TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Steven Universe

Go To

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#56851: Aug 29th 2018 at 9:39:54 AM

[up][up]Maybe overdoing it with the sarcasm there.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 29th 2018 at 11:40:12 AM

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#56852: Aug 29th 2018 at 9:43:38 AM

Eh, I don't know. I don't think characterizing the staff of the show on the forefront of queer representation in Western animation as cowardly because they aren't addressing a topic that's pretty much entirely irrelevant to the characters makes a ton of sense either.

It's been fun.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#56853: Aug 29th 2018 at 9:46:44 AM

I mean, I didn't say it did.

But this does make me think of something else, not exactly about religion, but how the show feels.

I've seen a couple of people take jabs at the show for being emotionally manipulated or whatever. I don't agree, and it usually comes off as people who aren't interested in what it's actually about, but I'm still curious how a common a view-point that is.

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56854: Aug 29th 2018 at 9:48:16 AM

[up][up]Yeah, this is a kid's animated show with 16 or 17 canonical lesbian characters, two canonical gay characters, and one or two canonical bisexual characters, it's anything but "cowardly".

[up]Only as much as any piece of media is emotionally manipulative for aiming to produce a specific emotion with each scene.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Aug 29th 2018 at 10:06:59 AM

thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#56855: Aug 29th 2018 at 9:58:07 AM

This is a world where Ghana as we know exists even though the real Ghana’s landmass is part of South America.

It’s a safe bet things that any given thing is as in real life unless proven otherwise—even if it doesn’t make sense.

Edited by thatother1dude on Aug 29th 2018 at 12:02:40 PM

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#56856: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:13:52 AM

Do we even know if religion isn't a thing? I thought it was just some holidays.

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56857: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:15:27 AM

Edited my above post because I somehow forgot about the lesbian Homeworld Gems in my count.

Final count:
16 or 17 lesbians: Ruby, Sapphire, Pearl, S, Peridot, Lapis, Topaz right ear, Topaz left ear, Rhodonite counts as two, Flourite counts as six, maybe Amethyst

2 gays: Mr. Smiley, Mr. Frowney

1 or two bis: Rose, maybe Amethyst

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#56858: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:17:34 AM

That count seems weird to me. It's been confirmed since awhile back that gems aren't unfamiliar with romance, and given their nature, that's almost always going to mean female/lesbian relationships.

Although, I'll also note you included some characters whose feelings haven't even been confirmed to be romantic.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 29th 2018 at 12:19:20 PM

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56859: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:37:52 AM

That count seems weird to me. It's been confirmed since awhile back that gems aren't unfamiliar with romance, and given their nature, that's almost always going to mean female/lesbian relationships.

Well, yeah. They still qualify as lesbians for the purposes of LGBT representation.

Although, I'll also note you included some characters whose feelings haven't even been confirmed to be romantic. 

Rhodonite and Flourite? I figured it was a pretty safe assumption that they qualify. Technically, Mr. Frowney might not have been gay, but given the confirmation that Mr. Smiley is gay came immediately after (and in response to) the episode with Mr. Frowney, it's a pretty logical leap to make.

Steven Universe feels like the kind of show where it doesn't need to be 100% explicitly spelled out that a character's gay in order for that character to be canonically gay. There's so much textual homo in this show already that the writers can afford to write gay characters as gay subtextually just with body language and inference from dialogue.

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#56860: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:40:19 AM

[up][up][up] If Mystery Girl is actually Sabina, that would make her bisexual, not a lesbian.

Edited by Crossover-Enthusiast on Aug 29th 2018 at 1:42:44 PM

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#56861: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:40:35 AM

I didn't say they didn't count, my point is that every Gem counts until given a specific reason to think they don't.

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56862: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:42:34 AM

... so what you're saying is that the list should actually be something like 50 lesbians? I'm down for that.

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#56863: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:43:32 AM

[up][up][up][up] I believe LSBK was referring to Lapis, Peridot, and Amethyst.

Edited by Crossover-Enthusiast on Aug 29th 2018 at 1:45:55 PM

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#56864: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:45:01 AM

I was referring to Lapis and Peridot about not being explicitly, yes. I wouldn't be surprised if it went there, but it hasn't yet.

I actually could see Amethyst as bisexual, but for the most part they seem less interested in using her for romance than either Pearl or Garnet (and thus Ruby and Sapphire).

Edited by LSBK on Aug 29th 2018 at 12:44:57 PM

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56865: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:49:33 AM

I mean, one of the writers of the show certainly seems to think that Lapis and Peridot are a couple, and that's fairly close to Word of God. Otherwise, refer back to my previous point about the show already having so much textual homo that it can afford to have some subtextual homo that still 'counts' as homo.

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#56866: Aug 29th 2018 at 11:36:38 AM

one of the writers of the show certainly seems to think that Lapis and Peridot are a couple.

You mean Zuke? They left the show ages ago.

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56867: Aug 29th 2018 at 11:38:51 AM

Should've clarified: one of the former writers. They still probably ship the two.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#56868: Aug 29th 2018 at 11:43:56 AM

Don't think they do actually. They talked a lot about how they used that ship as a outlet and a crutch to deal with their mental problems and how they've moved on after investing super deeply into it instead of getting help.

Oh really when?
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#56869: Aug 29th 2018 at 11:47:24 AM

Dang. Glad Zuke got better; didn't even know that was a problem. I still think it's canon, though.

thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#56870: Aug 29th 2018 at 12:10:58 PM

Do we even know if religion isn't a thing?
It most certainly is. Characters have idiomatically used terms derived from religion (like when Kevin called himself and Stevonnie “angels”) plus Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding was under a chuppah.

Edited by thatother1dude on Aug 29th 2018 at 2:11:08 PM

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#56871: Aug 29th 2018 at 5:07:09 PM

^That's true, yeah. It's nice to have a sort of... whatchamacallit. A sort of secular-Jewish cast to things instead of your usual secular-Christian milieu.

It's been fun.
SonOfSharknado Love is Love is Love Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Love is Love is Love
#56872: Aug 29th 2018 at 8:29:07 PM

Sorry, sorry, was being overly acerbic for the sake of humor again. I'm really trying to get better at that.

My actual point was that I've always kinda found the worldbuilding in Steven Universe to be lacking, especially with how it relates to Earth and how humanity as a civilization was affected by contact with an extraterrestrial species in its infancy, including the massive damage done to it. For crying out loud, Russia doesn't exist. That alone should have some kind of impact on the world other than three cities having different names.

My various fanfics.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#56873: Aug 29th 2018 at 8:34:09 PM

[up]Maybe it does. But that's not what the show is focused on. Steven Universe is about Steven, the Gems, and Beach City. Anything else is incidental.

Edited by kkhohoho on Aug 29th 2018 at 10:36:14 AM

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#56874: Aug 29th 2018 at 8:35:44 PM

I mean, the counter to that though is don't make the world noticeably different in ways that they never actually planned on doing anything with.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 29th 2018 at 10:35:40 AM

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#56875: Aug 29th 2018 at 10:21:37 PM

I hope that earlier topic about Zuke admitting they were using Lapidot as an outlet hasn't invalidated the ship. Or just seeing them interact in general. I'm itching for their reunion after the wedding.

It's been fun.

Total posts: 63,336
Top