Boy Meets World: Shawn and Angela's Doomed Romance | Sitcom Lore

[@T1J]

Check out José's video here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/honCl56jf6Z6bac

[@Delboy0]

As British Black guy I have become super sensitive at the American media's double standards when representing interracial couples. It seems to be treated as mainstream and normal when it is a white male character with a black female character, but when it is a black male character with a white female character it is treated as taboo and racial politics are more involved, despite the fact in the USA white women with Black men is more common than the other way around statistically. What made me sensitive was watching the Louis Gate Jr documentary Black Hollywood in 2008. In this doc Gates ask the big Hollywood producer Arnaud Miclan, who is big producer in Hollywood to this day, why has every attractive Black female actress had a white male love interest, but you never see an A-List American white actress with a black male love interest. He let slip the truth. He said when it is a white man with a black woman it is exotic, but when it is a white woman with a black man it is dangerous. He is basically saying it is personal preference of white male producers and they don't want to promote black men to white women. This guy was never cancelled and still making big movies today like Deep Water, Gone Girl and 12 years a slave. So when I found out two of my favourite British shows were being remade for American audiences and they were the shows Utopia and Ghosts. On both these shows the main character is black, but on both shows, there are white female love interests for these characters. In Utopia there are two white female characters vying for the black male character and it is vital to plot that this character is black and in Ghosts it is a about a normal married interracial couple who buy a hotel that is full of ghosts of the guests who died there throughout the century. These remakes were really going to test the Hollywood double standard and boy did Hollywood prove they have this anti-black man agenda. For Utopia US version they just whitewashed the show and made the black main character a white man in the American version and race bent the white female love rivals to black women in the US version. SMH. And in Ghosts remade by CBS, they race bent the black husband character to an Indian, probably because Big Bang Theory their biggest hit had an Indian. And I just thought wow, Hollywood is still anti- black male in 2022. They did the same for one of my all time favourite sitcoms the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf. It was the most watched sitcom in the UK in the mid 1980s and the lead character and hero was a dreadlocked Black man in a live action sci-fi sitcom that was lightyears ahead of it's time, that shows like Futurama and Rick & Morty ripped off many decades later. Well NBC in the late 1990s wanted to do an American remake of this hugely popular show about an unlikely black hero on a giant spaceship in deep space, all the crew has been killed and he is only human survivor as he was frozen during the accident for millions of years. And the only things keeping him company is descendant of his cat who has gone through a million years of evolution and is now humanoid and is a cross between Little Richard and James Brown, there is also an overly polite android who is programmed to be honest all the time but not to hurt the feelings of humans and the Hologram representation of his annoying dead ship room mate. The makers of the British show deliberately wanted two of the main characters to be black because the Humanoid cat was Black and the dumbest character in the show, the Phoebe or Kramer on the show and didn't want the only black character on the show to be dumbest so wanted another black actor as the lead to have contrast of representation. In America they did not care about the only black character being dumb, so recast the black dreadlocked character with Craig Bierko the tall blue-eyed white actor in the US version because again the show had a white female love interest for a black lead character in the UK version.

[@EMNstar]

I watched that, then this popped up as recommended. Beautiful use of algorithm utilization. Team up more with other creators again! Everyone expressing their perspective on something and quickly, maybe efficiently showing their viewers a complex view of something via the team up. The audiences benefit. The creators benefit.

[@EMNstar]

Also, I related hard to Shawn on the show and almost resented Corey and Topanga. As a child so young I felt envy for those with such love or support or even just fucking money. It's creepy to reflect on as an adult who still struggles with such envy and subsequent resentment.

[@emiliepryor51]

I love the episode where Sean finds Angela’s purse and falls in love with that woman he didn’t even know. 😭😭😭

[@stephjovi]

Watched that first. Love the cross promotion

[@ffflustered9qr]

Angela's being Black was important and obvious, but it wasn't her entire role or personality, and the same goes for Shawn and Angela's interracial relationship. As a Black woman, that meant the world to me.

[@angelaholmes8888]

Yeah same for me I really loved the character of Angela

[@Coffeeisnecessarynowpepper]

As a black man it makes me mad how black goddesses fall for skinny white guys bleh

[@lilyzemengist8091]

I third! I still look back in joy of her scenes and relationship with the other characters of the show.😍❤

[@aaroniic]

It may have looked nice as a fictional TV show, but the real actress endured racism on set by some of the other white cast members so…

[@malachithegreat3889]

Yeah but now she bleached herself beige. So obviously the actress had complexes about her complexion and ethnicity. One black girl is not true diversity.

[@witchplease9695]

They were the first interracial couple I saw on screen and one where her race wasn’t an issue at all, it was refreshing. Terrible to hear what happened to her on the set with all the racism from the other actors (fuck Cory and Eric for calling her “Aunt Jemima”), but I’m so happy Shawn’s actor was good to her.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

Shawn was the only one I liked, so I was glad to hear that. I used to think he was so cute.

[@Aster_Risk]

@@LadyAstarionAncunin It makes me feel good about my childhood crush on him. A lot of those crushes turned out to be not so great people.

[@mdtisthebest6249]

That actually made me laugh

[@mmastoryline623]

@@mdtisthebest6249 whats the joke?

[@LAWoman323213]

Did you not watch “The Jeffersons”?

[@melodyclark1944]

I've heard people call Angela the token disposable black love interest and I'm like how? He wanted to be with her. There wasn't anyone else.

[@bethanychatman9531]

I think because later on in the reboot she was treated like that. They made her the villain also.

[@JC-yy8iv]

Maybe they’re referring to how the character was treated by the writers, not by characters within the story

[@Michelle-pn9xt]

Many people do not like to see black girls with white guys.

[@simplyjuannie5128]

@@bethanychatman9531 I'm going to act like that reboot never happened.

[@carriel9954]

@@bethanychatman9531 Shawn was still in love with Angela in the reboot. It’s Cory and topanga who was basically like fuck her and get with the spoiled brat mother. He even asked Angela if he should be with her. I think he felt obligated to be with the spoiled brat mother. She was so hard up for a dad. It made me sick. I wish boys meet world would make a movie where Shawn and Angela come back together. Shawn and Angela were my favorite couple on the show.

[@theluckienurse]

I absolutely LOVE the way that Angela was created and portrayed on this show. She was intelligent, articulate, natural, and she was unambiguously black. They did not just make her a sidekick to Topanga, Which is often done with black characters. They gave her own background, her own love interest, and meet her complex. I also love that they did not make them being interracial the focus of their relationship.

[@knucklehoagies]

I also appreciated the fact that in the show, her being black was never mentioned in the show. It's like the writers wanted to create an undertone of it doesn't matter, who cares? Look at her as just another character like the rest of the cast. That's how it should be. Black folk always wanna self segregate nowadays which is completely counter productive.

[@spencersharp4599]

And they wrote her tas a philosophical and artistic type, then gave her the longing for connection from the soul vibe. It was the best developed character. I personally was a Johnathon turner Frankie stacking fan. But they didn't even get any development in the reprisal series. Mentioned by Harley one or two times, then ghosted.

[@spencersharp4599]

As

[@theluckienurse]

@@spencersharp4599 love this comment!!

[@skurinski]

@@knucklehoagies that's cause in the 90s people were taught to be color blind. Now they're being taught to be racist again, and focus on race before anything else

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

It's sad the actress who played Angela said the cast/production weren't nice to her behind the scenes. And, of course, she had to do her own hair (maybe makeup too). As a kid watching, you're just glad to see someone who looks like you on a show, not ever realizing what they could be going through off camera.

