Seth Meyers went on an epicBoy Meets Worldrant on his showLate Night with Seth Meyers, and didn’t hold back that Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) made a mistake by proposing to Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) during their high school graduation.Boy Meets Worldoriginally ran on ABC for seven seasonsbetween 1993 and 2000 and followed Cory growing up. One of the main storylines of the show was his relationship with Topanga, showing them growing closer together and eventually getting married.
During the “A Closer Look” segment onLate Night with Seth Meyers, the host reacted to a social media post from Vivek Ramaswamy, which said, “A culture that venerates Cory from ‘Boy Meets World,’ or Zack & Slater over Screech in ‘Saved by the Bell,’ or ‘Stefan’ over Steve Urkel in ‘Family Matters,’ will not produce the best engineers.” After discussing the other two sitcoms, Meyers reacted by saying that Ramaswamy must have never watchedBoy Meets World, becausehe didn’t mention Topanaga, who was the most beloved character on the show.
Meyers then talked about howTopanga went on to become the class valedictorian, and was even accepted into Yale. However, she instead chose to go to Pennbrook, so that she could still be with Cory. He then ranted about how Topanga had worked her whole life to get into Yale, and decided to throw it all away just so that she could be with Cory. While he acknowledges that the follow-upGirl Meets Worldshows her having found success, he suggests that “she probably regrets not going to Yale.” Meyers' fullBoy Meets Worldrant can be found below:
Vivek clearly never saw ‘Boy Meets World,’ or he would know that the most beloved character on that show was Topanga, who beat Minkus for valedictorian, and got into Yale, but only decided to go to Pennbrook so she could be with Cory, over the advice of Mr. Feeny, who told her to go to Yale, and was obviously, Feeny was right.
I mean, she worked her whole life to get into the school of her dreams, only to prioritize the needs of a boy over her own ambitions. Although, ultimately it worked out because she did become a successful lawyer on ‘Girl Meets World,’ even though I feel like she probably regrets not going to Yale.
What Meyers' Rant Means For Boy Meets World
Topanga Did Give Up A Lot To Be With Cory
When looking back atBoy Meets World,Topanga did give up a lot so that she could be with Cory. Throughout the series, Topanga showed that she cared about her education far more than Cory and his friend Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) did, only to pass up on an incredible opportunity. This wasn’t the only time that Topanga made a big change for Cory. Earlier in the series, when her parents moved away, Topanga moved in with her aunt so that she could still be with Cory and attend John Adams High School.
Boy Meets World: 10 Quotes That Prove Cory & Topanga Are Relationship Goals
From middle school to marriage, Cory and Topanga have proved time and time again that they are perfect together on Boy Meets World.
Topanga and Cory later realized that getting married right after high school was not the best path for them, and waited until the show’s seventh and final season. While Topanga did make a big change for Cory, he later returned the favor inBoy Meets World’s series finale. In the finale, Cory and Topanga move away for her internship in New York. Ultimately, though Topanga’s actions are controversial, it is clear the characters do care for each other a great deal andare both willing to make sacrifices.
Topanga’s Decision Makes Sense For The Show
They Couldn’t Lose Danielle Fishel
While Topanga’s decision to stay might be questionable for the character, it makes sense in terms of keeping theBoy Meets Worldcastintact as it continued beyond high school. The show featured a consistent cast over the years, asthe majority of the recurring or main characters introduced in season 1 were still a part of the cast by the series finale, with the only exception being Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris), who departed after season 1. Additionally, while Cory’s sister Morgan Matthews was in all seven seasons, original performer Lily Nicksay was recast with Lindsay Ridgeway after season 2.
Norris reprised the role of Minkus as a guest star inBoy Meets Worldseason 5 and five episodes ofGirl Meets World.
AlthoughBoy Meets Worldwas led by Ben Savage, it was still an ensemble show, focusing on a variety of characters in Cory’s orbit. That roster also included his teacher Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), his mother Amy (Betsy Randle), his brother Eric (Will Friedle), and his father Alan (William Russ).Losing Topanga to Yale would have removed a primary player from that ensemble, leaving an imbalance between Cory’s family life and his school life. It makes sense to have her get in, to highlight the character’s intelligence, but having her actually go could have caused irreparable damage.
Boy Meets Worldis far from the first long-running series to squash or alter a character’s dreams in order to keep them in the cast for a longer period of time. In fact, the 1990s teen dramaBeverly Hills, 90210did almost the exact same thing just a few years before, having Andrea Zuckerman (Gabrielle Carteris) get accepted to Yale in season 4, even though she later opted to attend the fictional California University with the rest of her friends.
Our Take On Meyers' Boy Meets World Rant
Meyers Is Correct From An Adult’s Point Of View
When looking at Topanga’s decision as an adult, it’s easy to see that she was throwing away a big opportunity for her. Meyersbringing up Mr. Feeny’s viewon the situation is also important, because the character was looking at the situation as an adult with more experience. However, part of the charm ofBoy Meets Worldwasseeing these younger characters make mistakes and learn lessonsalong the way. Since Cory and Topanga were not perfect characters, and didn’t always make the best decisions, it also makes them feel more realistic.
Boy Meets World
Cast
In this coming-of-age sitcom, Cory Matthews navigates middle and eventually high school, exploring his relationships with his friends and family and learning life lessons along the way.
