Eric Matthews Syndrome

Do you remember Eric Matthews, the older brother of Cory Matthews on the show Boy Meets World?Eric was cool and though he often gave Cory a hard time, Eric always stuck up for him when it really mattered. That’s the Eric I like to remember, the thoughtful well-rounded character of the first few seasons. Eric would change. Tragically Eric came down with a disease that would make his IQ plummet. At his lowest Eric would have less brain activity than that of a field mouse.

While there is nothing wrong with exploring gender roles, in Eric’s case the behavior was out of character and possibly an early sign of EMS.

Though this disease is named Eric Matthews Syndrome it has been around for many years. Take for example Samuel Powers aka Screech. Screech was a smart sensitive kid. He even built and programmed his own Robot that he named Kevin.

Screech before EMS with his robot, Kevin. Note the Einstein poster and other signs of intelligence.

But somewhere during his early high school career Screech changed, he became less like the thoughtful kid we knew and more like a human manifestation of Scooby Doo. Ro roh Screech! Valley is here and they want to kick your ass.

Screech as EMS begins to set in, notice Zack and Slater restraining him by his suspenders.

Another sufferer is Joey Tribbiani. Sure, Joey was never bright but he knew words. By the end of the show his vocabulary and likability had dwindeled. Joey became unable to live alone so Monica and Chandler agreed to take him in.

One day there will be a cure.

While EMS currently has no cure it is important to get the word out about the disease. Even though EMS drastically changes a person it often goes unnoticed by the victim’s friends and family. Early diagnosis may help make EMS more treatable. Be on the look out before your favorite characters come down with EMS.