I Sense a Violent Game of Tug of War Coming On

It looks like Jane and Daria are about to have a disagreement about which one of them gets custody of Tom for National Boyfriends Day, but if it were up to me I'd say forget it and go have pizza together. Sisters before misters, amirite?

On the other hand, they're still probably having a better time than Quinn and Sandi, who are celebrating Mean Girls Day. Of course, as far as Sandi is concerned, that's every day.

Fanfic Update!

• Danny Morgendorffer, by ST91 (parts 18 and 19): "Later, that day, Daniel and Brittany were standing in line in the cafeteria. 'Ugh! I hate it when the trays are wet.' She said. 'That which does not kill us makes us stronger.'" (Part 19)


• Erin Chambers, by OzFerret (part 29): "No one was waiting for her in the office. Erin had not expected it. When she found the building's foyer empty, she was a little surprised. When none of her friends were waiting on the side-walk she was disappointed but she headed towards their usual coffee shop."


• From Champ To Chump (Life After Thirty), by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Lauren was angrily ringing the bell and pounding on the front door. Ultra immediately answered. 'Hey, babe,' he said with a goofy smile, 'What's up?'"


• Shameless Self Insert Into Daria, by James the Lesser (part 5): "Daria, Jane, and Adrian are bored listening to the economics teacher, Mrs. Bennet talk. 'Can anyone give me an example of this kind of flow?' Someone raises their hand. 'The mall?'"

Daria, Look Out! He's RIGHT BEHIND YOU!

It's Singles Awareness Day, and Daria is all too aware of her singleness right now. Of course, before long it'll be Jane's turn to be single and by the end of the series all three of them will be.

You know, I have a better idea. How about everyone just celebrates one of my favorite holidays, Half-Priced Candy Day? Much less depressing, plus there's candy. Everybody wins!

Fandom News!

• Share your thoughts on a Sandi Griffin/Daria Morgendorffer pairing.


• Create or discuss PPMB alignment charts.


• What would you do in a world where no one has ever heard of The Beatles?


• Who's your favorite Daria character?


• Discuss Trump planning to declare a national emergency.


• JoeMerl posted a new Iron Chef: Random Pairing Challenge 2019.

For All Those People Who Aren't in a Relation-date-ship-thing

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, so it's only appropriate that today is Singles Awareness Day. If you're single, celebrate (or commiserate) with some half-price Valentine's Day candy. If you aren't, at least spare some sympathy for poor Daria there. Until "Dye! Dye! My Darling," that is.

Fandom News!

• Whom do you consider to be the worst TV parents?


• welltemperedclavier is looking for other Planescape fans.


• Share your cheers and jeers about the Harry Potter books and movies.


• Roentgen wonders about people's "Exceptions" within genres.


• Tell everyone about your real life incidents that beg to be Daria fanfiction.


• DIsaac posted a new Iron Chef in Creative Writing: Daria Characters Valentines Day Card.


• Discuss Larne Pekowsky's Alone in the Golden Oldies forum.

For Everyone Who Isn't in a Relationdateshipthing

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, but today is Singles Awareness Day, also known as Singles Appreciation Day. This holiday may have been celebrated by Daria right up until the episode "Dye! Dye! My Darling" or by Jane right after the episode "Dye! Dye! My Darling." Either way, the "SAD" acronym is apt there.

I wonder what the Holiday Island version of Singles Awareness Day is like. A swinging bachelor(ette)? Someone who moans about how she or she will never find that special someone? Or maybe someone who just walks around pointing and saying, "Hey, look! A single person!"

Today is also Half-Priced Candy Day, one of several observances throughout the year. Go forth and celebrate by grabbing all of the clearance chocolate you can get your hands on! Or at least, whatever's left once I've gotten to it first.

Fandom News!

• MartinUK has posted pictures from his trip to Amsterdam!


• breitasparrow started a thread about art and other people's responses to it.


• Charles RB wonders what the show might have been like if some of the early production prototypes had been used. He also asks, just WHO did the replacement music for the Daria DVDs?


• Lord Yellowtail shares his thoughts about a Daria/The Question fusion.


• Brother Grimace posted a new Iron Chef in the Creative Writing forum: Worldburner: Judith vs. Jim Vitale!


• A bunch of hilarious macros are being posted in The Easel. Check them out, and maybe even add your own!

Film Festivals and Hair Dye: A Lethal Mix

Federico Fellini was born on this day in 1920. Although Fellini is known to most of the world as an Italian film director whose distinctive style had a significant influence on filmmaking, in Daria fandom he is known as the homewrecker who planted the seeds of discord between Tom and Jane:

Jane: How about Screecher II? I heard those blood-sucking eyeballs look really cool when they burst.

