How Does Steven Universe Expand Our Ideas of Family? | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios 

Disney was so timid to release an episode with a homosexual couple who had like two seconds of screen time, and then there's Cartoon Network which releases a show about a bunch of lesbian rocks and a child of an interracial/species couple

If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs..

I think one factor that is assumed in a family is the prevalent point to this show: love. Whether romantic or platonic, there is a lot of love in this show and Steven is the keystone that holds it all together. Garnet is the embodiment of love; now she learns what it is like to share that love with others (i.e. Steven). Pearl had sincere devotion to Rose Quartz and didn't show much love to others...until Steven showed her new people, new places, and unconditional love. Pearl is now starting to slowly open up to both the Crystal Gems and humanity in a loving way. Amethyst thought she was never loved for being a "mistake." Steven and Pearl helped her with these inner demons and made amends the way sisters are thought to do. I can keep this list going longer than the hype train for Steven Bomb, so to summarize: Love is what matters and what defines "family" more so than blood.

Mike! How did you go this entire episode without mentioning "Fusion Cuisine"--the episode where the conflict was fundamentally based on Steven's non-traditional family structure?

I've been thinking about Steven Universe and family a lot, mostly because there aren't really ANY traditional families in Beach City, at least that we see. The Fryman's are a father and two brothers. The Pizza's are a father, his two daughters, and their grandmother. Mayor Dewey and his son Buck Dewey. There's the ever creepy Onion, his step-brother Sour Cream, and their oft missing father the fisherman. And you could make arguments for other nontraditional family units as well, such as the Cool Kids (Jenny Pizza, Buck Dewey, and Sour Cream) or at the Big Donut, Sadie and Lars are a kind of "family" (although we also get references to Sadie's mother in Lion 3: Straight to Video). A thing I notice about this is the overabundance of fathers, compared with Steven's family in which he has 3 "mothers" in addition to his deceased mother (who he might also "be", as seen in Joyride, but that's a whole other Idea). The only "nuclear family" is Connie's, which is the point of Fusion Cuisine where the idea is directly challenged and it is shown that even though Steven doesn't have a "traditional" family structure, his family still works just like Connie's does. I was almost surprised you didn't bring up Fusion Cuisine because that episode is "about" this topic, at least more directly than the show on the whole is. Steven Universe shows us that while blood relations don't make family, support and love and understanding do, and that's part of why I love it so much.

Gravity Falls Amazing World of Gumball Steven Universe Regular Show Clarence Creatively, are on par with the heavy hitters back in the 90's early 2000's:

You watch Steven Universe too?! Your "and Peaaaarl" is perfect. If ever you want to have a Steven Universe karaoke night, I'm your girl.

OMG STEVEN UNIVERSE!! I am a grown ass woman and I think that show is just brilliant. I dont even have children, I watch it cause its fu#$ing good.

This is one of the few cartoons that I can enjoy, along with The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, and Gravity Falls.

You know Mike, I've noticed something. You watch a lot of cartoons.

Can we get an episode on why Garnet is the best Gem? I mean, it's a fact, but everyone still doesn't seem to understand. Can you enlighten them?

the most important thing he said was "Garnet is the best"

Just want to start by bringing up Jake and Finn's relationship in Adventure Time. They call eachother "friend", but they also occasionally make reference to "mom" in a way that suggests that, after the Great Mushroom Wars, the last human baby was adopted by a family of awesome shapeshifter dogs. The great lesson for me has been that friendship and fraternal bonds actually are different in degree, but not in kind. I think SU demonstrates more explicitly family's flexibility, but also the important ways in which it's not necessarily distinct from our other relationships. If traditionalists are right about anything here, it's that non-traditional family structures get their power and beauty by deconstructing the whole institution and reassembling it with blurry edges.

So thrilled to see my favourite channel doing a video on Steven Universe, kind of feels like open season on the show at the moment which is GREAT! Thank you for another amazing video c:

One of the things I love most about Steven Universe is how interconnected every character is to one another. In Steven Universe there are no flat characters. Every background or minor character is fully developed even if they are not as explored or revealed to the audience. For example, the cool kids all have family members in Beach City. There is the mayor's kid, one of the Pizzas, and Sour Cream of Sour Cream and Onion. No one is really left in a vacuum by themselves. Each character relates to the others the way real people do. Steven Universe answers the questions that many shows don't bother to fully explore. I guess the best way to say it is that Steven Universe characters are just like real people. Complex, diverse, and relating and reacting to the world around them. I love the show so much but even more so since I'm a college student studying design and I hope to make a show like Steven Universe one day. I appreciate the show not only because it is so good, but because it is the kind of show I hope to create one day.

Steven Universe starts slow and kiddy, but it builds. It is the American FLCL . . . except I actually understand what is going on most of the time.

Steven Universe is great, I was expecting you guys to talk about it. Also I think it's worth noting that the gems aren't the only non-traditional family structure in the show so it can't be written off as 'they're aliens, they're going to be weird', notably a lot of missing moms.

"…And family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

Pearl is the hot one

The fact that Steven is the child of a gem and a human allows him to behave comfortably in both the human and spiritual worlds. He is often the one who, with his honest, open minded, but frequently naive attitude helps the Crystal Gems to overcome the difficulties of dealing with the threats. Even though his childish attitude seems to be helpful in their missions, he repeatedly faces difficulties regarding his personal relations with the other characters of the universe. Steven is undoubtedly a free spirit because the absence of the traditional family structure, however this lack of hierarchical order makes Steven a fragile, but also a joyful individual.

