It seems to me that for someone that feels so alienated, Daria has a lot of friends, or at least people that FEELthat they are her friends.
Let's see, besides Jane and Trent, there's: Jodie Mack Kevin Brittany Upchuck (yeah, I know - but he still considers himself her friend Jesse
That's six right there. Of course, the Fashion Club are not friends, and I don't think Andrea is; simply because she and Daria have never encountered without one annoying the other (I wish that would change: I have a story in mind that requires friendship between Daria and Andrea).
So the Question is: Why _does_ Daria feel so alienated? Is she so busy being a Stranger In A Strange Land that she doesn't notice that people like and/or respect her?
Trent's not a friend. Trent's a person she knows through a friend. In all the time they've known each other, Daria and Trent have hung out one time.
Nope, not a friend either. They have a mutual understanding, but that hardly makes them "friends".
Not even close.
acquaintance.
Exactly how many words have they exchanged?
"You have to pee, Daria? You can pee over there."
I would call Quinn her friend, despite their preference for playing out "enemy" roles.
Andrea's fan base, in my opinion, is a joke. She has one or two lines, drinks a little beer, and all of Daria Fanland decides she's some great character in need of a little development.
Maybe I just don't follow the definition of "friend" that is flying around the world today. The junior high mentality of acquiring as many as possible just doesn't cut it. Friendship is something a little more than knowing someone and not actively hating them.
The Manny Alexander of alt.sports.baseball.chicago-cubs
They've only gone out together ALONE once ("Pierce Me"), but they've "hung out" plenty of times ("Road Worriers" most notably) that have been shown and presumably other times that have not been shown. Trent has no problem confiding his thoughts and doubts to her, and Trent is not the world's most extroverted person outside of his music. I'd have to say that, even though they met through Jane, Daria and Trent are friends by the start of the third season.
Not "close" friends. Trent's only CLOSE friend is Jane. But Jodie does bother to go over and talk to Daria on a regular basis.
They've gone to each other looking for help, and gotten it. Brittany isn't Daria's peer intellectually, but I'd call her Daria's friend.
Upchuck isn't really Daria's friend, though he'd like to be. He could be if he toned down the constant come-ons.
Jesse is Jane's friend (and possibly more). Not Daria's.
Yes.
There's obviously a backstory there ... Andrea is clearly not "normal" or "average". I find girls like her interesting IRL ...
Well, Jane's her only soul mate, if that's what you mean.
Sincerely Yours, Jordan
"All the Universe or Nothingness ... that is the question. Which shall it be?" (H. G. Wells)
On 23 Jun 1999 18:50:32 GMT, [email] (Jordan S. Bassior) wrote:
<huge ass snip>
That pretty much defines what I consider a friend :) A friend is someone I'd be willing to confide just about anything in, and trust my life in their hands. Everyone else is an acquantance. (shrugs) Pretty narrow definition, but it explains why I only have 3 friends (2 of them all the way from junior high school).
Thank you! I was trying to explain this to a friend* of mine the other day, but couldn't find the words. That's probably because... err yeh. ;) Anyhow, I agree. I reckon it's a bit insulting to people who are *real* friends to go calling aquaintances "friends". I'm slightly insulted by it, anyhow, don't know about anyone else. I guess people with a different perspective would expect it.
*yes, a friend, not just someone I know etc... and if he turns out to not be much of a friend, I have potential blackmail/revenge material. ;)
Let's see... riding in the van on the way to the concert they never saw and shopping for Jane's birthday present are the two biggest bits we've seen, and Daria goes to see Mystik Spiral play in local clubs (the "rash" episode).
I believe there was also a little interaction at Casa Lane in "Depth Takes a Holiday", and of course who could forget the ending of "Daria!" (I know, that wouldn't be classified as "hanging out" but it's still a nice moment)
Feh. I've gone over 100 days in between seeing my SO... (not anymore, though. Damned LDR's finally over. Being within driving distance, even 40 miles, is soooo much nicer....)
I think there's potential there for friendship... we'll just have to see if the writers develop it any more.
damn. i never wouldve thought there were so many people on this newsgroup who are/have been in LDR's. i feel much better now. :) (coincentally, we're exactly 1134 miles apart.. which, when turned upside down, is hell.) --- ~Po
CROWDSURFERS WILL BE EJECTED FROM THE BUILDING. It can be harmful, and most of all disrespectful to climb on other people's heads. Crowdsurfing should only be done naked and in the privacy of your own home.
I used to think that. I guess I still do. One thing about people like Daria, and me, and maybe a lot of the rest of you outcasts <G>: We can tolerate being alone. With no one around but us and our thoughts we can be completely contented�at least for a while. Read a book, think deep thoughts, whatever, and we can deal with it. Maybe even prefer it that way. Am I right?
But there are a lot of people, most people maybe, who simply can't do that. When they're alone with their thoughts if you give a shout all you hear is an echo. They simply can't tolerate being alone. It drives them nuts. They have to have a gang around to make some noise. Throw a party and create a ruckus�continuously. For that they have to have friends. Even crummy friends will do. Maybe even quasi-enemies. Just some warm bodies and some decibels from the sound system to avoid having to confront the emptiness of their vapid existence. Such people can't afford the luxury of requiring friends to actually care about them and their thoughts and feelings. So they substitute quantity for quality.
RKHenry wrote in message news:7ksd4j$rpk$[email]... [...] Am I right?
Yes.
Your post reminded me of a couple of bits in Douglas Adams's _Hitchhiker_ books. As I remember them: (1) Ford Prefect concluded that earth people kept talking all the time to avoid thinking. (2) When Zaphod did an unaccustomed bit of soul searching, he was bereft to discover that his soul wasn't in the state that someone of his status and popularity had a right to expect.
