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Mack Mackenzie: Difference between revisions
→General Notes on the Character
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The one exception to his popular standing is Ms. Barch, the misanthropic science teacher. For reasons unknown, Janet Barch appears to have marked Mack as her favorite whipping boy. References to this decidedly ugly conflict abound: "[[The Lab Brat]]," "[[Gifted]]," "[[Fair Enough]]," ''[[The Daria Database]]'' ("I will not show Ms. Barch fear, no matter what she does to me," and being made to write "I am male, therefore I suck" repeatedly on the blackboard during study hall). Mack's level of self-control is astounding, given episodes like these and his list of frustrations as the football team captain (''[[The Daria Diaries]]''). His New Year's resolutions in ''[[The Daria Database]]'' all involve attempts to control his irritation with other people, including Jodie. It is significant that the only time in the entire show that Mack loses his temper is in a fantasy episode, "[[Murder, She Snored]]," inside one of Daria's dreams.
We know little about Mack's family, though in "[[The Misery Chick]]" he reveals his name was originally "Michael James Mackenzie, but Dad went to a Bulls playoff game when I was twelve and then he changed it." Jodie in "[[Partner's Complaint]]" describes him as being "bad with money,"
The series generally portrays Mack's and Jodie's relationship in a positive light, though Jodie often places a higher priority on her own commitments than on the relationship. The implication in "[[My Night at Daria's]]" is that the couple is sexually active. Jodie promises to tell Daria all about it "once my parents are dead."
Mack is clearly and specifically portrayed as in a lower socioeconomic class than Jodie, though the details are not known. (Being in a lower socioeconomic class than Jodie Landon is not difficult.) In ''[[Is It College Yet?]]'', he states that he can get into Vance University only if he gets a scholarship, which he does.
He is portrayed as being a competent football team captain and a good leader, but not as competent at actually playing the game. He is unable to successfully perform in the quarterback role when Kevin is knocked out of action by a leg injury in "[[A Tree Grows in Lawndale]]."
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