Steven Universe: A Children’s Show With Music Supporting Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health
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Podcast Transcript: (Some parts were trimmed for podcast)
When I finished watching Steven Universe, a kids shows on Cartoon Network, I had regained hope in meaningful media for kids. There is so much to praise about this show but in our time together, we are going to explore how Steven Universe supports emotional intelligence, mental health, and realistic approaches toward thriving relationships for kids and really viewers of all ages. Rebecca Sugar’s show is filled with elaborate musical numbers, short jingles and jams, and dramatic pop and rock songs sung by characters. The show’s musical style is very quirky and holds a theatrical flair. There are pretty ridiculous and fun songs. Like when protagonist Steven raps about his favorite ice cream, Cookie Cat. Or how about when a fish decoration announces its insecurities in “Fishing for Compliments”! However, Steven Universe is a show that appeals to kids not only through humor and charm but through addressing important emotional and relationship issues as well as resolutions.
Let’s first dive into how this cartoon addresses our vulnerabilities. Steven Universe showcases songs that give an honest take on the grittiness of life—fear, mistakes, and redemption. By season two, conflict starts to kick up many notches in Steven’s home town, Beach City. Steven is half human and also half alien. He has a human dad named Greg. But other family members are a part of an alien race called Gems who rebelled against the corruption on their home planet. Beach City deals with countless alien-related mysteries and pressure weighs down on Steven’s responsibility to save the day. Take the song “Full Disclosure,” in an episode of the same name. Steven sings about his concern over his best friend Connie’s safety in an angsty, early 2000’s alternative rock style. Since his life attracts danger, Steven believes that a solution to protecting Connie is shutting her out and not being her friend.
Steven laments,
“Everybody tells me life is precious
On the planet Earth, and that means you
And I have to protect you
What if somehow you get hurt
What do I do?
I don’t want that for you”
Steven is steeped in vulnerability in this moment. He loves Connie yet he doesn’t want to be responsible for hurting others or having them suffer his hardships. Connie’s phone calls are ignored by Steven and he decided the noble thing to do was abandon his relationship.
He continues,
“What am I going to tell you?
You’re better off not knowing the trouble I’m in,
I don’t want you to worry about what I’ve just seen,
About where I’ve just been
You don’t have to be a part of this
I don’t think I want you to be
You don’t need this
You don’t need me”
Yet a worried and infuriated Connie confronts Steven in person and expresses that she wants to be there for him. Not all of us get kidnapped by an alien race like Steven was in this case scenario. But a lot of us do have some sort of baggage or experience circumstances that are negative or scary. Connie teaches us that strong relationships endure even this. Connie never enables bad behavior in a friendship—she scolds Steven for ignoring her. However, when it comes down to uncontrollable life circumstances, Connie is willing to make a sacrifice to remain connected to Steven. This song taps into a fear we have yet the rest of the narrative teaches us that another person can make room to hold space for even the darkest aspects of another persons experience. More so, we need to make space for them to help us. Steven Universe teaches what honestly makes a relationship strong.
Steven Universe addresses the crippling feeling of being rejected by others. What’s so refreshing about this subject in Steven Universe is that it strays from the narrative mold of a happy ending or complete consolation at the end of an animation episode. It affirms that yes, people do get a “no” or fail, and not all of us get what we desire in the end, all the time. In an emotional piano ballad, Gem character Pearl describes her heartbreak about being rejected by the love of her life, Rose. Rose chose to marry and have a child with a human named Greg and this crushed Pearl. The ballad is called, “It’s Over Isn’t It,” in which Pearl reconciles with the reality that Rose is gone and more so, Rose rejected Pearl while she was still alive.
Pearl whales,
“After all those years, I never thought I’d lose.
It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?
It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?
You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she’s gone.
It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?”
