Intellectually Gifted and Morally Bankrupt

Twelve years have passed since "Gifted" premiered on MTV. Daria and Jodie elected not to go to a high-pressure school where they would have to work hard to prepare for college. They would be surrounded by idiots, but they were already surrounded by idiots at Lawndale High, and lazy idiots at that. Lazy was the way to go.

Really great school fanfics like "Regifted" and "The Hallowed Halls of Fielding" make you wonder if Daria and Jodie made the wrong decision. (True, "Grove Hell on Earth" makes you think maybe Daria did the right thing, but still...) I mean, so the two of them would have to be around idiots. They get such a rich exposure to knowledge, how could they think they were making a mistake? They gave up some pressure, but it could have made them shine. Instead, they chose to rust on the heap with the other idiots.

It's a hard call. If they were going to be miserable in school, at least they could have made it worth something. Daria would lose Jane, true, and Jodie would lose Mack. And the series wouldn't be the same. But still...

Enough of that. Back to reality. Happy 12th birthday to "Gifted," which did indeed make us think.

Oddly enough, this is also the 12th anniversary of the last time that one of the oldest Daria fan sites was updated. We pay our respects to alt.lawndale.com and wish it the best.

My favorite quotes from "Gifted":

• "The Telltale Heart? I love romance novels!" (Brittany)
• "It's just a visit, Daria." "That's what they told J.F.K." (Helen and Daria)
• "Sandi has to beat them off with a stick." (Linda. I love that line.)
• "Should I fluff your shoelaces?" (Sam, to Quinn)
• "All right, I'm afraid! There's mass serial puppy killers and stuff. Come on. Please?" (Quinn, to Jane—shame that slash thing never got off the ground)
• "Oh, yeah. Daria's sister. Hey." "Excuse me, I have a name." "Right. Daria's sister." (Trent and Quinn)
• "Take... her... now." (Jane)

Moar on the way.