Revealing Must-Know Facts About Daria MTV Series - Things You May Have Missed!

Intro: "La, la, la, la, la"

Daria, a MTV series was a huge hit when it debuted in 1997 on MTV – not bad for a network who was known for premiering popular music videos, reality tv and live action teen dramas. Daria being one of the few animations on MTV produced at the time, in its attempt to attract more female viewers. It's easy to have forgotten that Daria first appeared on Beavis & Butthead, before having her own spinoff. The sarcastic, witty, anti-conformist, fully self-aware teenager who was often smarter than most adults who surrounded her. Daria's persona had become symbolic for individuals who deemed it unnecessary to fit into the norms of society. The show was brilliant, innovative, charismatic with a peculiar sense of humor. And now because of streaming channels like Paramount+ audiences can relive the nostalgia of MTV’s Daria – but pay close attention! Here are the things you may have missed when you first watched the show...

Kevin is racially insensitive

Kevin is not the smartest guy in school, you may even consider him the typical dumb jock. But there is a reoccurring dialogue that happens quite often between him and his fellow teammate Mac. For some odd reason Kevin thinks its ok to refer to Mac as “Mac Daddy” in which Mac has made clear to Kevin on several occasions that he does not like to be called by that name. But, because of Kevin’s dimwittedness and oblivion to social cues, Kevin might not realize how offensive it is to metaphorical muzzle Mac's voice, especially since Mac being a young man of color expressed more than once the dislike of being called mac daddy. Kevin is a moron (there is no question about that) or at the very least imperceptive. His behavior is never reprimanded nor is it called into question. The verbal exchanges between Kevin and Mac on a broader spectrum represents the lack of communication between the races. This may have gone unnoticed in the 1990’s by Daria fans, but in modern times people are more aware of race relations and how certain aspects of society will instinctively treat Kevin differently from Mac.

Daria and Jane’s friendship is concrete

Daria and Jane’s friendship is concrete. It can best be described as realistic and not easily broken. That holds a lot of meaning considering that Daria and Jane are high school teens. Many high school students engage in fickle friendships, there lack of maturity makes it impossible for them to comprehend the value of true friendship. The bond between Daria and Jane are well beyond their young years. Neither girl put pressure on the other to be someone that they are not, they don’t have to pretend to like something just to please the other. That is almost unheard of among teen relationships – were as most teens will alter their personality just to fit in with the crowd and place their self-worth on the number of friends that they accumulate, instead of celebrating each friend for their individuality. Now, of course Daria and Jane’s friendship is not perfect, they’ve had their share of disagreements. But, for a couple of 17-year-olds who don’t demand unreasonable expectations from each other, nor are they quick to judge one another when the other makes a mistake… that’s kind of impressive!

Brittany and Kevin are cheaters

Brittany and Kevin are the undisclosed king and queen of Lawndale High. Although they have the combined IQ of a Sloth, their popularity status is all too familiar with Brittany being the pretty cheerleader and Kevin the handsome jock makes them Lawndale’s hottest couple. Their individual self-worth is defined by their relationship (which happens quite often in teen love). Kevin is crazy about Brittany (“Hey Babe,” “Love you Babe,” “Babe”) and Brittany is just plan crazy! Going into her high pitch squeal every time she assumes that Kevin is checking out another girl. It gives viewers the impression that Kevin could cheat on Brittany, but they are both guilty of cheating on each other. Despite confessing her undeniable love for Kevin, Brittany had a slipup when talking with Daria (Season 2, episode titled: ‘ill’). “So, Kevin is a stupid, selfish, conceited jerk. He’s still better than Terry or Jerry.” Realizing she said too much she had Daria promise not to tell Kevin about Terry or Jerry. (Season 3, episode titled: ‘Daria Dance Party’) When discussing the school dance Brittany says, “Did you forget the last school dance when I caught you making out with Zoe?” Kevin responded, “For the 50th time babe. I was fixing her nose ring.”

