Kevin Thompson: Difference between revisions
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==Character Overview==
[[Image:Kevin otherclothes.jpg|thumb|left|200px|What Kevin wears under his football shirt ("[[A Tree Grows in Lawndale]]")]]▼
[[Image:Kevin destroys DeMartino.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Kevin destroys DeMartino's joy for teaching and will to leave in just five seconds ("[[Lucky Strike]]")]]▼
His parents had him when they were still in high school, an unplanned event. They dote on him, with his mother thinking Brittany isn't good enough for him (and afraid she'll get pregnant and prevent him going to college). Family photos in "[[The Daria Database]]" show a baby Kevin with little baby footballs (''even when he seems newborn'') - his father was a high school football player who couldn't do it professionally, and is very keen on Kevin playing and getting state championship.
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He has an extremely cheery and friendly personality, never showing any malicious attempt and - unique for a star quarterback character in a outcast-centred story - is never shown to be a bully. He generally wanders through life with an oblivious smile.
▲[[Image:Kevin otherclothes.jpg|thumb|left|200px|What Kevin wears under his football shirt ("[[A Tree Grows in Lawndale]]")]]
He makes it through school entirely on the basis of getting "byes" on tests, at [[Angela Li|Principal Li's]] command: he's viewed as too important to the football team to have to worry about silly things like learning ("[[Mart of Darkness]]", "[[See Jane Run]]"). Kevin's father takes the same view, believing football and the state championship are more important goals; his mother, however, wants Kevin to go to college. Football consumes Kevin's life, to the extent that in "[[The F Word]]" and "[[A Tree Grows in Lawndale]]", he became completely despondent and depressed when he was rendered unable to play; in the latter's case, he wouldn't even drink sports drinks (as they're "for sportsmen").
Other interests include typical male activities like drinking and things with explosions & violence, as well as [[Ratboy]] comics; "[[Monster]]" reveals he also likes the Rocky Horror Picture Show (but is terrified by subtitled films); "[[Road Worrier]]" had him going to [[Alternapalooza]], an alternative rock concert. He appeared to have some natural skill with acting, as he managed to land a part in a play without realising in "Fair Enough"; "A Tree Grows" also showed him to have a rapport with young children.
To Daria's annoyance, Kevin keeps getting placed in situations with her or deliberately coming over to engage in small talk. He doesn't understand most of her insults and doesn't seem capable of realising he's being insulting when he cheerfully refers to her lack of popularity. Despite this, he seems to view her as a sort-of friend, in "[[The Big House]]" and "[[Ill]]", being concerned for her welfare, and asking her advice on frequent occasions. In "[[Partner's Complaint]]" though, he panicked at the idea of hanging out with Daria for any length of time.
▲[[Image:Kevin destroys DeMartino.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Kevin destroys DeMartino's joy for teaching and will to leave in just five seconds ("[[Lucky Strike]]")]]
In a running gag, Kevin's extreme stupidity drives teacher [[Anthony DeMartino]] to enraged despair: at one point he ''strangled'' Kevin. Being Kevin, he seems completely oblivious to how much DeMartino loathes him and takes the teacher's vicious barbs at cheery face value. Science teacher [[Janet Barch]] once tried to destroy Kevin's self esteem and happiness in "[[Too Cute]]" by making him disguise himself as ugly as a 'class assignment'.
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He views [[Mack]] as his main "bro" and the two are constantly hanging out. Despite frequent complaints, he still hasn't worked out Mack doesn't like being called "Mack Daddy".
In the ''Daria'' telemovie/finale, ''[[Is It College Yet?]],'' Kevin was the only character among Daria's classmates who did not graduate
==Kevin and Brittany==
From the very beginning of the series, he was in a romantic (and very physical) relationship with fellow student [[Brittany Taylor]], the head cheerleader (who also scarely wore anything other than her team uniform). She was often portrayed as smarter than Kevin (but not by very much) - the earlier episode "[[Road Worrier]]" is an exception, with Kevin (and Mack and Jodie) clearly stunned that Brit didn't know she'd have to sit on the ground at a music festival.
The two cheated on each other on a regular basis, but always made up. Despite him ''being'' a cheat, he gets very jealous when someone else hits on or dates Brittany ("[[Daria Dance Party]]"). Kevin is often responsible for stupid comments or moves, often without realising, and has found himself on the receiving end of extreme violence from Brittany.
"[[This Year's Model]]" makes it clear Kevin isn't a virgin, as Brittany refers to herself as "his first" (it turned out that was the unnamed "[[Slutty Girl]]").
"[[The Daria Diaries]]" showed us that the two used to send each other romantic letters (sort of) and that Kevin was the one who asked Brittany out: his first letter ("PS I hope this is the right locker") said he'd saw her at tryouts, thought she looked cool, and asked if she wanted to go out. "I have a car. And I'm the QB." (He also admits "I'm one of the guys who used to peek through the little window in the gym door" until [[Ms. Morris]] taped cardboard over it) Their first date was to a film that Kevin chose, which turned out to be bloodier than he expected. It's clear that his reasons for the relationship are shallow - he admits he likes her because she's hot and "it makes all the other guys jealous!" - and that the relationship was a mess from the start. They also wrote notes ''instead of'' talking at some points, and finally stopped after Kevin said when he wrote stuff down it came out "stupid" and that was stopping them from making out.
"[[A Tree Grows in Lawndale]]" established both that their love was supposed to last "until graduation", and that Kevin does, on some level, truly care about Brittany - as he broke up with her after his knee was sprained, believing that he was no good for her if he couldn't play football, that she had "needs" a quarterback had to fulfil and she'd never be happy with a boyfriend who wasn't in any yearbook photos.
In IICY, he didn't want Brittany to know he'd flunked and kept dodging her questions about colleges & graduation until the eleventh hour. He was scared that if she knew he'd flunked and wasn't going to college like she was, she'd dump him. She ''did'' finally agree that she'd remain his girlfriend anyway... but with two fingers crossed behind her back...
==Kevin's website==
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