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The news of Girl Meets World’s cancellation is bittersweet. On the one hand, the idea we now permanently say goodbye to the Matthews family dynasty is like a warm, familiar, blanket being torn in the washer.

On the other hand, I think many of us have been in various stages of accepting this fate for a while. What once held great promise soon dissolved into unmet potential.

As I have been considering this post for some time, many thoughts have come to mind. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. However, this show never really “met” the demographic where they were at.

Today’s “tween” is, by and large, obsessed with social media. This was a topic sometimes discussed on GMW. When they did this, infrequent as it was, they mostly hit the mark. Yet, at the core of the show’s universe is a sort of 1950s style value system. There are many positives to gain from that mentality. In this regard, see “Girl Meets The Forgotten”, an episode that, while not perfect, certainly embodied the spirit of its predecessor. As time went on, the show got away from expressing these messages.

Everyone may blame Disney for that, and that’s fair to an extent. After all, Disney came to Michael Jacobs, so they rightfully had control of the series. Truthfully it’s a tricky business writing specifically for that tween audience, those who are just finding themselves and refining their worldview. The original series was labeled a “family” show, which meant that while kids and tweens certainly made up a large part of the audience, the intent wasn’t to write for them. This could explain the difference in the shows.

Another point of interest worth examining is who the audience was paying attention to. All of the actors in the show are very talented, and their perspectives diverse. Sabrina is a fabulous singer, and has been promoting her music (and doing a fantastic job of it!). Rowan’s contributions in the world of feminism and culture seem to get more of a mixed reaction. I’m not talking about disagreeing with her stances. That is something that is understandable. What I mean is that on her social media, you’d see people commenting stuff like “stick to acting” or some teenage viewers with no idea what she is trying to talk about. This is a problem. I believe this show didn’t teach enough about racism/bigotry and general prejudice. Numerous pertinent issues were left untouched. Personally, I learned many of those lessons by watching Boy Meets World, so I know the capabilities of the writers. We’ll never know why that avenue was left largely unexplored.

There are many things I will miss about the Meets World universe, but what I think I will miss the most about GMW is the interactions I have had with many of the people reading this. My hope is that the show influenced today’s younger viewers in a positive way. With luck, that influence will spur them to put something creative and kind out into the world.

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

Sign the petition to move Girl Meets World to Freeform here!

On March 20th 2016 I had the pleasure of meeting Will Friedle at Toronto ComiCon, and this experience is going to make what I intend to write here infinitely harder, but I need to get it off my chest. Let me first explain why it’ll be so hard.

I woke up that morning, the last day of Toronto ComiCon, cautiously optimistic and nervous. The only experience before this I’ve had meeting a celebrity was in 2013 when I paid a disconcerting amount of money for a meet and greet experience with the Backstreet Boys (who I’ve been a fan of for just as long as I’ve been a fan of Boy Meets World so, let me live). Perfectly cordial bunch of guys, but it was very clear that they were the celebrities and I was the “fan”.

No one Will Friedle meets at a Con is just a “fan”. In my own experience: Will’s demeanour made my nervousness vanish, his immediate recognition of the film reference on my t-shirt almost made me black out and a comment he made about me having a great superhero name made me feel like one (when Batman says you have a great superhero name you DO NOT OBJECT). I don’t think Will would know how to behave like a celebrity if The Kardashians tied him to a chair and brainwashed the conduct into him. There were maybe five people in line in front of me (TIP: Go to these things right when they open, you breeze through lineups and all the food’s just being made so everything smells like pizza) so I could hear interactions Will was having with others and this is a guy who’s never met a stranger. Will’s so nice he could hide in plain sight up here and no one would know he’s not Canadian.

This is the t-shirt I mentioned. Within the first 30 seconds of meeting him, Will shushed me and asked his assistant if she knew what my shirt was referencing. She didn’t, and no one else knows either. In the five years I’ve owned and regularly worn it the only other person I’ve met besides Will Friedle (who decided to act out the reference for his assistant right there, because OF COURSE HE DID) who knows what it is is my second cousin – he “Liked” the above photo when I posted it on Facebook.

It’s possible that cynics reading this would go “but Will’s an actor, of course he knows how to act like a bottle of awesomesauce” but there’s a difference between acting like a bottle of awesomesauce and actually being one. A genuine love for people and warmth of spirit is really hard to fake and BS always smells bad. Friedle smells like the delightful offspring of rainbows and sunshine. It’s true that I shouldn’t be patting someone on the back for behaving the way everyone really should, but in this arena niceness also signifies professionalism. I’ve worked with some jerks before so it’s cool to know that personal standards still exist.

Now for the hard part. I in no way wish to diminish how too-legit-to-quit Will Friedle is, but I take issue with something he said at the Con the previous day during his panel, which I regrettably wasn’t able to attend.

At the panel someone in the audience asked Will to do the Feeny Call. In an effort to explain why he wouldn’t he told a story of when he was given by the original voice-over actor in Thundercats the catchphrase of the character Lion-O, a character Will (an illustrious voice-over actor in his own right) voiced in a 2011 reboot of the classic 80’s cartoon:

“When I started to do Thundercats Larry Kenney said to me, ‘You’re Lion-O now so I’m handing you the ‘Thundercats HO!’. This yours now, once I give it to you I won’t do it ever again’. So when the girls had to do the Feeny Call in Girl Meets World I said to them: ‘I’m passing it to you, it’s yours now, I won’t do it ever again’. So, the Feeny Call belongs to Riley and Maya now.”

Much of my exasperation lies with the writers of Girl Meets World for even thinking to write in a Feeny Call for Riley and Maya because I guess that’s why this happened (note that Will said they “had to” do it), but Will’s justification for passing the Feeny Call on is flawed.

In the 2011 Thundercats Will was Lion-O; Larry Kenney said as much. I know liberties can be taken with the timeline of animated series reboots and the universe in which characters exist, but there seems to be few circumstances where it would make sense for Will’s Lion-O not to bellow “Thundercats HO!” when it was warranted because he was (barring any liberties whose evidence I can’t find) voicing the exact same character Kenney did. Because of this the phrase needed to be passed on. Still, it was beautiful of Mr. Kenney to bequeath it to Will and I totally appreciate what that must have meant to him and why he’d want to do the same thing. The Feeny Call though is Eric Matthews’ “catchphrase” and Riley and Maya are definitely not Eric. There is no circumstance where it would make sense for them to do it so the Feeny Call, unlike Lion-O’s signature phrase, doesn’t need to be passed on. The two situations are too dissimilar.

The Feeny Call is in many ways much more than just a “catchphrase”. It was born out of the wonderful relationship Eric and Mr. Feeny cultivated over the first four seasons of Boy Meets World. During the fourth season, Eric was given the sage advice by his neighbour to not lie about having gone to college just to get on a dating game-show; advice that came after Feeny heard for the first time the unease and desperation in Eric’s voice from the Call.

Eric didn’t always listen to Mr. Feeny’s counsel (counselling sessions frequently precursed by the Feeny Call after its introduction) but by gum he needed it and he needed Feeny. The bit worked because we saw and loved the Eric/Feeny dynamic every week that merited it. Sure the Feeny Call later became more extravagant and funny, but at its core it always symbolized Eric and Mr. Feeny’s relationship. Riley and Maya have no such relationship with Mr. Feeny, if they’re supposed to it doesn’t matter because it hasn’t been shown to us. The girls doing the Feeny Call seemingly “just because” diminishes all it represents.

The only way the Feeny Call could be feasibly passed down is if we saw Eric teach the girls how to do it because Eric, Riley and Maya have a relationship that Mr. Feeny, Riley and Maya don’t. The thing is…I’m not sure I want to see that either.

Not only would the diminishment still happen, but something that the-powers-that-be at Girl Meets World preach but don’t always practice is a desire for it to be its own show. That sentiment has been expressed many times and yet odd Boy Meets World callbacks pop up “just because”. Ironically Riley and Maya’s Feeny Call was one of the better ones, but that’s because Feeny’s reaction mirrored the reaction of much of the Boy audience. The Call itself, while delivered awesomely by Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter, fell flat without the history behind it.

