TV, movie, and book suggestions for a Daria fan.
November 26, 2014 11:29 PM Subscribe
TV, movie, and book suggestions for a Daria fan
I love Daria and am dismayed that I am just about done viewing the series. I found it to be smart, funny, and poignant, the last of which really surprised me. I appreciated its focus on life lessons and really appreciated that overall it never ventured into vulgarity.
I'm really going to miss Daria and Jane and am looking for tv, movie, book, and graphic novel recommendations that might ease the transition. Ideally it would have a female protagonist or a good amount of female characters.
Thank you!
I love Daria and am dismayed that I am just about done viewing the series. I found it to be smart, funny, and poignant, the last of which really surprised me. I appreciated its focus on life lessons and really appreciated that overall it never ventured into vulgarity.
I'm really going to miss Daria and Jane and am looking for tv, movie, book, and graphic novel recommendations that might ease the transition. Ideally it would have a female protagonist or a good amount of female characters.
Thank you!
Have you seen the College Humor clip "Daria Movie Trailer" featuring Aubrey Plaza? I imagine they asked her to do it because her character on Parks and Recreation has a lot of the same qualities: ennui, mistrust of social norms, biting wit, etc. Coincidentally, that show is itself a well-meaning parody of 'everyday America' and has several good female characters, but if by chance you haven't watched it already, note that for the first six episodes (i.e. all of season one) it really wasn't the better show it turned into.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 11:45 PM on November 26, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Monsieur Caution at 11:45 PM on November 26, 2014 [5 favorites]
Bob's Burgers. Hear me out. It's a cartoon, yes, but similarities go beyond that. It is smart, funny, and poignant. The characters learn life lessons but also constantly wrestle with being a family of creative, passionate people slotted into a life of middle class burger joint running. They love each other but not in a sappy way. The kids are a hoot, Tina reminds me of a proto-Daria in many ways, Gene is wacky but his creativity is never belittled by his family, Louise is extremely precocious but not in a precious way, and she still manages to act and make mistakes like a kid. Bob himself reminds me most of Daria, and Linda is every exasperating friend Daria ever made rolled into one. All the side characters are weird and interesting, the animation is clean and strong, the voice acting fabulous.
posted by Mizu at 12:09 AM on November 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 12:09 AM on November 27, 2014 [4 favorites]
+1 to Marky's suggestion of Ghost World!!
I love Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. It's different from Daria in that its protagonist is male and likely someone Daria would have made fun of. However, the movie is so quick and witty and spot-on with its parody.
Have you seen the MTV show Awkward? It's sort of the My So-Called Life for right now. Admittedly, it's now in its fourth season and I've gotten kinda tired of it but you just can't beat Awkward, season 1.
On one hand, it's totally different; on the other hand, I love both so... I figure you've seen seasons 1 and 2 of Orange Is The New Black? If not, please check it out. Again, it's a very different show from Daria but has an equally fun style and tone. Note: it took me a few episodes to really get into it at first.
posted by smorgasbord at 12:26 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I love Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. It's different from Daria in that its protagonist is male and likely someone Daria would have made fun of. However, the movie is so quick and witty and spot-on with its parody.
Have you seen the MTV show Awkward? It's sort of the My So-Called Life for right now. Admittedly, it's now in its fourth season and I've gotten kinda tired of it but you just can't beat Awkward, season 1.
On one hand, it's totally different; on the other hand, I love both so... I figure you've seen seasons 1 and 2 of Orange Is The New Black? If not, please check it out. Again, it's a very different show from Daria but has an equally fun style and tone. Note: it took me a few episodes to really get into it at first.
posted by smorgasbord at 12:26 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Freaks and Geeks!
posted by carsonb at 12:30 AM on November 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 12:30 AM on November 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
Mission hill.
I actually just started rewatching it. It's brilliant in the same sort of way.
It sort of fails the female character test to an extent, but it's very smart and has a similar feel.
posted by emptythought at 1:14 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I actually just started rewatching it. It's brilliant in the same sort of way.
