The Trans Boy Meets World Episode

[@serpenking]

trans boy meets world (me stepping out of my house)

[@anfearaerach]

Me going to barbie tonight

[@frances9975]

😂😂😂

[@venus_rivers]

so real

[@Wade.Stikmann]

Bout to drop the new spin off

[@asexualdude6110]

Real

[@cau1471]

Im not even half through the video yet, but as someone who, while i wasnt alive when it started, i did grow up watching boy meets world, i gotta say, Topangas reaction to corey wanting to dress up lile a girl, is completely in line with her character, and if this had been an actual trans thing, like corey actually wanted to try being more feminine, topangas reaction would still be in line with her character--its been a long time since i watched the show but i distinctly remember topanga being very openminded and her parents supported her activism. I definitely remember an episode about long hair being feminine or something, and her pulling out scissors and cutting some of her hair off. Topanga was my queen as a little girl lol

[@FeministCatwoman]

Rewatching it as an adult, Topanga at any age is absolutely iconic! ❤️

[@LittleMissLounge]

Yeah, I was always upset by how boring they made Topanga as she got older.

[@RaineInChaos]

Yeah this is VERY Topanga. Definitely an idol

[@makeitthrough_]

@@LittleMissLounge fr, she went from a Phoebe to a Rachel over the course of a few seasons

[@fulanodetal3000]

ironic considering how danielle treated trina while boy meets world was airing

[@stevehibbert6305]

I actually wrote this episode and I really appreciate the host's insights and the thoughtful comments people shared. My son sent me this - thanks, Greg! And, yes, my eldest daughter is named Veronica.

[@gisming]

oh wow thats so awesome!

[@xanatax1844]

Cool! Good episode! Thank you! 🥰💜

[@osakanone]

Oh cool!

[@reallyreal1057]

Weren't you the Gimp in Pulp Fiction?

[@JanetStarChild]

You're a hell of a writer; well ahead of the times. Kudos!

[@lordmorklen5166]

even as a kid, I knew Shawn Hunter was the true love of Cory Matthews' life - and I lived for it. And let's be real, Shawn was the one he never doubted or even tried to replace or avoid. All of which he did Topanga at one point or another. Shawn wanted him, Cory was there. Shawn didn't want him, Cory was sad - and then he barged right in anyways. P.S: You are right that if Veronica came out as Trans, Feeny would accept and protect her with everything he has. That man might be dismissive of stuff in the short run, but he never gave up on or abandoned any of his students. As someone who had like a total of 3-4 supportive teachers in my entire academic life and far too many rude and a few downright abusive ones, I used to pray I'd get a Mr Feeny even for just an year.

[@slm_766]

Me-too-ing on Mr. Feeny

[@Imthatguykayden]

“Y’know Shawn, I always thought that Topanga was the one person I couldn’t live without. But she’s gone, and I’m still alive so it must be you!” - Cory

[@ThAlEdison]

Chubby most commonly is used to mean a bit overweight but kind of in a positive way. Not unusual for a restaurant name. The other meaning is known, but it's really uncommon, so would need to be used in specific context to twig us.

[@fossilfighters101]

am american, can confirm

[@ThAlEdison]

Also Chubbies is a chain restaurant in my area. They have an odd mix of anything kind of quick to do, like Cheesesteaks, but also Chicken&Waffles, and burgers, and quesadillas, and battered+deep fried candy bars/oreos/etc.

[@Transconaslim7075]

A&W chicken nuggets are called “chubbie chicken”.

[@Spacetimefungi]

Don't forget old school diners named after Chubby Checker.

[@alexreid1173]

As an American, I had to google the other meaning. I’d never heard it before. “Chubby” only means like… a little fat in a cute way to me

[@Lavender_menace_]

Ain't no way Veronica didn't practice that femme voice before lmao she got that fire from within.

[@polarstriker3854]

Are you sure she's got that fire from within and not that fire from heat?

[@XercinVex]

19:40 Topanga‘s whole character design was “super radical hippie feminist”. Which, by the standards of the time was meant to make her seem abnormal and a meme and unrealistic. But as of 2023, we have icons like Greta Thunberg, and Topanga suddenly seems not quite as radical as she used to and instead is now the ideal of what a good person acts like. 53:31 and that’s the crux of it, the idea that any of the cross dressing characters might face violence if found out is not alluded to even once, only thing in danger the reputation of any male who is actively pursuing them.

[@mischr13]

I love that her name is Topanga too. I think I remember reading that it was supposed to show what radical hippies her parents were to name her after a place and also the person who named her thought it was pretty. Topanga is a Chumash word given to the local Tongva Chumash tribe and it means "where the mountain meets the sea". Chumash is now a dead language bc colonization but there are still a lot of places with Chumash names in California

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

@@mischr13 Topanga Canyon was a favorite place for the Manson family to hang out in, during the late 60s. Lotta dope fueled crash pads set up in vacant houses.

[@Moriarty70]

It was either late in the original show, or somewhere in the sequel series that she had a reconciliation with her young "super hippie" self and reflected on her growing up and recapturing some of her old self. The brand really does get better as I age.

[@oooh19]

@@Moriarty70yea they should have kept her as a hippie but they changed her into just a regular DJ Tanner type girl; nothing wrong with that character but it wasn’t her it would be refreshing seeing Hippie Topanga grow up

[@Moriarty70]

@@oooh19 That's what I loved most about that Girl Meets episode. As we grow up we end up losing some of that wide eyed idealism. Hell, as a kid born in the 80s I didn't see many full blown hippies around, but I can guarantee some of the people I knew were back in the day. For that matter, this video shows that even as Topanga grew up and lost some of that outward weirdness she still maintained the underlying philosophy of progressiveness and acceptance that drove it.

[@TheFaytkaiser]

Lets talk about Cora. In order to be a waitress at that restaraunt, its likely Cora applied, interviewed, and had been working there for at least a few days.

[@slm_766]

Or she was not an official waitress; she sneaked in and took orders only from Veronica and Gary.