Girl really needs to make up its mind: Is it its own show or is it constantly going to use some of Boy’s best stuff as a crutch to pull viewers in? I think it’s able enough to get rid of that crutch and for that reason I don’t want to see ANYONE do the Feeny Call again. It was useful to Eric when he was meeting the world with Feeny’s guidance, but for his character’s progression in Girl and for Riley and Maya’s, the Feeny Call needs to be silenced…

…Except in autograph-form, where I hope the endlessly kind-hearted, gracious and multi-talented Will Friedle always obliges us.

All media used in accordance with Section 29.1 of the Fair Dealing provision of The Copyright Act.

Wayne’s World. Dir. Penelope Spheeris. Perf. Mike Myers, Rob Lowe, Brian Doyle-Murray. Paramount Pictures, 1992. VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray.

Mimi1239. “2016 Toronto Comic Con | Will Friedle’s Panel PART 2”. Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 30 March 2016. Web. 03 April 2016.

Singled Out. Writ. Steve Hibbert. Boy Meets World. ABC. 1 Nov. 1996. Television.

Girl Meets Commonism. Writ. Joshua Jacobs, Michael Jacobs. Girl Meets World. Disney Channel. 12 Feb. 2016. Television

What a Drag!. Writ. Carlos A. Aragon. Boy Meets World. ABC. 3 Dec. 1999. Television

Girl Meets Pluto. Writ. Matthew Nelson. Girl Meets World. Disney Channel. 14 May. 2015. Television.           

• Girl Meets Belief – 05:12
• Girl Meets STEM – 17:40
• Girl Meets Money – 28:23
• Girl Meets Commonism – 40:57
• Girl Meets New Years – 46:28
• Girl Meets Bay Window – 57:11
• Girl Meets Legacy – 01:11:43

The music for this episode includes Pomp and Circumstance and “Smoke and Fire” by Sabrina Carpenter. Please send any feedback our way at gmwpodcast@gmail.com or review us on iTunes. Thanks for listening! PlayPodcast

Two seasons in, and I have a love/hate relationship with Girl Meets World.

I love how funny it is, I love the chemistry of the actors, and I love having the universe of Boy Meets World back on television. Most importantly, almost every episode of Girl Meets World has at least one or two genuinely great moments that keep me hooked.

With that said, I have grown increasingly frustrated with it over the duration of season 2. I keep expecting the show to move past its awkward stage and begin moving into maturity, and while there have been a few glimpses of this growth throughout the season, by and large, Girl Meets World still has the same storytelling problems it had in season 1.

As of the writing of this article, the most recently aired new episode of the show is Season 2, Episode 29 “Girl Meets Bay Window.” I will be referring to this episode specifically throughout this post because it is a prime example of the storytelling issues that make Girl Meets World so hit-or-miss for me.

1. Proper Character Motivation

Proper character motivation is rarely established on Girl Meets World. It always feels like we get dropped into a story in progress. Character motivations have been established before the show begins, and the first three minutes of each episode are spent catching viewers up to speed on what has changed since last we visited these characters.

For example, in “Girl Meets Bay Window,” the episode begins with Riley trying to explain to Maya that the bay window must be destroyed because they’re going to high school and things change. What?

The episode presents Riley’s view as the correct one, even though the audience really has no reason to side with her. In fact, I sympathized more with Maya’s confused reaction.

Never is it explained why Riley feels like things need to change. Why is she suddenly saying the bay window has to go? Why is proper motivation never established?

Rather than allowing the circumstances and situations to explain, examine, and change the character’s motivations as the episode progresses, what Girl Meets World often does instead is tell us what their motivations are within the first few minutes of the show’s start. This leads right into number two…

2. Show Us, Don’t Tell Us

Girl Meets World has a telling problem. By that I mean, it does a lot of telling, but very little showing.

How many times have we been told that Farkle is loyal and will do anything for his friends? Pretty often. But how many times have we seen him in situations where he actually had to prove it?

Girl Meets World does this a lot. Things are important on the show because we are told that they are important. If you want your audience to connect with an idea, you have to prove its worth. You can’t just say it enough times and hope we get the message.

Even things that actually are shown to have significance, like the bay window or Riley and Maya’s close friendship, have to be constantly talked about. It’s as if the show doesn’t believe it is enough to show Riley and Maya being close friends and having conversations at the bay window. Instead, we are constantly reminded of the significance of these things.

If Riley and Maya are confiding in each other often while sitting at the bay window, we don’t need to be told repeatedly that these things are important. In storytelling, the more you can convey without talking, the more impactful your story will be. This is why “Girl Meets Texas” worked so well, because there was so much left unsaid and so many feelings left unresolved.

If Riley and Maya’s friendship is threatened, it has more of an emotional punch if they have to silently come to grips with how much each one means to the other, rather than by having Riley say something like, “We’re best friends. We’re always going to be best friends,” and suddenly the conflict is resolved.

Show us what their friendship means by testing it. Give us real stakes! Don’t just tell us over and over that they are best friends. At this point, we already understand.

3. Characters Shape Stories (Not the Other Way Around)

The characters on Girl Meets World sometimes feel like they are doing whatever the story needs them to be doing in order to get to the moral of the story. This often means that they act in inconsistent manners and feel more like plot devices than they do multi-dimensional characters.

In “Girl Meets Bay Window,” Riley’s insistence that the bay window must be destroyed is incredibly out of left field. Her motivations seem even more bizzare when it becomes clear that this decision is hurting her best friend’s feelings. But, because the moral of the story is that “things change,” Riley is the character in the “right.”

Anytime a character becomes a mouthpiece for the lesson of the episode, the episode starts to devolve. The audience is aware that the character is no longer speaking in a manner in which we have become accustomed, and we are reminded that there are people writing the show who have a message they would like to get across. It takes us out of the drama.

However, if you have fully fleshed-out characters, the lessons Girl Meets World wishes to get across can arise organically. They don’t have to be forced or even stated explicitly. Again: the less you say out loud, the more impactful your story can be.

4. Earn Your Ending

I was very confused as I watched “Girl Meets Bay Window.” By the episode’s end, both Riley and Maya were in tears, and I was trying to figure out if my lack of emotional response made me a heartless jerk.

Simply put: I didn’t care. Because the motivations of the characters (particularly Riley) weren’t properly established from the outset, the ending just didn’t feel earned.

Just because you tell me the bay window is important, that doesn’t mean I care about the bay window. Just because you tell me Farkle is loyal, that doesn’t mean I care about Farkle. Just because you tell me to care about something, that doesn’t mean I do.

A lot of episodes of Girl Meets World feel this way. There is a weight to the way the actors deliver the closing lines, as if the writer’s believe what is being conveyed is of utmost importance. Normally, friendships are reaffirmed and everyone has learned a lesson. But many times, I’m just not buying what Girl Meets World is selling. Sometimes the whole thing just feels very self-important.

These sort of things happens when you start from the end. When you decide what you want the moral of your story to be first, and then you write the story, a lot of times you’re going to end up with characters doing and saying things that don’t really make sense and feel forced.

Story should always come first– before the message, before the moral… before anything. Often on Girl Meets World, story is used as a way to deliver a message. When this happens, both fail.

If the message you want to share is that important, don’t tell us a story that gets your point across. Tell us a story that proves it.

*I apologize if the following contains any misspellings of Mr. Feeny’s name to “Weeny”. Any such occurrences are completely accidental.

If Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World are supposed to be reflections of real life it needs to be acknowledged that in real life people in their 80s are typically at the end of life. George Feeny is at the end of his life. It’s not something to be sad about, death is as much a part of life as first crushes, school or marriage is. Those are all topics both Boy and Girl have covered and in fact the latter has already handled a character’s death with Mrs. Svorski, so I think they can do it again. Stupid idea? Everybody lost their collective heads when they thought Mr. Feeny was a ghost in Girl’s Pilot. Well…

Mr. Feeny’s passing makes sense. Handling it now wouldn’t be the same as ripping him away from us and leaving him as a ghost and it’s not as if the writers would be going out of their way to kill off a father only so his son’s life could continue to be needlessly nuked by narrative; Feeny’s arc seems complete. Girl’s existence allows us to say goodbye and with it entering what will probably be its penultimate season we don’t have many chances to do that, and we should count ourselves lucky that we could get to see this play out and not have to imagine how it would have. It’s a story that Boy fans might remember as being something about it Girl got exactly, perfectly, right.

