Lester Gupty

Lester Gupty, in a scene from Pinch Sitter

Lester Gupty is the father of the Gupty family. He is the husband of Lauren Gupty, and the father of Tricia and Tad Gupty

Lester Gupty in Canon

He is introduced in in the episode "Pinch Sitter," though he is first seen with Lauren as background characters on the shuttle to the Mall of the Millennium in "Malled." In Pinch Sitter, he is relentlessly upbeat and overly friendly. He's fond of referring to Tad and Tricia as "the little monsters" despite their being almost preternaturally well-behaved. Daria babysits the children when he and Lauren host Couples Therapy Night at the Morgendorffer house. Like Lauren, he is shocked by the changes Tad and Tricia make to their self-esteem record after Daria and Jane's tutelage.

He also appears briefly in "I Loathe a Parade" with the rest of the family at the Lawndale High Homecoming Parade. After Tad became separated from the rest of the family, Lester (along with Lauren and Tricia) looks for Tad along the parade route. He does not seem to hold law enforcement in high regard, because Tad explains to Daria that he did not seek a police officer for help because his father says that "police officers too often utilize excessive force in their quest for efficient pacification." When they find him, Lester thanks Daria for keeping an eye on her and calls her a "hero," but still laughs nervously at Daria's statement that uncut diamonds are as good as cash on the open market.

Anne D. Bernstein, who wrote "Pinch Sitter", darkened the couple when she hadFrom the Desk of Helen Morgendorffer reveal that Gupty's used to be part of Couples Therapy Night for their own benefit. Helen reports they left the group in 2001, claiming to be in love ("who are THEY kidding?"). "It Takes Two to Tangle" said "they have common passions, but additive-free foods alone do not a marriage make".