[@introusas]

To be fair, Cory was there 24/7 and was probably on good terms with the staff. They might have let him wait tables for a couple hours.

[@SecretAgentNein]

An actor I'm a fan of practiced for the musical Hedwig by dressing as a woman and working (for free) as a waitress for a week or two. Apparently the heels were killer but he enjoyed the experience. Cory could very well have done the same thing. Free labour, woo!

[@willn8664]

lol its not that deep. It's just a sitcom.

[@codasylphanthi2187]

I think the main reason people don't talk about Eric doing a gender fuckery as any kind of trans or trans adjacent thing is that Eric in the course of Boy Meets World kind of just becomes a bigger and bigger baffoon. Like, he goes from just Corey's older, cooler and, way less cerebral brother to a cartoonish parody of himself who exists purely for comic relief. so by the time this episode happens it's really hard for anyone who is familiar with his whole 'arc' to look at it as anything other than the show being like "haha, see Eric wants to dress like a girl because he is ridiculous and that is just another ridiculous thing!"

[@abbystarheart1]

The flandarization of Eric is wilddd

[@Nightman221k]

They really did flanderize him to an absurd degree but if they played his whole girl persona thing less for laughs it would’ve been kind of wholesome with how friendly Topanga was to him. Like she’d be a supportive sister-in-law

[@meddlesome-]

I see nonbinary interpretations of Eric more often than transfem Shawn, personally

[@ashtongaskill3980]

Wild how that overall trend of buffoonry was bucked for a season as he got growth and almost adopted a child before rapidly snapping back to less mature than ever.

[@adanufgail]

He literally becomes a hermit married to a squirrel. It's insane how flat his character becomes. I remember the earlier seasons where he struggles with college and deciding what he wants to do

[@fromthelostdays]

Cory spent half his wedding ceremony with his arms wrapped around Shawn, until Topanga finished speaking her vows and it was time for him to give his. You are _absolutely_ not reading too much into their relationship in seeing the queercoding there.

[@jwindsor6274]

and the episode when Shawn's new girlfriend Jennifer was keeping Cory and Shawn apart and the two would plan to sneak off to be together, and while on the phone Shawn told Cory he "missed the sound of his voice"

[@christopherb501]

@@jwindsor6274 Only violation of Topanga's ally card was in that episode, where as a little girl and as a late teen girl she said in response to them hugging, "Stop it; you're _boys!"_

[@FeministCatwoman]

@@jwindsor6274 Shawn even got flustered and blushed all coy when Cory met with him in secret behind the library bookshelves and talked to him in a very "hitting on him" voice (not sure what else to call it, but there was no heterosexual explanation for it.)

[@unityedits3722]

Never forget “I *gotta* talk to her now” lmao

[@unityedits3722]

@@FeministCatwomanI remember that lol it was like the secret/taboo element of the relationship made it so much more intense for the boys

[@LilySimpson]

For people with issues on the Boy Meets World audio, captions are uploaded for those parts under a subtitle option but turning your audio off Mono or putting in both headphones appears to work

[@madeline569]

The audio works if you put headphones in, hope that helps someone 👍🎧

[@tauon_]

phase cancelling somehow?? that's the only thing i can think of

[@Dahlia_7951]

For AirPods you need to have both in

[@fANYA_KOPlan]

@@tauon_ yes, phase cancellation. I was wrecking my brain trying to remember the name for this thing X_x An official KZbin channel for one gameshow once uploaded a whole game from 2000s that had this problem with the sound. People were confused.

[@vempsy]

i had no sound with one earbud but it sounded good with both

[@simonmacomber7466]

The thing about John Griffin's book _Black Like Me_ that you have to remember is that just after it was published, and white Americans were shocked after reading it is that people tried to discredit Griffin, and his book by claiming that Griffin _wasn't as white as he claimed to be._ They said that no white man could pose as a black man and be believed by other black men unless Griffin had some form of black ancestry in his past. And, at the time, the "one drop rule" (look that up, if you want to feel depressed) meant that since the book was written _by_ a black man, and not a white man pretending to being black as claimed, then the content of the book was invalid. That the experiences described _didn't happen_ because if a black man told that story, he was making it up. Griffith was most likely beaten up by a group of white man, not because he _pretended_ to be black, but because those white men thought he _was_ black, and had spent most of his life passing as white, which, in some states in 1961 was a crime. (Sadly, it is still a crime in 2023 in some states, but it is not enforced anymore.) There is a movie with the same themes as the book _Black Like Me_ and this episode of Boy Meets World. It's called _A Gentlemen's Agreement._ Gregory Peck plays a reporter who pretends to be Jewish to write about all the subtle (and not so subtle) ways most of the rest of America is Anti-semetic. Oh, and "Chubby's" does mean the same thing in the U.S. that it does elsewhere. But there is a trend to name places of business with double entendrés to increase popularity, and thus drive business to their door. I've eaten at the Pink Taco and at Kamasouptra. There is also a hotel named Big Dick's Halfway Inn.

[@obairna2285]

I can't believe you didn't mention the fact that Shawn apparently still goes out (or at least dresses up at home) as Veronica according to that second episode

[@jwilliams7554]

Yes he was very supportive in Eric dressing up and helping him in discovering his inner female

[@gamesincharacter5106]

aaay way to go! That’s just awesome!. since even i modern day people in Lgbt+ people or people in general. If you want to dress a certain way or want to change yourself because of how you feel you do that. And do it with pride!

[@enriqueolguin3601]

Omg really ?? I gotta look that up aww congrats

[@krazzeeaj]

Boy Meets World is just Shawn, Cory, and Topanga as a trouple. The show always treated Shawn and Cory's relationship as the main relationship, but they also included Topanga in a way that didn't feel like she's in the way. She shipped them just as hard as Shawn shipped her and Cory. You should watch the wedding episode; it's very much a Shawn/Cory episode and I firmly believe Topanga married them both.