It seems to me that a distinction should be made between friends and aquaintences. Friends are those with whom one shares oneself--so much so that the classical philosophers called a friend "another self." They usually have an outlook in common, although it could be some other thing in common, like a childhood, a war experience, an activity, a line of work, etc. Aquaintences are people with whom one is on good terms, which perhaps COULD turn into friendship, but not automatically.
Of the people in the list, only Jodie comes close to being a friend. Jodie comes to Daria for help, or whatever, but they don't really share an outlook, although they got closer after going to Grove Hills. Nothing really seems to have developed from that. Jodie comes to visit Daria in the Hospital for no other reason that that she is sick. Mack just comes because Jodie does. Brittany comes out of somewhat concern, but more to explain about her problem. Kevin is completely uninterested in Daria as a person, only being interested in her as an experiment.
It just seems to me that Daria is the type of person to want only a few close friends, and the rest are aquaintences. Perhaps an introvert?
I guess that I should have put "friends" in quotes. What I meant to stress was that I thought these people considered _themselves_ Daria's friends, not that Daria considered _them_ as friends.
In thinking about it, I don't think Kevin or Jesse meet any but the most rudimentary test for friendship, if at all; and the others really are but acquaintances (but good ones- sometimes you have to take what you can get), but I stand by my pick of Jodie and Brittany.
Brittany, especially, has a lot of respect for Daria.
Hmm...I don't know about this. She might have a limited respect for Daria's abilities ("The Invitation" and art; "The Misery Chick", even a little in "Lab Brat", and oh, I suppose the next part is a spoiler, so
*pseudo spoiler
*more pseudo spoiler
"The Old and the Beautiful" she has a certain compassion for Daria's plight, but it really is under the heading of "helping everyone".
There's some strong evidence, though, against even a basic respect of Daria. Take "Lost Girls" and the obvious fake of friendship of Brittany and various comments made in the episode that betray a lack of respect of Daria for who she is. She has no hesitation using Daria to get to the celebrity. There's others, but I have to go.
It sounds like Lane Miserables has more info on Trent-Daria relationship. Anyone care to comment under cover of spoiler?
father_v wrote in message news:7ktu09$dql$[email]...
ISTM the most telling comment is Daria's when she's stirred from her reverie. She's been imagining life with the hairy, beer-bellied Trent, (Trent: "We never got married, remember? I overslept?") and she tells Jane, "I think I just got over something." (Quoted from memory, correction invited.)
I agree that most of the people listed in the beginning of this thread are acquaintances. Jodie could be a friend, but her some basic personality differences prevent a true friendship. I don't think that Daria would open up to someone that popular and friendly. This goes for Brittany as well. Brittany not intellectually equal to Daria, which would limit a true friendship. But I believe there is mutual liking, and a casual friendship here with both Brittany and Jodie. More than acquantainces, but not true friends.
People like Daria are *alienated* because nobody understands them, not because nobody likes them. Deep down, I think Daria is an idealist who has been disappointed many times and thus became outwardly cynical to protect herself from more hurt. Jane *understands* her, even if she doesn't always agree with Daria's methods or opinions. And mutual understanding is what makes a true friendship. I think Trent understands Daria as well, but the crush and age difference stands in they way of a friendship between them.
I hope I didn't ramble on too much. Great thread!!
Robyn
"And when she shines she really shows you all she can." --Duran Duran, Rio
"Well, then, you're already going to hell, so you might as well get the lenses; you'll see the brimstone better." --Amy Barksdale, Daria
Thats samthing many people think Till samthings happen. Same people run away, same who you dont expekt it from get closer and show same consern.
Thay have thing's inkomen and that maks them talk more eazy, A friend? call it school yard friend's
Hangs around Jodie and there for exepts Daria.
Finds Daria's 'oddnis' intresting(till same one calls football)
Daria helped here uncondisionaly. I think Britany has a kind of respekt for that. And she knows that Daria will help here again when she ask's. I'd say not a friend but an aqintens
When conviniend she will play nice wether but friend. call it love hate friendsip. (not deep but real shellow)
Jane's and Trent's friend and there for Daria's aqintens
nop I come to 4
Nop but thay find here the anty fasion (counts fore samething but I dont know what)
I think that it's more like Andrea doesn't know how to start. They have maby more inkomen than they both are willing to admid and that people in general find annoying. So that annoy themselfs and prodekt it on to the ather one.
It wouldent seprise me if it did in season 3 (same stuf isn't "ready" yet, or is it that the littelton shooting made it to debatebel for MTV to use it. (This eventhow that the trenchcotmafia wern't goth at all)) I did notes one athere girle showing up more in seasen 3 who looks pritty goth (but dont comply corse she is at same wrong places) maby they nead to copel up Andrea first or thay will have a cart on 3 weels (if you know what I mean) But who knows. (Go to Deja.news and go look in the history. Me and Jordan had a lenthly discusion about Andrea on the group here)
Maby, Atleast in Britany's case, but i think even thow same people do like here and all dos not mean that you yourself can talk freely with them. I have many people who respect me and like me but thay hardly know anything about me( exept for my knolids handynis, and work pasions). But the way that I think, non whats how ever. Same dont know I'm goth. I think its a lot like that with Daria. qwestion is, do WE know all about Daria, or do thay have a suprise for us all in store.
On Wed, 23 Jun 1999 11:16:25 GMT, some letters randomly coalesced from individual pixels, claiming to be from [email], and it said:
Well, it's like this. While she's learning to get along with people, she still thinks differently from most. Only Jane is wierd enough to really click with Daria; anyone else, she probably just can't get really comfortable with, at least not for more than a few hours under exceptional circumstances (Gifted).