[@uhuhuh1966]

I always noticed that in the few times they showed outtakes during credits, whenever she was in them and broke character she always looked miserable, just really unhappy while everyone else was laughing and joking around

[@SurahOnline]

*I was OBSESSED with Danielle Fishel (Topanga) for sooooo many years. It broke my heart when Trina (Angela) said how nasty and micro-aggressive Danielle really was towards her behind the scenes.*

[@angelaholmes8888]

Yeah I was shocked and saddened to learn this

[@puterjess]

Yeah it’s nice that the actor she worked closest with, Shawn, was one who she said was nice to her but that’s a silver lining to a very grey cloud. Can’t imagine

[@IjeomaThePlantMama]

This explains why her hair was different nearly every episode, sis was doing it HERSELF?!

[@SirNerdLeroy]

I honestly think Shawn should have just went with Angela to Europe. He already mentioned wanting to go there at one point, he could have asked his brother for some money to help him leave, and he already ended up making a major change in his life by staying with Cory in New York. Nothing was really holding him back from going with her, especially knowing that he eventually left Cory's place when they found out they were having a child.

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

Definitely agree, but I'm guessing that, in-universe it wouldn't have worked because it was supposed to be a time of healing for Angela to _finally_ spend time with her father. If Shawn had gone with them, he might've been a distraction. Plus, it's not like he would be able to afford a place to live on his own, so he'd have to live with Angela and her father, and the father didn't seem like the kind of person to let his daughter's boyfriend live with them. But even if he were, Shawn would still be intruding on them as they attempt to put their relationship back together. That's a lot to deal with for a young person. What if they ended up breaking up during that year? The only options would be to let Shawn live on the couch for the remainder of that time until they go back to the states and deal with _that_ awkwardness, or for Angela's dad to pay for a return ticket back to the states for Shawn. The happy resolution would have been to allow Shawn to tag along, and he and Angela growing closer and eventually getting married, achieving that Corey and Topanga "Happily Ever After". But the realistic one they chose, that the show-writers were interested in doing, was the one we got. Shawn understood how important it was for Angela to go to Europe with her father so they could get a second chance at _their_ relationship, and knew that it might spell the end of their own relationship but he was willing to make that sacrifice for her happiness. Even that shows a real sign of growth and maturity for Shawn, because part of being in a relationship is being willing to sacrifice some personal happiness for your partner. Obviously, the ideal would be for both people willing to make equal sacrifices for each other-- like supporting their partner's decision to go back to school to get a degree, or being willing to uproot your life because your partner received a big promotion that requires moving to a different state. Or the flip side of that, what Angela's parents had before her mother abandoned them - which was being willing to move to a different state or country every six months to a year for your partner's career. And unfortunately, sometimes that sacrifice requires letting go of that person you love and care about, because you know deep down that they deserve to be happy in a way that you can't fulfill for them, or that they should be with someone more willing to make certain sacrifices for them that you are not.

[@luxbeauty4952]

@@cannibalisticrequiem they still should of ended up together after that. They’re both adults and even though she was with her parents. They should of somehow founded love even if they went with other partners.

[@weston407]

he gave her the time with her father that he never got to have with his

[@SirNerdLeroy]

@@weston407 Yeah, but she still could have still had that with Shawn there. It's not like she would only be around her dad 24/7. It's most likely she made new friends, dated around a bit, and potentially met her husband while there. Shawn could have given her space when she wanted to be around her dad and explored Europe and expanded his horizon and get more out of being there.

[@oooh19]

@@luxbeauty4952yeah a lot of years had passed

[@FDSignifire]

Boy Meets World definitely elevated youth tv

[@jonanasbananas2944]

@@flowerchild2627 Stop. Just stop.

[@PeeyJeey]

Oh FD is here? Let me go ahead and subscribe 🥲😂

[@Donnie8907]

@@flowerchild2627 YIKES!

[@abriaangel9986]

It really did a good job of tackling mature themes.

[@Aristochronic]

@@flowerchild2627 I get it but you should have kept that to yourself fam

[@Maxineshawattyatlaw]

No, Girl Meets World doesn’t exist. Shawn and Angela met up years later and rekindled their relationship. They are married, deeply in love, and mutually decided to have two kids after finding success in their respective writing careers.

[@ikimawsome]

Exactly 😂😂😂

[@RumChocolates]

Unfortunately, all too often writers trope tragic relationships for black women. List the names of television shows where the black woman's love life is NOT tragic, where she is the forever desired love interest end game together on the show. For some reason writers tend to make the love interest of black women the Monster, the Criminal, the One Who Dies, the Drug Attic, the Forbidden Guy She Must Break Up With ... you get my drift or she is all self sacrificing for the good of everyone else. It's annoying.

[@notsure1350]

@@RumChocolates if there isn't some sort of tragic love story there is not a hell of a lot of story.

[@MiaCarter7]

Period! I do not accept an other endings.

[@bittermoomoo]

real!

[@YanaBana79]

I met Trina McGee (Angela) at 90's Con last month, and she was delightful. I told her how iconic her portrayal of Angela was--and so many other people at the Con also mentioned to her that Shawn and Angela were their favorite BMW couple :).

[@BlackGirlLovesAnime6]

That’s a thing? Omg where is the convention at? Sounds so fun

[@DrVVVinK]

@@BlackGirlLovesAnime6 i went to it too. It was in Hartford CT. They had a lot of Disney and 90s Nick stars there. Even a Slim machine and orange couch.

[@BlackGirlLovesAnime6]

@@DrVVVinK oh wow I’ve never even heard of this. I wonder if they still have it.

[@Sky-tg5rt]

They were my favorite as well!

[@roselynholloway7863]

@@DrVVVinKwas it fun

[@bootyguru8727]

I don't think that I, as well as other fans would have had an issue with Angela moving on, if Shawn had an alternative love interest that he cared about just as much as Angela. Except, he didn't. He didn't have much chemistry with Katie which makes sense since the only reason why they married is so that Maya can have a father figure. But did he really have to marry her for that to be the case? Cause I don't think so. Maya is the glue to their relationship, so as Maya gets older and more independent, the cracks in their relationship will start to show which will inevitably lead to a divorce.

[@T1J]

well i think the show wanted to argue that Shawn really loved Katie lol but I agree they didn't really have a lot of time to develop the relationship. But the general concept of Shawn being able to find love because of what he learned from his time with Angela is a good story imo

[@propogandalf]

@@T1J But sadly that isn't the story they told. If they really wanted to go a realistic route like they claimed since most high school couples don't end up together then they could have at least respected the relationship by mentioning it but not bringing her back and minimizing it OR having them re-meet later in life divorced or with kids and getting together then and forming a blended family

[@karlynlevan]

@@T1J I think the issue a lot of us have was HOW the treated their relationship on GMW. Instead of portraying his relationship with Angela as something genuine but just not meant to be, they make where he never really loved Angela but just "thought" he did, and then made Angela the scapegoat for all of his commitment issues which those who watched BMW know is not true.

[@wardarcade7452]

And for all the hype about Shawn suddenly getting smitten with Katy (and his former bond with Angela getting retrotrashed), and the resulting marriage & him becoming Maya's new father, wound up being a waste because they did NOTHING with that after the wedding! I know that Mr. Strong only agreed to do a tiny number of shows (could it be because he HATED how they retrotrashed his longtime bond with Angela- and Shawn's entire progress as a person?) and he'd not appear again until the Season Three/Series Finale. However, the writers COULD have had Maya, Katy, Riley, Cory, Topanga,etc. make asides about how Shawn was doing as a new husband and father and how the three were adjusting to each other but they literally only mentioned him very briefly TWO times before he made his final appearance in that Finale with him celebrating adopting Maya. Even his adoption of Maya was lame because the very first thing she did was TELL him and Katy that she was going to live in London with Riley and the Matthewses and neither of her parents put up the slightest objections (e.g. 'No, you will VISIT them whenever school, our finances and the Matthewses' hospitality permits AND with OUR permission especially since you're too young to get a passport on your own and you have no job + no money for airfare ). Of course, at the end, Topanga decided to stay in NYC and Maya just wound up getting summoned by Riley to her room one last time where Riley declared for only the zillionth time that they'd always be friends and THAT is how they ended Season Three and the Series!