Tom: Actually, I'm kind of in the mood for a movie with a plot. Hey...Daria left me a message about a Fellini film festival.

Jane: Oh, yeah? You gave Daria your number?

Tom: You did. So we could go rescue her from "mother/daughter bonding day"?

Jane: Right, right, right.

Tom: I guess she remembered the debate we got into on Fellini's symbolism.

Jane: I do, too--one of the best naps I ever had.

Tom: Hey, the cinema can be more than bursting eyeballs.

Jane: "The cinema?"

Tom: Look, do you want to see La Dolce Vita?

Jane: I think I'll pass.

Tom: Fine.

Oh, Fellini. Why? Why?

While we ponder Fellini's dastardly part in the infamous Jane-Tom-Daria triangle, allow me to present today's fanfic update:

• A blessing from God? (LLH Mini), by Wassersauefer (COMPLETE!): "'I... I have a problem and just don't know who I can talk to.' Now finally he raised his head and dared to meet the soft, caring gaze of Reverend Muenster. 'Like I said, that's what I'm here for', the churchman assured him with a soft smile. 'I know that it can be hard to talk to someone who you don't know. So, say, what is it that led your feet to my office?' Again he bit his lips. 'Well... It's really complicated.' 'Then, perhaps you should start at the beginning.'"


• Daria/Dorian 12: Spring Breaks, by LadieT (part 4): "'Jean-Michelle hypnotized me and I had a past-life regression and guess what??!!' 'He hypnotized you?' It's a damn good thing I didn't get him for a counselor. Then we really would be put in the loony bin. Dorian shook his head, 'He told you that you were a pony in a previous life?' 'No silly,' Quinn punched his arm. 'He said that I was Cleopatra in a past life. See I knew that I shouldn't have made an F on that paper about Cleopatra's make-up tips. What are you about to do?'"


• Daria: Hunter - Infectious, by Jim North: "Mack frowned, even though he knew Daria couldn't see it. 'That's kind of vague, isn't it?' he asked testily. 'I thought you bounty hunters were trained to take in every single detail in a glance or something!' 'Yes, and we also never lose a fight, nor do we have to sit in front of a computer for hours on end doing searches on people. We just get out there, kick people in the face, and start bar fights for fun. Are we done romanticizing my profession now, Mr. Criminal Mastermind?'"


• Fallout: Journeys (Non-Daria), by Vukodlak (part 2): "William was then lost in thought, Wrench wasn't like the others, she didn't give the impression of taking joy in violence, she didn't have the drug shot eyes. He had to figure out a way to help her, but he couldn't do that if he was ransomed off, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep."


• For the Team (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have: Damn The Torpedoes!), by Yogi (COMPLETE!): "'You gotta come back Mack Daddy! The team needs you!' Mack fought to suppress a sigh. On one hand, not having to talk to Kevin was one of the benefits for moving away form Lawndale. On the other hand, he had really let his team down by transferring away so suddenly, and with no immediate captain to replace him. After a brief moral struggle, his conscience persuaded him to help out his team one last time."


• Fugitive Chapter 3: Punk Rock, by Wassersauefer (COMPLETE!): "There are a lot of things people are able to ignore easily. Like bad news on the TV, starving people somewhere in Africa or a bad movie when you're sitting right next to a beautiful date. A big, slobbering dog the size of a calf is not one of these things, especially if it is sitting right in front of your front door."


• Ghost Girl Chapter 3, by Pumpkin Panic (COMPLETE!): "Daria, Jane, Trent, and surprisingly Quinn who seemed desperate to get out of the house to go anywhere other than just school. The house had been cleaned recently. The thick layers of dust and and Trent's man trash were gone and a new tv and telephones were brought in along with a sound system and a computer. It seemed Trent was tapping into his money to fix up the Lane residence."


• Ghost Girl Chapter 4, by Pumpkin Panic (parts 1 - 3): "Jane lane was going back to Lawndale High school. Well Jane Lane II was going to Lawndale high for the first time today. The alma mater of her 'father'. She was glad she had some people who already knew her already planted in the school. She was already stressed out by the psychological exam and had done her best to answer how she thought Quinn would because she didn't feel like taking the self esteem class anymore. It was just something to do since she didn't have anyone to hang out with anymore. She had Daria now and Quinn didn't seem so bad when she wasn't being completely shallow which was any time when she wasn't talking but still." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• God Save The Esteem ep18: A Gran Day Out, by Charles RB (part 1): "She had to snark because the alternative was to try and sift between the conflicting calls to run, go in, freeze in place, what if this went wrong, what- What if it didn’t. Hell with it."


