Daria: A Brief Retrospective

Reading this you’re probably thinking, why Daria? Why on earth would you watch an animated series from the 90s about a depressed teenager? If you’re anything like me, you had Daria written off as a peculiar, simply animated TV show about a cynical high schooler in a green coat, glasses, and interestingly cut bangs. Not that any of that is untrue, but there is so much more to this animated series than I had initially thought.

With razor-sharp wit, deadpan sarcasm, and multi-dimensional characters who both conform to and deviate from all-American high school stereotypes, Daria is a series that undeniably provokes introspective thought and holds a mirror to its viewers. It invites all who watch to interrogate themselves, social conformity, and their own place in the world.

What exactly is the show about?

Daria first came to our screens as a recurring side character on MTV’s popular animated TV series Beavis and Butt-Head, often serving as the antithesis of the two central characters. In an attempt to diversify their audience, MTV sought out to appeal to a predominantly female viewership, thus resulting in the adult animated high school dramedy Daria; created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn. Premiering on the 3rd March 1997 and having a total of 5 seasons and two movie-length episodes, the series follows the life of the overly cynical, existentially aware, and dry-humoured Daria Morgendorffer, as she navigates her way through Lawndale High, an ensemble of moronic classmates, and the all-so-familiar feeling of teenage angst. 

 The appeal of Daria 

But the question still stands… why watch Daria? When modern TV has brought us the likes of Steven Universe, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, and The Regular Show (the irony being that it’s everything but regular) it may be hard to rationlise venturing back to the 90s to watch a plainly animated coming-of-age cartoon. With pseudo-sociological studies declaring that TikTok is significantly affecting our ability to pay attention to long-form content, it makes sense that recent TV shows now resort to over-the-top animation or obnoxiously self-aware plot lines to keep us focused. However, the appeal of Daria is within its dialogue and storytelling, as opposed to bizarre adventures and wacky plot lines. Almost every episode is filled with unbridled wit and profound advice packaged in smart-aleck comments or infantile teenage breakdowns. 

A scene that is wholly reflective of the essence of Daria happens in S2 E8, when Daria is invited to a taster day at a prestigious school for the gifted and talented based on her academic merit. During a presentation, Daria is asked by one of the school’s chaperones about her future goals to which she responds:

“My goal is not to wake up at 40 with the bitter realization that I’ve wasted my life in a job I hate because I was forced to decide on a career in my teens.”

Despite being wrapped up in bleak cynicism and unparalleled sarcasm, Daria effortlessly puts into words the endless anxieties that plague the teenage experience and later follow us into adulthood. Daria’s speeches aren’t just the ramblings of an edgy, depressed, alternative teenager but instead unexpected words of wisdom encouraging us to be critical of, well, EVERYTHING!

As a character, Daria became representative of an interesting intersection of high-schoolers. Teens who weren’t exactly popular, but not necessarily on the opposite end of the spectrum: forced to eat lunch alone in bathroom cubicles or dodge getting swirlies in between classes. Daria wasn’t immensely popular nor was she a detested nerd, she was simply, in her own words: “Not like them.”. Popular characters like Brittany, Kevin, and Jodie often made efforts to talk to Daria, and during some episodes even went as far as to have heart-to-hearts with her or ask for advice. The show strayed from overplayed high school clichés and although you may see characters who on the surface resemble all-American tropes, they were eventually fleshed out. From the struggles of being a high-achieving African-American token student, to conscious efforts to appear vapid and self-obsessed to fit in with the school’s Fashion Club, the show’s characters were layered. They expressed casual bouts of wisdom in a way I hadn’t seen on TV before.  

Defining a generation

Throughout her time on television, Daria has become the embodiment of 90’s Gen X cynicism and slacker spirit. A misfit poster-child for a collective coined as the “overlooked generation” (which is essentially just severe middle child syndrome for anyone wondering). For those watching in the 90s, Daria helped an entire generation with limited access to the internet, chat forums, and YouTube comment sections realise that they weren’t alone in their cynical and disaffected world views. Although it is all well and good commemorating Daria for articulating the anxieties of a generation who thought that everything corporate was evil and that being a “sell-out” (compromising one’s beliefs for mainstream validation) was worthy of pariah status. What does she have to offer to a more contemporary audience? What can she offer you?

In a current era marked by constant waves of short-lived fads, carefully curated Instagram posts that are marketed as authentic, and a generation with a crippling urgency to have life all figured out before the age of 21, Daria’s skeptical nature and self-reflective soliloquies remind Gen Z that it’s okay not to have everything figured out. She would encourage us to be critical of the many meritless podcasters who espouse misguided dating advice or champion regressive Redpill rhetoric. Imploring us to march to the beat of our own drums.

In a culture that’s convinced us that overachieving is the new normal, Daria’s misanthropic attitude and genuine refusal to conform to the status quo remind us that being ourselves and doing the things we love are sometimes just enough. In a world of “Pick-me Girls” and “Gymcels” who have romanticised loneliness and turned individuality into a fad, Daria shows us that going against the grain doesn’t have to be a performative act that you tell the world through a 3 minute TikTok post. Daria shows us that there’s nothing wrong with being simply, well-adjusted (with just a hint of that rebellious slacker spirit). 

Since watching the show I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. From the non-stop wisecracks to heart-to-hearts and unexpected character arcs, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Miss Morgendorffer and the rest of Lawndale High. So… I sit here now, imploring you all to give this 90s animated gem a chance. 

Best moments 

“Quinn: Oh my gosh! If I hadn’t gotten up at just that second, that would’ve hit my head.

Daria: Or, something vital.”

“Trent: Daria, do you ever feel like you're wasting your life?”

Daria: Only when I’m awake.”

“When they say ‘you’re always unhappy Daria’, what they mean is: ‘You think Daria’, I can tell because you don’t smile.”

“Daria: isn’t there any time when how you look doesn’t affect how you’re judged?

Jane: When you donate an organ unless it’s your eyes.”

“Daria: Sometimes your shallowness is so thorough it’s almost like depth.”

"Daria: Stand firm for what you believe in until and unless logic and experience prove you wrong."

"Quinn: ...being attractive and popular is what I'm good at. Maybe it's not important. But, you know, it's what I can do."