[@carriel9954]

Idc what they say. Shawn didn’t love Katie. He loved her daughter. The spoiled brat acted like Shawn had to be with her mother. She was so hard up and desperate to have a dad. Shawn could have been a father figure without marrying Katie. Katie and Shawn had no chemistry. Angela is Shawn soulmate. They should have been endgame.

[@machodgdon]

I will never forgive Girl Meets World for portraying Angela as kind of a villain returning to stir things up. The fact that they made Cory act like they just never had a friendship and she didn’t even have a scene with Topanga just never sat right with me

[@wardarcade7452]

TOTALLY agree- and that Shawn didn't call Cory or Riley on their rudeness to someone who not only was someone he'd loved but was a FRIEND OF THE FAMILY! BOO!! Oh, and despite the Matthewses' unwarranted hostility towards her for daring to step foot in the cafe to ask for Shawn, she was never less that perfectly polite to everyone within -unlike vice versa!

[@StarPanda7]

Yes!! Like it was weird!! She was a main character. They should have done more. Topanga and her were best friends but I guess best friends do move on. Just not even a scene or something. Odd.

[@eatatjoes6751]

Girl Meets World sucks because not only did they treat Angela like dirt but they also treated the possibility of Farkle being autistic like he was contagious or something.

[@Ftrikisitsjuahgjofe]

there were rumors back when the show ended that Danielle Fishel who played Topanga was jealous of Trina McGee (who played Angela) and Will Friedle (who played Eric) was also known to be mean & unprofessional towards her I think he called Trina a sociopath after she made claims on how she was treated & excluded from the final episode of the show.

[@StarPanda7]

@@Ftrikisitsjuahgjofe they are all playing nice now. No bad blood so they say. Just the mention of the racist comment that Will made in the 90s. It makes me sad. She is so beautiful and totally should have been with Shawn and made cute babies. They ruined girl with not doing that

[@nobatadared]

I loved this show as a little kid. I identified strongly with Shawn and it broke my heart to see him not end up with Angela, who really seemed to be the person that made him truly happy. They were both, imo, the characters who anchored the show and made it as good as it was. (Eric's antics were big too, but I mean on the more serious side of the show)

[@aazhie]

I lost a lot of interest in the show when they didn't work out! Still loved it but it felt like a personal break up xD

[@upd0g1]

Eric and Mr. Feeny are an incredibly underrated comedic duo

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

It's unfortunately a popular trope when it comes to black female characters in particular (The Take talked about it recently, though they included biracial characters as well). We're there for a little spice, but it's like the black character in a horror movie: It's ultimately not meant for us to have a satisfying conclusion. We're just there to round things out for a bit. Honestly, compared to what she went through behind the scenes, I couldn't care less about the on-screen at this point (though it is problematic).

[@upd0g1]

@@LadyAstarionAncunin so I never watch ABC/NBC/FOX shows like I actually hate them lol However, the lady in my life recently got me to watch greys anatomy and oh. My. Gosh. I’ve never seen better written black people. They’re actually people with feelings and opinions and goals and fears. It was surprising as hell and incredibly refreshing. As a stereotypical large disgruntled black man, it can be weird sometimes to live a life where I experience severe anxiety, am scared of the dark, pretty sensitive in general and very empathetic. It’s like two parts of my identity that don’t fit together based entirely on my experience perceiving the world. In an episode in I think season 9, a black security guard is frightened when he arrives at the hospital, and ultimately runs out in a gown and is panicking. I was taken aback at how human he was and not just some stereotype-and that was just a single-episode random character. There are many other series regulars that are black that have fully fleshed out personalities and emotions. I’m gonna stop but it’s legit the best I’ve seen (I don’t watch much shows/movies tho to be fair). One small note, however, the show in general does a very poor job with men. Not that it’s an issue-it’s a chick show and men have had more than enough time and energy devoted to stories about them (I mean patriarchy? The world? It’s entire history?) so it’s not like a gripe, but the lack of well-written men is really the only time when the writing of blackness is done poorly and it’s just because it’s men being written as idealistic deities of patience and forgiveness. Hope that all makes sense

[@SurgeryIsWoke]

@Nanimo The Take is the GOAT

[@TheDarkAgez]

I do appreciate that they had Angela date black men. Sure it could have been mixed with a variety of guys, but it made clear that she wasn't self-hating even though she was surrounded by whiteness. It helped that I also never got the sense that she was vying for Shawn's whiteness, or that he was better than the other guys as the white protagonist. And these guys were also not written to be "bad dudes" so of course she has to be with Shawn, he's the only decent guy. She coulda been happy with anyone, but she and Shawn just wanted each other.

[@lifeis2171]

Like when bm date Ww? Self hate.

[@TheDarkAgez]

@@lifeis2171 Sorry, I don't understand what this comment is attempting to communicate

[@abrarqadir503]

this is a really good point

[@shaunhunterit342]

I'm with you except for the "whiteness" part. Sounds like you've got some funny ideas about white people.

[@TheDarkAgez]

@@shaunhunterit342 Okey dokey

[@rockyallen9745]

I’m totally fine if Shawn and Angela didn’t end up together to learn what they did/didn’t want in a relationship, but what bothered me about GMW is they Vilified her and and watered down her importance to Shawn’s growth. I liked the way Cobra Kai brought back Ali for example and gave her the respect and appreciation and impact that she had on Johnny and Daniel but you’re still left rooting for Johnny’s new relationship. That’s how it should have been done with BMW.

[@penname8441]

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[@petevaldezbc1]

Cobra Kai is how to bring back a legacy franchise the right way

[@nxzeerxh]

Shawn and Angela should’ve gotten the spin-off/reboot, following their daughter and expanding on Shawn’s and especially Angela’s stories. I would’ve enjoyed seeing ‘uncle’ Jack and Angela’s father as apart of the main cast.

[@tika2glamorous]

I think my obsession with falling for the bad boys started with Shaun Hunter. The way he intensely loved Angela was so amazing to me. You could see the passion and intimacy between them even when they were fighting. This was like my first realistic example of teenage love on TV

[@downriver_death]

2 Takes that definitely made me happy in this video: "Corey is kind of the worst" & "Angela is the best character in BMW" I love this channel

[@MsDudette21]

ik cory and topanga are seen as the quissential high school sweethearts of sitcoms, but homie cheated on topanga's loyal ass twice. he sucks. cory aint shit

[@Irose_YTBE]

Cory was so evil on that show

[@UriosEditz]

Cory's not evil and angela's not the best character

[@njyawndra8609]

@@UriosEditz You probably thinks it's Eric or something.

[@ConspiracyTheatre]

The editing on this video looks very professional. It looks more like a HBO documentary than your average KZbin clip. Great job, man.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

I met my wife in high school. We've been married for going on 16 years now and have been together for 23. But we recognize that's very unusual. And even in our case, we did break up for about a year in college, mainly because both of us had our own separate issues with mental health and emotional immaturity that we needed to work through separately before we could be a healthy couple again.

[@penname8441]

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[@krazykaye8843]

Half the people in my hometown met in high school and got married. It's not that unusual.

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

@@krazykaye8843 It was in NYC when I grew up.

[@krazykaye8843]

@@Sam_on_KZbinUmmm... okay.🤔 What am I missing?

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

@@krazykaye8843 Don't know that you're missing anything. We just have different experiences. Among people I knew, it was highly unusual. Not for you.

[@thepanelbiter9915]

I actually met Rider Strong and Will Friedel at 90’s con last year. Wish I had more time to talk to Will, but he signed my Batman beyond toy, and Rider actually talked to me for a while. Sadly, the actress who plays Angela was there and hardly had a line in front of her. Always wanted better for her character on the show.

