If you were to ask me what my favorite show of the 90s was, I would never say "Saved By The Bell" or "Full House."
For me, it was a no-brainer. My favorite show was "Daria."
"Daria" actually might be my favorite show to date. There’s something about the story that captures the raw, true, dark and sarcastic soul of a teenage girl.
The lead character, Daria, is just like me.
She's too blunt for her own good, but just cynical enough to open people’s eyes to how absolutely f*cked the “norm” really is.
"Daria" broke down the barriers of society in television.
Most TV shows of the 90s that revolved around high school tried to portray this picture-perfect version of the typical popular girl who had the hottest boyfriend in school.
"Daria" was different.
Sure, the show encompassed the social structure of all high schools, but it wasn’t just another bubbly show that taught you a ribbon-tied life lesson at the end as a takeaway.
Instead, "Daria" pushed the societal norm when it came to, well, absolutely everything.
Having a female lead who was cynical and sarcastic, but also completely self-aware and groundbreaking is what made this show golden.
The characters in the show were so well-spoken, articulate and mindful that it made the show not just another silly cartoon.
What most people neglect is Millennials are the "Daria" generation.
Many people will not ever realize this because the majority of this generation may not have watched or understood the depths to which the show actually impacted us.
High school hasn’t changed much since 1997 when the show first aired on MTV.
However, now we can really appreciate just how much "Daria" was #lifegoals.
There’s a sense of brutal honesty behind every deadpan joke Daria makes. Additionally, these are not jokes about dirty humor for cheap laughs.
No, when we laugh at Daria, it’s because we’re astonished by someone who has the balls to be real.
Tracy Grandstaff, who provides the voice of Daria, says when you watch Daria, you think of yourself. You find bits and pieces of her within.
For example, Grandstaff uses her favorite episode, when Daria stands in the corner at a party, judging how ridiculous everyone actually is.
Daria is inside every single one of us.
We are a generation of cynics.
We don’t see things through rose-colored glasses. We’re honest and cutthroat.
We know life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in sitcoms.
We know life can be disappointing, and we’re open to discussing that.
We’re a generation of people who have given up on our parents' ideals.
We’re the least religious generation.
We don’t just follow what we’ve been told to believe, and neither does Daria.
In fact, she was one of the first atheist characters on television, breaking down the barriers of normality.
"Daria" hits on topics most shows in the 90s were afraid to discuss under a microscope.
Sure, most shows touched on race and sexuality, but "Daria" was different.
It divulged into the truths behind them and really brought an in-depth discussion to the table through Daria and her friends.
The best part about Daria? She was authentic.