But in order for that to happen Mr. Feeny needs to tie up one mother of a loose end before he leaves us – Eric. The eminent William Daniels (the man who brings Feeny to life) has agreed to appear on the first episode of each season of Girl and this opportunity needs to be seized so Eric and Mr. Feeny can have closure should they retire his character. Whether that happens or not Feeny and Eric NEED a scene together; I’d trade Shawn and Angela for this. It’s a scene Will Friedle should write, who better to write a final scene between Mr. Feeny and Eric than the man who knows Eric best? Will’s the only writer who was able to balance both shows when he penned Girl Meets Semi Formal, so he’d be perfect to tap for this. Better yet, both Will and William (they’re both named William…this only JUST occurred to me) could write it together.

Eric and Mr. Feeny’s relationship was slow to develop on Boy but it grew like a flower in Feeny’s garden. Starting plainly enough with Eric hitting on Feeny’s niche Jessica, eventually an incredible bond took hold. You’re going to have to watch the entire series to appreciate it, but a conversation about love at a bar in Boston, a figment of the teacher teaching the student and the student teaching the teacher were some moments that stand out to me. Eric even encouraged Mr. Weeny’s relationship with Lila Bolander and served as Best Man at their wedding. And when you can shout at your neighbour like a howler monkey to beckon him from his house, and he allows it, you know you’ve got a special friendship.

Their relationship is indelible. Eric is the only original recipe character wholly familiar to me in Girl’s new world – Cory, Shawn and Topanga feel like partially painted portraits of themselves where he is a Van Gogh – I truly believe this is because Mr. Feeny’s influence on him is obvious (Cory may be a teacher but he is nothing but a poseur). The fact that Eric’s now responsible for implementing legislation is unquestionably questionable but I’m not mad at his good-guy politician persona because of how it relates to his connection with Feeny. The Feeny Force (forgive me, I just saw Star Wars) is strong with Eric in Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels, he doesn’t know how to use it yet but he’ll hone it. This relationship is too important to the shows and who Eric has become not to have a final scene.

An Eric/Mr. Feeny scene is really my only prerequisite to saying goodbye to Feeny, so now on to the unpleasantries. Look, I KNOW it’s Feeny but writing a story of everyone he loved and who loved him coming to terms with his death and celebrating his life could be incredibly powerful and it could benefit everyone on canvas. Cory, Shawn and Topanga’s unfamiliarity I think is a symptom of Girl needing to endear a new audience to a new generation of characters, resulting in incomplete depictions of them. In addition to Eric Mr. Feeny has shaped these three and Feeny’s passing could be the fillip that reintroduces me to those characters and friends I used to know. I can’t see them react to his death in a way that isn’t in step with their original characterizations and having Riley & Co. (and the new audience) see that could be a “Texas”- like incident that changes the dynamic between everybody to one that makes more sense to the history of the universe. It’s only unfortunate that this change would come so late in the series.

When it comes down to the nuts and bolts of this issue my going on feels self-indulgent. Mr. Feeny is a character that means so much to a whole generation so I wanted to get some of their thoughts on his potential passing. Here’s what some kids getting acquainted with the Internet think about ending his character:

I think they should retire him after the character of has died off screen. I think Riley, after Mr. Feeny’s funeral, should try to help her Mum, Dad and Shawn cope. Also, get a clip show in there to highlight the best moments of Feeny on Boy Meets World. – Charlie

I would rather it not happen. Mr. Feeny has joked before that he’s immortal and I’d love for him to live on forever in T.V. land. If it HAS to happen the episode needs to be about Boy/Feeny, the kids should only be in the episode to pay respects; they all can visit him before he passes away (off screen) and that’s how they’re involved. The episode needs to be in Philly in the Matthews’ house or Feeny’s and EVERYBODY needs to be there. I wanna see Cory, Topanga and Shawn talking about the influence Feeny had on them and a montage of Feeny moments too. Lastly, I want a scene with Cory, Topanga and Shawn saying goodbye to Mr. Feeny. Just them. – Taylor

They need to do an Eric and Mr. Feeny reunion before he passes on. I wanna hear one last Feeny Call. – Megan B.

I don’t think they should kill him off. I think the best way to write off Mr. Feeny would be for him to sell his house and move to the country (like when he almost retired in Boy). It could be a nice send off. This would also be a good opportunity to have Eric do The Feeny Call one last time at the fence and to have the rest of the Matthews family send him off as well. – Amanda

I was lucky enough to watch the entire series of Boy in real time, Mr. Feeny was a teacher to me in the awkward years that span elementary and middle school. The truth is that I don’t want to live in a world without Mr. Feeny, ever. Even if the actor dies I want to feel like Mr. Feeny is there in Philadelphia, waiting to chat with me if I need him. I want him to be timeless like Obi Wan Kenobi. The world needs Mr. Feeny, or at least the idea of him. – Nan

They should kill off Feeny because the actor could die. The kids don’t need to really be in it now that everyone knows Cory, Topanga, and the gang. It would be fitting to use one of the times Bill Daniels appears in a season opener to eulogize someone whose words, albeit scripted, shaped our lives. – Jeremy

My main feeling about retiring Feeny is that I think it would be awful if William Daniels died before they gave the character some kind of send-off. If he passed they would HAVE to do a tribute to him but he’d never get to see it. Boy and Girl Meets World are all about life lessons. As hard as it would be to see Feeny die, that’s life. The ultimate life lesson is that all things come to an end and that’s okay. We’ll always cherish the time we had with him. – Dan

When I opened the floor to KGAWI’s listeners one reminded me that I need to state my bias, and I think you’re supposed to do this at the beginning but whatever, here it is: I like death in storytelling…a lot. When executed well I think it’s the best device storytellers can use to ironically advance a story, because not often is the actual death important. Going through the loss of a loved one births experiences and what’s important is how, or if, they change us. No matter what those experiences are for us or Girl, like our real life loved ones and Mrs. Svorski in Auggie’s case, we will never be without Mr. Feeny if we don’t want to be. The dreaming, trying and doing good didn’t stop in the timeframe between Boy and Girl, and it never will.

All media used in accordance with Section 29.1 of the Fair Dealing provision of The Copyright Act.

Works Cited

“Grandma Was A Rolling Stone.” Writ. Ed Decter & John J. Strauss. Boy Meets World. ABC. 12 Nov. 1993. Television

“B & B’s B ‘N’ B.” Writ. Howard Busgang & Mark Blutman. Boy Meets World. ABC. 10 Jan. 1997. Television.

“I Love You, Donna Karan.” Writ. Ellen Idelson & Rob Lotterstein. Boy Meets World. ABC. 14 Nov. 1997. Television

“Torn Between Two Lovers (Feeling Like a Fool).” Writ. Matthew Nelson. Boy Meets World. ABC. 27 Feb. 1997. Television

“Bee True.” Writ. David Brownfield. Boy Meets World. ABC. 09 Apr. 1999. Television

“State of the Unions.” Writ. Barbie Feldman. Boy Meets World. ABC. 14 May. 1999. Television

“Singled Out.” Writ. Steve Hibbert. Boy Meets World. ABC. 01 Nov. 1996. Television

“An Affair to Forget.” Writ. Eileen O’Hare. Boy Meets World. ABC. 29 November. 1996. Television

“It’s Not You… It’s Me.” Writ. Mark Blutman & Howard Busgang. Boy Meets World. ABC. 17 October. 1997. Television

“A Brave New World (Part 2).” Writ. Matthew Nelson. Boy Meets World. ABC. 05 May. 2000. Television

“Things Change.” Writ. Bob Tischler & Matthew Nelson. Boy Meets World. ABC. 08 May. 1998. Television

“Getting Hitched.” Writ. Jeff Menell. Boy Meets World. ABC. 29 Jan. 1999. Television

“Show Me The Love.” Writ. Bob Tischler. Boy Meets World. ABC. 24 Sept. 1999. Television

“Everybody Loves Stuart.” Writ. Matthew Nelson. Boy Meets World. ABC. 06 Nov. 1998. Television

“Security Guy.” Writ. Matthew Nelson. Boy Meets World. ABC. 04 Apr. 1997. Television

“Seven The Hard Way.” Writ. David Brownfield. Boy Meets World. ABC. 11 Feb. 2000. Television

“Friendly Persuasion.” Writ. Barbie Feldman. Boy Meets World. ABC. 19 Oct. 1998. Television

“My Baby Valentine.” Writ. Lara Olson & Patti Carr. Boy Meets World. ABC. 12 Feb. 1999. Television

“Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels.” Writ. Michael Jacobs. Girl Meets World. Disney Channel. 15 May. 2015. Television

This post originated as an email that I sent to the KGAWI crew after “Girl Meets Texas,” regarding my ever-growing issue with Maya Hart. Then, “Girl Meets Forgiveness” aired and I realized that my relationship with this fictional character is somewhat complicated.