[@DeutschFuerEuch]

So glad to see a good video essay on BMW :) Love this show to death, but the existing discussion around it tends to be very shallow and yikes-y. I like your thoughts - Shawn's story was always more compelling than Cory's and I'm pretty sure the writers were/became aware of this. Milked it a little too much in later seasons sometimes, but I always found the drama between him and Angela believable and engaging.

[@BoykoMix]

The youtuber José coincidentally just uploaded a long video on the series which I can’t recommend enough. He’s got a series of sit-com retrospectives that are actually really insightful, while providing a nice nostalgic refresher

[@cv8499]

I agree that Shawn was more compelling than Cory--just as Hyde was more compelling than Eric on That 70s Show.

[@P0ETICsin]

Title suggestion..What does Rammstein mean to Germany. You're welcome.

[@cjamused7005]

Great video. I miss Angela and Shawn. I identified so much with both of them and really loved any moment that Cory got reminded that his normal wasn't everyone's.

[@uhuhuh1966]

That episode with Angela’s father was one of my favorites, that “because I’ll leave you!” moment had me sobbing as a 7 year old lol

[@Sandreline]

Shawn and Angela were my favorite growing up, but I haven't rewatched the show as an adult. So I'll be interested to see how your analysis holds up against my childhood memories.

[@propogandalf]

Watch it on Disney+ and see. Imo, watching it as kid initially then as an adult, Corey and Topanga are like the Disney version of true love where they're just together, infatuated, and loyal forever because the plot says so and Shawn and Angela seem more 3-dimensional like they're choosing to love each other despite all their flaws because of they're connection

[@MsDudette21]

@@propogandalf yeah like _whhyy_ exactly were topange and cory so in love to the point they wanted to get married? and i love that the interracial relationship wasnt a big deal at all. nowadays itd be a woke talking point with the girl just making jokes about her bf being white while he just takes it

[@unpredictableaxolotl3762]

Mr. Feeny was the mentor I always secretly wished I had.

[@MsDudette21]

would have been great to have feeny as a mentor. im sure most ppl just had a grumpy old neighbor that tattled on them instead lol

[@DarthAnimal]

I do think theres something valuable to take away from watching "kids" shows as an adult. Maybe not... like Paw Patrol, but as you get older you realize how much friendship actually does matter, how little fleeting romances can actually mean the world to someone, how innocent it is that a boy going to prom with someone else is the biggest worry you might have at the time. The Takeaway maybe is that im depressed probably lol. But also that Adulthood is so incredibly boring. Its no longer about friendship, its about networking and marketing. Its no longer about romances, its about trying to have a family, perhaps failing. Its not longer about a crush having a crush on someone else, its divorce, and affairs, and abuse, and manipulation. We dont allow ourselves to feel the same small joys in adult media that we did as kids. Adult Sitcoms tend to be the closest thing, The small joy of sitcom characters falling in love and plan a life together is a pallet cleanser when you watch Sansa Stark get raped, her brother and mother assassinated, her dad executed, her other brother exiled, and her other other brother completely forgotten. In boy meets world, one of the most valuable relationships those boys have, is with a teacher, who helps them grow up and become who they were meant to be. In adult media there are fewer healthy adult minor relationships like that, and that teacher is probably banging an underage student instead, because thats an "Adult" theme There's a simplicity to those joys, to the healthy relationships, that really help balance the complications that is real life But a really good kids show that I think everyone can agree is fantastic regardless of age, Avatar, has tremendous value in that it still shows lessons on adult concepts like Poverty, War, and Genocide. Its often that these kids shows are in fact the happy medium we should strive for. You dont have to have "this teacher is probably a sex offender" in the back of your head when you watch Aang interact with Roku or Iroh, or Korra with Tenzin, because you know its not that kind of story. Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones may be extremely popular, and extremely highly rated, and extremely emotionally stimulating. But often, we don't watch these shows for the joy of it. The joy we feel from Game of Thrones is purely catharsis for characters that have been getting abused and tortured for years. No one in those shows actually LIKES each other, no one falls in love without it ending in murder, and the joyous payoffs are because of the trauma we have endured along side the characters. Sansa executing Littlefinger was happy because she killed a child groomer. A kids show, or sitcom, on the other hand, allows us to feel joy, and laugh, and smile, (along side the other, darker, emotions we may feel in our lives) as the main premise. Zuko reconnecting with Iroh was the same powerful release, but it was happy because we love those characters, not because a child groomer was executed. "The power of friendship" and tropes like it might seem trite and corny, But as a 30 year old man who has watched most of my relationships fail, like the relationship in this video, it really hits home to me that yeah, friendship with someone you love is a powerful thing. So to watch all these adult shows where characters hate each other, maybe have like one friend, and then betray them or whatever "adult" theme needs to happen to make it an adult show, weighs on me. Whereas I think even a toxic relationship in a kids show is going to be treated with actual respect, and be shown to have a healthy, albeit sad, conclusion. MILES ahead of... abuser gets eaten alive by dogs. There is hope, and wonder, in place of catharsis, and revenge, and I think thats a special thing

[@colonelweird]

Well... okay, fair enough, but maybe you should look beyond Games of fucking Thrones as an example of adult stories. There's a lot more variety out there than you seem to think. (Also, to clarify, I'm still pissed at GoT, but not at all at you.)

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

I think adults can get value out of watching something like Paw Patrol. Whatever amuses/interests you is what you should watch, even if it's shows for kids. Arthur, for example, is still a great show to watch even though I'm in my 30s.

[@HiHello-dn7fj]

Exactly, most adult comedies and dramadies are 100% about friendships and fleeting romances. This person needs a huge recs list!

[@MsDudette21]

adulthood is boring? pssh speak for yourself. it can be depressing cuz u learn life is way more complicated and dark than u thought as a kid. but it aint boring

[@Losdayeti4]

You're 100% correct on this

[@truecrimelover2022]

I'm white and always thought Angela was a strong character. I also liked that they acknowledger her as a POC. She was definitely a fave. Shawn was another fave because I grew up poor and identified with him in a lot of ways.

[@Nightman221k]

I loved Angela and Shawn’s relationship it was the couple I cared about most. It seems realistic that they’d be amicable exes and stay friends, but I still wanted them to find each other and get back together. I was so surprised to find out that Trina was so much older than Ryder. It’s kind of amazing that they managed to have chemistry as actors when she was in her late 20s while he was still teenage. That’s a really big gap in age to be playing love interests. It’s funny too cause usually it’s the male who is significantly older than the female costar.

[@ThisIsWEB]

As a big Boy Meets World fan, I really appreciate the early portion of this video where you detailed what set it apart from many other sitcoms. Where other shows played it safe for the whole series, BMW was getting more and more daring. And outrageous. THAT HALLOWEEN EPISODE THOUGH

[@Ftrikisitsjuahgjofe]

as a Mexican kid watching this show back in the day, I always thought Angela was the most beautiful character & I also did love her character's personality. I was happy Shawn found her, because I always felt terrible for that character. It's so sad to hear that Trina McGee who played Angela was treated so bad by the staff that she was not even on the show's final episode. I think other actors were jealous & did not want to include her. Also, production was super mean telling her to "turn down her blackness" I'm not back but I can't even imagine the pain Trina McGee felt & she played such a good character/did an amazing job.

[@edselgreaves6503]

Shawn's beauty is just out of this world. Classic good looks.

[@808sirenz9]

I saw her in Waikiki back in the day and she could tell I could recognize her. Gave me a big smile and kept it moving. She seemed like a really down to earth person

[@fusetunes]

I'm a huge sitcom fan too. My favorite kinds of shows are ones where all the characters have distinct relationships with each other and are able to just hang out and have fun, and this genre is a great source for that.

[@kalehead0075]

I remember being so excited on Friday night as a kid for this show to come on. I still have a soft spot for it. Great video TJ!

