Datedness of Daria

As with any television show there are specific elements that tend to limit the show to a certain chronological period. Daria is no exception, being firmly rooted in the period it aired, from early 1997 to early 2002. The TV series makes no references to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for instance, though the Daria section of the MTV.com website has an essay (by Daria) that references those events. Her other essays in "The World According to Daria" discuss news topics from the late 1990s.

The argument could be made that any movie, television show or media creation becomes dated as technology, fads, and other products available at the time it was produced are by necessity reflected in the final product. An exception could be made for programs that deliberately try to recreate a bygone time period, or to evoke nostalgia. One would expect that that a movie made in the 2000s about the 1960s would reflect the lifestyle of the time.

Further arguments could be made that too much importance can be placed on time-specific elements and not enough importance on the exploration of universal truths that give movies and TV relevance beyond the time period of their immediate creation. However, there are certain parts of Daria that tie it to its time and place.

General
Except for Helen, none of the characters uses a cell phone regularly, which are ubiquitous today. Aside from Helen's phone, only a few cell phones are seen in the series, the first in "The Teachings of Don Jake," and it is a very large bulky device unlike the cell phones of our era. Jake has a more modest cell phone in "Daria!", which he throws out of the car window before his song, "Gah Dammit!". In "Legends of the Mall," Quinn is using a more compact cell phone when Daria tells her that Jake can't pick the Fashion Club up at the mall. Similarly, Helen's large, bulky cell phone gets replaced by a sleeker version more in line with the current models ("One J at a Time"), and Quinn uses a modern cell phone in Is It College Yet?

Almost every stereo system you see has an audio cassette deck on it, which were hard to come outside a thrift store by 2005 with the rise of MP3s.

Almost all computers have cathode-ray monitors as opposed to the flat-screen monitors which were just starting out at the time.

The disk drive Mr. O'Neil is using in Jane's Addition to display the classes multimedia assignments looks like an Iomega Zip Drive, a replacement for disk drives that eventually dropped off in popularity due to inexpensive CD-RW technology. The zip drive could hold over 100 megabytes, which makes sense - the 30 seconds of music Daria and Jane wanted Trent would have almost completely filled a single one-megabyte floppy disk, no matter what format it was recorded in.

By Episode
"Malled"

While the name "Mall of the Millennium" does not necessarily date the series, in the late 1990's near the turn of the millennium the terms "2000" and "millennium" were used as buzzwords.

"The Lab Brat"

Brittany was forced to carry a beeper by Upchuck. She would carry a cell phone if the show was set in the modern era.

"That Was Then, This Is Dumb"

Jane, in trying to get Jesse's attention, states that on April 1, 2007, the various objects people buy would take over civilization. This date has since occurred.

"Daria!"

Quinn carries a beeper in this episode.

"Lane Miserables"

Jake is confused about the comic strip "B.C." and its religious elements. Johnny Hart, the original writer and cartoonist for "B.C.," died in April 2007. As of this writing, it is unknown if Perri Hart and Mason Mastroianni will continue writing the strip from Hart's religious perspective.

(It is interesting to note that Hart died on April 7, 2007 - tantalizingly close to the date that Jane said various objects would take over civilization in That Was Then, This Is Dumb. Could he have been the only victim?  Did he save us?  Learn the truth next on Sick, Sad World!")

"Fizz Ed"

Jodi is asked to point out the location of a country on a map, but she points out that the map is outdated - the country in question became independent in 1991 and the map was published before then. This makes the map seem even more dated today.

"Sappy Anniversary"

The Buzzdome 'B' story makes the most sense if it occurs before the tech stock bubble burst in the fall 2000.

"Fat Like Me"

To start Sandi's exercise program to lose weight, Quinn inserts a VHS videotape into the player in Sandi's room.

The Daria Diaries

Helen and Jake's commitment vows are dated June 26, 1975.

The Daria Database

The "Middleton Musings" state that Jake and Helen are from the class of 1972 and recently celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary (which would be June 26, 1998).