It’s been fourteen years since Rose transformed herself into the form of her son, Steven. I know, that’s kinda confusing, let me back up here. Technically, Rose didn’t die, her physical form simply changed because she decided to sacrifice her body to create a new form—her son Steven. In other words, Rose is no longer here and Pearl doesn’t have closure after losing this loved one. And isn’t that most of us? When we lose someone through rejection or they physically leave this Earth from us, we are left alone and crippled without their love. Perhaps a person never reaches complete consolation because to do so would mean to not care anymore, at all. Yet for our own wellness, we need to release our grip or attachment to a person to lesser degrees in order to create something new. In this song, Pearl confronts her experience of loss head on while simultaneously acknowledging that she needs to let go of its fierce strong hold as well. It’s not easy and there isn’t complete resolution but that’s what’s so human about it.
Don’t worry, Steven Universe isn’t a water works show although it does go there very often. The show is uplifting in its ability to set an example on how to build true confidence and strength in character. In the final episode of Season 1, Garnet fights on a space ship with Gem aliens that try kidnapping Steven and the other Gems. Garnet sings while battling one of the Gem soldiers, Jasper. Garnet’s character is voiced by Estelle and in my opinion, the most impactful songs in message and in sound are the ones sung by Estelle. They just sound so dynamic, futuristic, and just cool. This song is called “Stronger Than You”, sung by Estelle and written by show creator Rebecca Sugar. The song is playful in its boastfulness. While fighting Jasper and trying to break out of the war ship, Garnet brags about being in a positive relationship through the process of fusion.
Garnet challenges Jasper, and charges with these words:
“This is Garnet.
Back together.
And I’m never going down at the hands of the likes of you because I’m so much better.
And every part of me is saying “Go get her”.
The two of us ain’t gonna follow your rules.”
“Come at me without any of your fancy tools.
Let’s go, just me and you.
Let’s go, just one on two.
Go ahead and try and hit me if you’re able.
Can’t you see that my relationship is stable?
I can see you hate the way we intermingle.
But I think you’re just mad ’cause you’re single.
And you’re not gonna stop what we made together.
We are gonna stay like this forever.
If you break us apart, we’ll just come back newer.
And we’ll always be twice the gem that you are.
I am made
O-o-o-o-of
Lo-o-o-o-ove.
O-o-o-o-of
Lo-o-o-o-ove.
Lo-o-o-o-ove.
Lo-o-o-o-ove.”
You see, Garnet isn’t an individual but rather an expression. Okay, hold on—let me explain. Remember the relationship process called fusion in which Gems can combine with other Gems and even humans to become one expression? Garnet is a fusion between lovers Ruby and Sapphire. Garnet makes it clear many times throughout the series that she in not an individual but rather the physical manifestation of an expression—of the love shared between Ruby and Sapphire. Put simply, Garnet breaks the boundaries of what identity is. Garnet reminds us that although we may view ourselves as a permanent, static human being, we simply are not. We are our expressions which change from moment to moment at different ages and life stages, within different places and settings, and most often we are constantly reinventing ourselves creatively in different relationships which helps us grow as people.
“This is who I am.
And if you think you can stop me,
Then you need to think again.
‘Cause I am a feeling,
And I will never end,
And I won’t let you hurt my planet,
And I won’t let you hurt my friends.
Go ahead and try and hit me if you’re able.
Can’t you see that my relationship is stable?
I know you think I’m not something you’re afraid of,
‘Cause you think that you’ve seen what I’m made of.
But I am even more than the two of them.
Everything they care about is what I am.
I am their fury. I am their patience.
I am a conversation.
I am made O-o-o-o-of
Lo-o-o-o-ove.
O-o-o-o-of
And it’s stronger than you.
L-o-o-o-ove.
O-o-o-o-of
L-o-o-o-ove.
And it’s stronger than you.”
The soldier Garnet is combatting, Jasper, is fueled by an oppressive regime that exploits Gems by banishing or exterminating Gems who don’t have a perfect physical form or who engage in fusion relationships. Garnet and the other members of the Crystal Gems are fueled by a revolutionary spirit in which they believe Gems should be able to express themselves freely and have their civil rights intact. Garnet boasts that her relationship is stable and she’s twice as strong as Jasper is because of the source of her energy which is love not destruction and hatred. Jasper may have allegiance to the oppressive dictators, called the Diamonds, yet she is hyper individualistic, violent, and prideful. The song teaches that true strength does not come from brute force and blindly following an ideology that separates rather than unites. To embrace community and love versus hyper independence and prideful isolation is where it’s at.