[@KOLN555]

Shawn reminds me so much of my brother in law. He came from the "other side of the tracks," he had a ver conservative upbringing, they were high school sweethearts, they were on again off again, he idolized my parents marriage as an ideal that he never had growing up, and he took it much harder when they ended up getting divorced and ruined his ideal of what a marriage should be. And then he killed himself... I dunno it just kind of stuck me just how much the Shawn character got right and also so much of what has to be left on the table when you try to make a good representation of how people play out in the real world. I can't help but thinking if the writers were honest, they would have written the same ending and that's just so tragic.

[@MsDudette21]

im sorry to hear that. shawn is definitely the kid that 'grew up too fast' or had too. getting himself in bad situatiosn cuz no one was looking out for him. also the type to have sex really young although that isnt really addressed cuz he just dates several girls. hwoever, he did imply he had experience but just didnt go all the way yet in that killer epsiode

[@qman313]

Wow, sorry about your brother in law

[@Princess_Weekes]

I can’t watch yet cause I am also working on a video about this but like and comment for the algorithm ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@ddacoe0]

YAYYYYY!!!!? Serendipity!

[@TheDarkAgez]

The way I was just begging for more Angela video essays AND NOW THERE'S ABOUT TO BE TWO?!?!?? i'm blessed

[@kristina1097]

I never watched this show as a kid- even though it was at the height of its popularity when I was in elementary school and all my peers were watching it. It’s one of my friend’s favorite kids show, so I decided to finally watch it last year. When I tell you that I did not care about Corey and Topanga’s relationship. At all. I didn’t really enjoy Corey as a character on his own, either. I was far more invested in Shawn and his story. I know that this wouldn’t work for multiple reasons, especially back in the 90’s, but I wish Shawn was the main character. And that the show was centered around him and Angela. Their dynamic- while less healthy than C&T- was far more interesting and relatable. And them being an interracial couple on top of that made it ahead of its time, for a kids show.

[@karlynlevan]

I agree, I remember watching back then for Shawn and Angela because I thought Corey was such an immature kid who annoyed me to no end. I could not understand why he and Topanga stayed together to save my life.

[@MsDudette21]

i liked corey in the first few seasons cuz he was just genuinely a kid, hence the immaturity, as that played a part into the lessons he eventually learned. i found it so cute he complained loudly about silly stuff. but like i said he was a kid. when he entered into his teen years at some point he became rly bratty and entitled when he was old enough to know better

[@flx_res]

I agree ✨ I think Shawn carried the show and Shawngela was the most interesting couple

[@Kazuma_kiryu311]

My problem is the way Angela was treated in girl meets World and the way Shawn and Katie's relationship in the sequel felt so forced

[@ohitsclemenTIME]

Nah you're right though- Angela IS the best character in the show.

[@MsDudette21]

Topanga's god tier level hair is second

[@DarkMaths]

Looking back, the relationship was pretty progressivism for the time. One thing I would add is that despite both characters' strained relationship with their parents, I always thought it was implied Angela at least had structure and ambition whereas Shawn had neither. I think this was also a major factor in why their characters went separate ways.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

Ironic considering how things were off screen. When it's like that, the question becomes, "Who is this for then?" It's like there was resentment of the actress even being there, which sours whatever played out on screen for me.

[@DarkMaths]

@@LadyAstarionAncunin The problem is, when conservatives going over the deep end and liberals cashing out, there is a misconception that the 90s were a period of enlightenment. Being a teen at the time, they weren’t. The ladder is slowly being pulled up. I don’t think it’s a surprise that an actress of color would have been treated poorly at the time. The liberal notion then was “look at all we’ve done for you, suck it up.”

[@elisejackson2854]

@@LadyAstarionAncunin yeah I was gonna rewatch it but that just made me not be able to.

[@mimia.4810]

I agree. Shawn wasn't mature enough and he had more unresolved issues.

[@MsDudette21]

@@LadyAstarionAncunin how is it ironic? trina got along fine with rider. ik she didnt with the others to some degree. not sure how its ironic when they are acting as well

[@srhfitzpatrick]

I remember when Angela joined the series and how much I adored her character. I was kinda bummed she hadn’t always been.

[@joshuaseidnitzer2062]

Angela was one of my FAVORITE characters in BMW. She was such a powerful character who, although having her own flaws, was level headed and knew what she wanted in life and wasn't willing to settle or deal with people's BS. Love her!

[@JoseBird]

You're going to hook up your new best friend with that Eric Matthews video, right?

[@T1J]

i'll see what i can do :-D

[@TheMysteryDriver]

When are you going to get on Nebula, José?

[@MachonyLeeoun]

I love both of you guys

[@VinceWhitacre]

I always loved absurd humor, but as a recent graduate baked out of my gourd, with nothing better to do on a Friday night, Playswithsquirrels was the funniest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Niche?

[@sunspotmill1291]

I love how you both made BMW related videos at the same time!

[@marianelatovar9500]

And Trina already accepted her co stars, Will (Eric) did a long heart fealt apology to her when he had social media and Trina forgave him, as well as Danielle. They were kids and very ignorant and product of the culture as well, so I'm just glad they recognized their mistakes and I can actually see that they are good friends now, which is really cool.

[@mewdreamer]

This was a really good video. I always liked Boy Meets World. It was a fun series that made some drastic changes over the course of its run and it was pretty engaging. I really liked the relationship between Shawn and Angela. I thought that they had good chemistry and I liked how happy they were together. You do bring up some good points as to why their relationship ended or was doomed to end. I think I'd be more okay with that if Shawn had more chemistry with his love interest in GMW and especially if they didn't end the relationship just so that Shawn could become Maya's new step father. I'm not surprised that the creators got a lot of backlash for that decision, although I hope that people weren't sending them death threats. I think that they probably could have executed the idea a bit better in GMW if they were set on having Shawn and Angela go their separate ways.

[@sunspotmill1291]

Eric became so much of a cartoon character that he started voicing them for a living!

[@tytybaby06]

This was a dope take! Boy meets world was one of my fav shows as well & I also love how authentic Angela was & not a stereotype. Shawn & Angela had the more realistic relationship imo cause most people are poor and/or broken IRL! I’m also shocked & sad she had a bad experience on set but that seems to be the case for all black characters on early tv shows.

[@gilfordmccormack8140]

Shawn and Angela's characters were very emotionally scarred. They had abandonment issues due to both of them being abandoned by their Mothers. As fans we all wanted them to have a happy ending but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.

[@DannyBedo]

This show, and Animorphs, taught me that there probably isn’t an okay tomorrow. 90s teen drama handle adult themes better than anyone ever has.

[@larrypotter2243]

"90s teen drama handle adult themes better than anyone ever has." Lol, what?

[@Aster_Risk]

Animorphs was so depressing. I loved it, though.

[@lotusthemermaid]

This is easily one of the greatest shows ever made. It's timeless. Don't @ me.

[@thecontinent9192]

This was my coupleeeeee 😫😫😫 crushed too hard on Rider Strong lol my favs! I’ve rewatched the series maybe twice over the years and I always look forward to the season that Angela arrives 😍😍😍

[@LadyCharity]

True Story: As a kid, I told the producer/writer's mom (who worked with my mom) I liked the show, it was one of my favorite shows. The asked me what would I like to see happen on the show? I said very succinctly for Shawn to have a black girlfriend because he was my favorite character and it would be nice to see someone who looks like me on tv. I was excited, affirmed and surprised to see Angela on the show the following season. It's sad to hear she was experiencing racism behind the scenes but glad it never came from Shawn played by Rider Strong. This is really excellent commentary! I may rewatch the show 😅

[@mundaneamazing]

Wait, what?! That's so cool. I always wanted Zack Morris to date Lisa on Saved by the Bell. Had to wait for Mixed-ish 😅

[@fletcher373]

@@mundaneamazing They dated in real life, found out from the Saved by the Bell movie Dustin diamond (screech) made years ago.