This may not be the most popular opinion, but I’m willing to take the heat, so here it goes… I definitely have a love-hate relationship with Maya Hart.

“Forgiveness” touched me. I even teared up a little bit at the end when Maya couldn’t forgive her father but learned to forgive herself. We all have things in our lives that we need to forgive ourselves for. Some of these things are small and seemingly insignificant, things that we should have forgiven ourselves (or others) for a long time ago, but other things are bigger, secrets that we keep, things we don’t talk about, things that hurt us to our core.

While I don’t have a father who abandoned me, Maya’s story touched and I felt for her. I understood why she couldn’t just let go of the pain that she’d felt for the majority of her life. That’s where my love for Maya comes in. These are the times that I see her most genuine and true. I root for her when she’s a strong, kick-ass teenager who defends herself and the people around her. When her feelings are real, I love her and want her to find happiness, but over the course of season two, I’m found myself more frustrated with her than anything else. 

Sure, some of that is because of the Rucas vs. Laya debate and while I have a clear favorite in the ship wars, a lot of my problems with Maya stem from a selfishness that I’ve picked up in her character. While she’s a character that should have multiple dimensions, I often see her as one-sided, doing and saying what makes her happy and being patronizing and condescending to someone like Riley who sees the world differently than she does.

In one of the latest promos on Disney, Maya is told to be the type that doesn’t hold her tongue and always tells it like it is. “Keeping it real” doesn’t mean that you should be able to say whatever floats through your mind.  Most times, it means that you’re being unapologetically rude and while that may be okay in Mr. Matthew’s class, where the teacher is your best friend’s father, it’s generally not okay in the real-world to disregard the feelings of the people around you.

What’s more is that we have seen several episodes throughout the series that prove that Maya can dish it, but she’s not great at taking it. Lucas called Maya a “short stack of pancakes” and she threw a fit about it for an entire episode until Riley finally apologized for not being on her side and defending her against Lucas. I don’t think that’s a great message to share with teens – that in order to love someone, you have to be on their side and blindly defend them over something that they are also guilty of.  In fact, I think it would have been a better message for Maya to come out of it realizing that words hurt and that she can’t just go around calling Lucas whatever she wants because it’s funny to her. If recent episodes are any indication of his feelings about being made fun of, she’s just as guilty as he is. I understand the message about being there for your friends and about how someone’s perception of your words may hurt even if they were simply said in jest, but it felt ill-advised to allow Maya to perpetually throw out jokes about people because they gave her entertainment.

Along these same lines, in “Rileytown” Riley continuously calls Maya a bully for mentioning the term Rileytown. When Riley was being cyber-bullied, Rileytown wasn’t something that was cute, funny, or fun to her. Maya may not have been able to understand that at the time since she didn’t really know what was bothering Riley, but continuing to use a phrase that hurt Riley for her own entertainment isn’t okay. Instead of teaching Maya a lesson about the power of words, the writers continually let her slide.

Another thing that is troubling to me is that we are often told of how bad Maya’s life is, but I’ve never seen a girl with a terrible life. Yes, it’s awful that her dad walked away from her and led her to believe that she and her mom weren’t good enough, but Katy Hart tried her best. In “Forgiveness Project” Maya told a story about a thunderstorm and how Katy tried to protect her from it, proving again that Katy isn’t a bad mother, she’s a mother that works hard to provide for her child.

I know that Shawn and Maya are not the same and I’m not trying to compare the two here, other than to say that Shawn really did have a hard life. Both of his parents abandoned him. That can’t be said for Maya. Maya’s mother loves her incredibly. She has a best friend who would give her the shirt off of her back and, to top it all off, she has Cory and Topanga and Shawn looking after her. That doesn’t sound like such a bad life to me. Maybe there are other things that we haven’t seen yet, but I would like to be shown rather than told, because all that they’re showing me is a girl who is incredibly loved.

Now, finally, we come to Texas and the breaking point of the ship wars.

Isn’t Maya supposed to know Riley better than anyone? Instead of pushing her best friend into this brother-sister friendship, shouldn’t she be able to read her friend and know that isn’t truly what Riley wants? Maybe I read the situation incorrectly and Maya did know what Riley was doing, but after two really awkward dates, that neither Lucas nor Maya really seemed like they wanted to be on, it feels like Maya should have been the one to step back, even if it felt like it was little early in the process. For Maya to have to kick Lucas to get his attention in Topanga’s – even if it was at the insistence of Charlie – said enough to me. Maya may like Lucas, but why would she want a boyfriend that she has to encourage to pay attention to her, rather than her best friend?

Honestly, I was never on board for the whole love triangle thing. I always thought that Riley’s feelings and reactions were consistent with that of a 13-year-old girl who had her first crush. It seems to me like Maya got this idea in her head that Riley loved Lucas like brother around the same time that she started to like him, almost as if it gave her an excuse that made it okay to like her best friend’s crush. But what I’ve learned lately is that maybe Maya doesn’t know Riley as well as she thinks she does. Twice in recent episodes it’s been Farkle that’s been able to figure out what’s going on with Riley, while Maya sits around in a state of confusion.

It felt clear to me that in the Texas episodes that Lucas was constantly giving his attention to Riley, trying to tell her that he wasn’t on board with being brother and sister, but Riley continued to push him and Maya together as a martyr for her best friend’s happiness.

If it all plays out well, I don’t care who ends up with whom. What frustrates me is that oftentimes, it seems like Maya sees what she wants to see, says what she wants to say, and feels what she wants to feel with a blatant disregard for those around her. That’s not okay with me.

She may have hidden her feelings for Riley’s sake, but we have no idea how long she’s actually liked him. For her to tell Topanga that he’s a great guy and of course she likes him was kind of a dispassionate response to the possibility of breaking your best friend’s heart.

Anyway, in the end, I’m going to trust the writers and hope that they have a plan to pull everything together. In fact, I’d like to come out of this feeling like a fool, but right now… I’m in a frustrated state of love and hate.

The following is a guest blog post by 

The Merriam Online Dictionary says that a “friend” is… never mind. If the Girl Meets World episode Girl Meets I Am Farkle taught me anything it’s that labels and definitions are just words. They’re helpful when learning about something but they tend to shortchange the meaning of the words or in Farkle’s case, be wrong. I prefer to define words by my personal experiences with them when I can. To me, chiefly, a friend is someone who is always there for me and tells me what I need to hear, whether that friend is a real person or not.

That’s why I choose to consider the characters of Boy Meets World my friends. I invited them into my home and we hung out every Friday night for over two years (I started watching the show in October 1997) and they taught me the importance of education when I was apathetic towards it, friendship when I didn’t believe in it, and family when I wanted to rebel against it. Now I invite them and their families in again when I watch Girl, and new friendships are forming. Continuing to watch Boy as it exists in syndication has made stronger my appreciation for not only the characters but the actors & actresses who play them, so my pool of friends deepens as they are added to it.

October 10th is World Mental Health Day and recently I found out that a few particular friends have been on a journey with their mental health. That and seeing the kids research Asperger’s Syndrome in Girl Meets I Am Farkle has inspired me, with the expertise of my fellow blogger Nan (a licensed mental health counsellor in Jacksonville, Florida), to learn more about what my friends have dealt with. One’s mental health can be affected by many different conditions but henceforth Nan will be delving into Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. 

“Of course it’s happening inside your head Harry. But why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” – Professor Albus Dumbledore

What Are Anxiety And Panic Disorders?

They both involve fear. To be fair, fear is a very useful emotion to have and it’s kept humans alive for many millennia, but fear should be temporary as it is a response that is meant to help us only when we are in danger. When fear or worry (hallmarks of anxiety) have gotten in the way of one’s daily life for an extended period of time, and it’s out of proportion with a situation, it is possibly an Anxiety Disorder. They are disorders that shares symptoms of anxiety with certain behavioural responses to it. The different types are: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Selective Mutism, Social Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and trauma-related disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder used to be included but now both are their own categories. A Panic Disorder involves repeated Panic Attacks and the thing that produces the anxiety is often merely the possibility of an “attack” itself.

