Prize Fighters

"Prize Fighters" was the eleventh episode of season five of Daria (episode number 511). It first aired on MTV on June 11, 2001.

It was written by Neena Beber.

Plot Summary
College approaches, so Helen insists Daria starts searching for shoolarships. After some grumbling from Daria, she searches the internet and discovers a ten thousand dollars prize, awarded by the the Wizard Foundation, to "who best embodies the Wizard pursuit of excellence" (sic). It requires an essay, 'How you you change the world if you could?' and the filling of some forms. At school, she talks about the prize to Jodie, who tells her that an essay and filling forms is normal. Daria eventually writes and sends a parody of the essay. During the whole process, Jane is bitter and makes cynic remarks.

Meanwhile, Jake has a problem of his own: due to a mistake filling on-line buy forms, he has received an enormous quantity of frozen hot dogs, instead of the prime ribs he wanted. He tries to return them, to no avail, and different cooking recipes only make the Morgendorffers, plus Jane and Tom, sick of hot dogs.

A few days pass, and Daria receives a letter informing her she has made the finals for the prize and will be interviewed. She is surprised to know that Jodie and Upchuck have also applied and are also finalists. Daria feels defeated, as Jodie, more conformist and positive, and Upchuck, who has started a dot-com like the Wizard's CEO, are sure to make a better impression during the interview. Both Helen and Jodie recommend an interview coach to help prepared Daria, an idea Jane scorns at.

As Tom is helping preparing Daria for the interview, he informs her the Wizard Foundation has a very conservative attitude regarding the employment of women and minorities in top positions. Daria informs Jodie of this, hoping both would give up the process, but Andrew Landon convinces both to go, saying if both of them refuse to take the opportunity, then they will never be able to change Wizard's attitude regarding employment. Daria ends up deciding to go, and has a session with the interview coach.

Daria, Jodie and Upchuck are interviewed together by an Wizard employee Mr. Blower. Jodie provides all the right and positive answers, Upchuck tries to woe the interviewer with compliments and the use of treats he knows the CEO likes, but Daria only gives cynic answers. Unimpressed by Jodie and Upchuck, Blower forces Daria to confront whether she wants or not the prize. When the later says no in lengthy answer addressing the Wizard Foundation employment policy, Blower express dismay at her decision and informs her she had received good marks at her spoof essay, to Daria's surprise.

In the end, none of the three Lawndale students gets the prize. Jodie and Upchuck lament over the possible wrong strategies they used in the interview. Daria also laments on not getting the prize, realizing that she did want it, just not enough. Both Daria and Jodie lament their lack of ethics in the whole application process. Later, as Jane and Daria talk about the situation, Jane confesses the reason for her angry reaction before: she was jealous that three intelligent students were competing for a prize she wouldn't be able to apply for, due to her lack of academic achievements. Both end up reminescenting over the fact hey are growing up and have to start joining the system.

Meanwhile, Jake finds a way to get rid of the huge order of hot-dogs: he organizes a hotdog eating contest in Lawndale!

Trivia
The Wizard Foundation, as a stereotypical "evil corporation" fronted by a racist, sexist "redneck billionaire", brings to mind H. Ross Perot's software and services firm, Electronic Data Systems, notorious for its authoritarian corporate culture when Perot ran it.

"Prize Fighters" and Fanfic
???? The presence of Upchuck among Daria and Jane, and his set-up of the dotcom to woe the interviewer, is an indication of his resourcefull and intelligent traits, which have often been addressed in fanfiction.