Ten years ago, “Steven Universe» was a fun new addition to Cartoon Network. Eight years ago, it became television’s most revolutionary children’s cartoon. About three and a half years ago it ended – for the third time. Today, I can’t tell you if it was ahead of its time or if it’s a show that could only have succeeded back then, but I can tell you that I miss it.
For those who haven’t seen it, “Steven Universe” is about a boy whose father is human and whose late mother was the leader of the Crystal Gems, a team of gem-based aliens dedicated to defense of Earth against other extraterrestrial threats. Steven lives with the remaining crystal gems: the protective pearl, the fun-loving amethyst, and the stoic garnet. Over the course of the series, he learns to use his powers, discovers the secrets his family is hiding, and, as the cast sings in the theme song, will “always find a way” to help those in need.
Like Cartoon Network’s previous hit “Adventure Time,” whose “Steven” creator Rebecca Sugar wrote many of the best and saddest episodes, “Steven Universe” begins as a light-hearted episodic comedy before gradually revealing a more complex mythology and heavier emotional currents. . Unlike “Adventure Time,” where the artists made up the backstory as they went along, “Steven Universe” had most of its original five-season arc mapped out from the start, so even the first few episodes Sillier are filled with foreshadowing you might have. only noticed on rewatch.
Rebecca Sugar (who uses both she and them pronouns) based the title character on her brother Steven Sugar, who also worked as an artist on the series. Rebecca and Steven Sugar were raised by a Jewish father and a Gentile mother, attending a Reform synagogue and celebrating Jewish holidays. Rebecca has directly connected Steven Universe’s experience growing up between the Gem and human cultures to their own experiences growing up in an interfaith family – so while Steven Universe can’t be canonically labeled as such, the Jewish canons on the curly-haired hero are popular among fandoms.
In most cartoons, holiday episodes are where we find out if characters are Jewish. ‘Steven Universe,’ however, didn’t do holiday episodes – ‘holidays don’t exist’ in the show’s alternate history, according to writer Matt Burnett. The way human history has unfolded differently following a millennia-old alien war has seemingly led to a largely secular world. Yet even in this world, we know that Jews exist canonically, via the “Keep Beach City Weird” tumblr maintained by the show’s writers (writing in character as conspiracy geek Ronaldo Fryman). Several hijabi extras also imply a Muslim presence in Beach City. If Christianity exists in the world of “Steven Universe,” its cultural influence is relatively undetectable.
This is not to say that there aren’t Christian readings of “Steven Universe.” “A guy who is both the child and the embodiment of an all-powerful being” sounds a bit like the New Testament, and Steven wouldn’t be the first Jewish-created superhero to be read as a figure of Jesus (hi, Clark Kent!). But when asked about such readings at San Diego Comic Con 2017, Rebecca Sugar admitted to taking influence from “every voice that has ever spoken about peace” before redirecting the conversation toward more personal Jewish spiritual influences. At the time, they studied Hillel the Elder, the sage whose teachings inspired the Mishnah and the Talmud, and cited his famous statement: “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?” It’s easy to see echoes of this in Steven’s character arc, which is ultimately about realizing that his self-worth is not defined by the expectations of others and that it’s necessary to take time to take care of yourself.
Sugar also explained that he was inspired by “the gentleness with which (Hillel) covered everything. Gentleness is one of the defining traits of Steven’s characterization and might be both the most praised and most criticized quality of the series. Although not strictly a pacifist, Steven is a deeply sensitive boy who seeks non-violent solutions to problems whenever possible and is always willing to give people second chances. This approach proved most controversial when it came to the Diamonds, the main antagonists of the original five-season arc. While the Diamonds’ redemption arc was admittedly slightly rushed, the popularity of the series led to two bonus “series finales” – “Steven Universe: The Movie” and the series epilogue “Steven Universe Future.” These follow-ups address virtually every good-faith criticism of the original series, offering deeper nuances on the theme of restorative justice.
The most influential legacy of “Steven Universe” lies in its groundbreaking queerness. The season 1 finale reveals that (old spoilers, even non-fans know now) Garnet is the fusion of two other gems, Ruby and Sapphire. Fusion powers are used as a versatile metaphor for different types of relationships, but Ruby and Sapphire’s choice to stay together almost all the time is obviously romantic: in season 5, Ruby and Sapphire get married in their own right (Steven is in responsible for organizing the ceremony; note that they have a chuppah). Queerness abounds throughout the series, from Pearl pining for Steven’s mother, Rose Quartz, to Steven and his friend Connie merging with the Genderqueer Stevonnie.
Incorporating all of this representation into the series caused difficulties with the network. With the Gems being an asexual alien species who are simply perceived as female, they offered a vague sheen of plausible deniability that allowed them to be incredibly gay without being directly seen as such by the network’s executives – while secretly reflecting their own identity. by Rebecca Sugar. as a non-binary woman. Sugar feared they would not be allowed to speak openly about their non-binary or bisexual identity And they were told that specifically identifying the characters as LGBTQ+ would result in the series being canceled. The approval of the marriage and the destruction of any denial resulted in Season 5 being cut short, resulting in the aforementioned rushed conclusion.
While “Steven Universe” has faced censorship in international markets, it has apparently faced no mainstream conservative backlash in the United States. As a millennial nerd who remembers James Dobson freaking out over a lesbian couple in an Arthur and SpongeBob spin-off. maybe being rather fruity, seeing “Steven Universe” run for seven years without parent groups protesting — and opening the door for later cartoons like “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” and “The Owl House” to be even more forthright in their queerness — seemed almost as important as Obama ending Don’t Ask Don’t Tell or the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide in terms of signaling a more tolerant America . I wasn’t prepared when the anti-gay cartoon backlash finally kicked in because of a token lesbian kiss in the damn “Lightyear,” among other things.
Since the end of “Steven Universe”, Rebecca Sugar has been busy with music: she has contributed songs to other cartoons such as “Amphibia” and “Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake”, and has just released her first album. “Spiral binding”. They also produced anti-racist PSAs using “Steven Universe” characters and were actively involved in the Jewish immigrant rights group Never Again Action. Sugar hasn’t announced any new animated projects yet, but I’m looking forward to whatever she has in store.
