[TV Saturday] Daria

Since all the major TV shows have ended their run for this season, I figured I'd kick off the first TV Saturday with something a little older. Namely, MTV's Beavis and Butthead spin-off, Daria.

I'll openly admit that I hated this show when I first saw it, all the way back in 1997. I was 16 back then, visiting Athens (the only place in Greece back then that had MTV) on a short vacation and expecting to watch Beavis and Butthead, like the male teenager that I was. What I got instead was this show about a girl, with a sense of humor a lot more sophisticated than the one in Beavis and Butthead, and for that reason, a lot less interesting to my 16-year old self. When I decided to give it a second chance however (on the following day, no less), I found myself charmed by the misanthropic Miss Morgendorffer and her misadventures in teenage life.

In a sense, Daria was a defining part of the latter half of the 90's, with its strong, completely apathetic and unsocial female lead, the dry, sarcastic humor and its fairly realistic/negative depiction of school life. We may take several of these things for granted nowadays, but don't forget that back then it wasn't as common for a show to have a girl as a main character (one of the reasons it struck me as so odd the first time), and especially one as, shall we say... unusual? as Daria.

Naturally, things have moved on in the eleven years since Daria debuted, so the show doesn't have quite the same impact nowadays. In fact, it might feel a little too much by-the-numbers to a new viewer. For example, Daria is so incredibly apathetic that it might seem implausible to some, not to mention the fact that the supporting cast is for the most part made up from glorified stock characters, though this is most likely intended. After all, the show is all about its protagonist, and Daria doesn't care about them at all, why should the viewer?

More importantly, however, since Daria can seemingly never do anything wrong, it could be argued that the show overglorifies the "outsider" type of person, which has since become as much an annoying cliché as the sports jock. Not that Daria is responsible for the emo kids of today, not even remotely so. Daria is a witty misanthropist and a strong, invidivual character, and not a whiny kid overreacting about every little thing in life. I thought I should clear that up.

At any rate, Daria should be judged for what it is. A witty, inspired, just-plain-amusing cartoon back from the era when MTV wasn't afraid of promoting and supporting alternative music/shows/lifestyle in general, and less about sucking ass. While it may not have the same appeal to somebody going through their teenage years in the 00's, it's definitely worth watching for anyone who grew up in the 90's and still reminisces those years.

TL;DR version:

(Meh, I keep forgetting to add this part lately.)

Instead of reiterating what I said above, and especially for those of you who have never watched a single episode of this show, here's the first part of one of my favorite episodes from season 1, Cafe Disaffecto. See for yourselves why a show based on a misanthropist is always a good idea, and why the 90's kick the 00's('s?) sorry ass. You can find the rest in YouTube, as well.