Editing Zoidberg (section)

==Character creation==
Zoidberg is named after an [[Apple II]] game that series writer [[David X. Cohen]] created in high school called ''Zoid'', similar to the game ''[[Qix]]''. The game was rejected by [[Broderbund]].<ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine| url=http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/12/video-games-f-1.html| title=Videogames & Futurama, Part 2: How Zoidberg Got His Name From a Game|first=Chris|last=Baker| date=December 17, 2007|access-date=March 28, 2008| magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref><ref name="Cohen02">{{cite video| people=Cohen, David X |date=2002|title=Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "[[The Series Has Landed]]"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref><ref name="Cohen3-8">{{cite video| people=Cohen, David X |date=2003|title=Futurama season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "[[A Taste of Freedom]]"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> One of Cohen's inspirations for the character of Dr. Zoidberg was the fact that ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' character [[Leonard McCoy]], the ship's doctor, frequently administered medical treatment to aliens such as [[Spock]], so Cohen wished human characters in ''Futurama'' to be in the uneasy situation of being treated by an alien doctor.<ref name="Cohen02"/>

During the first season, jokes about Zoidberg usually focused on his poor understanding of human anatomy and the fact that all of his co-workers hate him. Despite his incompetence, he believes that he is really an expert on human anatomy, and will blithely attempt to treat human patients as he would his own species. One of his running traits is his pronunciation of the word "robot", pronouncing it {{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|oʊ|b|ə|t}} {{respell|ROH|bət}} rather than {{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|oʊ|b|ɒ|t}} {{respell|ROH|bot}}. His use of English grammar and idioms resembles the stereotypical speech of Jewish people living in the northeastern United States, and elements of [[Jewish humor]], and playful reversals on it, are a theme. As the series progressed, the writers gradually introduced themes that Zoidberg is poor, homeless, friendless, smelly, undignified, and repulsive<ref name="Cohen13">{{cite video| people=Cohen, David X |date=2002|title=Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "[[Fry and the Slurm Factory]]"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>—the opposite of a stereotypical doctor, who is usually respectable, wealthy, and romantically desirable. In front of others, Zoidberg frequently pretends to be refined and successful, though this illusion is quickly dashed when pointed out. Regardless of his flaws, Zoidberg is good-natured and means well, and will help the crew when the situation calls for it.