[@prestonbruchmiller497]

I don’t think they are a throuple I think it’s more of a kitchen table v relationship with Cory as the hinge and Shawn and Topanga as metas that get along really well.

[@vanyadolly]

@@prestonbruchmiller497 Yeah, it's more of a "this is my husband and this is his boyfriend" sort of situation.

[@Fernando_Oliver]

"I think the three of us can be very happy together" ~Shawn

[@Cruciian]

They being in a polyamorous relationship is my favourite headcanon. They perfectly go along together

[@Aphelion.s_Abyss]

​@@prestonbruchmiller497yes that's very much the vibes

[@connor_patrick]

in regards to cory being attracted to veronica, you would be amazed at how queer their friendship is outside of this episode. they (the writers and characters) treat it like a romantic relationship basically throughout the entire show. that's why i headcanon cory and shawn as bi they are so queer

[@Toni-lo9ms]

Yup. They even share looks from time to time that you just know could end in a kiss if they let it.

[@Nortarachanges]

Shawn even stopped Corey and Topanga’s wedding to ask if he really liked her

[@EnbyGaemer2005]

The episode where Shaun had a controlling girlfriend (who didn't like Corey) so he had to sneak around with Corey like they were secret lovers was **chef's kiss**

[@AlphaPizzadog]

same with eric and his college roommate jack (omg they were roommates)

[@lisak8492]

Eric and Jack tho…

[@BrianaLynn7]

I love this episode as a stand alone but I hate how Shawn and most of the characters go back to being creeps right after like they learned nothing

[@christopherb501]

They're at their worst in that episode with Rachel.

[@CaitiffPrimogen]

Sadly this happens in sitcoms all the time with any episode that addresses social issues. The episodic nature, and the demands of syndication, mean that lessons only get learned in the episode at hand. It really sucks, and even the Simpsons lampshading it doesn't help :(

[@williammiller3277]

Thats cause its a sitcom.

[@Toni-lo9ms]

Shawn looks really happy to be told "you're kind of a babe" huh? Edit: Shawn's thought about a girl name and has a serious attachment to it. Edit 2: Veronica's girl voice is pretty good, like they've been practicing.

[@BrianaLynn7]

Also he didn’t wanna do it at first. Like he was afraid of how he’d feel.

[@Toni-lo9ms]

@@BrianaLynn7 Good point. There's a whole litany of points in my life I can look back on where I've drawn back from things that were too fem in the past because I was afraid I'd like it. (Which I definitely would have)

[@thewholecircus]

Well just thinking about a girl name, considering if you were a girl, and receiving complements as a girl at one brief point in your life very intensely and then forgetting about it has no trans implications right? Very specific hypothetical but a complete hypothetical nonetheless.

[@thewholecircus]

@@ph43draaa In this hypothetical scenario, theoretically, the person in this scenario is cringe, and as stated in the first part of the hypothetical scenario, they wouldn't reflect on it because it seemingly doesn't effect this person at all.

[@BrianaLynn7]

@@thewholecircus well its a sitcom, it isn't written to have continuity really.

[@fancydeer]

this episode lives rent free in my brain. The point of this episode isn't about gender bending, drag, crossdressing, being trans or gay. It's about bringing awareness to how horribly women are treated and how girls are expected to just allow it and be polite and nice and let "boys be boys". It was a part of the "girl power" movement that was empowering girls and young women at the time. If you didn't live in the 90s or grow up as a girl at the time (at least in the US) you didn't really have the experience we did. We were being taught that it was okay to say no to men, it was okay to not be sexual object, it was okay to stand up for ourselves and to speak out about this kind of shit. Girls were being taught to take up space, boys were being taught that girls aren't objects or servants and that they were going to be held accountable for their actions. the 90s was actually a very progressive era compared to the rest of ... well forever.

[@mordaciousfilms]

This may have been one of the things I saw as a kid that got me thinking deeper about myself? As a kid, I was raised in a family that didn't preach any gender roles. I used to pretend to be female characters and male characters and I wore dresses and stuff, and never thought twice about it until I went to school and felt targeted... and then come puberty, it all became more confusing for me.

[@madeline569]

That's why I think it's great that Lily covers these sort of episodes as well, even though its not explicity trans. Anything gender subversive was an important experience for a lot of people that don't identify as cis

[@hand13932]

@@Just-A-Tadd Should mention, being raised without distinct gender roles isn't the issue, rather society at large enforcing them strictly is.

[@hand13932]

@@Just-A-Tadd Just making it clear for anybody who stumbles across this thread, ur all good friend

[@cursedvhstape2443]

24:00 If you go back and watch the series beginning to end, this is far from the only moment where Shawn and Cory are a little gay for each other lol

[@tegxi]

This may not be a literal trans episodes, but there were definitely some closeted trans feelings in the writing team. There has to be. This is the transest transn't episode of a show I've seen on this channel

[@paulcoy9060]

"Transest Transn't" is such a good collection of spelling, ideas, and alliteration, that I'm giving you a thumb's up, as an English Major.

[@alexreid1173]

@@paulcoy9060I completely agree. It’s so concise yet so descriptive. It’s almost poetic lol

[@ProvidenceMTF]

eggpisode

[@Magis_Ghast]

A wild Tegzi! Hi! and I agree, it's a very transy non trans episode...

[@azofeclipse]

@@paulcoy9060 Eh, if it had made use of "transcendental" there somewhere....

[@abbystarheart1]

Chubby in USA means a little pudgy/fat, so calling a restaurant chubbys is just implying the food is good😂

[@EnbyGaemer2005]

I just thought it was the nickname of the owner.

[@abbystarheart1]

@@EnbyGaemer2005 that's also the implication but people rarely actually name spots after themselves, you gotta go with something thematically relevant, like Vinny for pizza and Susan for a homey diner

[@AmyAberrant]

That’s the same as in the UK

[@Zectifin]

that and I'm not even sure if people referred to "getting a chubby" much back in the 90s. It was just supposed to be a funny name for a local greasy diner/burger joint.

