I’m sure you’re all familiar with the iconic 90s TV show Boy Meets World. Well now there’s Girl Meets World, the story of the Corpanga lovechild Riley Matthews, her rough and tumble best friend Maya Hart (who is definitely Riley’s “Shawn”), and the rest of their friends in Manhattan, beginning in seventh grade.
The show began in 2014 and is currently on their third season where the gang, consisting of Riley, Maya, Farkle Minkus (son of Stuart Minkus and Jennifer Bassett from the BMW universe), Lucas Friar, Isadora Smackle, and Zay Babineaux, navigate their way through the dangerous world of high school as they enter their freshman year.
This show covers any and everything a cheesy 90s revival could need: love triangles, self discovery, family bonding, and feminism. Yep, you heard it here first, folks! Girl Meets World is amazingly feminist. They had a whole episode during season two all about girls in STEM fields (which was remarkably titled “Girl Meets STEM)”, a whole character arc dedicated to Isadora learning to be okay with her autism, as well as a storyline prioritizing friendships over romantic relationships, which is incredibly refreshing in media targeted towards tween-age girls and younger. I remember when I was that young, and the only message I remember receiving from TV shows and movies was that my value depended on what I was wearing and which boy had a crush on me. And while there is a fair share of romance in the show, much like in Boy Meets World, the main relationship is, and always will be, Maya and Riley’s friendship.
Another incredibly important, and rather revolutionary for the audience, topic covered in GMW is the idea of growth, and how our growth affects others. A lot of the show is focused on Riley and her friends in class with their history teacher who, miraculously, is none other than Cory Matthews. He somehow finds a way to relate history to what’s going on in the class’ lives and one of the most prominent lessons he teaches is “people change people”. People change people is an incredibly short yet powerful phrase that people of all age can and should be reminded of. It reminds us that everything we do has a lasting impression on others, and we should choose people in our lives who’s impression will be a positive one. Which, again, ties back into the overall lesson of the series that your friends are the family you get to choose, and you should keep them as close to you at all times.
All in all, even though this TV show is in fact on Disney Channel which brings with it it’s own stigma of immaturity and cheesiness, give it a chance this new year. If you’re into life lessons and girls supporting girls as much as I am, I’m sure you will not be disappointed.
