Post by Moldavite on May 8, 2015 6:02:16 GMT
I was having what was basically a shower thought while I was on a nighttime stroll this evening and started thinking about Steven Universe. Namely, how it is a show that is amazing in how it represents many populations of people who are under-represented in the media. I'm not going to bore you with fact and figures and statistics, or turn this into a conversation about how queer and female representation is severely lacking in American media because those conversations have been done to death. I will just say that Steven Universe is a show that unabashedly says, "Screw your character tropes and expectations, these are the people we're writing for."
Even among the Gems, who are an all-female group of fighters, we have a lot of different character archetypes that aren't represented in media. Amethyst is brash, gross, and aggressively herself - something rarely seen in a female character without it being treated as some kind of joke or have them relegated to a side character or comic relief. Amethyst is far from that. Amethyst is a character in her own right with her own backstory and own emotions. Her personality is celebrated, not shamed. Think about the Tiger Millionaire episode. Aside from being a great parody of pro wrestling (also an episode based strongly in actual wrestling history, according to my pro wrestling fan of a boyfriend - the fight to save wrestling actually happened for one), it also showcased Amethyst's need to fit in and find a place where she can let out a lot of what she holds back in. And she's not taught a lesson about restraint or that her fellow Gems accepted her all along, it was up to Pearl to accept that Amethyst knew what she was doing, and that she needed a space to be herself. Then there's Pearl. She could be treated as the nagging wife archetype, but she is so fully developed and treated with such respect that she is anything but.
There's Connie, the Indian girl who is bookish and shy and the love interest of our white male protagonist who is an interesting character in her own right. There's Ronaldo, who is a weird conspiracy theorist whose own backstory was treated with time and respect. There's Lars, who is insecure and a jerk (sometimes unconsciously) to everyone but deep down just wants acceptance. There's the Pizzas, a family of African immigrants who run a successful pizzeria who have a hard-working family and whose eldest daughter is becoming an older sister figure to Steven. There's Greg, who could be painted as a total deadbeat dad but who is time and again a better father than anyone in Beach City. There's Mr. Fryman, who may sometimes work his children a bit too hard but only does it because he wants them to learn the value of hard work and who truly loves and protects them when stuff starts going down in Beach City. There is every kind of person being represented in Beach City, unabashedly, with Steven showing them nothing but love and respect.
Then there's Steven himself. Steven represents what is lacking even among white male protagonists. White male protagonists are the hugest demographic of protagonist in media today. However, most white male protagonists are being motivated, in some way, by their own ego. Often they fit within a very narrow character framework or physical body type, to the point where there have been many comics poking fun at the "white brunette with some stubble who is an antihero" protagonist in just about every FPS game. Steven is the outlier. Steven is short, chubby, emotional, loving, caring, and is motivated by his desire to protect his loved ones. He motivates the Gems by being sweet and loving. He keeps the team together with his pure heart. There have been many academic papers written about the lack of female/POC/queer representation in media, but very little having to do with how stereotypical the white male protagonist tends to be. Steven represents a very distinct attempt to push against that by making a white male protagonist who is anything but stereotypical.
This is just something I love about the writing of Steven Universe. It is creating a world where everyone, no matter who they are, fits in and has space to be themselves. It refuses to conform to societal expectations, and is a huge breath of fresh air.
Even among the Gems, who are an all-female group of fighters, we have a lot of different character archetypes that aren't represented in media. Amethyst is brash, gross, and aggressively herself - something rarely seen in a female character without it being treated as some kind of joke or have them relegated to a side character or comic relief. Amethyst is far from that. Amethyst is a character in her own right with her own backstory and own emotions. Her personality is celebrated, not shamed. Think about the Tiger Millionaire episode. Aside from being a great parody of pro wrestling (also an episode based strongly in actual wrestling history, according to my pro wrestling fan of a boyfriend - the fight to save wrestling actually happened for one), it also showcased Amethyst's need to fit in and find a place where she can let out a lot of what she holds back in. And she's not taught a lesson about restraint or that her fellow Gems accepted her all along, it was up to Pearl to accept that Amethyst knew what she was doing, and that she needed a space to be herself. Then there's Pearl. She could be treated as the nagging wife archetype, but she is so fully developed and treated with such respect that she is anything but.
There's Connie, the Indian girl who is bookish and shy and the love interest of our white male protagonist who is an interesting character in her own right. There's Ronaldo, who is a weird conspiracy theorist whose own backstory was treated with time and respect. There's Lars, who is insecure and a jerk (sometimes unconsciously) to everyone but deep down just wants acceptance. There's the Pizzas, a family of African immigrants who run a successful pizzeria who have a hard-working family and whose eldest daughter is becoming an older sister figure to Steven. There's Greg, who could be painted as a total deadbeat dad but who is time and again a better father than anyone in Beach City. There's Mr. Fryman, who may sometimes work his children a bit too hard but only does it because he wants them to learn the value of hard work and who truly loves and protects them when stuff starts going down in Beach City. There is every kind of person being represented in Beach City, unabashedly, with Steven showing them nothing but love and respect.
Then there's Steven himself. Steven represents what is lacking even among white male protagonists. White male protagonists are the hugest demographic of protagonist in media today. However, most white male protagonists are being motivated, in some way, by their own ego. Often they fit within a very narrow character framework or physical body type, to the point where there have been many comics poking fun at the "white brunette with some stubble who is an antihero" protagonist in just about every FPS game. Steven is the outlier. Steven is short, chubby, emotional, loving, caring, and is motivated by his desire to protect his loved ones. He motivates the Gems by being sweet and loving. He keeps the team together with his pure heart. There have been many academic papers written about the lack of female/POC/queer representation in media, but very little having to do with how stereotypical the white male protagonist tends to be. Steven represents a very distinct attempt to push against that by making a white male protagonist who is anything but stereotypical.
This is just something I love about the writing of Steven Universe. It is creating a world where everyone, no matter who they are, fits in and has space to be themselves. It refuses to conform to societal expectations, and is a huge breath of fresh air.