Old Show: Boy Meets World

Overview, Home, and Clothing (Bri) - Boy Meets World is a family sitcom that premiered in

1993 and ran through 2000. The show follows a young Cory Matthews, his family, and all his

friends in a “coming of age” type series. The characters run into countless situations that require

them to learn about life and how to handle their decisions. Boy Meets World mixes comedy,

drama, and family teachings to create a show that showcases Cory’s upbringing from middle

school and even into college. In terms of family, Cory is raised by his parents Amy and Alan,

alongside his siblings Eric, Morgan, and Joshua. In season 1 (which is the season we looked

into), the only siblings are Cory and Eric, as the others are born later into the series. The

Matthews House is a typical middle-class family home. It has many aspects of a 1990s home,

such as the complex and bold patterns. The home itself gives a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Clothing wise, all of the family members dress as one typically would (based on their age) in the

early 1990s. Similar to the home, there are bright colors and bold patterns - those often mixed

together. It is apparent that they are middle class because their clothes and home are similar to

every other individual in the show, in which they do not stand out.

Who workes in the family, Household chores, comparing to my family (Abby)

Amy Matthews worked in the real estate business and the art dealing business, she also holds a

housewife role at home. Alan Matthews worked as a grocer at the supermarket, where he had

worked since he graduated from high school. He spent some time in the Navy. And later on he

ended up quitting the grocery store and opened his own nature store. Eric Matthews did not end up

working untill after her graduated college. Cory Matthews also did not end up working until later in

life. The chores are split between Amy and Alan however Amy does more of the household chores

while Alan deos more of the outside chores and and if things need to be fixed. The family in this TV

show represented many familys when it aired. Mother and father married with kids, both parents
working, mother takes care of household responsibilities while father takes care of outside work and

if things need fixing. If I had to compare this TV family to my family, it would accreatly represent my

own family and its dynamic.

New Show: Girl Meets World

Overview (Jenna) - The newer show we picked is the sequel of our Old Show Boy Meets
World. The television sitcom premiered June 27, 2014 on Disney Channel. The show continues
looking into the lives of Cory and Topanga Matthews but focuses on their older daughter Riley
and younger brother Auggie. Cory is not only her father but also her history teacher. Topanga
works as a lawyer that also gains part ownership of an old world bakery. Riley and her friend
Maya are starting out in 7th grade and are trying to learn everything they can about life similar to
Boy Meets World. Unfortunately, the show did not run as long as the original and ended with its
3rd season finale on January 20, 2017.

Family Dynamics (Kevin): Compared to the original version of the show, Girl Meets world is
based on two separate families. One particular family with traditional values and an unbroken
household, while the other is a single mother. Within the show it is being portrayed that a single
mother living with their daughter can function at the same quality as that of a traditional family.
The main character of the Girl Meets World, Riley Matthews is the daughter of Boy meets world,
Cory Matthews. Topanga Mattews is the mother of Riley and her brother Auggie, and was also
a lawyer at Elliot, Brown, And Montgomery. The more extended Matthews family include Alan,
Amy, Joshua, Eric, and Morgan.
Katy and Maya were known in the show as the ‘broken family’. Being a single mother
and daughter can get very hard at times when raising and developing your children. Katys
husband left when their child was 5 years old. She spends most of her time struggling to be a
waitress while trying to pursue her dream of becoming an actor.

Differences in Gender Roles (Jenna) - The neat thing about using these shows is the fact of
Boy Meets World is the original while Girl Meets World is the sequel. The main gender
difference is the focus on two main female characters instead of male characters. It shows the
progression of the different time period compared to the other. One of the characters Farkle
tends to act a little bit more femine from time to time. It shows the shift in society and influences
our view of the world. One neat difference is we get to still see Corey’s perspective from being a
dad and a teacher, but we get to see how the views of Riley also changes him to look at the
world differently.

TV Families Compared to Our Families (Jenna) - The families represented in the TV

programs show a typical family with parents and siblings. The newer show has a better
representation of of our families today including single moms with children or divorced moms
that get married again. The typical family of parents with kids is more of a ratiy these days.
Divorce families tend to be more common, and even couples having kids but never get married.
However both programs show the reality of actually families which something that all families
can agree to.

How do the family members dress (Gianna) - Riley and Maya (her best friend) dress with

very bright colors and different patterns. This is appropriate with the time period of the show.

Cory dresses in a button down shirt with a blazer and jeans or dress pants to his job. It seems

as though he is relaxed with his dress at home. Topanga dresses casually at home in jeans

and a shirt, but for work she wears blouses with dress pants and a blazer.

Who works in the family (Gianna) - Corey Matthews is a middle school history teacher for the

first two seasons, then moves to become a high school history teacher. All along he follows his

daughter by being her teacher. Topanga Matthews is a successful lawyer and inherits a bakery

later in the series and renames it Topanga’s.