Tiffany was a peer counselor

It is hard to comprehend how someone like Tiffany could ever be qualified as a peer counselor, but that is exactly what happened in (Season 3, episode titled: ‘It happened one Nut’) Daria was presented with an ultimatum by her mother, either get a job or attend the school’s peer counseling sessions to improve her social skills. Daria chooses to see the peer counselor but to her dismay she was in for a surprise to see that Tiffany is the peer counselor. Tiffany’s background makes her unqualified to provide insightful advice among her peers. Her social circle includes members of the unofficial (fashion club) which consists of Quinn, Sandy, and Stacy. The girls only live to obsess over the latest fashion, to judge other people’s lack of fashion, and to rate their classmates based on certain levels of attractiveness - hardly the characteristics you would expect a peer counselor to have. Additional to being extremely superficial, Tiffany also has a monotonic voice where she drags out her words and at times stop mid-sentence before completing her thought. This would be torture for students seeking out peer counseling, as they would be bored to death due to her voice and wishing they had never attended a session. Lawndale High must have low standards when it comes to choosing the right volunteer for student services… “Hell, even Brittany would have been a better choice, at least she’s positive and upbeat!”

Jodi’s parents are emotionally neglectful

Having two successfully career-driven emotionally detached parents does not come easy for Jodi. In (Season 4, episode titled: ‘The F Word’) Jodi confines in her parents about being overworked during summer breaks. Every summer her parents forces her into volunteer work such as volunteering at the hospice, being a camp counselor, taking college prep courses and being an intern for their congressman. Jodi wants one summer off to go to the beach and be a normal teenager, but her request is quickly denied. Jodi is already an overachiever, she is the student body president, a straight A student who never gets into trouble. Yet her parents fail to provide her any emotional support. Instead, her parents make it evident that Jodi must be successful in everything she does and to be the best student in her class. This could be because Jodi is one of few African American students attending Lawndale High. Jodi often talks about how she feels the pressure of always having to be better than her peers, just to gain a little respect.

Sandy is jealous of Quinn

Sandy and Quinn are good friends…(supposedly) but when it comes to Quinn expressing innovative ideas for the so-called fashion club, Sandy is the first and only to shoot them down. And when it comes to boys, Sandy is all competitive knowing that Quinn gets all the attention. Early on Sandy appoints herself as the president of the fashion club, a smart move which gives her the balance of power - so when she alienates Quinn (the less intelligent Stacy and Tiffany) are sure to follow. Sandy could possibly suffer from low self-esteem but to overcompensate for this, she often is demeaning to her friends (Season 3, episode titled: ‘Just add water’) Stacy tried to come up with an idea for Quinn’s dating dilemma, but before she completes her thought Sandy cuts it down… “I know how you can figure it out” “Stacy who cares about such trivial matters, then when someone asked someone out?” Stacy responds, “I’m sorry, Sandy” (in the most pathetic manner while she chases after Sandy leaving the bathroom). Although she is not the president, Quinn is by far the most popular member of the fashion club and is the only one who challenges Sandy, it is obvious that Sandy feels threatened by this.

Angela Li has ulterior motives

Angela Li is the principal of Lawndale High School, an administrator who has ulterior motives when it comes to running the school. If she is not coercing the students into participating in a statewide art contest (Season 2, episode titled: ‘Arts & Crass’), she makes deals with sleazy companies like Ultra Cola selling their products to students under a false pretense for educational purposes (Season 5, episode titled: ‘Fizz Ed’). The school is dangerously underfunded, but what made matters worse is when the principal used school funds to purchase a Satellite Transmission Jammer in the hopes of beefing-up security. Why would a local high school need a satellite transmission jammer? Which carries a hefty price tag no doubt, especially when the school is in dire need of everyday supplies. Angela Li is not the type to be reasoned with, this is an individual who puts emphasis on appearances. She will sell students up the river if it results in the greater good of the school but (more importantly) her own self-image. Her personality makes one believe that her background is in Business. So, why is she the principal of a high school? When it’s obvious she should be running a major corporation whose business practices are cutthroat, but always on the verge of bankruptcy.

