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Why Is Farkle From 'Girl Meets World' Trending, And What Does It Have To Do With Autism?

A memorable character played by Corey Fogelmanis has been trending on Twitter lately for reasons bigger than Girl Meets World.

Serving as a spin-off to the hit show Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World tells the story of Riley Matthews - the daughter of previous main characters Corey and Topanga Matthews - and her friends. Riley Matthews was played by actress Rowan Blanchard, with her best friend Maya Hart being played by actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter.

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Many fans of the hit Disney Channel show Girl Meets World, a sequel to the wildly popular 90s hit Boy Meets World, know of the popular character Farkle Minkus (played by Corey Fogelmanis), the smart student who some say is underrated. "Farkle" brought up the season 2 episode "Girl Meets Farkle."

In the episode, Farkle Minkus must take a series of tests to determine whether he has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The more "Farkle" grew as a trending topic on Twitter, and the more people expressed their sadness over how that episode was written.

At the end of the episode, it is revealed that the character of Farkle Minkus does not have ASD. However, it gets revealed that another character from the show, named Isadora Smackle (Cecilia Balagot), does.

After this episode, the discussion of Asperger's or autism as a whole is not brought up for the rest of the series, between any of the show's characters.

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Asperger's syndrome is a mild form of autism that renders an individual unable to fully understand social cues, causing them to struggle with communication. Because it is considered a mild form of the disorder, it can take a long time for someone to be diagnosed. Symptoms of Asperger's includes struggling with routine change, difficulty with conversation and the concept empathy, and extreme talkativeness,

Fans on social media have also discussed the episode, and how it made them afraid to tell people they are autistic due to the reactions the characters had to the disorder. Asperger's is a serious neurodivergence (difference in the structure of the brain) that can change the way a human acts and feels, but it is not a disorder that stops a human from leading a happy and healthy life.

Although the episode had a purpose, and brought Asperger's into the public conversation, many fans are now upset to see that the episode made people with autism or other illnesses scared to be themselves, rather than embrace who they are as individuals.

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Although there are no other complaints about this show, Disney Channel has received backlash for their episodes on other serious topics in the past. Shake It UpThe Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Boy Meets World have all been criticized in the past for having one-dimensional, inadequate depictions of things like eating disorders, dyslexia, and teenage drinking on their shows.

Both Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World are now available to stream on Disney+.

If you'd like to learn more information about Asperger's syndrome and ASD, here is a good place to start.

NEXT: Olivia Rodrigo Vs. Sabrina Carpenter And 9 Other Shady Disney Channel Feuds

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Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-08-27