[@pennyforyourthots]

​@@Zectifinthat's a good point. I wonder if the 90s was the "getting a stiffy" era

[@christopherb501]

Anyone else wish that if there was a third one, it would be "Enby Meets World"?

[@IceePhoenix]

That would make the conservatives so mad, lets do it

[@ibireconditum6466]

I would just like to say Eric cross dresses quite a bit, and has mentioned having dresses in his closet. As queer as Shawn and Cory's relationship has always been, I'm personally interested in Jack and Eric. They have so much sexual tension. They once even dated the girl versions of each other.

[@olakeska7908]

Eric and Jack are absolutely queer coded. The production couldn't really afford to include an openly gay couple, so we ended with "and they were roomates!"

[@Imthatguykayden]

I honestly love how basically everyone agrees that Eric and Jack are hella queer coded

[@mh6227]

Shawn has always been a Bi icon within the BMW fandom! Chick like me is one of my favourite episodes of the show and to see it from this perspective is so eye opening!

[@CrackedCommie]

Surprisingly enough, my tiny rural high school had a school newspaper. I don't think I ever saw anyone actually read it though and how often it was passed out was wildly inconsistent

[@ErieRosewood]

my semi big suburban highschool had one too. but it was online only and I could never remember the url so I think I read it once. it's funny cause they actually had one of those boxes people used to buy newspapers from, but in all my 4 years at that school, it was never full once.

[@PedroTheCuntiest]

I've had the first 4 seasons on dvd from my grandmother (I'm 20) and honestly my dead name is Veronica so when I saw this episode the first time something had clicked in my head. Like relating to a feminine guy character with no clue why, I just chalked it up to the name.

[@RocketNinjaSlap]

I'm not even a trans woman, but when Topanga asked Veronica what name she'd thought about and she sounded so tentatively excited to tell her, I fully started crying. And the content of your summary and analysis only get better from there. This video kicks ass!!! Thank you for wtiting and sharing it!!!

[@amethystimagination3332]

She even affirms the name Veronica, calling it “a lovely name.l

[@TJF588]

Yeeees, I must have missed or forgot this episode, but seeing how *he said "...Veronica," was adorable! I melted!

[@ashtongaskill3980]

"What the hell's going on with her hair?" The one time "it's a show from the 90s" is an acceptable answer?

[@UltraPrimal]

I was so into Boy Meets World when I was a kid! And yes, this episode felt very trans to me. This episode definitely helped crack my egg. When I first saw Shawn as Veronica, it unlocked something in me. I wanted to do that! I wanted to dress as a girl. Be perceived as a girl. Pick my own girl name. Ya know, do all that really REALLY trans stuff that I didn't learn would be trans until decades later. And I knew if I was Veronica, I wouldn't want to go back to being Shawn at the end of the episode.

[@Frosted_Moontips]

Yoooo didn't expect to see ya here X3

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

But was it an eroticized motivation for you to want to move in this direction.

[@UltraPrimal]

@@RaptorFromWeegee No. I was a CHILD when this episode aired. So I wouldn't have been thinking about sex at all.

[@victorcantillano7922]

@@RaptorFromWeegee as a kid its easier to admire someones beauty without it being a romantic thing. acknowledging someone beauty being synonymous with being attracted to someone is a societal norm imposed into us as we get older

[@Flower_Mom]

I used to watch this show all the time and this episode as well as one about racism where Eric's girlfriend gets called a slur are the episodes that stuck in my mind the most even decades later.

[@shannernanner]

Linda! I remember her too

[@PinkSparklyGamer]

When you made the line about Veronica's hair i died inside because I was swooning over how cute it looked lol

[@Hair8Metal8Karen]

That was the most "it was the 90s" moment ever. That hairstyle WAS the 90s.

[@maggiedk]

Yeah I think her hair actually looked adorable 😅

[@notthecutestanimal8849]

It’s so close to my hairstyle 😭

[@xanatax1844]

yeah, totally doing that with my hair tomorrow! 💜🥰👍

[@vyvianjohnson7901]

​@@notthecutestanimal8849saaaaame💀

[@chelseastevenson6459]

I unlocked a core memory watching Veronica punch that guy out ⭐

[@melissaflora8450]

My favorite thing about Cora is that the voice Corey uses is not a pitched-up version of his voice. It’s a great example of how there’s no *one* female manner of speaking.

[@Disney8272]

I recently started rewatching Boy Meets World and it warmed my frigid heart to see how comfortable and confident Veronica was.

[@dre1426]

I like that in the past month Lily has started naming their videos “The trans [show name] video/episode”. The thumbnail designs are simple and eye catching too. It’ll probably help more people actually view the videos.

[@mmsjjdjdh]

i hope so! her videos are some of my favorites on this website lol

[@EmmaGoldmanlovesyou]

Can’t wait to see their channel blow up! Go Lily, you are loved! 🖤🖤🖤

[@galaxychill9578]

i thought their pronouns were she/her? /gen

[@galaxychill9578]

i checked twitter and it says she/her on there

[@vVixy018]

​@@galaxychill9578people use neutral pronouns for people with known pronouns fairly often

[@RemiAutor]

Corey's little sister is the singing voice of Darla Dimple from Cat's Don't Dance. Just thought you'd find that fun to know.

[@BanjoBitty]

Freakin love that movie.

[@YumLemmingKebabs]

Oh right... Corey has a sister.

[@christopherb501]

THIS little sister.

[@maxschreck9988]

Pre or post time out sister?

[@Muffinn_Cakes]

Huh. I love that movie lol

[@marianm8174]

I sort of get why he keeps wearing the pantyhose. Hoisery is honestly a superior form of stocking or sock in most circumstances, in my opinion anyway. Fellow trans girl here, and I work in a place where my feet getting soaked is a frequent occurance. In my experience socks just hold on to too much water and if they get wet, you've got wet feet until the end of your work day, and then you have to deal with pruned toes. Sometimes it even gets painful. Hoisery on the other hand almost acts like a diffusing rod, sucking the moisture up along it's thinner fabric, allowing the water to quickly evaporate. Maybe I'm thinking about it too much.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

This is such a lovely technical and fascinating of hosiery thanks❤

[@marianm8174]

@@tiffanypersaud3518 Always ready to help.