[@krisdiane]

I really appreciated this take. 💗 Boy meets world was definitely a favorite of mine, and I really related to Shawn. I loved him with Angela, but it's cool to revisit it through adult eyes.

[@jwindsor6274]

what girl meets world did to their relationship, to this day, makes me upset. by all means, I understand that not every couple works out in the end and that was even the writers' excuse for not putting them back together, but the way the show treated her and their relationship as a whole was just insulting. as a black woman, boy meets world was one of the few shows where a black love interest wasn't seen as disposable so it was very satisfying seeing a white man so madly in love with a black (BLACK) woman...and girl meets world just threw all of that in the trash. with other disposable black love interests, they're often there for a few episodes at most so I think what hurts about this show is that since Angela was there for such a long time, they essentially stringed us along for years having us think that a black woman was going to get her happy ending...and then girl meets world came along. that show tried to convince us that Shawn never loved her to begin with, Cory and topanga act like they don't even know who she is, and the new characters are mean to her for literally no reason, and to top it off they treat her so poorly and talk down on her all to hype up the blonde woman that is Shawn's new love interest and topanga's new best friend. I hate the argument that they tried to demonstrate "realism" by not putting them together, simply because of Cory's relationships with every other BMW character. I swear, Cory and topanga keep in contact with EVERYONE, even characters who were on very few episodes of the original show, and yet when it comes to their best friend from college, she is the one person the writers suddenly want to use to show that people grow apart so to me it wasn't that this high school/college couple didn't work out and went their separate ways, it was more like the show said that in order to give these two white people a happy ending, they needed to villainize, sh*t on and write out their one black character. I'll always be salty

[@LeticiaF_3.14]

Agreed, completely

[@BassBwoy3]

As a black male, Angela was the best part of the show/ Angela’s introduction to the show made me want to watch every episode. She added intrigue, spice and she balanced Shawn out a ton. She was also just a great character.

[@faiyaz9768]

no literally only reason i watched the show as for her when she appeared I was like ok thank the lord and I love Black Rep

[@ohitsclemenTIME]

I'm actually rewatching Boy Meets World right now! I was literally just talking about Shawn and Angela with my best friend at dinner so I'm so pumped about this video

[@scorne414]

Sean and Angela were my favorite couple. They seemed more realistic and I think theirs was more genuine than Cory and Topanga.

[@WaldoBagelTopper]

I had a huge crush on Angela when I was a kid. The only time I ever saw her again was in one of the Fantastic 4 movies in the 2000s.

[@WINX2221]

That's a different actress

[@nicovelardita8619]

Always nice to hear T's opinions. Even if I knew nothing about BMW and kinda dislike sitcoms, you make the things you talk about interesting no matter what. Keep it up

[@lulu4882]

i love how boy meets world is a whole ass cultural touchstone relevant to kids growing up in the 90s and watching late night disney channel reruns in the 00s (like myself) emerging from the relatively superficial 90s family sitcom era of TV. it is silly and never outright stops being a multi-camera family sitcom, but there is still so much just below the surface to talk about. a lot of depth you can draw from it if you're looking. i'm 26 and i still revisit this show occasionally, cory and shawn have a friendship which inspires so much laughter and joy. in its format, it was one of many of its kind, but it was truly unique and none of the other family sitcoms really match its energy.

[@stephjovi]

I was 14 when it first aired on German TV. Sean was always my favourite. He had real issues not like spoiled boring Cory. Growing up broke without my dad and with bad grades he was always the relatable one. Absolutely loved Angela once she joined. I always wanted to see more of her. I rewatched it a few years ago as an adult. Still good even though the Cory Tupanga story is so US 19. Being on college and engaged but no sex. So realistic 🙄. I'm long term single and very unromantic so I get that they didn't end up together. But still, I was gutted when when I watched boy meets world and they didn't end up together

[@JamesChessman]

I vaguely remember that episode that they rented a hotel room to have sex. And then decided not to. I’m glad because sex is really perverted

[@stephjovi]

@@JamesChessman 😂😂 why is cinsentual sex perverted? They were old enough when they even considered it

[@Bilbie55]

Found this dude out of nowhere on KZbin. Killer videos my man. You’re bringing me back to my youth. Fantastic content

[@justinogden5290]

As someone who grew up watching and loving this show. I never agreed with the decision for Shawn and Angela to not end up together. Their episodes were always the best written and most relatable. I grew up in an environment a lot like Shawn, and it always felt good when they would show Angela's ability to make him more than he ever thought he could be. At least that is what I took from it. I think this relationship was more interesting than the main relationship we had seen for years with cory and topanga.

[@jish55]

I loved Shawn and Angela. They had amazing chemistry and felt genuine. What pissed me off was how they treated her in GMW, throwing out everything she went through with them all so they can push a new narrative, even going so far as to ignore that she wasn't just with them because of Shawn, but that she had a genuine relationship with Cory and Topanga, both of which for some reason forgot that she was their friend too.

[@abbyapplesauce6976]

Normally I find it annoying when they just put a black person in the cast just to make it diverse, but Angela was real ,they didn't make it this huge thing that she was black, and they didn't try to whitewash her she was just herself and that is why I love her because they didn't make being black her personality

[@peachlife5118]

I always had a weird liking of sitcoms too- I think it's nostalgia and a sense of comfort you associate with them as they are designed to feel "familiar" but still be escapist at the same time.

[@tammiedowning2188]

God, I loved Angela. She was definitely my favorite character next to Shawn. I dreamed I could have had a life life Cory's or Topanga's but mine was closer to Shawn's. Him and Angela always felt so real and authentic,and I loved when she called Cory out for his privilege. She was the best addition to that cast and it probably would have crashed if not for her.

[@SolDadguy07]

Sidenote, "Wrong Side of the Tracks" was a sad and ambiguous episode for two reasons. Along with the Sean plot, it's also one of two episodes where Harley is portrayed by Kenny Johnston. It's rather strange, and threw me for a loop when I saw it. The true story behind Danny McNulty suddenly leaving is just as sad as the episode itself. He had/has bi-polar disorder, and had a mental breakdown halfway through shooting the episode. Thus Harley was written out of the show, and his plot stopped.

[@sonorasgirl]

I LOVED this show growing up. This and Buffy had a lot of influence on me growing up for similar reasons - teen/family show that evolved into a full-on soap opera but dealt with some serious stuff while also being fun and had snarky older man trying to help them grow

[@xdawnstonex]

Boy Meets World was a large part of my childhood and growing up. I always appreciated how real it felt and the character developments.

[@VeganAtheistWeirdo]

Wow. You just took a sitcom that I never bothered to watch* and made a terrific, convincing essay about its surprisingly nuanced depth. I'm not saying this made me want to go watch it, but this was a great window into how it got some things mostly right, and how the target audience of the show when it originally aired may not have appreciated it at the time. Another excellent video, thank you! * I think it started right after I graduated high school and at that age, I found the setup of (as I perceived it) "little brat finds trouble, let's laugh" 🤨 completely repugnant... there's been some therapy since then 🤣

[@robinh9592]

Shawn and Angela have always been one of my favorite star crossed pairings 😭 I’ve never seen your content before but two of your videos came up in one day and both were phenomenal 🤌

[@gemmaj1132]

