I was alone in my room when I found out that “Girl Meets World” was being canceled. I cried. Not just a noble, single tear running down my cheek that would have made Rowan Blanchard proud, but ugly squinty-eyed sobbing.
“Girl Meets World” has only been in my life briefly—a year and a half, max. But I can say with full conviction that it has made my life better. I usually get mocked for how highly (and how often) I praise “Girl Meets World.” Ultimately, yes, it is a Disney Channel show. But it’s a Disney show that acknowledges its characters as people and artfully tracks their developments and motivations. It has, as much as a show on this network can, approached topics on privilege, appropriation, and mental illness. It has addressed how femininity and intelligence can coexist and proven the importance of getting young girls involved in STEM subjects.
Its acknowledgement of these issues does not come and go lightly, either (unlike that “Hannah Montana” episode in which we find out that Oliver Oaken has diabetes—and then, gasp! It’s never mentioned again). “Girl Meets World” takes the average Disney show and its tropes and transforms them into meaningful lessons that honor its predecessor, “Boy Meets World.”
More than all of that, though, it actively gives attention to the effect that these lessons have on its main characters. Riley, Maya, Farkle Lucas, Zay (and more often in later seasons, Smackle) form a tight-knit group of kids that genuinely care for each other’s collective well-being.
The protagonist, Riley Matthews, practices the beautiful, reckless optimism only seen before through the likes of Leslie Knope. She by no means has all the answers, but she treats her friends well and practices kindness and optimism at every turn. Riley Matthews, as a matter of fact, cares for her friends so deeply and openly that I’ve grown inspired by her with every episode. Riley believes in her friends and truly desires their happiness. She never puts anyone down, and she embraces an emotional openness and vulnerability that ties her deeply to the world. She always acts with empathy. I, like Riley, have always felt too deeply (sometimes about things that other consider immaterial). Still, I like to think that it’s because we’re seeing something that others are not. Riley’s character has helped me come to terms with my own deep love for other people and stories. I no longer feel ashamed by how often I cry or how much I want to hug my friends and tell them that I love them.
There are some romantic relationships within Riley’s friend group, but the writers have crafted the show so that romance comes second to simple companionship and friendly intimacy. I watched the series finale just a few days ago and found that instead of focusing on Lucas and Riley’s romantic relationship, the two simply exchanged kind words:
Riley: “…I hope that you get to be a veterinarian someday.” Lucas: “And I hope that wherever you are, you get to keep being Riley.”
Even better, the series placed even greater emphasis on Riley’s friendship with her best friend Maya Hart. At the heart (pun intended) of this show exists this wonderful friendship: two girls who prioritize their love for each other over boys, protect each other from bullies and their own self-doubts, fondly use nicknames like “Peaches,” hold hands, and love each other without fear or conditions.
“Girl Meets World” taught me a great deal about myself and the sort of loving that I wish to practice. Its cancellation taught me the pain of losing incredible representations of young, caring, and complex friendships. Riley is kind. Maya is brave. Farkle is smart. Lucas is strong. Zay is funny. Smackle is empowering. And better yet, they instill all of those traits within each other and become stronger, both individually and as a group, as a result. I see reflections of my own friends within the ones I see on screen. My friends have taught me bravery and kindness and strength and intelligence and humor and empowerment and so much more. I just hope I’ve done the same for them.
The cancellation of “Girl Meets World” was a mistake. People so easily dismiss the voices of young people on the basis of lack of experience or complexity, but this show doesn’t make that assumption. It treats its viewers as intelligent and compassionate enough to internalize smart quips and rich stories. Even in real life, Rowan Blanchard (at 15 years old) speaks out on the rights of minorities constantly and is an incredible role model for girls of all ages.
The cast is kind. The writing is thoughtful. The show is loved. This cancellation came at a time when I felt I needed this show the most. I am a hispanic, low-income, bisexual girl and I feel scared and powerless in this country, now more than ever. “Girl Meets World” has stepped away to let me meet the world on my own, but it has also given me the tools to do so with as much kindness and empathy as I can manage.
For this, I can only really say: thank you, “Girl Meets World.” You have inspired me to do my best to shape a world that other girls will have better luck meeting.
Image credits: Feature, Giphy.com, Rowan Blanchard, Paola Liendo