Real Person Fiction

Real person fiction, also called real-person fanfiction, RPF, actorfic, or celebrity fanfiction, is fanfic that uses (usually) live, famous, real-world individuals as primary characters. As might be guessed, RPF's existence rests on questionable legal and ethical grounds; its use is often discouraged out of the well-reasoned fear of legal reprisals for libel, though some celebrities have actually encouraged RPF featuring themselves. Fanfiction.net banned RPF in 2002.

Fewer legal and ethical issues are seen when the Real Person appearing in the fanfic is actually long departed.

For related information, see Legal issues with fanworks.

RPF in Daria canon[edit]

U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton[edit]

While he was still President of the United States (1993-2000), Bill Clinton had the distinction of appearing twice in Beavis and Butt-head productions (the episode "Citizen Butt-head" and the movie Beavis and Butt-head Do America), and once as part of a Daria alter ego picture featuring Janet Barch as Monica Lewinsky.

Janet Barch as Monica Lewinsky (ouch!) with presidential friend

In "Citizen Butt-head", Daria Morgendorffer is one of a group of Highland High honor students selected to meet the President. Daria's question, which went unanswered because of an untimely interruption by Beavis and Butt-head, was: "Mister President, in your campaign you promised to help every young person get a college education. Did you mean that or were you just jerking us around?" Clinton turns out to be amused by the duo's antics, and when Daria saves the misbehaving B&B from the Secret Service by telling everyone that they are "special", Clinton to give the boys Student of the Year awards for coming so far despite being "hormonally challenged". Daria is ignored thereafter.

In Beavis and Butt-head Do America, President Clinton makes the two wienerheads honorary members of the BATF for their "help" in saving the world and praises them as the future of America.

Texas Governor George W. Bush[edit]

While he made no appearance in the show, "The Daria Database" includes a letter written by Angela Li to Bush praising his number of executions and hoping he runs for President.

RPF in Daria Fanworks[edit]

RPF is rarely seen in Daria fanfic, except for the occasional use of characters based on real-life fanfic authors, artists, and fans, usually in comic dream world, reality crossover, or alternate-universe tales (e.g., "Fandemonium," TAG's "Aunt Kara," Dervish's "The TAGinator"). These characters almost always play secondary roles to actual Daria characters as they interact.

Exceptions have included historical figures: "Death Takes a Holliday" by TAG stars the infamous gunman 'Doc' Holliday; The Sidhe's long-running series "The Other Side of Time" features a number of major American Civil War personages, primarily from the Confederate side; "Gimme Skelter" revolves around the acts of Charles Manson.

It is possible to consider real-person fiction as the exact opposite of a reality crossover. In the former, a real-life celebrity appears in a Dariaverse; in the latter, Daria or one of her cohorts appears in the real world. Telling the difference can be tough with some stories. As a rule of thumb, given a story that could be either a reality crossover or real-person fiction, the story is real-person fiction if Lawndale exists much as it appears in the Daria show.

Glenn Eichler[edit]

MTV Daria show staff, particularly co-creator Glenn Eichler, have been seen now and then in Daria fanfic (see Asha Williams's "Not So Parallel Universe," Ace Trax's "Misery Chick," and Rey Fox's "#10 Dream"). A background character based on Glenn Eichler in fact appeared in crowd scenes in the series itself as a sort of Mary Sue (see his character illustration at the Mary Sue link). Mr. Eichler's name has also appeared in numerous fanfics in Tuckerizations, such as "President Eichler" in Richard Lobinske's "Alien Home" and the Eichler-Lynn Parkway, a street in Lawndale, from "Darius," by TAG.

External Links[edit]

General Information

Real-Person Fiction at Wikipedia

MTV Crew (in reality)

Daria cast and crew on Outpost Daria (via Wayback Machine)
Glenn Eichler on Outpost Daria (via Wayback Machine)

MTV Crew (in fanfics)

"The Man Behind the Curtain," by Alpacca Jo
"Misery Chick," by Ace Trax
"Not So Parallel Universe," by Asha Williams
"On a High Note," by Galen Hardesty
"#10 Dream," by Rey Fox

President Clinton (in canon)

President Clinton (in fanfics)

"Aunt Kara" (the long version): A round robin featuring Kara Wild as the youngest Barksdale sister, and a suggestion that Daria's actual father is not Jake.
"Beavis and Butt-head Parodies Suck", by Deep Metal: A B&B crossover with Daria and Star Wars, featuring a familiar ex-president in the role of Han Solo.
"Coming of Age," Chapter 19: American Dillweed, by Deep Metal: Another B&B tale featuring an ex-president.
"Goodbye Diarrhea," by C.E. Forman: References Daria's meeting with the then-president.
"New Drum, Same Tune," by Roentgen: AU tale that references Daria's meeting with the then-president.
"Scenes That Should Not Be" (#9), which includes a hint that Quinn's father is not Jake.
"The Schoolbands," by Wouter Jaegers: Includes an amusing SSW bit with a movie crossover.
"Something to Shoot for," Part 2, by Dervish: Frequent referencing of Second Amendment legal issues related to the Clinton administration, no cameo appearance.
"There Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies", by TAG: An alternate-universe fic that references Daria's meeting with the then-president.
"Tiffany in Futureland", by TAG: Numerous political figures from 2000-2005 appear herein.

Other Examples of Daria RPF

"The Other Side of Time," by The Sidhe, at Outpost Daria (via Wayback Machine)
"Death Takes a Holliday," by TAG
"The Other," by TAG (incomplete)
"A Path of Roses and Thorns," by Brother Grimace (part 2 is here). The wedding features cameos with then-Vice President Dick Cheney, Michael Jordan (who meets Mack!), Samuel L. Jackson, Keanu Reeves, and a host of others, as well as crossover characters.