From the 1997 show “Daria”, there exists a character of the same name—Daria Morgendorffer. Oddly, Daria first appears in the show “Beavis and Butt-head” as a minor character and has a consistent personality throughout both shows. The personality that Daria has been what makes her one of my favorite characters and why I claim her as the best character ever. Daria is abrasively sarcastic and an utter realist; she was and is quite renowned for her snarky remarks, comments, and opinions. She plays the role of the individual despite the overwhelming conformist masses within her school—Nietzsche himself would applaud her. Daria manages to hold and speak on her critical and informed opinions of the world that surround her despite her tendency to be ignored or not understood. Really, she describes herself quite perfectly in the episode “Is There A Spin Doctor In The House?”:
I come off as a cranky, know-it-all curmudgeon. Distant, aloof and arrogant. Cynical, negative and smug. And—as bizarre as this may sound—some people apparently feel this is a bad thing.
Frankly, I see Daria as a sort of modern Socrates, because she is perpetually quick to deconstruct an argument and, well, would annoy everyone if everyone heeded her sarcastic remarks. Daria, to me, is a reflection of myself; she is the epitome of what it is to be introverted, introspective, curious, critical, and so on. She is often drained by social encounters—she usually avoids social activities—and prefers to be solitary or with her primary friend, Jane, who is much like Daria. Both view the world from the perspective of a realist and often are portrayed as the counterbalance to the optimism or ill-logic held by other characters.
Many of the episodes in the show portray Daria and Jane or other characters like Daria’s sister, Quinn, with a sort of relevant theme that, I would say, is relatable to those in middle school up to and beyond college. The themes of the episodes and social commentary provided—often by Daria and Jane—range from beauty standards, the superficiality of basing one’s self solely on physical looks, social class, school misfits, school castes, reality shows, ethics, and more. Shows often are accompanied with some sort of social commentary, but the deliverance of said commentary in the show is often stated in a laconic and funny manner that is rather refreshing and feel-good for one who sees the world like Daria.
Daria is one of my favorite characters of all time, simply because she is who she is; she is unwilling to sell her individuality to the masses in order to fit in. She describes how things are without any sort of sugar-coating—the ultimate pragmatist—in a show that is quite funny. She resembles two of my favorite philosophers, Nietzsche, and Socrates while also being another me and, yet, comical. In other words, Daria is the ideal person in my eyes.