Nice video! (Glad I'm not the only one revisiting this show in 2022!) I just don't understand why going to Europe had to be such a big deal. People do junior year abroad all the time and then they come back and finish their classes. And there's such things as phone/internet but they treated Angela's departure like she just got sucked into the Minkus hole! I actually feel Angela and Corpanga leaving was the needed scenario for Shawn's next stage of growth. Everyone keeps talking about the realism of Shawn and Angela's relationship and how their respective issues made the relationship toxic but by the end of the series, I actually think it's Cory and Shawn's friendship that is the most harmful thing in Shawn's life. I really hated how they had Shawn go through all this growth (that episode with the Eskimo where he realizes that nothing is impossible and that he has to start believing in himself and fighting for what he wants in life instead of relying on Cory AND him realizing that he "could've done better" in high school and choosing college.) only for him to be like "well I can't do life without Cory so I will just drop out of school and follow him to the most expensive city in America with no job and no plans to finish school". They said something like Angela supposedly helped him to grow and prepare him for future relationships, but I think Cory is really the one who fits this description. I know that nobody wants to see that bromance end but it really did become toxic with Shawn always comparing himself to Cory and making destructive life decisions to try to live up to Cory's example (which was bad both bc they are not the same person and bc a lot of the Corpanga relationship was actually quite unhealthy too.) Like, the way the shows lays everything out, I'd credit Shawn's weird obsession with "having what Corpanga have" for the Shawngela break up more than I would attribute it to respective upbringing and attachment issues. Also, was anyone else bothered by the fact that Angela rightfully distances herself from Shawn after he's essentially dumped her twice, but then out of nowhere she has mommy issues and suddenly' she is the bad guy who might hurt him? I dunno, I love this show but the high amounts of inconsistency and flat out fantasy make it a hard sell when they destroy this compelling couple in the name of "realism". If that's what they wanted, I think a more logical conclusion (not to mention a much better message for kids) would have been for Corpanga to split up at the end of BMW and for Shawngela to, not marry, but continue to explore their interests and grow as people with their relationship being a part of rather than the entirety of their lives. Or if they absolutely HAD TO have a GMW, then make it so that Shawn didn't follow the wonder couple to NYC then have C/T get divorced in the sequel while S/A reunite after they've had time to heal and grow as individuals. Parents' divorce sets the stage for the "girl to meet the word" and Uncle Shawn can be her support system outside the family. When S/A reunite it's then a plot device to help the girl realize that love comes in many forms, there's more to life than romantic love, life is complicated, and she does not need to be like her mother and let her parents' relationship define her view of love and life (or dictate whether she should go to Yale, but that's a frustration to complain about another day...) Sorry needed to vent. I just re-watched the whole series was like, WHAT? :-)

[@chadphriday197]

This was beautifully well-done dude. I am crying right now.

[@deviousj5868]

Angela was done dirty. This like they were good for each other but also wanted Shawn constantly shit on. Life kicked this dude's ass constantly so you wanted to see Shawn have something, someone. Even that was something taken from my mans.

[@earthrise3672]

You kinda nailed it for me in many ways. This show is perhaps one of my favorite shows of all time, and largely for the same reason. Shawn and Angela. I am married to a black woman, who is 11 years younger than me as well, and we have two mixed kids. So it was a home kind of thing for me. I didn't even grow up with this show, and I was in my 30's during it's run. But never even saw an episode until I was in my 40's on it's Disney Channel run, which was always on for the kids. I don't know if I would have been hooked on the whole thing if I saw early episodes first. The first episode I saw was the episode when Shawn was going to join the military to impress Angela's father. Little by little I started to watch it every day, and on Disney, they played the episodes to the end, and just started over. So I watched every single episode because of that first episode. I found the rest of the episodes interesting, entertaining and funny. It seemed to become more and more relatable, and I was kind of shocked to find it as one of my favorite shows of all time. Oh wow, I had to edit this because I wrote it before it was over. I was not aware that Angela ever showed up on Girl Meets World and was married to someone else. I have to admit that's a downer for me.

[@TacticusPrime]

A public opinion survey in the 1990 revealed that around 60% of nonblacks would have opposed a close relative marrying a black person. So yeah, having an interracial relationship was a big deal.

[@ezaye1991]

When you said Nebula, I thought you were gonna talk about Topanga’s one-off sister from season 1 lol

[@gabthegreat]

Speaking of season 1… i rly HATED how they changed Topanga’s characher😭 i really liked her as the weird hippy girl it was the reason why i liked her and one of the reason’s why i kept watching. For example her vegetarianism… wiped Unique way of thinking… wiped Her own (familial) antics… wiped She just became ”Cory’s girlfriend” in a sort of way😪😪

[@ezaye1991]

@@gabthegreat yeah. Season 1 of Boy Meets World seemed like a completely different show from the other seasons. It having a in-credit theme song, Minkus being one of the main characters, Topanga being a weird hippie chick, her and Shawn having sisters, and Topanga meeting Eric for the first time in that same episode where she had a crush on him. It’s almost like the show was still in development WHILE airing on ABC lol

[@beeggym666]

I also have an unapologetic love for B.M.W.! The chemistry between the actors felt more natural than you were likely to find on TV at the time. And it delt with some hard topics most other shows would seem cheesy trying to address in their 'A very special episodes'. Angela was a rock solid addition to the cast, and I was honestly sad when her character disappeared. Your channel is awesome, keep these coming!

[@beeggym666]

ODDWORLD, ABE'S EXODUS! That was seriously bugging me, lol.

[@kats4976]

Great episode! I loved Shawn and Angela and always wanted them back together.

[@frankbenham1745]

I got here through Jose and now I'm being sent back! This is just like being trapped in one of those choose-your-own-adventure type books.

[@lexa_power]

I enjoyed this video! I related to this couple so much. I was always the poor and troubled good looking kid who had no parental or family support, didn’t have stable housing, or any money or adults to depend on. Shawn was so relatable in every way. I always hoped I’d find my Angela and was super heartbroken to hear that Girl Meets World was even a thing and purposely didn’t watch because I knew they wouldn’t put Shawn and Angela together and I’m happier with the fan fiction inside my head 😂

[@ShawnFerrell]

The actor that played Shawn actually hated it, he was extremely uncomfortable being a kid, making out with kids he'd only met that day, in front of adults going "oooh" and "ahhh".

[@TheMysteryDriver]

Watched this over on Nebula earlier, just here to thumbs up. I really wish Nebula had a comment section

[@lego4virgo]

“I think of every decision I made about both shows, that was the one that I probably got the most resistance on, but for what I always thought was the wrong reason,” he told us. “There can only be one Cory and Topanga and if Cory and Topanga and Shawn and Angela succeed, it lessens what I always thought was the mantra of the core show.” I have a problem with this statement from Michael Jacobs, the show's creator. And I say this because it always seems that the black & white couple can never seem to truly grow into a strong unit, especially in TV, possibly movies. There has to always be something to 'booby-trap' the relationship, and while I can agree on some points that T1J made, I think that if you--as a creator--have decided to "forsake" the one (more popular) couple in order to give promotion and preference to the main couple, then understand when people are going to see that and call you out. Some couples can be a part from each other for a time, learn to grow and develop stronger versions of themselves and learn how to seek and maintain a healthy relationship--not perfect, mind you--and then come back and possibly get together and bring those things learned into their coupling. I know it's happened to at least three couples, whose trajectory was similar to Shawn and Angela's.

[@wardarcade7452]

Not to mention, if one takes off the table the whole 'Cory and Topanga are THE ideal couple' concept, the mutual affection between them was virtually GONE the way they were depicted in GMW with Topanga barely tolerating Cory and constantly belittling him and his personality to their family and friends and him playing passive-aggressive games. IOW, their marriage now STANK but everyone on the show kept pretending they had THE perfect union! While I think Shawn and Angela could have worked in the longterm, I don't think it was right to sabotage them JUST because ONLY Cory& Topanga were the only ones allowed to have a 'happy ending'- especially since (if one wants to acknowledge the room elephant) theirs was anything but. Oh, and I thought it was awful that Cory, Riley and Katy were so openly rude and hostile to Angela when ALL she did was walk into the cafe asking to speak to Shawn and she was nothing but polite to everyone during her time! I wish Shawn had called them on it saying he and Angela had LOVED each other and he wouldn't tolerate someone he'd loved being so harshly treated!

[@lego4virgo]

@@wardarcade7452 I think Rider Strong would've been down for that rewrite.