What Are Panic Attacks And What Are The Signs And Symptoms?

Panic Attacks are surges of sudden intense fear and physical discomfort that typically last several minutes. The discomfort may include nausea, intense fear of death, chills, dizziness, difficulty breathing, etc. They don’t just happen in Panic Disorder, they can occur with almost every type of Anxiety Disorder and a bunch of other conditions such as depression. They can also happen for no reason at all.

What Causes Anxiety Disorders And What Are The Signs And Symptoms?

Lots of things contribute to anxiety disorders. They can be caused by specific phobias, medications, substances like drugs and alcohol (and the guilt that accompanies overly indulging in them) excessive caffeine intake, a medical condition, etc. Problems with how the brain communicates with itself (brain chemistry) factors in too. There is also a genetic link (anxiety disorders can run in families) and the environment is also a huge factor.

…Not that environment. If things happen or happened around a person (in their environment) causing trauma, those things can be a factor.

Some of the symptoms that occur in the category include: restlessness, tiredness, tension, sleep issues, inability to concentrate and of course, fear and worry. Panic Attacks are a symptom as well.

Are Symptoms Real or Are They Just All in One’s Head?

Both. Worry and fear are emotions produced in our minds, and emotions result from thoughts we have and things we have learned or tell ourselves. These could be based in reality or exaggerated by insecurities or past experiences but the physical responses the emotions produced are definitely not imagined. The stress response includes complex interactions of brain chemicals and hormones that produce very real effects on the body. Whether or not the “threat” is perceived or real, the body treats it the same way.

What Are The Most Effective Anxiety Disorder Treatments?

After diagnosis by a psychotherapist or medical professional who has specific education in the criteria, lifestyle changes (quitting smoking, caffeine, etc.), psychotherapy and medication are the options. The “go-to” therapy for anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). One of my personal favourites, CBT addresses both the mind and body components of anxiety disorders. Cognitive strategies address the thoughts that are producing fear and anxiety. Behavioral techniques like relaxation training help with the body’s stress response. Medications may be helpful, but I will leave that to the medical professionals.

How Common Are Anxiety Disorders And Panic Attacks?

In the United States the lifetime statistics (the percentage of people who at SOME point in their life will experience these issues) is 28.8% for Anxiety Disorders and 4.7% for Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder usually occurs during or after adolescence.

“Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – Vincent Van Gogh

What Is Bipolar Disorder And What Causes It?

Bipolar Disorder has traditionally been considered a Mood Disorder because it involves the presence of mood changes. There are a few types: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic Disorder and specific types that involve medications, medical conditions, etc.

All Bipolar Disorders involve the experience of different “episodes”.  A Manic Episode is a period of elevated activity and energy that can last at least a week. A person experiencing one may neglect sleep, talk A LOT, get distracted, be extremely preoccupied with achieving a goal, have racing incoherent thoughts, and behave impulsively (like excessively shopping or gambling, while ignoring the consequences). A Hypomanic Episode is similar but symptoms only have to be there for at least 4 days, not a whole week. A Major Depressive Episode involves a two week period when a person has a low mood, little energy, difficulty sleeping even when they want to, changes in weight, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, an inability to concentrate, and agitation.

In order to be considered Bipolar I a person has to have experienced a Manic Episode. Hypomanic and Depressive episodes often happen but a person can still have Bipolar I even if they don’t. People with Bipolar II have at least one Hypomanic Episode and at least one Major Depressive Episode, but no Manic Episodes. Cyclothymic Disorder involves hypomanic symptoms that do not meet criteria for a Hypomanic Episode. Periods with depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for a Major Depressive Episode happen as well.

WOO! Did you guys get all of that? Nan’s really rocking this eh? GIF break!

What Is The Treatment?

After diagnosis through psychological evaluation and physical examination, medication or psychotherapy is used. Mood stabilizers are the primary treatment and in more severe Manic Episodes hospitalization may be necessary. This is different than before with Anxiety Disorders where medication is only used if lifestyle changes and therapy aren’t working. Medication is much more significant to the management of Bipolar Disorder. Mood stabilizers help control the occurrence of Manic, Hypomanic, and Depressive Episodes. CBT along with medication management has also been effective in managing Bipolar.

It’s Common For People To Avoid Treatment. Why?

Unfortunately many diagnoses come with a social stigma, and Bipolar is no different. Often when experiencing a manic or hypomanic episode the person with the disorder may not feel that they need help (due to feelings of grandeur and impulsivity) or they may have had negative experiences from times they have sought help in the past. The possibilities are endless.

How Common Is Bipolar Disorder?

The lifetime statistics for is Bipolar 3.9% of people in the United States. The median age of onset is 25 years (National Institute of Mental Health), although it can start in early childhood or as late as the 40’s and 50’s.

Please know that while we wanted to spread awareness of these circumstances with this blog post all of it is just words. Neither Nan nor I have personal experiences with these words so undoubtedly we are shortchanging the meaning of them for people who do. But if Girl Meets World is right and the secret of life is that people change people then we all wield the power to take these words and the knowledge (hopefully) gained from them to be there for our friends in the mental health community and tell them what they need to hear, and they should hear sentiments of, chiefly, support and understanding. Doing that puts “order” in “disorder” as it helps change the way people cope with and view these situations, potentially creating new friendships and definitely strengthening existing ones like Farkle and Isadora’s in Girl Meets I Am Farkle. That strength is important because as we all know there is another secret of life:

“Lose one friend, lose all friends, lose yourself.”  – Eric Matthews/ Plays With Squirrels

For more information check out The Canadian Mental Health Association if you’re in Canada like me or the National Institute of Mental Health if you’re in the United States like Nan.

Sources:

http://psychiatryonline.org/guidelines

http://www.nimh.nih.gov

http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics_bipolar_disorder

https://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness/anxiety-disorders/

http://behavenet.com/apa-diagnostic-classification-dsm-iv-tr

http://www.terapiacognitiva.eu/dwl/dsm5/DSM-5.pdf

]]> https://gmwpodcast.com/2015/10/10/hey-our-friends-were-worried-about-something-so-lets-learn-about-it/feed/ 0 478 danieljohnwhite5 IMG_3394.GIF GAN GAN 2 gmwpodcast@gmail.com (Daniel White) https://gmwpodcast.com/2015/10/06/ep-2-18-girl-meets-world-of-terror-2/ https://gmwpodcast.com/2015/10/06/ep-2-18-girl-meets-world-of-terror-2/#respond Tue, 06 Oct 2015 15:29:42 +0000 http://gmwpodcast.com/?p=473 Welcome to Kids Get Acquainted with the Internet, a podcast about Girl Meets World and Boy Meets World. In this episode Dan, Keith, and Caitlin discuss on Girl Meets World season 2 episode 18 entitled “Girl Meets World of Terror 2,” Boy Meets World season 5 episode 5 entitled “The Witches of Pennbrooke,” and Best Friends Whenever season 1 episode 9 entitled “Cyd and Shelby’s Haunted Escape.” The music for this episode includes “Hot Feet” by Rowan and Sabrina as well as the Blues Clues “Mail Time” theme. Please send any feedback our way at gmwpodcast@gmail.com or review us on iTunes. Thanks for listening! PlayPodcast

Yeah that was anticlimactic but you know the story: Tommy, the orphaned boy Eric almost adopted in Boy Meets World rode in on his firetruck and won the debate for Eric (come to think of it Cory being the moderator might’ve been a set up, it appears he knew Tommy was gonna fall out of the sky). Danielle Fishel’s orthodontist then got some free promotion, I cried, you cried, everybody cried.

After I stopped, I realized something: Girl is not without its problems (OK I knew that already) and the addition of the Tommy character could solve many of them. Let’s focus on three shall we?