• Holding On (Iron Chief: If Daria had a daughter like Quinn), by Ravynstone (COMPLETE!): "'And then she had the audacity to ask if she could still go to the lake this weekend!' 'Really?' asked Helen. 'What did you say?' 'I told her she'd be lucky if she saw daylight again.' Daria sighed and removed her glasses, rubbed her eyes. 'Honestly! It’s like living with Quinn all over again!'"


• The House of Cards, by Doggieboy (part 1): "'I had a boyfriend until three months ago,' she said. 'He began to get very scary and very controlling. I broke up with him when he hit me.' There was an awkward silence for several seconds, then he said, 'That sucks.' She nodded. 'Since then, he always seems to show up wherever I am, most nights.'"


• I Was A Teenage Sex Kitten..., by Erin M. (part 3): "'And welcome to the Harvey Marks Chats! Iam, of course, Harvey Marks, and I'm pleased as punch to welcome my guest tonight. Our benevolent dictator from another world, the Grand Protectorate herself, Jane Lane!' 'Thank you, Harvey. And hello out there to all my soulless labor drones!'"


• Jane Morgendorffer, by LadieT (part 34): "During the ride to Amy's place, she pointed out several landmarks. On occasion, Penny would turn around to look at the girls' faces as they stared up at the skyscrapers. Part of her wished she could share their awe. When they arrived at Amy's, the girls were still talking about all of the buildings they had seen. Amy opened her door and the girls jumped onto the couch to continue their conversation."


• Just One Date, by Hyrin (part 1): "'Damn it, Upchuck! Fine, if it'll convince you to leave me alone, then yes!'
  Daria's voice echoed through the halls as Jane's jaw dropped to the floor. Upchuck, aka Charles Ruttheimer III, was leaning against a locker and, as passerby watched, the look on his face melted from his normal debonair leer into a visage more often seen on the face of a man who's foot had been run over by a car."


• Lawndale Rumble, by TheExcellentS (COMPLETE!): "BARCH: 'That sneaky little rat! I knew he'd pull a stunt like that eventually!' O'NEILL: 'And now he's being surrounded by both Morgendorffers, Lane and Taylor! I think DeWitt-Clinton is in quite a bit of trouble.' BARCH: 'I think I'm going to enjoy this.'" (Part 15) (Part 16)


• Life Beyond Highland (Iron Chef: Lawndale State), by LadieT (part 12): "Four thirty is not the time for any sane person to be up on a Sunday morning. Yet, there was Helen Morgendorffer, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling. Since Jake's death, she struglled with getting a good night's rest. She began to listen to the muffled sounds of classical music coming from Daria's room. The haunting sounds of the woodwind instruments seemed to soothe Helen's soul, until she began to think about Daria and what could have been."


• Making a Stand (Iron Chef: State by State), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Four men and one woman climbed down from their stools and began walking toward the booth where Mack and Jodie sat. The locals didn't look happy, but Mack simply looked for the leader and made eye contact. 'Hey...you,' the leader said in an Alabama drawl. 'You're not welcome here.'"


• MiSTed: Pause in the Air, by Jim North (part 1): "> 'I'm sorry,' Daria said. > 'I'm sorrier,' Jane said in a choked voice. TOM: Well I'm sorriest! Ha! I win! MIKE: The important question is, is the author sorry?"


• Oh, By The Way, by RLobinske (part 2): "Moving carefully down the stairs using her walker and assisted by her daughter Rita, Tess Barksdale was showing her age. Her once vibrant red hair was now thin and white while her arms and legs were thin and frail. But despite her physical aging, her eyes were bright and she was still mentally sharp. Rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs, she spied Jake on one of the sofas, hand-feeding bits of salmon to the pair of cats."


• Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (part 40): "Daria stood on the sidewalk and watched Heidi's taxi drive away. That wasn't so bad. A free meal and a possible mention in the Times. And she didn't even have to reveal anything all that intimate. As long as someone like Walter or Prof. Horwitz is around to chaperone, there shouldn't be a problem."


• Remebering Amy Barksdale (Ghost Girl Minis), by Pumpkin Panic (COMPLETE!): "She came out west to find the sun. At least that's what she would tell me. She missed her sister but she had to get out of that cold marriage from hell. She had spent three long years with that ass hole her parents pushed her to get with because he was one of those born rich republican good ol' boys. He ended up getting her hooked on coke and I don't mean the soda pop."


