Editing Ferengi (section)

===''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''===

[[File:Shimerman and Grodénchik by Beth Madison, 5.jpg|thumb|[[Armin Shimerman]] (left) played [[Quark (Star Trek)|Quark]]; [[Max Grodénchik]] (right) played [[Rom (Star Trek)|Rom]].]]

When the writers were putting together the premise of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', they decided to introduce a recurring Ferengi character who would inhabit the space station [[Deep Space Nine (space station)|Deep Space Nine]] that was the main setting for the show. The show's co-creator, [[Michael Piller]], later noted that: "It was clear to me that having a Ferengi aboard Deep Space 9 would provide the show with instant humor and built-in conflict with the Federation guy in charge of the station".{{sfn|Erdmann|Block|2000|p=14}} The show's creators developed the character of Quark, a Ferengi bartender who would, according to Piller, be "a constant thorn in the side of law and order, but who has a sense of humor about it. He'd be someone who could obviously throw lots of story dynamics into play."{{sfn|Erdmann|Block|2000|p=14}} Piller and the others consciously wanted to play the Quark character off against the station constable, [[Odo (Star Trek)|Odo]] ([[René Auberjonois]]); according to Piller, "the idea of Odo and Quark being at loggerheads was there from day one".{{sfn|Erdmann|Block|2000|p=14}}

Through the character of Quark and his family, ''Deep Space Nine'' developed the culture and politics of the Ferengi in some detail. Episodes of the series portray the Ferengi's hyper-capitalistic emphasis on profit and [[sexism|sexist]] social norms (at the beginning of the series, Ferengi females are not permitted to earn profit or even wear clothing), and the society's gradual evolution away from those norms as, for example, Quark's mother becomes a respected businesswoman and Quark comes to tolerate his employees forming a [[labor union|union]].

In the third season of ''Deep Space Nine'', Quark's nephew Nog becomes the first Ferengi to join [[Starfleet]], the military and exploration arm of the [[United Federation of Planets]]. This development prompted discussions on electronic mailing lists devoted to ''Star Trek''. Various commentators suggested that, given how Nog had behaved in previous episodes, it was surprising that Starfleet would take him on. They suggested that this might indicate that Starfleet had some form of [[affirmative action]] policy to benefit species not presently represented in Starfleet. Other online commentators argued that this viewpoint was [[racism|racist]], and that Nog would have been accepted as a Starfleet cadet because he was qualified, not because of his racial identity.{{sfn|Winn|2003|p=3}}