It sort of fails the female character test to an extent, but it's very smart and has a similar feel.
posted by emptythought at 1:14 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
There's some vulgarity but check out My Mad Fat Diary.
posted by hooray at 2:12 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by hooray at 2:12 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
+1 to Bob's Burgers.
What Mizu said. Definitely Proto-Daria. Way happier tone than Daria, but still. It's so worth watching.
posted by divina_y_humilde at 4:04 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
What Mizu said. Definitely Proto-Daria. Way happier tone than Daria, but still. It's so worth watching.
posted by divina_y_humilde at 4:04 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
*cough*
There's an awful lot of good Daria fan fiction. Some of it written by your fellow MeFites.
Mine is listed on FanFiction.net. Husbunny's opus is there as well.
You can find the vestiges of the Daria community on The Paperpushers.
Then you can have the most improbably love story happen to you, involving hidden identities, and marry a guy you meet in the community and live happily ever after.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:36 AM on November 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
There's an awful lot of good Daria fan fiction. Some of it written by your fellow MeFites.
Mine is listed on FanFiction.net. Husbunny's opus is there as well.
You can find the vestiges of the Daria community on The Paperpushers.
Then you can have the most improbably love story happen to you, involving hidden identities, and marry a guy you meet in the community and live happily ever after.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:36 AM on November 27, 2014 [6 favorites]
I recommend Wonderfalls a lot in TV threads, and here I go recommending it again. The protagonist is smart, snarky, and disaffected in a Daria-esque way, but it's a very sweet show at heart.
I'd also recommend Home Movies, especially if Bob's Burgers is up your alley.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:08 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'd also recommend Home Movies, especially if Bob's Burgers is up your alley.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:08 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not what you're looking for, but I thought I should mention it: here's a list of the 57 books that Daria was shown reading or were mentioned on the show.
posted by box at 7:21 AM on November 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 7:21 AM on November 27, 2014 [2 favorites]
Heathers! It's definitely darker than Daria but they've always seemed quite similar to me.
posted by a hat out of hell at 8:22 AM on November 27, 2014
posted by a hat out of hell at 8:22 AM on November 27, 2014
The Middleman! The TV show and comic books are entirely awesome and absolutely have a Daria-ish sensibility, complete with a friendship between women being central to the (delightfully ridiculous) plots and non-vulgar humor (which is itself a running joke.)
The only downside is there's not enough of it.
posted by asperity at 10:36 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
The only downside is there's not enough of it.
posted by asperity at 10:36 AM on November 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Nthing Bob's Burgers and Home Movies.
I think if you liked Daria as a kid, as an adult you might enjoy Duckman and in something resembling the same vein Rocko's Modern Life. Both series deal honestly with the soul-crushing parts of living in modern society while remaining humorous and somewhat hopeful. Kind of like Daria. Oh, also, The Maxx.
posted by signsofrain at 10:48 AM on November 27, 2014
I think if you liked Daria as a kid, as an adult you might enjoy Duckman and in something resembling the same vein Rocko's Modern Life. Both series deal honestly with the soul-crushing parts of living in modern society while remaining humorous and somewhat hopeful. Kind of like Daria. Oh, also, The Maxx.
posted by signsofrain at 10:48 AM on November 27, 2014
Dorothy Parker --- the Portable is the usual recommendation; I like the Complete Short Stories. "The Waltz" may give a hint as to why I recommend her for a Daria-aficionado.
posted by Diablevert at 4:23 PM on November 27, 2014
posted by Diablevert at 4:23 PM on November 27, 2014
I recently (finally!) saw the amazing Swedish film WE ARE THE BEST! and can't recommend it enough.
+ to hooray's suggestion of My Mad Fat Diary. It quickly became one of my favorite TV shows ever and I was so sad when it ended. And how convenient that you can watch all of it online!
posted by smorgasbord at 8:12 PM on November 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
+ to hooray's suggestion of My Mad Fat Diary. It quickly became one of my favorite TV shows ever and I was so sad when it ended. And how convenient that you can watch all of it online!
posted by smorgasbord at 8:12 PM on November 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Marky at 11:32 PM on November 26, 2014 [3 favorites]