[@annjepsen1621]

I'm a seamstress and costumer and you're completely right in your hosiery assessment 😂

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

What I always loved about BMW is that it always showed comfort around guys with some feminine roles and stuff. It’s often running gags but also like serious within the context of the show. In girl meets world topanga is a breadwinner lawyer and Cory is a teacher. There were definitely moments i remember about femininity but don’t remember these two episodes. Good on you for finding them. In general it was an amazing show that was wholesome and broke boundaries. But it also problematic at time, because 90s. Though also the 90s had a LOT of drag/cross dressing as a less problematic thing.

[@sunrise.system]

taking this opportunity to state that my little sister calls you jesus for reasons i don't think i'll ever understand

[@madeline569]

Both revolutionary comrades, so that's valid

[@KZesty]

Bahahahaha

[@Pablo_Martin_aa]

Maybe they look like a carpenter or something?!?

[@anndheir]

the trans jesus we all need...

[@jenm1]

I mean if God is a woman, Jesus has to be too right?

[@unityedits3722]

24:16 don’t worry, us 90’s kids couldn’t answer that one either. At a certain point, you just accept that it’s Shawn and Cory’s relationship, and sometimes Topanga gets to visit

[@gemmamoon5998]

As an American who went to high school is the Midwest, I can attest to the fact that we did have school newspapers, and they are quite common. We had student newspapers dating back to the 1960s. And yes, it did disillusion one of my friends who was considering a career in journalism.

[@theturkeychild]

"Trans women who leap into the most femme clothing they can once they finally get the excuse to do so" EXCUSE ME I did not come here to be called out like this 🤣

[@gamesincharacter5106]

Honestly people who have the guts to dive right into the pool that is heels or more radically feminine clothing. That’s just awesome! personally I’m not a heels person but I wouldn’t mind trying! What i go to loose.

[@petloverspy]

My sister went straight into miniskirts and tight dresses, she’s never so much as looked at pants again

[@emilyhockers1086]

these episodes are great in the microcosm of the episode, but it would have been even greater if it had had influence later in the show/spinoff (idk if it's a sequel or whatever). Imagine veronica coming back in a sequel as veronica

[@lemon_box]

HEY HEY HI BIG BOY MEETS WORLD FAN HERE! I wanna share my thoughts on the show/this episode based on what I know about the characters and the fandom, just for some general insight, and also because im so excited to see KZbinrs starting to cover it more!!! First of all, YES the character writing in the show is surprisingly good and somehow has aged a bit better than other shows of it’s time, saying this as someone who watched it in 2022. Despite some of it’s cliches, portrayal of women/gender norms, AND ITS BIGGEST FLAW WHICH IS LACK OF CONTINUITY, its a rather heartfelt and enjoyable series. This episode should serve as a small glimpse of the types of more mature themes the show covers, including divorce, parental issues (so much daddy issues dude), bullying, poverty, and even child abuse!!! In terms of this episode alone, from my experience the fans claim Shawn/Veronica as a genderqueer icon. You are so correct in your judgement of him being so queercoded in this episode, because they DEMONSTRATED both with cory and shawn how they would represent a woman, and as you can see it’s very different. With Cory, me and some friends personally see him in this episode as more of a drag queen. His femininity, even to him, is more of a comedic performance not taken too seriously, and is frankly very camp. While Shawn embodies their femininity as a natural part of them. Their relationship as well, throughout the entire series is seen as romantic, commented on by many characters. ALSO FEENY *IS* SUCH AN ALLY GRANDPA FIGURE, I know it doesn’t always come off that way BUT HE CARES SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS OF THESE KIDS THAN THEIR OWN PARENTS

[@MacGuffinExMachina]

This is one of those things that really did help me be more comfortable playing with gender. I am cis man, but I like certain elements of femininity. I still feel very much like a man, but I like dabbling. I'd fully embrace being trans if I was. Haven't given a shit about fitting in since I was 13.

[@MacGuffinExMachina]

I've been loving to gender bend since I was little. Got my mom to but me witch hats as early as before Kindergarten. We have a home movie of me and my friends crossdressing. I love it.

[@molar_king]

you sound cool as hell

[@MacGuffinExMachina]

@Alex-mb9jr thanks, but I'm a big autistic dork lol. I guess that can be cool in its own way. I've considered that maybe I'm nonbinary. I don't know. I'm not quite sure what it means to be NB. I don't feel uncomfortable being a man. In fact, I probably feel most comfortable being a man, but I also love femininity and being in touch with that side. I identify and befriend mostly women. I relate more to them. So I don't know. Kinda fine not knowing.

[@RoseThePhoenix]

My bi ass was so attracted to girl Shawn when I first saw this episode...

[@bookshelfhoney]

Vershawnica

[@GumSkyloard]

@@bookshelfhoney That's it. You win.

[@MsXperienced]

Same. I knew I was something…not straight lol

[@bridget7539]

Lol same. I had a crush on Shawn and then Veronica appeared and I was like "this is good too"

[@annjepsen1621]

Same!!! I just wrote that, lol. 😂

[@Geode_Potential]

I definitely felt some confusion when I watched this episode. But I'm already a girl so I'm not sure what direction that confusion is coming from.

[@aceofspades8474]

As an amab cis(?) guy who gets gender envy from trans dudes I relate to this confusion. Like, I want that, but I already have it, I got it handed to me for free and yet I’m still longing for it. Why is gender so confusing?

