DiMaggio was not coy with his explanation. He said:
“To master the Bender belch, by the way, all you have to do is say ‘Ay.’ Just go ‘aiee’ when you’re belching.”
It almost rhymes with “height,” but has a little bit of Fonz-adjascent “ayyy.” DiMaggio, after giving his instruction, predicted that kids all over the world would now be belching in the style of Bender. Give it a try. It’s gloriously disgusting and can interrupt any uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinner, Communion banquet, or funeral parlor buffet.
DiMaggio only provides the belches for Bender. On the DVD commentary for “Crimes of the Hot,” the “Futurama” showrunners noted that the majority of the episode’s robot burps were provided by a separate voice actress whom they did not name. They did joke, however, that after a day of belching in the recording booth, said actress went home and died. This was a joke. That unnamed actress is still alive and well.
Despite her comedy roots, Lauren Tom, who plays Amy on “Futurama” cannot burp on cue. It is, after all, a rare talent. As such, when Amy needs to burp, the sound is provided by Maurice LaMarche. On-demand belches are a learned skill, and any determined prankster can learn; there are even high-profile tutorials online. Be sure to record your lessons, keep them for years, and play them back for your kids. Those who can belch on cue are the finest people among us.