Daria: Deep Thoughts About 90s Feminism, "Misery Chick" Animation, and Who Gets the Privilege of Being Cynical

Daria: Deep Thoughts About 90s Feminism, "Misery Chick" Animation, and Who Gets the Privilege of Being Cynical

54:18 Feb 3, 2026
About this episode
Send us a message! Include how to reach you if you want a response. I don't have low self-esteem. I have low esteem for everyone else.On this week's episode of Deep Thoughts About Stupid Shit, Tracie returns to an icon of 90s era feminism, the animated MTV television show Daria. Just like the eponymous Daria Morgendorffer, the people around Tracie thought she was a "misery chick" who wore her feminism, sarcasm, and impatience with the idiocy of the rest of the world on her sleeve (although Emily objects to that characterization of her beloved sister).Still, in her early 20s, Tracie found a lot to love about this pop culture take on how smart and disaffected young women navigate unreasonable expectations in a chaotic world. In addition, Daria was savvy enough to let smart jokes land without explaining them to the audience and self-aware enough to offer cultural commentary that doesn't let Daria herself off the hook for her role in perpetuating unjust systems. It also does a great job of holding a mirror up to reality when it comes to the psychology of high intelligence, since recognizing the brutal nature of the world can lead to poor mental health outcomes that look like low self-esteem. And even though Daria falls victim to some of the ideological purity testing of 90s feminism, it also offers some pretty great examples of feminism in action.La la la la...Before the theme song is stuck in your head forever, throw on your headphones and listen to this episode!Tags: deep thoughts about stupid sh*t, feminism, animation, mtv, women, pop culture, cultural commentary, psychology, mental health, comedy, comedy podcast, cult classic, millennial nostalgia, mike judge, 90s television, daria, daria morgendorffer, social justiceThis episode was edited by Resonate Recordings.Our theme music is "Professor Umlaut" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By AttribuPlease give us a review and/or a rating! It really does help. In fact, email a screenshot of your review and your address to guygirlsmedia@gmail.com, and we'll send you a Deep Thoughts About Stupid Sh*t sticker to say thanks. ~Tracie & Emily Meet the sisters behind the microphones! Sunday, April 26 at 5 pm EDT /  4 pm CDT, we'll open our zoom room for you. We'll play movie-themed games, learn about one another, and take a break from the news (without abdicating our minds). It's just what you need to recharge before the week ahead. RSVP here guygirlsmedia.com/hangoutWe are the sister podcasters Tracie Guy-Decker and Emily Guy Birken, known to our extended family as the Guy Girls.We're hella smart and completely unashamed of our overthinking prowess. We love 80s and 90s m
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