If there is one thing that 1993 was going to do, it was release some of the best movies of the decade from ‘Jurassic Park’ to ‘Mrs. Doubtfire,’ it’s hard to deny that pure fact. It’s something Diandre Robinson, host of Mass-Debaters and fellow member of the I Did Not Make These Ranking Podcast Network, discussed when he came back through the Crushgasm realm. We also touched on my favorite aspect of the year, ‘Boy Meets World.’
In recent years ‘Boy Meets World’ made headlines when Trina McGee came forward about the less-than-perfect moments she experienced on set with a few of the actors. Since then a couple have made their apologies known, and all seems well between her and those who’ve said they’re sorry. All of that broke my heart because as a kid, Trina McGee’s Angela was everything to me and it hurt knowing she had to live through some bullshit. Thankfully though, it seems as if things have been resolved between her and some of those who made things bad for her on set.
With that, I’d like to move on to why ‘Boy Meets World’ is my pick for 1993. In a nutshell, I’d say it has to do with this show being somewhat timeless when it comes to not only the relatable characters but also the stories we got over several seasons. Yes, the clothing and vernacular will date it but, much like ‘I Love Lucy,’ ‘Boy Meets World’ was able to create a show where the date/time doesn’t matter as much as the characters and the world they created.
We were first introduced to this boy and his world when Cory was in middle school alongside his best friend Shawn and his eventual soulmate, Topanga. Throughout the series, we followed them through high school and college, and even got an update via Disney Channel’s ‘Girl Meets World.’ Did I watch every single second from start to finish? Yes, yes I did.
‘Boy Meets World’ kept and continues to keep me seated because when you watch, it’s not like when I sit down to watch ‘The Office’ or ‘Frasier.’ There’s something nostalgic but also refreshing about watching a series that celebrates the highs and lows of what it means to grow up so beautifully. The show never dove that deep into super serious topics as it was part of the TGIF lineup and therefore a Disney property. However, when they did try and deliver something with a bit more edge, it didn’t feel over the top cheesy like on shows such as ‘Full House.’
Yes, Cory’s life was pretty much the antithesis of what I knew in reality but to level his suburban wet dream was Shawn, the trailer park rebel who turned out to be more of an artsy kind of guy. As kids though, Shawn was definitely the one who brought in a dose of real-life perspective that ultimately gave ‘Boy Meets World’ that extra oomph needed so that it wasn’t just about this kid living in a very nice house in a lovely neighborhood with a gorgeous girlfriend. Even Topanga had her moments of realism with her parent’s divorce and that time Cory tried it and kissed another girl, leaving them broken up and viewers absolutely distraught. Plus, Topanga wasn’t just this pretty girl. She was top of her class and as a little nerd sitting at home – I know I could not have been the only honor roll student in the ’90s who felt empowered by Ms. Lawrence.
All of that said, again, ‘Boy Meets World’ is one of those shows that I feel every generation from here on out could potentially connect with because growing up – as different as our backgrounds and whatnot can be – still has so many of the same components and this show tackled many of them. From dealing with parents both good and bad to dating to adolescent nonsense to friendship. Which, shout out to Harvey from ‘Love is Black’ and ‘Men Are the P.R.I.Z.E.’ for once noting how well ‘Boy Meets World’ explored male friendship when it came to Cory and Shawn. It wasn’t ever really put on the back burner when Cory and Topanga got together. One could argue that Cory and Shawn have one of the greatest on-screen love stories because love isn’t just romantical.
Speaking of, I can’t talk about what ‘Boy Meets World’ means to me and not touch on why Angela was my girl. Growing up my crushes were always guys who looked like Shawn Hunter and you can read more about that here, but with that…the boys that looked like Shawn never seemed to get with girls like me. So there I was, a mixed kid in love with boys who I felt never would love me, and even as a kid I remember thinking…shit, will I be alone forever then? Then came the episode where Shawn falls in love with the contents of a purse. Contents that belonged to Angela. Many will praise Cory and Topanga, and it’s a relationship that gets noted often but for me – Shawn and Angela getting together and having a romance that felt just as significant on the show, made me feel like, okay – perhaps I won’t be alone forever.
Oh, and how could I forget Mr. Feeny, the greatest educator of all time with the ultimate life lesson of, “Do good?”
‘Boy Meets World’ ticked so many of the boxes for me as a kid and still does today, and while the behind-the-scenes drama broke my heart – apologies allowed me to jump back into my rewatch because, at the end of the day, this show remains one of the best to come out of the ‘90s.
Crushgasm 
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