Girl Meets Feminism

Girl Meets World has such brilliant writing, and each episode is clever, with good morals, human topics and important storylines that give younger generations the opportunity to look deeper at what is going on in each episode. 

This episode in particular did an amazing job addressing a very important and frequent topic in the world today: feminism. 

Feminism has a broad definition for some ranging from the "man haters" to the "sexist pigs". 

The story in this episode is all about the roles that we believe women and men play in society. Riley and Farkle are the perfect partners for this story, because they see each other as equals, and they don't believe that each should fill specific roles. 

This episode took two layers of the issues that are frequent in today's society. From the importance of working together to the understanding that hard work is rewarded, not just participation. 

The teacher pairs off the class into partners, one boy and one girl. Then, he assigns them two tasks: drop a marble and experiment on the results. Each pair decides who gets what role. Farkle expects Riley to drop the marble, and Riley notices that every person assigned to drop the marble is a girl. 

Riley refuses to drop the marble, upsetting Farkle who is determined to get an A. But she is upset, and she feels that being assigned that task lessens her value as a person. 

The students go along with the assignment, and they each assumed their roles based on what they believed society wanted. Topanga steps in with words of wisdom that the girls can't let people decide their roles for them, and they should pursue whatever they want to do, regardless of society's expectations. 

Riley takes a stand for this, but it doesn't give her the result that she wants. 

The girls get angry at the boys, telling them that they are not allowing women to reach their full potential, but then, they take it too far, trying to make the boys pay for what they decided. 

The girls and boys are at odds with each other, but Farkle and Riley are still working together. When Riley believes that Farkle doesn't see her true potential, Farkle immeadiately makes it clear that she is  not lesser than him. 

Despite Riley and Farkle's cooperation, the class divides: the boys on one side and the girls on the other. 

Farkle and Riley observe that the boys and girls are at war, each believing the other to be the enemy.

They discuss the experiment and realize that the science project has nothing to do with the marble or the beaker of water. It's the class. The boys and girls have gone too far, but Farkle and Riley are still able to work together, because they see each other as equal. 

 Riley and Farkle present their evidence together, but Riley is the one who shines. Farkle, who is normally the science wiz in the group steps aside, because Riley has seen something that he didn't, and he respects that Riley knows things he doesn't. 

At the end of the presentation, both Riley and Farkle pass, while all the other partners fail. 

As they present their finished product, the science teacher says, "It’s been official for young men and women to realize right now the value of working together as equals in all things, because when you do the results are clear.”

This episode described the consequences of judging men and women based on their roles in society. Looking at each other as equals is a more powerful and sucessful way to work together and allowing both men and women to reach their full potential is more productive.