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"I don't have low self-esteem, I have low esteem for everyone else."
―Daria

Daria Morgendorffer was a supporting character in Beavis and Butt-Head who later became the main character in Daria. She is well known for her blank expression and deadpan humor. TV Guide ranked her 41st of the 50th "greatest cartoon characters of all time." 

Appearance[]

Daria's appearance hasn't changed as much through her transition. In Beavis and Butt-Head, she wore a plain shirt over a black or green jacket. She was also seen wearing a crystal necklace and large glasses. Her hair is brown and shoulder-length. In Daria, she keeps the same exact clothing expects her wears her green jacket more often.

Personality[]

Daria primarily revolves around Daria's cynical outlook, and how her views evolve throughout the series as the events of the sitcom unfold. Apathetic, intellectual, and witty, Daria is naturally a very anti-social person. Daria's best-known characteristic is her deadpan sarcasm; her usual reaction to almost anything and everyone being a dry, witty remark at their expense. She rarely shows any emotion, and usually appears stand-offish and uncaring most of the time to her peers - which is something that she admittedly welcomes. Thus, Daria is initially presented as someone quite bored by the mundane and shallow world of high school life, and prefers to engage in intellectual and philosophical quandaries, and dedicate herself to her own interests - humorously finding more in common with fictional characters than people in the real world. This cynical and distasted nature united her with her best friend, Jane Lane, and the two often enjoy a sort of innate pride in seeing high school life more objectively than their brain-dead classmates and condescending, selfish teachers. One of Daria's primarily personality traits is her natural intelligence. Even in her youth, Daria was perceived to be an intelligent individual. Seemingly a respectful and shy young girl before, Daria's personality has been shaped around the way she has been treated by her peers. Her social isolation, specifically, has demotivated her to such a point that she is highly apathetic and somewhat lazy towards others, showing no motivation to apply anything above the minimum required effort. While this has isolated her from her peers, her conscious denial of them did allow her to, in her opinion, refine her own intelligence. However, it is also her rejection by her peers also led her to be greatly skeptical, arrogant and snide towards others. This extends towards her academics, as while she is academically brilliant, she often avoids taking part in any extracurricular, and often social, activities by her own volition, entirely content to coast through high school with her inherent academic talents alone. Due to this lack of engagement with other students, in addition to her often bored or pessimistic expression and status as an outsider, she is commonly perceived as being an unhappy person. Although considering herself more realistic—even clarifying in The Misery Chick to be she's not nihilistic—she will occasionally appeal to nihilism and even consideration of suicide for the sake of an offhand joke. Another one of Daria's key traits is her staunchness, as she is often highly opinionated, sometimes harshly judgmental, and even smug at points. Although she is ultimately fair and will admit to being wrong after proven as such, she is typically opposed to, or at least wary of, generally accepted social norms and notions, as well as things such as superstition, and can be somewhat quick to anger in a divisive argument. Her sense of morality and unwillingness to conform often frustrates her family and the school faculty, but occasionally makes them proud when conformity would be unjust. Her calm and unfazed nature also weirds her peers out, and it is noted that in most situations that would shock, or even frighten, most others, Daria is often noted to maintain a very neutral, or occasionally even snide, demeanour. She has admitted to having generally low opinions of others, but this is not necessarily true. Rather she tends to act as if she does as overcompensation for the effect being rejected from her peers has had with her. Her ability to socialize with Jodie Landon and Mack, and acknowledge them as two of the few decently intelligent and respectable students going to Lawndale, does imply that she may actually be deep down socially inclined. Not that she is extroverted, but the extent of which she is unwilling to cooperate or communicate with her peers seems to be a result of her experiences in her earlier years, and not a reflection of her actual personality. As far as actually communicating with her peers in a genuine fashion is concerned, Daria once confided to Jodie that she knows her non-accepting and non-inclusive attitude isn't the perfect way to go about seeing the world, but it's simply her most comfortable form of interaction. As Boxing Daria entails, this is rooted in poor childhood experiences of not relating to other kids, and being ostracized for it. This repeated bullying by her peers, particularly compounded by her belief that she was becoming a burden to her parents, motivated her to stop trying to interact with people altogether and instead shield herself from possible rejection by isolating herself voluntarily. In her own words, Daria is highly defensive to the point of actively trying to make people dislike her so that she won't feel bad when they do. Although her stance on most things is unwavering, Daria is also highly self-aware, which is fairly evident given her sense of humor. Yet, she Is also initially hypocritical - and a large part of her growth revolves around her becoming more willing to look at herself in the same critical light as she does others, and genuinely learn from her mistakes. While her character is largely the same by the end of the series, she has noticeably taken multiple strides to come out of her shell and reach out to people throughout its run, often to mixed but ultimately enlightening results.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Judy McGrath is twice responsible for Daria: in 1991 she asked for smart and female characters in Beavis and Butt-Head, and in 1995 she asked for shows that could bring in a female audience.
  • In 2002, Daria placed at number 41 on TV Guide's list of the Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time for her role in the two shows.
  • In the Dutch version of the Beavis and Butt-Head comic, Daria was renamed "Desiree Morgendorffer" because of having to make the dunderheads' "Diarrhea-cha-cha-cha" chant work (the Dutch word for Diarrhea is "Diarree").
  • In the Latin American dubbing, she was voiced by Laura Torres.
  • Usually, Daria only gives a vague idea of what she thinks of any real-world political issues (beyond general apathy and cynicism, as in "Citizen Butt-Head"). "The New Kid" is an exception, when Robert tries to seem smart by asking her what she thinks of UN-mandated emission control laws for Third World countries ("Noble idea, but the UN's time table is unrealistic") and if trade embargoes are an effective way to deal with countries that violate human rights ("agreed, but with major trading partners like China, our government always finds a loophole.")
  • "Groped by an Angel" implies that Daria is agnostic (or possibly atheist) through this conversation

External links[]


v - e - d
Beavis and Butthead template background
Media
TV Pilots: Beavis and Butt-Head (TV Pilots) (Beavis and Butt-head) • Daria: Sealed with a Kick (Daria) • TV Shows: Beavis and Butt-HeadDaria • Films: Beavis and Butt-Head Do AmericaDaria: Is It Fall Yet?Daria: Is It College Yet?Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe • TV Specials: "Daria: Behind the Scenes" • "Daria: Look Back in Annoyance" • Video games: Beavis and Butt-Head (video game) • Beavis and Butt-Head: Virtual Stupidity • Beavis and Butt-Head: Bunghole in One • Beavis and Butt-Head: Do U • Daria: Daria's Sick, Sad Life Planner • Daria: Daria's Inferno • Comic: Beavis and Butt-Head (comics)
Characters
Beavis • Butt-Head • Principal McVicker • Coach Buzzcut • David Van Driessen • Tom Anderson • Todd • Mrs. Stevenson • Daria Borgdorfer • Jane Lane • Jodie Landon • Quinn Morgendorffer • Helen Morgendorffer • Jake Morgendorffer • Trent Lane • Tom Sloane
Episodes
Beavis and Butthead: "Comedians" • "Werewolves of Highland" • "Crying" • "Daughter's Hand" • "Tech Support" • "Drones" • "Holy Cornholio" • "Supersize Me" • "Bathroom Break" • "The Rat" • "Escape Room" • "The Special One" • "Boxed In"
Daria: Esteemers
Locations
Highland, Texas (USA)Lawndale TownLawndale High School
Songs
Related
Mike JudgeGlenn EicherSusie Lewis LynnMTV AnimationMTV Entertainment StudiosParamount PicturesBeavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection
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