Daria

I've read the user comments for "Daria" and I noticed one thing. All the bad reviews are written by elitist goth kids who disliked that an "alternative" show like it was aired on a "mainstream" TV channel like MTV. Don't let yourself fooled by these comments.

Sure, this show aired on MTV. Doesn't it seem a bit weird that it bashes everything MTV is all about? Sure, it is trendy to be different and artsy to some extent. Didn't MTV just want to take advantage of this? Personally, I think that Daria is one of the best and funniest shows that I've ever seen.

This show might seem like it's about teen angst. It might seem like Daria is your typical high school outcast with her artistic friend who are proud of being "different" yet aren't that much different after all. But this is not at all what it's like.

First, this show isn't particularly aired at teenagers. It's aired at any young people, I'd say anyone from 12 to 35 but people in their late teens and 20's can enjoy it more since they've gone through high school or are still in high school. Daria criticizes high school life. Aside from the "be yourself and screw what others think" moral, the goal of the show is to make it's watchers laugh. Daria lives in an exagerated version of reality where teenagers and adults are completely brainwashed by society and often act in ridiculous ways. This is what is so funny. Even though the show is so realistic, the fact that it's exagerated reminds us that it doesn't take itself too seriously and that the goal isn't to be preachy but to be humorous.

As I said earlier, Daria is not your typical rebellious teenager. Daria and her friend Jane are spectators in the show and their only roles are to let us see the world through their eyes. However, Jane and Daria are two completely different characters. Jane is a lot less negative than Daria about a lot of things, by example. This only makes the show more interesting because they aren't just two goth teenagers whining about the world around them. Daria is a realistic character while not being a stereotype. Many people view her as a person who's unconfident but I think she's more confident than most characters in the show. She just views things as they are, with a tint of bitterness, without falling into the "gothic" category, yet she still treats her surroundings with respect.

If you disliked the superficial world that is high school, I suggest this show for a lot of laughs.

Daria Morgendorffer gets her own show, after being featured in some of Beavis and Butt-head's episodes. Daria gets a new look and personality. What makes this show so unique is that it focuses on adolescent life seen through the eyes of a teenage girl. What makes her funny is that she communicates with everyone in a sarcastic manner, including her family. She is very unpopular in school whereas her sister, Quinn, tries to be so cute and awards herself too much credit for it. Let's not forget her parents, Jake and Helen. They are the stereotypical career-minded type, enough said. Jane is Daria's best friend who always stands by her through good and bad times. Daria may not be a laugh-a-minute show, but rather a social satire about growing up. If you love Beavis and Butt-Head, then give this one a try.

My evaluation: B+

Back in the 1990s MTV used to be a driving force in world wide subculture. This show is a timeless container for the spirit of grunge, early internet, high school-horror and teenage angst. The characters are so well-crafted, it is actually shoking and surprising throughout the whole series. Many cartoons tried character development, more mature narratives and reoccuring themes but in Daria it feels unforced and fits so well. I would not even describe the cartoon with a "serious tone", its simply not a quirky kids show. The relationship between Daria and Jane, which has its ups and downs, is beautifully displayed and closer to real human experience than I have seen in almost anything. Daria is the cynical teenage proto-hipster that might have inspired many after her (when College Humor made a fake real-action-trailer Aubrey Plaza was an unsurprising casting) but has moments that make her more vivid, self-reflecting and plastic than most of the Simpsons. Even the stereotypes like Quinn show depth at times that catches you by surprise and make you forget you're watching a teenage cartoon.

Entertaining, serious, poetic, rewatchable, funny, cool - Daria has it all.

I'm 34 years old as of this writing, so why do I like this spin-off of Beavis and Butt-head? The sarcasm of Tracy Grandstaff will sting you with laughter, not to mention Miss Morgendorffer's refusal to go along with the "conform-or-die" mentality that's forced upon teenagers, whether it's from her elders, the popular creeps, or the various counter-cultures. Imagine a girl like her in previous decades of teen-dom. Her attitude toward peer pressure is close to the one I had when I was in high school (..and now feel even stronger about), as is her Dad's seething resentment toward the people who robbed him of the "joy of youth."

Long live Daria. If the show doesn't last, may it's legacy do so.

Considering multiple aspects, this is a wonderful show. Every character has a very specific personality, and most all of them actually develop as the show goes on. The humor can be dry, but is incredible if you actually get it. If you were expecting Beavis and Butthead, sorry, you will be disappointed. I've noticed that most of the negative comments talk about how Beavis and Butthead was so much better. I think it can be best said that you have to be able to appreciate intelligent humor to laugh at this. If you think, say, that Jackass is the greatest show ever, then you will most likely hate this.

However, if you like a humorous show that's incredibly well developed for a cartoon (the character development, themes, etc.), then you will enjoy this.