Helen's unexplained relationship with her colleague

Helen Morgendorffer (Daria's mother) has a strange relationship with her co-worker Eric. We never see his face, nor do we hear his voice over the phone. But Eric makes a point of calling Helen any time of the day at all hours of the night - well after business hours. Helen (who is married to Jake) at times will talk to Eric in secret when her husband is not around. Throughout the series there's no clear indication that Helen is having an affair, and it doesn't seem likely that she would. However, it is a little peculiar the importance of Helen answering the phone every time Eric calls, even more peculiar is how at times she feels the need to talk to her colleague in secret. Jake is none the wiser, "he's a little touched in the head." But in real life this situation can drum up accusations and doubt, which can create problems in any marriage...or perhaps the alternative could be that Eric is a physical representation of how Helen puts work ahead of family! 

"I am Val, as in Val" (her bizarre obsession with youth culture)

In (Season 3, episode titled: ‘The Lost Girls’) no character on Daria is more self-absorbed than Val. The “hip teen magazine” editor for today’s youth. She is hip, she is cool, and according to her “She gets jiggy with it.” Pretending to be nonchalant about the attention she receives for being a famous magazine editor when local news reporters are itching to interview her, Val makes a “Please no publicity” statement when it’s obvious that either she or the people who work for her tipped off the media of her upcoming visit to Lawndale High School. In response to the so-called hassling from the media, Val turns to Daria and says, “Being famous can be such a spiraling down drag, I never wanted to give up my privacy.” Daria responded, “Sure Val, that would be why you named your magazine Val.” Her obsession with youth culture has her seeking validation from a (certain age group) she hasn’t been apart of for more than 20 years. Hoping that people will mistaking her for a high school student, the 40-something year old is clearly out of touch with reality. Val is a self-proclaimed role model for young women, but within the walls of superficiality all she cares about is the fixation of being young and the much sought-after life of celebrity culture... "Quack"!

Sick Sad World... is trash Tv!

Whenever we see Daria and Jane sitting in front of the tube, it is safe to assume they are watching Sick Sad World. An in-universe tv program which is the equivalent of crappy television programming, simply based on the content produced. We never actually see Jane and Daria watching an episode in its entirety, only the last few moments of each episode are exposed. With one-liner gags like; “What does your foot odor say about your sexual prowess? Sniffing for love on the next, Sick Sad World” or “It’s legal and tender, but someone’s getting short changed…little cross dressers and the women who love them, coming up next on Sick Sad World.” Albeit, these one-liners are catchy and funny, a smart strategy to keep viewers coming back for more. Sick Sad World is a fictional television show with no real substance, its goal is to exploit tabloid fodder and entertain the masses with brainless content…the very definition of trash tv!

Daria is beautiful

Almond shaped eyes and a perfectly symmetrical face, Daria is quite attractive, even more so than her shallow sister Quinn. We get a glimpse of how she looks when she removes her glasses, apply lipstick and a little mascara (Season 2, episode titled: ‘Quinn the Brain’). She is transformed into somewhat of a beauty queen, except the fact that the very idea would make her nauseous. There is nothing vain about Daria, and periodically she would throw sneers at those who indulge in vanity. With girls like; Sandy, Quinn, Tiffany, Brittany and Stacy (who represent the unfavorable stereotypical side of teenage girls), their obsession involves being popular, going shopping, gossiping, looking cute and having a date for Friday nights. Daria, however, represents the exact opposite - what is important to her is maintaining a good grade point average, being an independent thinker who practices self-awareness and is often critical of the world that surrounds her. But there is something interesting about someone who is attractive, and they do not feel the need to put their looks on display, but rather value brains over beauty.

Nerd boy Charles is repulsive

Charles Ruttheimer III, as he introduces himself in his pretentious voice. Or, better known by his peers as “Upchuck” for his tendency to make girls feel repulsive at the sight of him. Upchuck is forever hitting on every female student in the hopes that he will ‘score a date’ so he can soon brag about it, he is not opposed to appealing to older women either, in the endless quest of being labeled a “ladies man.” Charles is a representation of the classic “80s nerd trope” …from his obsession of the female form to the physical trait of having red hair, to the buttoned-up collared shirt tucked neatly within his pressed pants and even the freckles on his face (screams nerd alert)! In his own words “the unquenchable need to succeed”. Upchuck is like any other nerd, he is compelled to prove how much smarter he is among his peers, which only adds to him being even more annoying.