My all time favorite Steven Universe song had to be saved for the end. “Here Comes a Thought” is a song I can always relate to. It deals with the issue of mental stress— addressing stuffing down a persons own guilt and shame. Connie, who is a human who learns sword fighting joins the Crystal Gems on the quest of protecting planet Earth. Connie used to be a normal girl who went to school but now she’s assumed a new responsibility which brings a lot of pressure. While walking in the hallways, a student bumps into her and her fight or flight response is activated. She shoves the boy to the ground and assumes a fighting stance. The terrified boy cowers below Connie. Connie is ashamed and overwhelmed by her mistake until she has a conversation with Garnet who is known for her calm and insightful nature.
Estelle is back, this time with a lullaby sound, caressing and soothing the listener. Garnet reminds Connie to ground herself first and foremost and that these thoughts cannot consume you:
“Take a moment to think of just
flexibility, love, and trust.
Take a moment to think of just
flexibility, love, and trust.
Here comes a thought
that might alarm you.
What someone said
and how it harmed you.
Something you did
that failed to be charming.
Things that you said are
suddenly swarming
and, oh. You’re losing sight. You’re losing touch.
All these little things seem to matter so much
that they confuse you.
That I might lose you.
Take a moment. Remind yourself to
take a moment and find yourself.”
Garnet advises Connie to slow down her racing thoughts filled with fear. She does validate the fearful thinking when singing about it’s consuming presence. These thoughts can run us off the road mentally if we take them too seriously as truth. However, Garnet empowers Connie by teaching her that she can manage her emotions.
“Take a moment to ask yourself if
this is how we fall apart.
But it’s not. But it’s not. But it’s not. But it’s not. But it’s not.
It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.
You’ve got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing to fear.
I’m here. I’m here. I’m here.
[Both] That I might lose me.
Take a moment. Remind yourself to
take a moment and find yourself.
Take a moment and ask yourself if
this is how we fall apart.
But it’s not. But it’s not. But it’s not. But it’s not. But it’s not.
It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.
I’ve got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing. Got nothing to fear.
I’m here. I’m here. I’m here.”
Connie practiced a fight or flight response with her own difficult emotions when she pushed others away and didn’t communicate about her guilt. In this song, Garnet seats Connie in a seated meditation and she practices deep breathing while hearing these soothing words. By practicing mindfulness a person can balance their physical body and mental state back into equilibrium rather than taking impulsive or suppressing actions. To meditate, to simply take a moment to pause and breath is enough to change how we feel. Connie took positive action after this song by apologizing to the boy she hurt and it turns out he thought her moves were pretty cool. In life, we can make pretty embarrassing mistakes, but we can survive them and there can be retribution and resolve after taking positive action. “Here Comes a Thought” is a lullaby with a moral. Teaching that a person can make amends after making a mistake. People can empathize with others, forgive themselves, and do better in the future. People are not perfect but are constantly reinventing themselves and therefore need to be flexible with themselves by grounding themselves in the declaration that things feel sucky now, but everything is going to be okay.
Love towards ourselves and others in a world ripe with conflict is a practice. And we aren’t all born with a guide book on how to navigate difficulties in relationships or difficulties with our own mental and emotional landscape. There are things I wish I knew as a kid that I now hold as strength and wisdom through trial and error— by making mistakes and then creating new choices in my life. That’s one way we all learn but another way is simply to have grounding role models in our lives. Whether that example be fulfilled by the people in our lives or through characters and performers in media—we need stories to model our lives and sculpt it in a healthy and thriving way. Because challenges do arrive on all of our journeys. And we need to learn and practice certain life skills to not get caught in the wilderness, because we all know life leads us there one way or another. Steven Universe is a road map for all of us. It’s so exciting to see work like this being put out there for future generations and for the older cartoon crowd like myself who could always use encouraging reminders on this journey.