The Lack of Competent Teachers at John Quincy Adams 

I love Cory Matthews and I love Ben Savage like Cory loves Topanga, but making him a teacher was a bad call. I can’t believe a guy who spent seven seasons not knowing anything about his entire life is now teaching. No. A teacher doesn’t write “Current Events” on the board and say “somebody tell me what’s going on” like a confused mobster after a hit gone wrong (let’s also remember Cory is a HISTORY teacher). Maybe Cory will have an arc addressing this but he should be better having had Mr. Feeny as an influence. I’m not surprised Jonathan Turner was the one who hired him; gotta love favouritism in the workplace. Here’s hoping Cory’s hiree Harper Burgess ironically fares better.

Tommy (a.k.a. Thomas Jonathan Murphy) on the other hand was written as erudite right out of the gate and thanks to JB Gaynor’s impressively convincing performance (and maybe those glasses) I bought every minute of it. Writer Mark Blutman’s characterization of Tommy was top notch and could be taken in many different directions, two of which are a Civics teacher at the kid’s school or a Political Science TA at NYU for Josh Matthews. Tommy’s no slouch having smoked out Girl’s very own Watergate (the incumbent New York Senator siphoning off money from schools) and while it’s weird to think of a person my age having a grown-up job, I’d love it if Mr. Murphy stuck around for Season 3. They can bring him in whenever the show wants to believably tackle political topics. This could also easily tie-in to Eric’s shenanigans because you know Tommy & Eric are painting the town red like Scooby Doo and Shaggy once again. 

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Topanga? Auggie? Ava? And Those Mind Numbing B-Stories?

 One gripe MANY Boy fans have had since pretty much the pilot of Girl is that Topanga Matthews is not Topanga Matthews anymore, she’s… Phyllis Munson from Piscataway, New Jersey.

I think a big reason for this is that the writers have Topanga babysitting her young son Auggie Matthews and his “girlfriend” Ava Morgenstern most of the time. This woman’s supposed to be a lawyer at a big New York City law firm, why is she with the kids in the middle of the day? Auggie (whom I do enjoy immensely) wasn’t in Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels Goes to Washington and it had some of the best use of Topanga in the series so far. Please get Topanga back to work (PLEASE give her a lawyer set) and bring in Tommy, as he gets his teach on, to develop the same relationship with Auggie that Eric had with him. You don’t need to be blood to be family after all. EVERYONE would drown in a puddle of feels if Tommy gave Auggie a piggy-back ride. I’m treading feels just writing that. GIDDY UP HORSEY. GIDDY UP.

The 90’s Kid Quagmire

^*Giggidy*

Whether Girl likes it or not, its most loyal fan base and viewership is not the demographic Disney wants it to target, it’s Boy fans (their desire for a youth audience is made clear by their tendency to limit shows to four seasons as its demo grows up/gets bored). On average half a million of Girl’s two million-ish viewers an episode are aged 18-49. Unlike Boy which, according to paragraph twelve of this Rider Strong interview,  wrote out the then twenty-something teachers Jonathan Turner and Eli Williams because they added nothing to a show aimed at kids, its daughter show has the unique challenge of needing to indulge both kids and adults in equal measure to thrive.

Thus far the way Girl is trying to do that is by bringing in Boy characters and referencing the show, but where it’s failing is by neglecting to write stories that all adults will relate to and having characters that all of them will relate to. The kids are in middle school and Cory and Topanga are thirty-something parents while Shawn’s a thirty-something pretending to be a parent. Eric’s only pretending to be a thirty-something so maybe that counts but there are mountains of twenty-something Boy fans drinking boxed wine and watching its reruns that Girl is completely ignoring.

I’m one of those fans (hey, bag-in-box wine here in Ontario is like $35.00 for four lovely litres *one gallon*) and thus far the only character’s story I’ve come close to relating to is…Josh? But he’s a new character really and doesn’t deliver the double-rainbow of being a character I can relate to, AND one I have a connection to because of Boy (being an infant aged to a toddler on the show doesn’t count). Tommy slides down that double rainbow; he’s my age, he was a part of my favourite Eric arc of all of Boy in season six and his presence hearkens back to a time before Eric completely lost the plot in season seven. To that point, having Tommy around Eric will IMMEDIATELY humanize Eric and prevent the writers from going full season seven with him.

Tommy could provide the much needed mid-millennial presence Girl Meets World is lacking, free up Topanga for stories not involving Auggie, give the kids a teacher who seems like he knows his stuff and offer an interesting relationship between Tommy and Josh (Tommy was around in Boy when baby Josh was in the hospital).

I’d like for Girl Meets World to adopt Tommy please?

This guest blog was written by Gemma, one of our loyal podcast listeners. While we don’t necessarily agree with all of her points, we think it’s important to share a variety of perspectives. If you’d like to write a guest blog for the site send us an email at gmwpodcast@gmail.com and we’ll look over what you have. Thanks Gemma!

To check out our audio interview with JB Gaynor (Tommy) click here

All media used in accordance with Section 29.1 of the Fair Dealing provision of The Copyright Act.

“Can I Help To Cheer You?.” Writ. Barry Safchik. Boy Meets World. ABC. 12 Mar. 1999. Television

“Santa’s Little Helpers.” Writ. Lara Runnels & Patti Carr. Boy Meets World. ABC. 11 Dec. 1998. Television

“Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels Goes to Washington.” Writ. Mark Blutman. Girl Meets World. Disney Channel. 10 July. 2015. Television

“Resurrection.” Writ. Erica Montolfo. Boy Meets World. ABC. 19 Feb. 1999. Television

I take some issue with people assuming Riley and Lucas are the next Cory and Topanga. Yes, I believe they may have initially been cast for their roles with this model in mind. Yes, many situations over both series are parallel with both couples (first date for example). However, a casting template and similar scenes do not make them the same couple. The characters are different. Question: in what ways are Riley and Lucas really like Cory and Topanga? Riley met Lucas in 7th grade and knows very little about his life. She is learning who he is, and he is slowly getting character development. Cory and Topanga were established (in the end) as a couple who spent their entire lives together (more like Auggie and Ava, which has been referenced on and off screen), and they know everything about each other. Topanga was in Cory’s life before SHAWN was. The parallel to this on GMW (other than Auggie and Ava) is Riley and Maya, and, to a lesser extent, Farkle with both girls. How is Lucas like Topanga, other than being the “other” person in the relationship? With Riley and Lucas, Riley encompasses the best parts of both of her parents, and Lucas fills a role not present in BMW. To me they are a unique couple showing minimal resemblance to Cory and Topanga, other than situational similarities through plot. 

The stated theme of this season is “growth,” as well as the often said “people change people.” I admit I had no investment in Riley and Lucas as a couple until “First Date.” They had some cute moments and sweet interactions, but Lucas functioned more as a conduit for Riley’s life lessons than an influential, independent character. Season 2 tells another story. Believe me, I am not advocating for a particular couple (put down your torches and pitchforks, please). Relationships are supposed to make us better. When Cory told his parents he could not be without Topanga because “she makes me a better person” he showed what every person, especially growing children and adolescents, should seek. Love makes you better. Love brings out the best side of you. MJ asked us before “Rules” to consider who Maya and Lucas would be without Riley. Episode issues aside, we see that they obviously need Riley. She makes them better. In “Secret” we learn that Lucas changed from his angry self because he moved, and he was influenced by new friends. MJ has said Lucas likes that Riley has a “calming” influence on him. He has also said that “innocence attracts.” We see in every episode the influence for good Riley has on Maya, so I need not elaborate on this point. Maya would do a much better job than I would, as would Mae Clutterbucket.

Likewise, Riley needs both Lucas and Maya. In “Rules” Sarah stated “without Maya she is actually getting worse” while playing “Duck Duck Goose.” Riley’s pure heart and innocence when left unchallenged make her naïve and vulnerable, hence waving enthusiastically to her peers who proceeded to put her in a bag and “steal” her. Maya and Lucas challenge Riley. They make her more mature. They ground her in reality. Young people need to be challenged and experience conflict in order to grow. Maya shows Riley a different side of this world. Parents don’t always follow through (but it doesn’t have to make them bad parents). Sometimes expectations only lead to disappointment. Sometimes hope lets us down and really is for suckers. Balanced with Riley’s idealistic view of the world we learn that life occurs in shades on a spectrum, not always black and white. These are lessons that will be learned at some point in Riley’s life, and in all of our lives.

