What started as a character in Beavis and Butthead that they referred to as “diarrhea” evolved into the entire show of Daria in an exceptionally unique way to make Daria Morgendorffer a ’90s icon. That righteous, monotone but human voice that states facts as they are.
The girl who sees things for what they are, all while enjoying her slice of pizza with her friend, Jane Lane, is the gnawing voice at the back of our heads that tells us to stand for what we believe in. We’re here in an attempt to do her justice by highlighting what makes her and the show special and universal even nowadays.
Who is Daria Morgendorffer?
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The ’90s icon started as a side character in Beavis and Butthead. The producers wanted a smart character to neutralize the boys’ chaotic demeanor lightly. In one of the episodes, “Scientific Stuff,” the teacher asks them to do a scientific experiment and forces Daria to join their group. Daria, with her smarts and wits, made the best out of a stormy situation and did the experiment on Beavis and Butthead, questioning whether idiocy is genetic or environmental, for which they’ve got an A.
When MTV decided to broaden its demographic and make a show that would appeal to women and girls, they made a spin-off and called it Daria, where she and her family moved to Lawndale, and it showed us life through the ’90s icon’s lens.
Why is Daria Morgendorffer a ’90s Icon?
Well, it’s simple. We all see a bit of ourselves in Daria Morgendorffer. She is not your conventional character, and she’s flawed like all of us, which makes that fictional character not so fictional after all. You can get shunned by society for expressing certain opinions, especially when it comes down to controversial topics like feminism and race. However, that never stopped her from speaking her mind freely and standing for what she believes in. That was her brand, and that’s what made her stand out despite being an outcast.
Whether it be Daria’s cynically sarcastic demeanor that got her called “the misery chick” or the fact that Quinn, her younger sister, feels ashamed of her that she tells others that she has no sister, all that never stopped her from being the ’90s icon she is, and never stopped her from being herself. Even when she had her moments of doubt, she always came back to the same conclusion: she should be who she is. If the emperor is naked, then the emperor is naked; things should be seen for what they are, and that applies to her, as well.
Daria Morgendorffer, the ’90s Icon, and Jane Lane
Another thing that makes Daria Morgendorffer stand out for me is her unbreakable bond with Jane Lane. They weren’t about your stereotypical girl’s night and talked about crushes or what nail polish to wear. They’re both about observing life cynically but realistically while chewing on their pizza, or watching their favorite TV show “Sick, Sad World.”
For them, life involves “the man” (referring to how capitalistic figures benefit from the public), people’s obnoxious fixation on relatively vain things like looks, and how others think of them so they can be deemed okay by the scrutinizing eyes of society.
Both Daria Morgendorffer and Jane don’t conform to these norms, sometimes to the point of crucifying themselves if they catch themselves thinking or doing something “vain.” But seeing them come to terms with the fact that a certain amount of vanity is okay and they don’t have to be on their high horse all the time makes them perfectly flawed characters.
Afterthought
I can go on and on about every moment in this show, from how Daria Morgendorffer wittingly makes the best out of not-so-good situations to moments when she is vulnerable. She could maybe even be seen as toxic, but at the end of the day, the beauty of the show and the ’90s icon is that their presence feels like a warm embrace that says you’re not alone. If you haven’t watched the show already, I highly recommend that you do.
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