Follow-up Questions (Set #1) with Anne D. Bernstein


KW = Kara Wild
AB = You know who



KW: Which of the show's supporting characters would you have liked to write an episode about and why?

AB: Hands down, Mr. Demartino. But then again, he is one of those characters who is meant to be a spice, not the main ingredient, so perhaps he is best left out of the spotlight. Still, once I wrote that personal ad for him in the book, I really wanted to see him on a couple of dates!



KW: In the Daria Diaries, the map of Quinn's room includes a pair of glasses on her bedside table. Was that just some quirky detail that you threw in, or was Quinn meant to be vision impaired like Daria?

AB: I just went to check the picture, and honestly, they look like sunglasses to me, which Quinn certainly would wear for a look of mystery. But the caption is "GLASSES: For reading. Who left THOSE there?" It was so long ago, and I don't even remember if I wrote that particular line, but I guess it means Daria was in Quinn's room at some point and implies that Quinn is not at all interested in reading, except for maybe glossy celebrity mags -- and who needs glasses for those since the pictures are the point anyway?



KW: In "Of Human Bonding," many people thought that when Helen "bonded" with the Fashion Club, she would learn that Quinn had been falsely referring to Daria as her cousin. Is the fact that she didn't because 1) she already knew or because 2) you did not want to make the script too heavy, and Helen confronting Quinn could get dramatic?

AB: Hey, have you noticed how short episodes are? And how much info you have to fit into less than 22 minutes? Okay, you guys are smart so you probably are aware of the time limitations. So that is just one of many conversations they COULD have had at the slumber party but didn't. I don't think that it is inevitable that particular revelation would come out just because they did a little bonding. And don't you think it was far more entertaining for the girls to give Helen relationship advice?



KW: Where do you see the Morgendorffers, the Lanes, etc. in 2006?

AB: Gosh, how many years later is it already? I will have to stick with the "future" scenes that were in the original show. I don't plan to write any fan fic here. Okay, just for fun, I would guess that they are all still in Lawndale. There are still two or three Lane sibling living with Amanda (or Vincent -- depends who is off adding to their life experience at the moment.) The sibling lineup switches every couple of years. Jake and Helen are empty nesters and like it that way. Daria's room is now full of boxes of whatever Jake is not-selling these days and Quinn's room hasn't changed one iota -- it is like a shrine to pink. I just realized that I described the housing situation more than the lives of the characters. Is EVERYONE obsessed with real estate these days? Apparently...



KW: In "Of Human Bonding," Daria thinks, "I don't care if he's afraid of heights, but he's afraid to be afraid. That's what's so heartbreaking. He's my father. Shouldn't I let down the barricades for once and tell him I think he's a hero?"

When Daria refers to him being a "hero," does she mean in the sense that he overcame a terrible childhood to become a stable family man, or because he's her father and, as his daughter, she naturally views him as a hero? Does she also see Helen as being heroic?

AB: Ask Glenn. If memory serves, he added those particular lines to the script at some stage. And tell him not to kill me for lobbing that question back to him.



KW: Glenn Eichler has stated that Daria was never meant for Trent, and that episodes like "Pierce Me" are "teasers, intended to provide some fun for that portion of the audience that was so invested in the romance angle." What are your views on the "teaser" episodes (of which "That Was Then, This Is Dumb" could be included)? Do you view them as diversions?

AB: Well, maybe a diversion for the writer? It was certainly fun for me to tackle the subject. I thought that Daria's interest in Trent was very realistic, and their later "not getting together" equally realistic. Sexual tension and crushes are such a huge part of life. And in the case of Daria, it was great comedic fodder to put her in the presence of the one person who really threw her for a loop. Personally, I was one of the people interested in "the romance angle" and I don't see how you could do a show about a teenager that doesn't include that. And I am proud to have come up with the scene where Trent lies down on her bed, unaware of the powerful force of his foxy presence! Just thinking about it takes me back to being 15 and intensely crushed out on someone inappropriate. So the content of those episodes simply served the purpose of playing out what was set up early in the series--and revealing a somewhat vulnerable side of Daria that I always found very endearing, since she is human after all!



KW: Was Jane modeled after you? You both seem to have the same artistic tastes and ability.

AB: Jane was in the original bible, which was created before I got involved with the show. I wish I had been like Jane in high school. Although I was arty and sarcastic, I was never as sure of myself or as cool as she is. I enjoyed it when her character gave me a chance to comment about art class or the art world, including glue guns, since I did go to art school (School of Visual Arts '83) I did pitch the retro episode after spending many years immersed in swing dance culture. In that case, I got to write about something I was really interested in through the character of Jane. But the decision to cover that topic wasn't totally self-indulgent; the plot fit Jane's personality quite well and brought out interesting contrasts between Daria and Jane's attitude toward life -- and the opposite sex.

Oh yeah, I do have a similar haircut and I like to wear red.



KW: You hint at some marital discord between Helen and Jake in "Of Human Bonding." Was there any discussion amongst the writers about taking the discord further, such as toward a separation or even a divorce?

AB: I don't recall any explicit conversation or directive about that -- "the writers" did not discuss things, by the way, since we all worked with Glenn (and Peggy) directly and were never in any sort of meetings together. Personally, I just treated then as a couple who have been together for decades, so naturally there would be stress and strain. I tried to imagine what they would have liked about each other when they met and how their very different personalities would eventually cause tensions between them. It was really fun to write those 60's flashbacks in "That Was Then" because my knowledge of their past became deeper as the script evolved. That kind of detail was not in the original bible. Of course, a major stress in the marriage is that Helen is so work-oriented and successful, while Jake faces midlife-crisis issues. I figured that they would most likely stick together. As you might have noticed, occasionally they would get the sparks back (remember the pancakes scene?)



KW: What was the reason for your reduced role in Seasons Two through Four, when you contributed one script per season, as opposed to three scripts in Season One and two in Season Five?

AB: I believe that I was working simultaneously on a lot of other projects at MTV, especially MTV Downtown.



KW: What projects are you working on right now?

AB: I am still working in animation, although it is sometimes frustrating because I do like writing for "adult animation" -- or at least "adolescent animation" -- and there isn't much of that around anymore. Some animated shows I have worked on since MTV: Hey Monie!, Backyardigans, Tutenstein, Private Eye Princess Special. I am just finishing up a bunch of episodes for Viva Pinata, which will be on this fall (www.vivapinata.com) I occasionally pitch original concepts, like everyone else in "the biz". I stubbornly insists on remaining in NYC, although I am not totally anti-LA, as they have the Chateau Marmont and free ice tea refills. I also do illustration and I sell books online (www.oddbooksonline.com).




May 29, 2006