Lucas shows Riley that appearances can be deceiving, just like the Trojan Horse. The wholesome cowboy has a past, which makes Riley question if she really knows him. Again her expectations and naïveté are challenged, and she learns people are more complex than one-dimensional crushes. Sometimes we find out uncomfortable things about those we care about. We may see an angry side to them they have previously hidden. Sometimes the person you like will make bad decisions you don’t understand. Sometimes they will leave with the bad kids and fall under questionable influences. They may regress to a time in their life when they were different.

I am not anti-LucasxMaya. I am not pro-LucasxRiley. I am pro-character development and growth. I support relationships that change us for the better. MJ has plenty of time to create this with any combination of characters, and I trust his vision. I just hope that the development is justified and natural to the characters and show. I will be along for the ride either way.

In conclusion, too many young people have bad examples of what is acceptable in a relationship. They are observing that it seems OK for those you care about to make you feel bad (physically or emotionally). Growing up with BMW I saw an example of a couple that challenged each other in many ways but their relationship was stronger than the world that tested it. I also saw an example of a friendship that modeled unconditional support and acceptance even when you come from seemingly different worlds. I am hoping to Pluto that young viewers learn these lessons as well.

• Our Predictions for the Coming Year of GMW – 00:00
• Reactions to Trina McGee’s Tweets – 12:19
• Guest Blog Post Comments – 45:42
• Listener Emails – 1:20:00
• Listener Tweets – 2:00:00
• Caitlin’s Gay Agenda – 2:34:30
• GMW Episodes in July – 2:40:35

Please send any feedback our way at gmwpodcast@gmail.com or review us on iTunes. The music for this podcast includes songs from Blues Clues and Mario Kart 64. Thanks for listening! PlayPodcast

The following is a guest blog written by Gemma, (One name. Like Prince… not Madonna… at least that’s what she tells us) one of our loyal podcast listeners. She had some strong, detailed, and intelligent thoughts about Girl Meets World’s handling of Shawn and Angela and we wanted to help foster that kind of critical analysis. While we don’t necessarily agree with all of her points, (we’ll get into this next podcast) we think it’s important to share a variety of perspectives. If you’d like to write a guest blog for the site send us an email at gmwpodcast@gmail.com and we’ll look over what you have. Take it away Gemma.

OK, so the well hyped Girl Meets World episode Girl Meets Hurricane aired on June 19th 2015. In essence it uses Boy Meets World characters to its advantage, but pays little homage to them. Shawn Hunter went from not knowing what he’s supposed to be for Maya Hart to sitting in the “daddy chair.” Cory Matthews was frantically warning Shawn about the arrival of Shawn’s lost love Angela Moore like she was the Bubonic plague, even though Cory made efforts to be friends with her in Boy. The use of both Shawn’s dad Chet Hunter’s ghost and Angela to promote Shawn and Katy Hart’s gender-biased, misogynistic ^[1], budding relationship was irresponsible and repugnant. It all pushes harder than Maya pushes Josh for something that hasn’t been developed at all. Show, don’t tell. 

Shawn and Katy’s chemistry, despite their storyline making me question my allegiance to Boy, is good due to the phenomenal actors portraying these parts. Rider Strong slipped back into his role without a missed beat and Cheryl Texiera’s portrayal of Katy bursts with charm. Differently, Shawn and Angela in Boy had powerful chemistry from the start. Rider and Trina McGee (Angela) have the exact same spark and ease with each other fifteen years later.

Shawn and Angela were an engaging couple from the beginning or…. end, as it were. Their relationship began with an end and functioned as the antithesis to Cory and Topanga. Shawn and Angela’s love was complicated and they didn’t get any real ending (geez how many times can I use that word?) when Boy culminated like Cory and Topanga’s happy one. What did happen however wasn’t happy at all. Michael Jacobs (the co-creator of Boy, Girl and the kick-ass Dinosaurs) cites realism as reason for this because Cory and Topanga’s relationship is one in a million and needs an opposite. The problem with that reasoning is that no real relationship is a direct opposite to another – each is its own entity. If you look at Shawn and Angela’s relationship that way, they should have gotten a happy ending (I promise that’s the last time).

Therein lays the problem. Michael Jacobs refuses to view Shawn and Angela’s relationship as its own entity.

On its own, there was no indication that their relationship was going to end (alright, THIS is the last time) in Angela’s Ashes (Angela’s swansong in Boy) other than Shawn saying “Goodbye Angela” to himself after she leaves for Europe with her father for a year. While this can be viewed as an artistic choice because Shawn mentions earlier that saying goodbye would be the end, under NO circumstances does that actually establish that Shawn has broken up with Angela.

After Angela left in Boy the story is just over and NOTHING is explained in Hurricane. All she says to address why she and Shawn didn’t work out is “I wasn’t ready” and that’s crap based on Ashes and the preceding Angela’s Men episode of Boy. Everything that follows therefore doesn’t ring true and I’m not here for it, as it’s all a result of that UNTRUE statement. Angela WAS ready and so was Shawn. They had worked out issues Angela had with her mom leaving her and Shawn trusted the relationship and was supportive of her decision to leave.

Part of what I’m not here for is the revelation in Hurricane that Angela is married. This, while realistic based only on time passing, only truly functions as cock-blocking ^[2] any chance of reconciliation because it’s Disney and Angela’s not going to leave her husband for Shawn… how convenient. Ironically the ramifications of that very thing were addressed on Boy with the divorce of Topanga’s parents. Additionally, why wouldn’t Topanga, Angela’s former best friend, not even know that Angela got married? Even if their friendship faded she’d probably be invited to the wedding.

In Girl we’re ultimately left with the realization that Angela never returned after she went to Europe, but based on how the characters were last committed to each other, that’s crap too! We still don’t know what happened to that commitment because neither Hurricane nor any other Girl episode where Angela is mentioned, inaccurately and callously mind you ^[3], sheds light on anything between Ashes and the present. Yes long distance is hard; yes Angela could’ve met a guy in Europe named Paulo, Enrique or Miloš and yes “relationships end” as Shawn said in Hurricane, but not without reason. NOT “out of nowhere on a sunny day.” It appears Michael Jacobs and Hurricane’s writer Matthew Nelson wants us to guess what happened. Nothing would have based on the characters’ motivations in Boy. Angela WOULD HAVE returned.

Shawn and Angela and Cory and Topanga had two completely different journeys and despite attempts at making them antithetical, they both could have REALISTICALLY ended up at the same destination because both couples have one common element – love. In the case of Shawn and Angela as far as I’m concerned as of Girl Meets Hurricane they still have it because nothing has explained where that love went, but Girl uses time and distance as reasons for the relationship to have ended and for the love to have dissipated. Those aren’t reasons. Time and distance are measurable things that in and of themselves cannot jettison love, any behaviours that stem from it, or any other immeasurable emotion ^[4]. All they can do is prevent it from growing.

The resolution for Shawn & Angela ultimately fails miserably, but I don’t think any brass at Girl Meets World (or maybe even Disney Channel) ever intended for it to succeed.

Am I asking for too much in the exposition I desire? Maybe; I am not however asking for anything to change. I realize Girl is about the next generation (Angela relates to Maya the same way Shawn does having been left, so it still could be about them even if she and Shawn are together). All I am pointing out is why there’s no reason why Shawn & Angela shouldn’t have been and still could be.

I, like Cory Matthews, am hopeful that they will be.

Maybe if I don’t hope for too much, but let myself hope for one thing, it might actually happen.

Footnotes:

^[1] It was never implied in Boy Meets World that Johnathan Turner needed a woman to help him with Shawn. That implication looms LARGE in Girl Meets World. Shawn has already bought two things for Maya (the locket in Girl Meets Master Plan and a new wardrobe in Hurricane) much to the gratitude of her lowly waitress mother Katy whom the show is portraying pretty vigorously as poor and downtrodden in comparison and shows Shawn as a rescuer.

^[2] No other character from Boy has made an offhand comment on Girl about being married, that’s never mentioned again, if they weren’t already. Angela’s marriage and similarly Stewart Minkus’ are just being used as plot devices.

^[3] Although credit should be given to the writers for saying something nice about the relationship earlier in this scene. The ONLY nice thing.

^[4] If they could than Cory and Shawn wouldn’t have been able to pick up where they left off after thirteen years as they seemingly did in Home For The Holidays.

