B
BornCatholic97
Guest
Good day/night, everybody!
In my opinion, Steven Universe is one of the greatest cartoons of this decade. The engaging plot, the complex characters, the catchy songs, the life lessons—what’s not to love? As there is barely anything on these forums about this, I thought I’d go ahead and maybe start a discussion about the series before it returns this April.
Before I continue, it is important to note that the series is also well known for its portrayal of same-sex relationships (there are a few Gem couples) and non-binary characters (one boy-girl fusion is androgynous in appearance), even winning a GLAAD award for comedy. The creator Rebecca Sugar is also openly bisexual and dating a man. While normally I would find this extremely problematic and would not support such a project, the series is clever and nuanced in its execution in a way no other piece of media can replicate. The alien race known as Gems are sexless, non-reproductive sentient gemstones that use female pronouns (not unlike how angels are also sexless, yet go by male pronouns). Therefore, any relationship between Gems is only superficially “homosexual” and it is entirely up to the viewer how he/she wants to interpret it.
One aspect of the show that definitely resonates with me as a Catholic Christian is how the series is also basically a retelling of the Gospel. The main character Steven is, for all intents and purposes, Gem Jesus. Many of his traits, from his nature as half human-half Gem to the “miracles” that he has performed, lends weight to this statement. An episode from December 2016 entitled “Three Gems and a Baby” even has an explicit reference to this:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
There’s also this screenshot from an earlier episode that looks strangely familiar:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
I find this very interesting considering the creator is Jewish, and her brother Steven, also Jewish, is the inspiration of the main character. Coincidence? I think not.
So, anyone on here a fan of the series or are curious about it? Reply below.
In my opinion, Steven Universe is one of the greatest cartoons of this decade. The engaging plot, the complex characters, the catchy songs, the life lessons—what’s not to love? As there is barely anything on these forums about this, I thought I’d go ahead and maybe start a discussion about the series before it returns this April.
Before I continue, it is important to note that the series is also well known for its portrayal of same-sex relationships (there are a few Gem couples) and non-binary characters (one boy-girl fusion is androgynous in appearance), even winning a GLAAD award for comedy. The creator Rebecca Sugar is also openly bisexual and dating a man. While normally I would find this extremely problematic and would not support such a project, the series is clever and nuanced in its execution in a way no other piece of media can replicate. The alien race known as Gems are sexless, non-reproductive sentient gemstones that use female pronouns (not unlike how angels are also sexless, yet go by male pronouns). Therefore, any relationship between Gems is only superficially “homosexual” and it is entirely up to the viewer how he/she wants to interpret it.
One aspect of the show that definitely resonates with me as a Catholic Christian is how the series is also basically a retelling of the Gospel. The main character Steven is, for all intents and purposes, Gem Jesus. Many of his traits, from his nature as half human-half Gem to the “miracles” that he has performed, lends weight to this statement. An episode from December 2016 entitled “Three Gems and a Baby” even has an explicit reference to this:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
There’s also this screenshot from an earlier episode that looks strangely familiar:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
I find this very interesting considering the creator is Jewish, and her brother Steven, also Jewish, is the inspiration of the main character. Coincidence? I think not.
So, anyone on here a fan of the series or are curious about it? Reply below.
