Trina McGee took the time to explain to Will Friedle the ramifications of comparing a Black woman to a character founded in racist stereotypes after he made what he believed to be a lighthearted joke about how Trina McGee looked like Aunt Jemima on “Boy Meets World.”
The actor now acknowledges that she improved his life.
McGee, now 53, discussed the incident that made her feel “very little” in an appearance on a Sept. 12 episode of the “Pod Meets World” podcast, which features “Boy Meets World” alumni Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Friedle.
Prior: Trina McGee discusses the racism she encountered on “Boy Meets World”
Ben Savage, Matthew Lawrence, Betsy Randle, Rider Strong, Trina McGee, Maitland Ward, and Lily Nicksay are among the cast members of the 1990s ABC sitcom “Boy Meets World” that attended the ATX Television Festival opening night red carpet on June 6, 2013, in Austin, Texas.
Friedle, 46, recalled the cast of “Boy Meets World’s” sense of humour and claimed he found it amusing to make a joke about McGee’s “huge red headscarf” when it was being worn on production.
“In my mind, I gave that absolutely no cultural importance. I noticed someone wearing a large, red hat who I assumed was my friend but didn’t know all that well,” Friedle added. “Even though we hadn’t collaborated much, in my mind you were a cast member, which means I’m going to make fun of you. I so decided to mock her red hat. That’s as far as my naive, privileged mind could see.
“Just before I entered the set for my role, I passed by and said, “Love your syrup,” and as I entered, I thought, “Boom, zing, just got her for her hat. Ryder (Strong) may be heard giggling. When we were done, you approached me and began to say,
Oh, I was angry,” McGee added.
“You said, ‘That wasn’t OK. And I thought, “What?” stated Friedle. “I didn’t understand what you were saying. Referring to me as Aunt Jemima, you said. “I imagined that was like you calling me the Jolly Green Giant,” I responded. And you say, “No.” No, that is not at all the same thing. You never use the passage of time as an excuse, but back in the mid-1990s, I was unaware of the cultural significance of the Aunt Jemima figure, as you conveyed to me.
On set, McGee claimed she frequently felt she had to “bite my tongue,” but in that situation, she felt she had to speak up.
“I was ashamed,” he continued, “because the last thing you want to think is that you’re contributing to the issue; like, your ignorance is contributing to the issue. I was thinking in my brain, “I was only trying to make fun of her because of her hat.” What happened just now? And I also recall you gently pointing out my mistakes before we hugged and parted ways. But I felt uneasy. I distinctly recall shivering as you left.
For additional information on Aunt Jemima’s cultural relevance, see:
After complaints over the packaging’s racist stereotypes, Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup were replaced with a new brand.
Friedle claimed that following the incident, he repeatedly discussed the circumstances with Strong “because it literally altered my life.”
“At that point, I realised you can’t just say things. You can’t just say things because you find them amusing and then go. You might be doing people harm. You might be intentionally harming someone because you find it amusing.
Following the event, McGee also discussed it with others. “I just kept telling friends and family the story and they were like, ‘No, he doesn’t sound racist, he just sounds extremely dumb,'” McGee said. That was the feedback I consistently received.
Then she said, “Will, here’s the deal. When you have to interact with people of colour in today’s society even though you are not legally required to, you contribute to the problem. Therefore, it is in your best interest to educate yourself as much as you can about them. Back then, you weren’t required to, weren’t told to, weren’t worried about how it might influence your check, nothing.
In “Boy Meets World,” the Matthews family is portrayed by Betsy Randle, Ben Savage, William Russ, Will Friedle, and Lily Nicksay.
McGee has previously spoken out in public about the incident. She tweeted about the “Aunt Jemima” remark and said in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment in 2020 that she had to braid her own hair the night before filming because she didn’t have an on-set hairdresser.
On set, according to McGee, her “respect level was not appreciated” and she felt “frustrated.” She previously highlighted that Friedle has now expressed her regret numerous times. Now, according to McGee, all “the years that passed that we didn’t talk about it” are what constitute the “true tragedy” of that incident.
On a scene, a stylist once left my black hair in a “hot mess.”
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She continued on the podcast, “I never revealed in the press that I (experienced) these terrible racist situations. “I felt upset when you said the syrup stuff, but I wouldn’t say that was the entirety of my experience watching the show. I don’t say this to give you a break because I kind of have a do-or-die situation. I cherish you. That wasn’t my only experience with the show, though. No one’s race is at issue. Because of where we were and how you guys were acting at the time, it was more about trust and friendship.