History Headscratchers / Daria

I've had Daria playing in the background for the past week, so let's get bugging:

** Besides Sandi you don't really see any of the other students treat Daria badly. And that's kinda the point. While her intelligence does alienate a little bit, it's Dariathat keeps everyone at arms length, not the other way around.

** On at least a few occasions, it's acknowledged that Quinn expends an enormous amount of time and energy maintaining her social status. In "Write Where It Hurts," Daria imagines Quinn channeling "all that energy and enthusiasm" into raising several young children at once. In the musical episode, her obsession with looking good and attracting attention is compared to Helen's workaholism. And done just right, by someone as intelligent as Quinn secretly is, every guy in school could think he's the one she'll let get further than any other guy. So her appeal comes from being a challenge(as most of the non-Fashion Club girls like the cheerleaders are shown being a little more sexual than Quinn's crowd), and because of the "bro cred" a guy would get for getting past the necking stage with her.

* One thing that bugged me since the show first aired: Why is Daria seen as "Ugly"? I get thick glasses weren't exactly seen as "Fashionable" back in the TurnOfTheMillennium (people tried to get the smallest glasses they could reasonably see through), but that couldn't be the ''only'' reason Daria is seen as "unattractive".

** I thought Daria was punished for her attitude - because she was basically mocking the rules.

* During and after Quinn's 'trial', what purpose did it serve to punish Daria for something Quinn did? I get that her parents favor Quinn somewhat, but isn't part of the series premise is how Daria's perception and approach can actually make things worse for her? So why this over-the-top proof of the parents, especially Helen's, favoritism. Basically, Daria was 'convicted' of not clearing Quinn of a 'crime' by being her lawyer, which she didn't even want, and then they don't really enforce the punishment when Quinn vagues it off. It just seems to rub against the idea that not everything is quite the way Daria claims and complains about.

* In 'I loathe a parade' it starts with Quinn in her normal outfit searching for her magazine, a few minutes later Daria is upstairs being told by her father that if she gets to the shop and back with toilet paper in 15 minutes she'll get $20. She is outside the shop 10 minutes later and is caught up in the parade, where she sees Quinn in a completely different outfit on a parade float. How on earth did she change, get to the start of the parade and jump on a float within 20 minutes?

** It does get noticed. In "Mart of Darkness" [[spoiler: Andrea]] expects that she's going to become the target of their sarcastic barbs when they learn she's working at the superstore, even though she usually isn't the type of person they make fun of. Daria's former friend at camp, Amelia, also pointed out Daria's mean side. So it seems that at least some of the writers on the show are conscious that Daria can sometimes be a bully, and keep it in to point out that just because Daria is smart doesn't mean she's always right.

** It does get noticed. In "Mart of Darkness" [[spoiler: Andrea]] expects that she's going to become the target of their sarcastic barbs when they learn she's working at the superstore, even though she usually isn't the type of person they make fun of. Daria's former friend at camp, Amelia, also pointed out Daria's mean side. So it seems that at least some of the writers on the show are conscious that Daria can sometimes be a bully, and keep it in to point out that just because Daria is smart doesn't mean she's always right.

** Daria may not have been well liked in Highland or any of her previous schools. Was Daria ever shown with friends in Beavis and Butthead? Those past impressions must have stuck with her when she arrived in Lawndale

** It does get noticed. In "Mart of Darkness" [[spoiler: Andrea]] expects that she's going to become the target of their sarcastic barbs when they learn she's working at the superstore, even though she usually isn't the type of person they make fun of. Daria's former friend at camp, Amelia, also pointed out Daria's mean side. So it seems that at least some of the writers on the show are conscious that Daria can sometimes be a bully, and keep it in to point out that just because Daria is smart doesn't mean she's always right.

* In I loathe a parade' it starts with Quinn in her normal outfit searching for her magazine, a few minutes later Daria is upstairs being told by her father that if she gets to the shop and back with toilet paper in 15 minutes shell get $20. She is outside the shop 10 minutes later andis caught up in the parade, where she sees Quinn in a completely different outfit on a parade float. How on earth did she change, get to the start of the parade and jump on a float within 20 minutes?

** Kevin was probably just attempting to get across that he already had computer, so he's not interested in the equipment stolen the previous night.

** Can you imagine having to not only tutor someone, but also have to deal with their emotional baggage every time they break down? He probably isn't getting paid enough to deal with all that.

*** Same with ''AsToldByGinger''. Yeah, it was quoted as a feature because the animators weren't cutting corners - they do this specifically because they don't always animate the season at once and anything that can save time you ''take''. Shame that they don't have the advantage of Asian-based shows where school uniforms are the norm.