Arts 'N' Crass

Ms. Li comes up with yet another plan to “bring honor unto Lawndale High”: a poster contest about student life at the dawn of the new millenium. Ms. Defore guilt trips Jane into painting something for it, and Jane, in turn, cons Daria into writing a poem to go along with her artwork.

After much discussion and many rejected ideas, they come up with a real gem: a picture of what looks like your typical beautiful, brainless, popular person. However, near the bottom, Daria’s contribution, a piece of paper with a caption, is taped. The caption reads: “She knows she’s a winner, She couldn’t be thinner, Now she goes in the bathroom, And vomits up dinner.”

After explaining the meaning of the work to Ms. Defoe, Daria and Jane agree to enter the poster into the contest. However, Ms. Li deems it inappropriate, and Mr. O’Neill deems it “yucky”, so he comes up with a mutilated version of the poem. Daria and Jane refuse to enter it with that thing attached to it, and Ms. Li refuses to enter it with the original poem.

Eventually, Ms. Li enters it anyway, against Daria and Jane’s will, so Daria and Jane must sneak up to the exhibition of the posters, and destroy it (with Jane’s lipstick). Not surprisingly, this infuriates Ms. Li, who calls Helen to tell her that the girls will be punished, but backs down when Helen threatens to sue.

Brittany ends up winning the poster contest.

You get to see Amanda’s feet, hands, and lower torso in this episode, though you have to wait until “Lane Miserables” to see her face (Robin thought it was Jane the first time she saw it and wondered how she could be in two places at once).

This was definitely one of the best.

Reviewed by Robin and Larissa

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