[@bnuuuyy]

​@aceofspades8474 I totally get you, i have no idea why this has to be so confusing.. i'm a afab transmasc and my gender expression ranges from being hyperfeminine with pink skirts & make-up to masculine baggy clothes & messy hair for me it's extra confusing cause I get gender envy from practically any gender and I'll probaby won't get better from my dysphoria untill I manage to get 15k for top surgery cuz my health insurance doesn't cover it since it's considered "cosmedic surgery" lmao

[@fancydeer]

gender envy b/c shawn is pretty (am I trans do I wanna be a guy secretly?). or omg am I gay b/c shawn as a girl is attractive(he's actually a boy so does it count? but he looks like a girl... does that make me gayyy) or omg am I straight b/c shawn as a girl is attractive. (he looks like a girl but he's a guy does that make me straight????) or corey is actually cute?? eric?? himbo at his finest! topanga: forest dream.

[@annjepsen1621]

As a cis female this episode stirred bisexual feelings as I had a crush on Shawn and thought he was even cuter as Veronica... That's my experience.

[@goldegreen]

​@@aceofspades8474I'm the same but in reverse. Gender is weird, I guess.

[@miaththered]

Hello! I am ecstatic the algorithm actually suggested an interesting channel.

[@miaththered]

@@Just-A-Tadd It is!

[@miaththered]

@@Just-A-Tadd and glad to be here!

[@phiory_is_me]

I would recommend watching her vids. She makes imo pretty interesting vids❤

[@miaththered]

@@phiory_is_me I've been going through her backlog steadily.

[@skywares]

Yessss me too!!

[@mewdreamer]

This was a really great video. I love your excitement from seeing Veronica land that punch. It was quite satisfying for the jerk Gary to be treated as such. I love Boy Meets World. The friendship between Cory and Shawn is really queer coded. It might be played too much for laughs, but it's easy to read both of them as bisexual with how they interact with each other.

[@ShinobiSora]

Mr. Feeney following them through school did kind of happen to me, briefly. My kindergarten teacher was also my 1st grade teacher and was almost my 2nd grade teacher. She decided not to move up to 2nd because she figured that we should get experience with having different teachers. Which isn't wrong, even if my 2nd grade teacher was pretty mean. I think Mr. Feeney was also their neighbor though, which makes slightly more sense in why he'd be so close to them.

[@ob2kenobi388]

30:08 I can help! In America, "chubby" is a word you'd call someone who is overweight enough for it to be visible, but not so much as to be considered obese. It can be used as an adjective or a name-call. Ergo, calling a restaurant "Chubby's" would be referencing the end result of eating a large amount of their food. Hope this helps, Lily! I really liked this video, and good luck with your future Tranalysis! (Also ur pretty

[@Sky-bx9mn]

I appreciate that you're thoroughly providing a lot of nuance here. Chubbies connotations in the US: either an adjective used to describe being fat, or a noun used to describe a partial erection.

[@criptastical]

Fuck me, now I want to write a fic about Shaun transitioning to Veronica and her and Cory dating.

[@xmoonilyx2977]

Here for the fic

[@mjparker5749]

I would definitely read it!

[@Fernando_Oliver]

Please do, there is a glaring lack of Veronica Wasboyski fanfics

[@davidcrawford9026]

speaking of mock restaurant names, "Chokey Chicken" was one that flew over my head when I was young (from Rocko's modern life). Yes "Chubbies" probably was intentional

[@Wyattporter]

Trans boy meets cis world

[@Anna-MLS]

i’m not gonna lie,,, i be watching these like they are sermons and yelling at my phone like they can hear me back

[@madeline569]

Omg same 😂

[@heylenareal]

Same 😂🖤

[@JanetStarChild]

Yelling at your phone? Were you bothered by a telemarketer for the umpteenth time while watching this on your desktop/laptop?

[@phaedrus4931]

I already clicked like, then you get into "wild blue yonder of queerness" and I'm powerless to like more. I'm going to explode with joy at having this phrase to use for the rest of my days.

[@Xyzzyka]

Feeny’s also the exasperated neighbor character, hence the show somehow dragging him along even after the main characters are all in college. I think I remember him being frenemies with Eric in particular, but he did the supportive role model thing from time to time - begrudgingly, in between the main cast’s shenanigans. I probably saw this episode as a kid, but my egg remained uncracked until my 30s because I am not a smart man, lol

[@MegaTheBard]

This is probably Topanga's most ally episode, most of her other opportunities to be an ally she acts uncomfortable with how close cory and Shawn are

[@FeministCatwoman]

That's mostly her own jealousy (usually played for laughs too), she does kind of envy their closeness but at one point after they're married she says to Shawn "but you love him more than *I* do. It's true but I made peace with that"

[@Aster_Risk]

​@@FeministCatwomanYeah, it's definitely less bigotry and more insecurity.

[@Devlinator61116]

@@FeministCatwoman "With Shawn. His lover!"

[@FeministCatwoman]

@@Devlinator61116 "shut it, Yoko!"

[@jenm1]

Is she uncomfortable because of homophobia or bc Corey's her monogamous partner?

[@somanypetals]

Absolutely loved the journey of you discovering how amazing a character li’l baby feminist Topanga is

[@mothysjar]

aaa not related to the video at all but the hair colour/cut is so pretty and suits you so well you look gorgeous !! the leather jacket is the cherry on top too

[@zeeazari2267]

if you want to look more into this, cory has an older brother (eric) and a very good friend, jack. and they were roomates

[@1star_god]

The fact the audio on the clips has been removed (RIP) makes some of the cutaways Very Funny (also, is anyone else noticing the barely audible... hissing happening in the background of the audio-less clips?)

[@Xylospring]

I keep thinking it's Lip smacking.

[@makeitthrough_]

They went out of their way to make Feeny like, principle of the highschool which made more sense. Then they went to college and Eric dragged him out of retirement or something and that's when it started to feel slightly weird. Still up there with Uncle Phil and Carl Winslow on my Mt. Rushmore of childhood sitcom father figures

[@caliwagg1898]

Didn’t he walk in to teach the college course all the characters are for some reason taking together and act really shocked? It’s been a while, so maybe I’m thinking of something else.

