Boy meets world, Commentary writer and others

By Julie Gwiszcz
Collegian Reporter
November 8, 2006

Television programs have surely changed since the good old days of my childhood. I remember coming home from school and relaxing while watching some of my favorite classic cartoons of the ‘90s: Spiderman, Batman and Robin, Gargoyles and the like. However, my favorite day of the week was always Friday night, when ABC set aside primetime TV for family-friendly sitcoms in a block known as TGIF. For those of you like me who grew up without cable, there was not much variety out there, but, I can honestly say, I did love my TGIF sitcoms.

One of my favorite shows that I always looked forward to all week was none other than Boy Meets World. That show had it all: loveable characters who grew up right before our eyes, an amusing and sometimes absurd dilemma that the Matthews brothers would always manage to resolve by the end of each 30-minute episode and a blossoming romance between Cory and Topanga that, while at times awkward, you couldn’t help but cheer the young couple. Boy Meets World had its memorable guest stars that stirred up trouble between this tight-knit circle of friends, but there was no breaking up the bond between Cory Matthews, the curly-headed main character, his wayward but good-hearted sidekick, Shawn, and the strange but sweet Topanga, who blossomed from a nerdy outcast to a strong, beautiful and vibrant young woman. Eric, Cory’s older and more popular brother, seemed to screw up a lot, but the two of them were always there for each other.

One of my favorite parts about this show was that while it dealt with the typical teenage and adolescent issues of transitioning into the real world, it also presented a variety of characters from diverse backgrounds who found friendship and support from one another. Cory and Shawn were like blood brothers, even though many people thought of Cory as a dork who couldn’t get a date for his life, and Shawn had girls swooning all over him for his mysterious bad boy reputation. They were complete opposites, yet they looked out for one another and showed us what the true meaning of friendship is. As Eric once said, “Lose one friend, lose all friends, lose yourself.”

Like all family sitcoms, Boy Meets World, of course, had its cheesy storylines and sometimes unrealistic plots, but we, as viewers, witnessed the characters grow up along with us. At the time, I was often experiencing some of the same issues that Cory, Shawn, Topanga and Eric were facing. Nowadays, it is difficult to find quality programming that does not rely on vulgarity or violence to attract an audience. The writers must have done something right since the series lasted seven years. You can now catch reruns on ABC Family, making me wish I had cable.

gwiszczj1@lasalle.edu