[@MsDudette21]

his reasoning is silly. cory and topanga are fairy tale-ish. he cheated on her twice and they get married, wait to have sex on their wedding night, and stay together. gimme a break. with hoe self respecting topanga was, it's sad she stayed with him after he cheated twice. angela and shawn were way more realistic. it happened naturally rather than the 'kids were in love since their were babies' trope they shoehorned in later with cory and topanga. they had arguments but resolved it better than the cory and topanga who fought all the damn time. and cory and topanga werent even on the same page regarding sex. he was a horndog who wanted to bang forever and she wanted to wait. in reality, especially considering he already cheated, he definitely would have broken up with her or cheated again by having sex with another girl. angela and shawn were insanely into each other and that showed when they became secure in their relationship in college. they were young and horny and embraced and its even better cuz they loved each otherl but nah, tv has to showcase a pure couple who waits til marriage despite all their toxicity and glaring differences that this is the correct way despite the fact teen pregnancy was at its peak in the 90s. let's be real. more couples were like angela and shawn.

[@wardarcade7452]

I thought about it some more and it sounds like Mr. Jacob's reaction to how a large portion of the shows' viewers got upset with Shawn and Angela's romance failing/retrotrashed by claiming to have the 'there can only be ONE Cory and Topanga. ... ' so called manta sounds almost like someone putting their fingers in their ears and going 'la-la-la' so they don't to admit to others (and themselves) that they BLEW it both by trashing the viable bond between Shawn and Angela that got depicted AND by insisting that Cory+Topanga's bond was the only one that had/could have succeeded (while totally ignoring the room elephant that Cory +Topanga via the shows' depictions wound up having a dysfunctional bond dominated by pettiness & sniping which actually STANK).

[@samiai8905]

I find that so weird too because like, to have not one but TWO iconic love stories is absolutely amazing for any popular series. Both of Friends's main couples were always side by side and there was never a problem with focusing on them.

[@B0rikua787]

I love Shawn and Angela relationships . If you were a fan of Shawn you knew Angela was the best thing to happen to him after years of not feeling like he belong anywhere, after having so many people he care about and love leave him. Angela was that missing part of his life that he was always seeking for. That why I don't count "Girl meet World" because they made it official real Shawn and Angela never got back together but in my head and heart they found their way back to each other and got married.

[@59spadesofalife52]

That’s why the relationship was so troubling and hard he felt completed with her. Like the other side was filled that might be why he loved her so much.

[@robins2819]

The only issue I have with this is, are people who come from traumatic backgrounds just doomed then? Sometimes you just go through life without ever getting closure one the things that weigh your mind or have affected your personal relationships and there's really not a whole lot you can do about it. Not everyone has the luxury of having a support system or being financially stable enough to seek therapy. Its something that's kind of bothered me about people who say that one needs to work on themselves before they get into a relationship. Expecting someone else to 'fix' you (or using others as a drug to feel good) shouldn't be an aim in a relationship but at the same time I also don't think people should avoid relationships completely either.

[@MangaMarjan]

It definitely is a hard topic with many bleak views on it. There are rarely stories that portray characters really healing. Most of them that turn out "good" are some rags to riches corruption of the disenfranchised character.

[@ddacoe0]

I agree! 💯

[@lalittl]

This!! It creates this hierarchy where only people who had perfect childhoods and no mental health issues are privileged enough to have find partners

[@MsDudette21]

no. michael jacobs jsut wanted to subtly shoehorn Christianity into it and act as if innocent seeming couples like cory and topanga who've known each other all their lives, despite being a fantasy, are relationships to strive for. most ppl dont marry their high school sweetheart let alone knew each other since theyr were little kids

[@Keesha_Hardy]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@MsDudette21 This comment is confusing. People from troubled upbringings can have healthy relationships, there is obviously healing that needs to happen, and that is something that aligns with Christian redemption & growth as well. I honestly just think that they didn’t want any relationship or characters to outshine Cory & Topanga, being that they were the main characters. I don’t think that has to do with trying to shoehorn in Christianity. Every show will do that, or they’ll develop a spin-off with those side characters. And if Michael Jacobs is a Christian, his beliefs will come through in all his work, just like anyone else with their set beliefs. That’s how it works.

[@WhatWouldDaraWatch]

How did you know that that OTP lives rent free in my head?! We don’t talk about GMW lol 😂😃

[@pigpjs]

Angela was my favorite BMW character. She was a full person whom you could imagine having a life outside of a relationship with Sean. As a little girl watching the show, I looked up to her.

[@CaptainAndy]

I’m also rewatching this show at the moment… though I only actually watched a few episodes here and there when it originally aired, so a lot of it is new to me.

[@TinaCutri]

I didn't know that I needed T1J's takes/thoughts on Boy Meets World, but I'm glad this video exists 😁

[@petevaldezbc1]

When BMW came out, Topanga became my crush, replacing Kelly Kopawski. Years later, when Angela was introduced, she became TOPS! So FINE!!

[@Aster_Risk]

Angela is the best character on the show for me. She was so warm and real and dressed so cute. Shawn and Angela were my favorite part of BMW and also the most interesting part. They are in my top favorite couples on TV alongside Mulder and Scully and Joey and Pacey from Dawson's Creek. I will never not be upset at what they did with this couple and the real life racism Trina McGee faced. It's cool that the talk about this show isn't just about Corey and Topanga these days like it was in the 90s and 2000s.

[@monkeypoohonyou]

Damn this brought back tons of memories from watching this as a kid. Also props for elaborating on and deconstructing the underlying themes and messages that went way over my head as a kid when I watched it. I was absolutely absorbed for the entire 25 minutes.

[@conrad4852]

This was a very nice character & thematic analysis (with some nice historical asides delivered comedically) that greatly complimented José's long video & made me think about an aspect of a series I watched as a kid in a whole new way.

[@phantomxof3269]

Angela and Shawn deserved to be happy together.💜 Wonderful show and characters, excellent channel keep it up!! 🤙

[@seraphinasullivan4849]

I watched Boy Meets World through reruns on disney channel because the low-income housing complex we lived in had cable. Shawn was a very important character to me, as a kid who was poor, from a dysfunctional household, and severely depressed. I was very attached to him and wished he could be my older brother so I could have someone who would understand and not shame me for how i felt. My partner grew up in the same boat. Poor, neglected, unstable in many similar ways. We met in high school, but didn't become a couple until years after graduation. I've helped them through grief and other hard times, and on my lowest days they've always taken a moment to remind me that i am not a difficult to love and that they don't consider me a burden not worth the effort. We have cats and plan to be together for the rest of our lives. Maybe we're like if Shawn and Angela made it work. Except more queer and disabled lol

[@artbyrooster]

DUDE!!! You just gained a new fan! Not only did you summarize one of my favorite teenage shows but you also helped summarize my most important relationships in my past. The inevitable “The One That Got Away”. I might just share this with her. Thank you for your brilliant perspective!

[@aviraes]

yeah, it’s very clear that shawn and angela both had very deep rooted issues stemming from their childhood that they had to work through. though, it was very refreshing seeing them overcome the hurdles that were causing them to repeatedly self-sabotage and the scene where they got back together was genuinely so heartfelt and such an emotionally rewarding moment, honestly up there as one of the most earnest “i love you” scenes in general. even though part of me is genuinely upset that they didn’t end up together as, to me, they’re essentially twin flames and were just so intensely connected to each other (not simply in regards to emotional trauma), i do believe the biggest problem people have in regards to their portrayal in GMW is that angela’s character and relationships were severely diminished, almost erased entirely. not just with shawn, but with topanga and corey as well. there are many factors that make it very hard to believe that they just never spoke again after angela left to go to europe for a year (especially since she intended to go back to finish university, i’m pretty sure). the fact that they had to basically retcon her existence in relation to the others to prop up another ship was such a bad disservice to angela and the complicated but very meaningful journey she went on with shawn.