What if.......

After looking at the town of Lawndale so far, you'd think that by now you've got the whole population figured out, but there's a few things that are starting to bug me. If I were to ask any Daria fan what if the Fashion Club didn't exist, the answer would be obvious: The world would be a happier place. If Kevin and Brittany didn't exist, less stupid people. But what if the Lanes didn't exist? What would Daria's life be like without an only friend?

After looking at all the episodes, all that Daria has ever done in her spare time was hang out with Jane at the Pizza King and watch TV at the Lane house. Occasionally, she'd watch TV with the rest of her family, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing. Several questions have come to mind when I pondered this scenario:

1. Besides Andrea, Jodie, and Mackenzie, is there anyone close enough to Daria's IQ that she would consider a best friend?

2. How many episodes would it have taken for Daria to finally pass the self-esteem course?

3. Since we never knew much about Daria in her past Animated carreer, would Daria be watching Sick Sad World at all?

4. Would Daria have carpooled with Quinn and the Fashion Club on the way to the Alternapalooza concert?

• How far would Daria take the whole Tommy Sherman affair?

These are inquiries from the first season alone. Since I don't have much time tonight, I can't go deeper into the series.

Ummm, input, anyone?

On Sun, 22 Aug 1999 22:43:15 -0400, "The Outsider" wrote:

Maybe not. Not everyone has a real friend. She would be sitting at home and doing stuff like watching TV (in her room), reading and writing. If you add 'computer' to the previous list you get about everything I have ever done in my spare time since age 8. I guess that in her B&B times she didn't take part in any out-of-her-room activities. To say it in a more provocative way: Jane is the plot-device that was necessary to get the Daria series going. And how convenient that she has this interesting brother. The whole thing's just a construct. Real life wouldn't have turned out so happy for Daria.

She's not stupid. She can fake the correct answers.

Definitely. Without a best friend like Jane she'd do a lot more watching TV.

Why would she want to go there? I think without Jane and especially Trent, she would never have considered going to such a thing.

Why would she behave any different in this situation? Without Jane she might even be better off in this episode. I think she suffered the most from Jane's withdrawal from her. MSB

What I meant was that the after-school course was supposed to last around six to eight weeks (If not, then it's somewhere around there), would that have been at least three episodes? Without Jane giving Daria the answers ahead of time, she would not have passed the course before the end of the show.

to

I guess I phrased the question wrong. I apologize, I was mostly thinking about Daria possibly being home when Jake and Helen are supposedly going to go wild to the tune of the Jefferson Airplane classic.

Everyone kept Saying to Daria "It really makes you think.", without Jane, Daria would have never figured out why they were asking that. Eventually, Daria would have turned to Helen or possibly Quinn, but how long do you suppose to would have took for Daria to do so?

Matthias Benkmann said:

I don't know about that. Daria's smart and (when she wants to be) very likable. I think the reason why she RESPONDED to Jane's overtures was that Daria had internally decided it would be good to try to make friends.

Sincerely Yours, Jordan

"Man is a god in ruins" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Jordan S. Bassior wrote in message news:[email]...

likable.

Daria had

Well OF COURSE it's a construct. It's fiction. That's what "fiction" means.

But to compare it to real life, Daria responded to Jane because she perceived her as being a non-idiot. Daria, like most of us here in a.t.d, isn't going to be interested in wasting time with idiots. But Jane said something very telling, revealing to Daria that here was somone with whom she had something in common:

Jane - He doesn't know what it means. He's got the speech memorized. Just enjoy the nice man's soothing voice.

Daria - How am I supposed to follow him if I don't now what he's talking about?

Jane - I can fill you in later. I've taken this course six times.

In that one exchange, Jane demonstates that she's intelligent enough to know a phony when she sees one and cynical enough to accept taking the course 6 times. In that instant Daria knew that here was a potential friend. Daria would most likely always have been willing to make a friend if it were the right person. Jane came along and just happened to be that right person. Daria has trouble making friends only because there seems to be such a shortage in the world of people who aren't poseurs and idiots.

The Outsider said:

Lonelier. But I think the reason why Daria let Jane become her friend was because she finally felt ready for real friendship.

Probably, but he or she hasn't been shown. Upchuck is both really gullible and really annoying.

Oh, she would have done so in one run-through ... don't know how many episodes they would have made it last. The course was just BS anyway.

<shudder> I really doubt it. She wouldn't have wanted to go all that badly without Jane's urgings anyway.

Sincerely Yours, Jordan

"Man is a god in ruins" (Ralph Waldo Emerson)