Quinn the Brain: Difference between revisions

To both their suprisessurprises, Quinn's cuteness means she transforms being smart into a fad. Soon, Quinn is being asked by Mr O'Neill to tutor [[Kevin]], gets to leave English class early, and finds everyone gushing over her half-assed poems. She even starts to think about becoming a writer because "it's not like it's real work". Daria goes from annoyed that both classmates and teachers assume Quinn to be smart when she's still being dumb, to despairing when O'Neill asks Quinn to tutor ''her'' in English.

Meanwhile, Quinn has her share of problems: with so many girls following Quinn’s example and wearing black (imitating Quinn’s intellectual poseur), a furious [[Sandi Griffin|Sandi]] suspends Quinn from the [[the Fashion Club]]. Sandi then sets out to draft Daria into helping convince Quinn to give up on braindom; unfortunately, the very idea of talking to the girl is too scary for Sandi to handle, and she retreats after two seconds.

Daria continues to despair that nobody notices Quinn's writing is rubbish and that she's losing the "brain" role to Quinn - and since Quinn's "a brain with bouncy hair", "I can't compete" because of the different standards ("''no'' standards") the cute get. Unwilling to end up as an even ''less'' popular brain, when the [[Three Js]] approach her to get things back to normal, she has a plan of attack - one she knew would work all along but couldn't "bring myself" to do before.

* The Three J's know Daria and Quinn are sisters, and Jeffy knows Daria's name.

In a scene where Quinn attempts to bribe Daria into writing her essay, Daria is reading Joseph Heller's [http[wikipedia://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22 |''Catch-22.'']]

"''There are two ways to read Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman". The first is an American tragedy, the story of a "little man" whose spirit and life were crushed by the viciousnessvicissitudes of everyday life. But a second (and in my view equally valid) way to interpret the storywork is as a morality play with a happy ending. Compromise your values, lose sight of your dreams, cheat on your spouse, and you're dead. Clean, [unreadable]quick, uncomplicated. It's almost a happy fantasy, really. In fact, when I'm feeling a little depressed, I cracklike to open up "Death of a Salesman" and [unreadableturn to](?) the funeral scene for a quick pick-me-up."''

''Dear Mr. Morgendorffer, Mrs. Morgendorffer, and/or caretakercaregiver,''

''As your daughter/ward Quinn’s Language Arts teacher, it is my sad duty to inform you that Quinn is not working up to her potential and is in danger of failing Language Arts, which I teach.''

''Now, I use the termphrase “working up to her potential” deliberately, for it is my belief that all students have the potential to soar like eagles (educationally) when their imaginationimaginations and interest are engaged, and in fact Quinn’s imagination and interest are engaged, justonly not by school or anything to [do] with learning in any shape or form. Ironically, I myself have learned quite a bit about current skort styles and materials by listening to Quinn and her friends, but unfortunately this does not help her grade. Would that it could! In any case, I thought you should know about Quinn’s poor performance so that together we can help her bring her grade up. When teachers and parents work as partners, Look [sic] out world, nothing can stop us now!''

This episode is a common rationale for the [[Tired Daria Fandom Tropes|trope]] that Daria, underneath her unflatteringunfashionable clothing and behind her "[[Manstopper glasses]]", is incredibly physicallyconventionally attractive (althoughand somejust wouldcovering argueit sheup; alreadynumerous is)fanfics have run with this idea. Quinn's reaction to Daria's appearance at the end of the episode lendsis sometaken creedenceas toevidence, thisthat viewpointQuinn (althoughis herscared reactionof maythe simplyschool befinding out how Daria really looks. Other fans argue that Quinn's reaction is due to the perceptionidea of Daria tryingbeing tolike beher likejust as Daria disliked Quinn taking ''her'' role, without regard for the level of success)., and Athe numberwhole of'transformation' alternatescene endingsis toa thispisstake episodeon have'girl beentakes writtenglasses asoff a& meansbecomes ofhot' allowingstories the "cute"as Daria tolooks last longer thanexactly the tripsame frombut herwithout room to Quinn'sglasses dooron.