This Episode of ‘Boy Meets World’ Would Look Completely Different in the #MeToo Era
Boy Meets World didn’t exactly have an exciting premise. Essentially, it’s about a boy and his middle-class family as he survives high school and goes on to college. While the basic idea of the show may be less than exciting, the characters and storylines are what made this show a fan favorite. Boy Meets World is so well-loved that it even came back years later, with the spinoff Girl Meets World, a show that followed the main character’s daughter through her own coming of age journey. Fans may have connected to the show thanks to how forward-thinking the writers and producers were. In some ways, Boy Meets World may have been ahead of its time.
“Everybody Loves Stuart” had both Savage brothers on-screen together
In the episode “Everybody Loves Stuart,” fans finally got to see both Savage brothers on the screen at the same time. Cory Matthews was portrayed by Ben Savage. His older brother, Fred Savage, was a child star in his own right. In fact, Fred was the star of The Wonder Years, a coming-of-age family comedy show very similar to Boy Meets World.
But unfortunately, the only episode featuring the two brothers wasn’t lighthearted or fun. In fact, Fred played the villain in this episode, Stuart. Fred’s character is a young, cool professor. He’s everybody’s favorite, but he crosses a line. Stuart goes to Topanga’s dorm room under the pretense of discussing a paper and makes a move on her.
The “Everybody Loves Stuart” episode dealt with difficult subject matter
When Cory hears about the incident with Stuart, he confronts him, according to Screenrant. Stuart refuses to apologize, and in fact blames Topanga, claiming that she was the one who initiated things with him. Cory pushes Stuart into a wall, and has to talk to the dean. Considering this episode took place in a pre- #MeToo era, it won’t surprise most fans to know that the dean didn’t seem to take Topanga very seriously. While she did handle it better than most real deans, Stuart doesn’t end up facing any real consequences.
Today, thanks to the #MeToo movement, a student like Topanga probably wouldn’t have as hard a time getting justice. Even if what Stuart had said were true, and Topanga did try to initiate a relationship with him, he still would not have been innocent by today’s standards. Stuart went to Topanga’s dorm room to discuss her paper, an act which in and of itself would be considered inappropriate in today’s day and age. But Topanga struggled to get the dean to take her seriously, which is something that wasn’t talked about much at the time.
‘Boy Meets World’ may have been preparing young viewers
In a way, Boy Meets World may have used the “Everybody Loves Stuart” episode to teach its viewers about the real world. On the show, things usually seemed to work out for the best. Even when the cast dealt with difficult issues, they always had each other, and the show always had a sunny outlook. At the end of “Everybody Loves Stuart,” Mr. Feeny blames himself for sheltering Cory and the gang for so long. The crew realizes that they’re no longer children, and justice doesn’t always prevail in real life.
The show’s producers may have wanted to share a little bit of harsh reality with its viewers, and discuss a topic that wasn’t often talked about. Just like Mr. Feeny felt responsible for sheltering his students, the writers may have felt responsible for sheltering viewers, and decide to show them something real, if ugly. They probably had no idea that the kids who grew up watching Boy Meets World would go on to participate in one of the biggest feminist movements of the modern era, commonly known as #MeToo.