[@larsvontrash]

I loved this show as a kid and am relieved it didn't fall into offensive tropes (for the most part -- wtf Mr. Feeney). oops at me writing this before i got to your coverage of the second ep.

[@Valientlink]

It was an ABC series, they just re-aired it on Disney later on but banned a few episodes. Girl Meets World was all disney.

[@deathembodiment]

"are you into your best friend rn?" oh you should DEFINITELY watch the rest of the show they're practically a couple!

[@JJ-ec9lp]

I’m slightly too young to have seen this show, but watching this video made me smile a lot, Veronica is a badass

[@baguette3285]

It’s on Disney plus!

[@cradica]

I remember seeing re-runs on Disney Channel when Girl Meets World came out

[@stevielove4778]

BMW was actually NOT *branded* as Disney - it was part of ABC’s TGIF, which aired on prime time TV on fridays for mostly family audiences - it didn’t air on the Disney Chanel until years later when it was rerun in syndication.

[@abbyzeo4646]

i loved the second “matter of fact i do.” because it really shows how his opinion changed in terms of his respect for women. i love that little come to jesus moment he has where he really realizes that women don’t deserve to be treated the way they are

[@Rognik]

To be fair, any female friends outside of Topanga don't really matter until Angela, or maybe Rachel. I forget who comes first on a more permanent basis.

[@colleenmarin8907]

Angela is introduced in high school. We don't get Rachel until college

[@TheresaBaker420]

well the show literally has "boy" in the title, so not surprising

[@MumboJ]

YAAAS!! Always loved this episode! It definitely contributed a dash of egg-cracking for myself. And yes, Veronica is indeed a babe, both in looks and in punching misogyny in the face.

[@wallacejames221]

I haven't watched this video yet, but because I have memory problems I want to say this before I forget - the episode where Shawn is Veronica changed my /life/ and I had no idea. It wasn't until years later I figured out that I was trans, but I remember watching that episode over and over again and being obsessed with how Shawn acted and reacted to everything. Looking forward to watching this and seeing how much I've learned since this, how the episode does or doesn't hold up, what I remember, and your thoughts! Thanks Lily!!

[@animefan25]

In the states, Boy Meets World was on ABC as a part of their TGIF block alongside Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Family Matters.

[@trainsocks6624]

i didnt expect it to be so positive, especially since it was in the 90's !! veronica is such an icon

[@jaygent2836]

Great video Lily - just the other day I watched a video about (and then the film itself) "Just One Of The Girls", a 90s teen comedy about a schoolboy who pretends to be a girl for reasons, and this episode seems firmly in the same wheelhouse - simultaneously a bit of a sketchy binfire but also something that can be appreciated thru a trans adjacent lens for all its imperfections if you squint. Ah the 90s eh - so near yet so far !

[@DapperMrAlex]

This has always been my favorite episode. I highly recommend watching the whole show!

[@BaddeGrasse]

Im so here for the 2 min section on real life situations that real people have to deal with 🙌 thank you for saying it

[@darkur13]

I appreciate your educated, broad and empathetic perspective/analysis through a 2023 perspective but let’s not forget how this was a 90’s comedy show aimed at young adults and families through a straight and cis-gendered perspective. I know you mentioned this several times in different ways through your video but I think it’s important to highlight that. We are all a product of our limited experiences, exposure and knowledge and we need to consider this especially with older shows like BMW. I am a cis gendered gay man that grew up on this show and love it so much to this day. I appreciate what they did in this episode back in the day and how much of it resonates even today, if not completely PC or empathetic to Trans/crossdressing culture. But again, loved your video and analysis and thank you for that! P.S. don’t hate on Mr. Feeny! In the fictional universe that is BMW, Feeny probably only acted that way to Eric because he truly knows Eric and has known him his whole life. Feeny would be an ally for anyone being their true self!

[@annaphallactic]

I must've aged out of the BMW audience by the time this episode aired, but I will say that seeing Ryder Strong in girl mode would've made me realize I'm bi a lot earlier in life 😳

[@athinadc]

people are talking about this episode a lot on twitter right now and it made me think of your video

[@rosieholstein3233]

Honestly with the fact that they had a name all picked out already, I'm fine headcanoning Veronica as an egg

[@UnhinderedGirl]

This is my first time watching a video of yours and my immediate focus was on trying to figure out what Magic card that is (it’s Mizzix)

[@singingsiren82]

As someone who grew up with this (I'm 41), the Shawn and Corey story line was always close, I know some people say queer coded, even if it's not that it was a vulnerability that the toxic masculinity touted today decries. Also, Shawn as a woman became important because he was the type of person to expect more of women on dates. A "player" if you will, so him stepping into those shoes made him do a double take on his own actions. Boy Meets World would absolutely be considered woke now a days. It went deep into discussions that shows don't talk about today. Everything from sexism, virginity, drug use, abuse, heck, a cult - which will just tear your heart out, marriage, problems in relationships, racism. It had it's problematic moments, and looking back Corey was a selfish asshole, but it really discussed a lot. Which was a common theme among a lot of shows (Family Matters comes to mind, even good ole Fresh Prince of Bel Air). I sometimes feel like a lot of that depth is missing in current shows to Disneyfy it. This was actually an ABC show (owned by Disney), so it didn't have some of the constraints that Disney shows do. Also, I'm older, and it's very possible shows may talk about those and I just miss it. And I just started binge watching your channel and subscribed.

[@cheeringfortheenemy]

Such a bummer to see Mr. Feeney being dumb in these episodes! I grew up with the show, and mostly remember him being warm and giving good advice. Of course, it's 20+ years later and I might think differently if I rewatched it. Engagement comment!

[@michaelshockley6294]

The symbolism in the name "Veronica" meaning "true image" in Latin.

[@sleepy.timaeus.arts.]

