin of this middle initial has not yet been veririfed. I think moving the article may have been a bad idea. Naming conventions states that "Generally, article naming should prefer what the majority of English speakers would most easily recognize, with a reasonable minimum of ambiguity, while at the same time making linking to those articles easy and second nature." In this case I think the article would be best loacted at Doctor Zoidberg as that is how he is most frequently referred to. Opinions? Stardust8212 14:00, 4 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I've just seen the film "Benders Big Score" and I believe that ~40 seconds into the film, he is introduced as "John E. Zoidberg". Can someone please check this and clarify whether this is correct or not. Thanks. Paul 01:04, 24 November 2007

This is discussed further up in this article, but on the letterhead on the forged confession letter in 30% Iron Chef, it is "John Zoidberg M.D." The M.D. Obviously means Doctor, and as this is the most formal it would ever get for Zoidberg, there is no middle initial, so he does not have a middle name. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.11.48.46 (talk) 01:38, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
 * A was used in BBS, D was used in comic 36; most likely due to a misinterpretation of a poorly written A. - 58.172.224.228 (talk) 10:44, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

Requested Move
I believe this page should be moved to Dr. Zoidberg, as english users recognize "Dr." as the symbol for "Doctor" more often. Most english users would not think to spell out Doctor. Polarbear97 (talk) 15:44, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * I think it's better that the article uses the full title rather than the abbreviation, it's more encyclopedic.Ged UK (talk) 16:22, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree, Doctor is the full title and is what should be used here. If people can't figure it out for themselves there should be a redirect at Dr. Zoidberg to solve that for them. Stardust8212 17:24, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Which there is :) Ged UK (talk) 18:04, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

Genitals
They're probably located in the nack, evidenced when he leaves the bathroom and zipps up a fly near his neck and when he thinks fry has "gonads" in his neck.♠♦Д narchistPig♥♣ (talk) 01:19, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

sharing many traits with octopuses and squids
"sharing many traits with octopuses and squids"

Someone want to explain this claim?--203.192.91.4 (talk) 11:59, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

✅ Ged UK (talk) 12:46, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Removed. Zoidberg is repeatedly referred to as a "lobster" but is never identified either by other characters or by the writers and creators of the series as being similar to an octopus or squid.  He is identified as having an ink sack.  However, if you infer from this that he is similar to a squid, that is your own conclusion and not a comparison made explicit in the show.  Please stick to the facts; do not write conjectures or viewer opinions into Wikipedia articles.  Thank you.  Weasel Fetlocks (talk) 12:31, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Chinese voice actor
Is there any special reason to mention who does his voice in Cantonese? Futurama has been dubbed into many languages and Zoidberg is voiced by many different actors, so I see no reason to mention his Chinese voice actor in particular. Especially not in the "Character development" section. I'm removing that line. If you disagree you're welcome to undo my change, but please explain your logic. Jan Panda (talk) 09:19, 13 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Moving to bottom of page Ged UK (talk) 10:21, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Rewritten
I've done a fairly thorough rewrite, trimmed out a lot of trash and excessive description, and cleared up the layout of the article, removing some headers for empty sections, plus introduced some information about character development from the commentaries. This is the sort of content that should be here. Let's please stay focused on the fact that this is a fictional character in a comedy show, & not get carried away writing his biography or trying to rationalise his internal anatomy. Weasel Fetlocks (talk) 12:24, 29 July 2008 (UTC)