5) Girl Meets Demolition

Okay, so I’m kind of already breaking the rules by including this episode. I get that it’s not technically part of season 1 but it came out before season 2 so… it counts okay? This, in my opinion, is by far the most consistently funny episode to date (that bay window scene still kills me). Things just clicked. The actors brought their A game and the writing was streamlined down to one story. There were guest stars galore and thankfully they all gelled nicely with the cast. I loved the little moments like the astronaut on the horse or Riley loving the candy store. Topanga was highlighted in her role as a lawyer and they even threw in a few adult themed jokes. For me, the best part of this episode was how Riley really took control and proved her intelligence by the end of the episode. More moments like that in season 2 please! The only real reason that this episode isn’t higher on my list is that it was a bit too heightened for my taste. It was very funny but I prefer the more down to earth, pull at your heart strings style of episode. Also, it got a little preachy near the end there.

4) Girl Meets Father

In my opinion this was the first really strong episode of the series. It gave me confidence that I wasn’t just doing a podcast on a dumb Disney show but rather a program with legitimate potential. From the “9th Grade Woman” to the freeze frame ending, this ep was filled with strong comedic moments. Perhaps even more importantly, it was the start of what would become the standout character arc of the season. Sabrina Carpenter pulled off a nicely vulnerable performance here and the father-daughter relationship forged between Maya and Cory led to one of the series’s most aww worthy moments: the father-daughter dance. Additionally, this was a strong episode for Auggie (as his father’s spy) and introduced us to the magic that is Laya for the first time. Girl Meets Father also contained one of the greatest uses of a classroom lesson, as the theme of evolution tied nicely into the episode’s larger message while not being blindingly obvious from the get-go. While there are some odd continuity choices and it isn’t quite as funny as some of the others, it definitely stands out as one of my favorites.

3) Girl Meets The Truth

What made Boy Meets World truly special was its ability to mix comedy with real life lessons delivered in a nuanced fashion. Girl Meets The Truth is the best example yet of the writers really diving in and examining a topic from multiple angles, teaching you something while also not giving you definitive answers. Truth and honesty are topics that most adults could stand to spend a little more time examining. Do you lie to protect someone? When does “just being honest” turn into just being an ass? I loved how the three different plotlines of the week all examined different sides of this concept while also providing great comedy (in the form of Cory and Topanga) and larger arc progression (in the form of Maya’s locket). Using Auggie as the voice of reason who ultimately doesn’t really have the answers was a stroke of genius and probably his best use yet. This is also one of the few episodes where Riley and Maya have legitimate conflict and it’s based on something far more interesting than a boy. The cherry on top of this episode is the ridiculousness of a Pigeon being positioned as God. I just find that really silly in a great way. Now, part of me really wanted to make this my favorite episode but unfortunately it also contains some of my least favorite moments for both Lucas and Farkle. The whole play storyline ranges from nonsensical to representationally problematic. It’s a shame because otherwise I really enjoy this episode.

2) Girl Meets Home for the Holidays

It just felt like home. Call it blind nostalgia if you want but it just felt like Boy Meets World to me. Shawn was Shawn. He was perfect. He brought in the energy I’d been missing and he helped Cory and Topanga to feel like themselves again. The ep was jam packed with guest stars but the pacing was such that I felt like everyone got their moment. The holidays were a smart, organic reason to bring back all these characters and I don’t think someone like Alan really needed his own story. It was just nice seeing him in this supporting role. The Amy subplot, while somewhat mishandled, was incredibly brief and had a solid resolution. Josh I found immediately likable, from his connection to Auggie to his fun flirtation with Maya. What really made the Josh/ Maya stuff work for me was that it was a total side plot for her that episode. Her main goal was protecting Riley and her chemistry with Shawn was incredibly strong (no pun intended). The Shawn plotline unfolded in a way that I found both consistent with his character and compelling for the future of the series. He’s Shawn, still vulnerable, still wounded and looking for a home.

1) Girl Meets Maya’s Mother

I forgot how much I loved this episode but looking back there were just so many fun parts to it. “Silly little weirdo,” “Baby Minkii,” French Lucas, paint battles, and magic tricks all came together to provide one really enjoyable episode. Girl Meets Maya’s Mother just really hit all the boxes on my checklist. It was funny (the dinner table scene made me laugh out loud). Auggie, Lucas, and Farkle were all used effectively without taking over the episode. It taught a strong lesson with Riley realizing that you can’t control everything. All this was done while also introducing Maya’s mother and taking a major step forward in Maya’s arc for the season. The tuna sandwich moment was effectively touching while also providing nuance to Katy’s character. Now I wasn’t a huge fan of Katy’s birthing monologue and the Minkus scene was a little clunky but I was glad he didn’t take over the episode. I don’t need a Minkus focused episode so a cameo is totally fine with me especially when done in a natural way. Career day was a logical way to sneak him in without giving him center stage. The episode isn’t perfect but I really appreciated that it ended on a bittersweet moment. For now Maya was happy with half a mom and that felt tragically real to me.

Welcome to a special Christmas episode of Kids Get Acquainted with the Internet: A Girl Meets World Podcast. On this lovely episode (recorded Christmas night) Dan, Keith, and Caitlin discuss and rank four main Christmas episodes of Boy Meets World: S1e10 – Santa’s Little Helper, S4e12 – Easy Street, S5e11 – A Very Topanga Christmas, and S6e11 – Santa’s Little Helpers. We also make recommendations for fun Christmas related entertainment, Keith gives his basic thoughts of Girl Meets Home for the Holidays, and we talk about our own Christmas experiences. Please send any feedback our way at gmwpodcast@gmail.com or review us on iTunes. The music for this week’s podcast includes “White Christmas” by the Drifters and “1985” by Daemon Hatfield. Thank you for listening and Happy Holidays! PlayPodcast

We are a podcast. The whole point is to have an intelligent discussion to compare and contrast the two shows in regards to their cultural contexts. It is a discussion; we are three people; we don’t always agree. We all have various backgrounds and significant educations that entitle us to at least some decent amount of validity in approaching these topics. We read tweets and emails from listeners to allow them to weigh in their own opinions and thoughts in regards to what we have said. I would invite you to read the material released on the blog and on twitter a little more carefully, perhaps a little more critically, and refrain from misconstruing and misrepresenting our feelings. We have made no personal attacks but have received a few. This is unfortunate and heightens the need for discourse like this in such a setting as twitter where reactions, impulses, and impressions are formed quickly and quite often very uncritically.

We think it’s difficult, but not impossible, to write good drama with a five year old character. Great drama is at the root of great comedy. Auggie is a fun character and has worked really well in a supporting role in episodes like Girl Meets Maya’s Mother, Girl Meets Father, and Girl Meets the Truth. Overall, however, we don’t think he has had any real drama when he has taken the lead in his own plotline, and his scenes have gone on too long taking away from stories about Maya and Riley. In Girl Meets World of Terror we felt that the Auggie plotline was by far the weakest of the 3 stories. Though it had its strong points most of our listeners agreed with us that it went on too long and that they would have prefered a story about Lucas’s fears. Also, it is easy to disconnect from Auggie scenes when they play up his young age, such as holding up his hand to show how old he is repeatedly, or when he starts shrieking in a shouting match with the monster in GMWoT. Things like this can make his character feel very stereotyped and his scenes contrived. Overall it feels like they are pushing too hard to capture a “cute factor” and it detracts from the main plotline of the episode when this takes over. In addition much of the writing for his character seems forced and unrealistic (ie. him concerned about Ava’s affections); they serve as a placeholder for sentiments that do not originate from within the character, but rather from projected ideas rooted in the expectation of a stereotyped character. Season 1 Morgan was also used as a “cute factor” but not quite as bluntly and also did not hinder the progression of other characters in the way that Topanga then gets trapped into dealing almost only with Auggie in scenes that share the same central themes and structure.

A lot of our favorite moments of BMW were the ones that really hit you in the gut and were great character and drama moments. In season 1 of BMW Morgan had moments like this, such as when she broke the window in “Risky Business” and was worried she was going to be in trouble. This led to a great moment where Cory was worried for her safety, then took the blame for her, and was a great big brother. Morgan’s role, however, did not take over the whole episode and she was only in short, small scenes. None of this is to say we don’t like August Maturo, or that he hasn’t grown as an actor, but in our opinions he is just better utilized as a supporting character at this point in the series.