:)

[@oliverbrown2651]

Also I’m just amazed I got a vid in the first 3 mins of posting this is amazing

[@RivenLove]

I haven't watched this yet but I really hope you talk about the trans coach Edit: First of all don't claim Corey, he's the worst. Secondly, there's a canonically trans coach at their school. In one episode they make a joke about it, then you see the coach for like a minute and she's a babe. The perception I got from it is that they like her because they picked a movie she liked for the school movie night. It's a blip and you miss it type of thing but it made my husband and I really happy to see it

[@FeministCatwoman]

I actually remember this moment!

[@Madbmberwhatbmbsatmidnight]

The voice tracks from the show excerpts are on the right ear only. I realized this after watching for 18 minutes with only my left earbud in and thinking “wow, you were right about the low quality I can’t even hear them”

[@magsiii6055]

Just dropping in to say that yes, there are restaurants in the US called Chubby's. There was a Chubby's in my home town before it closed and was replaced by a Home Depot lol.

[@PruneauYT]

Uh, I'm surprised student newspapers aren't a common occurrence in the UK/NZ. Here in Montréal, Canada, there were both a newspaper AND a radio in secondary school (7-11 grade in US terms), as well as in college. Very formative too!

[@PabloLewis-ve6ud]

Here in AU we don't have an newspaper I think there's a weekly email

[@niab4450]

Hey, could subtitles be added for the clips with Boy Meets World? They are silent and I’d love to have context for what is being said. Yours is one of my favourite channels on KZbin. ETA: a word

[@Nortarachanges]

I had that problem, too. Are you using blue tooth ear bud headphones or the like? If so and you put both buds in or take the buds out, it’ll come through. Hope that helps ^_^

[@Amy.Stewart]

Turn on closed captions then you can understand them 👍

[@Spacetimefungi]

Winona Ryder plays Veronica in the movie Heathers and shoves a guy off her that's geting handsy and tells him off. It's definitely an homage to that. Also, the crazy hair in the first scene existed at one point in the movie too im pretty sure.

[@savedgirl309]

Feeney would definitely be an ally, if a queer student approached him earnestly, I couldn’t see him behaving the same way. I think his reaction is because it’s these specific kids, he knows them so incredibly well, he just has no tolerance for their bullshit this week. He’s dealt with 100’s of episode of their schemes, and usually plays the straight guy to their over the top jokes. I read the comments at the end as a way of keeping them from getting too self satisfied about what they did, because they have that tendency. The subtext of what Feeney is saying in the earlier scene is “look, I don’t know what shenanigans you are up to this week, but when it blows up in your face (like it always does, because you two share a singular brain cell), I will be here to help.” Corey and Eric definitely have some fluidity. Topanga definitely doesn’t have any hang ups. Her parents were hippies, that’s why she’s named after the Topanga canyon in California (it was a big hippie scene in the 60’s).

[@lateehatee]

In my experience researching the show, and from what others have told me, one of the biggest behind-the-scenes arguments was that at least one of the writers wanted to show issues of sexuality and gender, even wanting Shawn and Cory to get together, but they were denied because it was Disney and also it was the nineties. But this stuff is littered throughout, from a writer’s room that fought to bring forward other topics that weren’t addressed in other sitcoms and to push boundaries. But it’s also a family sitcom from the 90s, so I could be reading too much into it. It’s also one of my favorite shows, so I could be biased.

[@t221000]

Yeah it’s amazing 🥲 they did episodes like this

[@Cecona]

I had a teacher from elementary school switch to teaching middle school when I switched from one to the other. She was my fifth and sixth grade English teacher

[@sllimjimsinkhole]

Boy Meets World is a fantastic show, and they do a wonderful job tackling a variety of issues. The episode where Shawn joins a cult is wild but kind of beautiful.

[@starylize]

that’s one of my favorite episodes. i think about it whenever i think of the show.

[@MommyOfZoeAndLiam]

Topanga is named after Topanga Canyon, her parents were beatnicks and hippies and she was very into people's inner souls and would probably have been very supportive of anyone cross dressing or transitioning, but she was super smart and turned down going to Yale on a scholarship to marry Corey, that was her fatal flaw. It was later revealed by Corey's mom that she thought that was Topanga being afraid of failing, of not being the big fish anymore, of going to Yale and finding it hard and finding out that there were people smarter and better than her, and so by making it about being afraid of losing Corey (who would have fully waited for her and made every effort to support her and visit her) and not about herself, she was able to pretend that she wasn't afraid and go on being a big fish in a small pond. And as someone who is in their 40s I had crushes on every single one of those characters, including Topanga (Danielle Fishel). But Eric Feeney is still close to my heart.

[@koujow]

Obviously this isn't your fault, but it is so hard to share a deadname with one of these characters and to hear things like "Deadname is only pretending to be a woman" throughout the video. XD

[@IceePhoenix]

Nooo I feel so bad for you! I've been there too. There's also this one girl at my school who makes sure to call me "Miss [full deadname]" because my full deadname is pretty much NEVER used in a masculine way and is only ever used as a feminine name, but my shortened nicknames are both more masculine/androgynous and is used for any gender. It is ALSO coincidentally the name of a tomboy supporting character in a nickelodeon show that is very popular and the actress just wrote a book and I wish that she didn't have to do that show. This girl does it because I dress very masculine when I can. I don't have a binder but I have a flat chest and I can luckily wear looser clothes and it'll be fine. I have a short perm thats almost a mullet, and I wear glasses. I am about 5'4- 5'5, and while I'm shorter than some of my girl friends who make fun of me for being short despite the fact I'm actually average height, I think I can and have passed for a short guy. The main issue I have is my voice. I'm a soprano and my voice is just naturally kinda high-pitched. I feel like if anything keeps me from passing, it's my voice. I want to just go by my real name, but I go to a christian school. No one else even has a problem calling me the shortened version of my name because everyone knows I don't like my full name, it's just that one girl who does it because she knows that nobody else is using my full name since I don't like it. I really don't mind the name itself, it's more of her reasoning for doing that being annoying as hell. Very passive aggressive person. Hates the fact that I don't wanna be fem 😑