• Spirit of the Game, Nature of the Beast, by HolyGrail2007 (part 11): "Maybe Nadine had a point, maybe she was getting a little soft. She had a soft spot for American men. It was why she thought she could get close to this guy easy: A touch of real feeling made faking a feeling all the more believable. But this was not a touch, she enjoyed Tom's company. Hurting him would be awful, and it made Bianca feel sick to her stomach."


• Words & Pictures, by VPrad (part 2): "Daria smiled as she sent the email to her favorite aunt, the only adult she considered 'cool'. She was the kind of person she wanted to grow up to be, conserving the same acid, biting sense of humor, not having to put up with anyone's BS, working on her dream job. She was too cynical to admit it, but she wanted to be like her Aunt Amy."


• Worldburner: The Fixer's Finest Hour, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "He tapped his cufflinks, sending the radio signal to his faithful bike, and flew down to the decaying funfair, praying Judith would restrict her fire in a place she'd marked out as her own. He landed bad, too in pain to focus, and his left ankle cracked in protest; he fell over, looking up at the carousel, wooden horses with big smiles and decaying corpses tied to them. A lot of the corpses had green jackets. 'Well, she did... did say it was her Happy Place, and... and who really likes the ferris wheel, honestly?'"


• Worldburner: They Were Nine, by Erin M. (part 2): "'Now, Brittany,' O'Neill began, 'You know that kind of thing only happens in science fiction--' 'We've been attacked by evil superpowered lookalikes of Daria and Jane, as well as an army of living fire monsters, and a bunch of yellow caped goons,' said Stacy, back to her normal tone of voice. 'I think we passed the point where science fiction became science fact a LONG time ago.' 'Well, I, um...' O'Neill stammered before closing his mouth."

Aftershocks

It is today the 101st anniversary of the moment when Émile Cohl released the first-ever animated movie: Fantasmagorie, which debuted in Paris. (More of the Daria-French Connection!) To this little silent cartoon does Daria and all other animation we know and love today owe their very existence. Merci!

This is also the 10th (MINUS ONE DAY!) anniversary of the release of "Jane's Addition," the episode in which we first meet Tom Sloane. The shockwaves are still being felt to this day. The amusing "outtake" image of the participants in The Triangle, goofing off between filming, comes to us from Is It Fall Yet? Yes, it's just a cartoon, but you know how cranky fans get.

Stay tooned.

P.S. Late Add: Sorry, but Tuesday is the 10th anniversary of "Jane's Addition." I blame drugs for the error.

What About Tom?

Tom Sloane is hard to tag in terms of personality, and a lot of essays have been written about the difficulties in pinning down his character. (See his entry in DariaWiki for links to those materials.) I had the most success in using a fairly general assessment based on the MBTI, and what came out was that Tom was probably an ENTP.

How did I get this? Fuzzy logic, mostly. Tom strikes me as extroverted, since he makes the first moves on both Jane and Daria, and he does get around a bit (i.e., he's not "antisocial" like Daria). He's unconventional in how he conducts his love relationships (not meaning the triangle thing, but more in how he likes to spend time with a girlfriend). He refers to normal dating habits as "corny crap" in "Sappy Anniversary," an episode that reveals a lot about his views on romance. This isn't necessarily bad, as he can intuitively pick out the right thing to do at times, like that special dinner for Jane with the music, etc. "All I did was meet a girl I thought was cool and I went out with her for a while," he tells Daria in "Dye! Dye! My Darling." "We started to get bored with each other. It happens all the time. It's nobody's fault." In other words, he, like Jane, is prone to change his mind, and he accepts that conflict is a normal part of life. Combine that with his intellectualism and his missing of emotional cues in both Jane and Daria, and he comes out as an ENTP.

What is an ENTP like? The following links will help.

• http://www.personalitypage.com/ENTP.html
• http://typelogic.com/entp.html
• http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/entp.htm
• http://www.entp.org/
  

Innovator, inventor, visionary, an ENTP is a restless optimist in search of understanding about the world. (This is the good side, of course.) This seems about right for Tom. He did try to bring out Daria's good side, too. Lot of good it did him, but he did try.

More interesting still, some websites about INTJs (Daria's type) say that the ENTP is a natural mate. No guarantees there, of course. Jane and Quinn both comment (in DDMD and IIFY?) that Daria and Tom would make a good pair. That it didn't work out for Tom doesn't mean it won't work out for another ENTP. INTJs are also attracted to ENFPs and to ESFPs, say the websites.

Wait a minute. Didn't we already talk about ESFPs? Why, yes, we did.

Oops. More on this personality stuff later. Amazing what you can still drag out of a show like this, isn't it?