In my opinion, Steven Universe is trying to emphasize the message that "family" is more about mutual love and respect and watching out for each other than it is about traditional family, with all that entails including literal blood ties as well as the control aspects of it. As an example, Steven's "family" is contrasted with another example: Connie's blood parents. We have only gotten a small glimpse of them so far, but what we have seen is not flattering. Dr. and Mr. Maheswaran are shown to be very strict and discipline-oriented, with Connie often expressing fear over how her parents will react to an aspect of her life to the point she'll even try to fool her family and hide them, like she did in Fusion Cuisine when the Crystal Gems fused into Alexandrite pretended to be Steven's mother. Connie thinks her parents won't understand her friendship with Steven unless he's part of a traditional nuclear family - and the Maheswarans ultimately accept the Crystal Gems because of the way they discipline Steven "for his own good". In fact, there are enough other examples of traditional and non-traditional families on the show (the Frymans, the Pizza's, Onion, Sour Cream and the fisherman dad, Mayor Dewey and his son) that I'd go so far as to say the show is ABOUT family and what makes it worthwhile.

If you ask me. Garnet is significantly more of an expression of true, lesbian love being presented in animated media than KorrAsami. The actually shared kiss, the metaphor of Fusion as both Marriage (signified between Steven and Connie) and a Sex (as pearl felt the need to cover Steven's eyes during the dance between Garnet and Amethyst). SU is basically pushing the boundaries of all sorts of taboo subjects in animation.

I've only watched little parts of Steven Universe here and there, but I'm absolutely in love with the concept of it. I've been feeling miserable over my lack of actual caring parents for years. My mom hardly ever contacts me and if she does, it's always because she wants something. My dad is a narcissistic alcoholic who emotionally blackmails and manipulates both me and my siblings. So it really comforted me when my best friend once told me the following: "You're not bound to a leech on your arm just because it has your blood inside it. If the leech hurts you and makes you sick, you rip it off and find company that doesn't make you feel like shit. You make your own family." Despite it being comforting, I haven't really lived up to the words so far. But I'm slowly starting to learn how to. With shows like Steven Universe challenging all those proverbs about family that say things like "you can never get away from your blood bound family" and such, I'm finally having hope for finding a place where I can feel secure and happy without having to worry about my jerk parents. And people who don't judge me for who I am. So I think there should definitely be more shows like this. Because it would definitely help a lot of children with similar family issues as I have.

I've been a part of the Steven Universe fandom since the pilot episode was first released on RU-vid (I was just starting my Sophomore year in high school around then, and now I'm graduating high school, so it's been a fairly long time) and in all honesty I have never felt more a part of a family than in this fanbase. Everyone is so open minded to the different people because (like in Steven Universe) we have people of different gender identities, races, sexualities, ages, etc. And by creating an environment where people of any kind are accepted and celebrated, our family continues to grow and grow. Some of my closest friends both in real life and on the internet I met through a mutual liking of the show, and that speaks volumes about our fanbase and how loving we are.

He didn't talk about Lapis enough :(

What if Steven Universe spawned a fandom as massive as the brony fandom and fans would call themselves "gems" or something and create their own OCs with their own gem related names and powers and have tons of fan created stuff like animations, fan fics and fan arts and all that good stuff. Am I the only person who thinks the series has the potential to do that???

I've heard that the creator of the show said that the Crystal Gems represent the stages of dependency in child development and interpersonal relationships. Steven is codependence, Amethyst is counterdependence, Pearl is independence, and Garnet is interdependence. By the way, I liked the video when you said Garnet was the best XD

First of all: I am absolutely in love in how Steven Universe has developed and slowly shone light on how Steven's family works. The first episodes serve to show how characters interact and then, little by little, they have delved deeper into each relationship (my favorite scene to date is Amethyst and Pearl's conversation in Kindergarden). If they had just tried to put this idea on the first episodes, many people would be put off by it, but the fact that you get to know and care for the characters makes it easier for you to be willing to empathize with them. Second of all: I don't think "fandom" can be equated with "family" but I do believe that you can build close relationships within a fandom that feel like family. Some of my closest friends from when I was a teenager we met through things we both loved such as anime and theater.

I am rather shocked that you did not talk about Uncle Grandpa's relationship with Steven Universe and nontraditional families. I mean, he is everyone's uncle and grandpa; how more untraditional can you get?

If Adventure Time is Early SNL, then Midadventure of Flapjack must be Citizen Kane(Alex Hirsch, Pen Ward, J. G. Quintel).

I had always thought a family was purely a group of people (or things) that help each other grow or improve themselves. This would be shown in the stereotypical family of people along with Cartoon Network, each cartoon taking elements of other cartoons to better improve each other.

I absolutely love Stevens family. And this episode was amazing. I felt it important to point out that family is brought up a lot for everyone. Like in the Frybo episode it is all about family and how growing up might change the family dynamic a bit. There is also the relationship between Connie and her parents, as well as their reaction to a "nontraditional" family. Also Saddie and her calling her mom about sandwiches. And almost everyone in the show has some sort of family thing that is brought up. Like the pizza family, and how mayor Dewys son wants to rebel.

This is a feature of a lot of television series, mostly comedic in nature, that focus on a group of people other than a traditional family unit. The employees at Dunder-Mifflin's Scranton branch were more than just a group of coworkers, they formed a family. The same could be said of the Greendale 7, the Paddy's Pub gang (where the blood-related family dynamics are weirder than the surrogate one), the employees of Pawnee's Parks & Rec department, the regulars at Cheers, etc. What does Steven Universe do differently than all of these other series with a non-traditional family unit at its core?

I absolutely loathe the concept of family basically defined by the phrase "blood is blood". (Or "blood is thicker than water" which is actually a butchering of the original phrase.) Too many times have I seen the worst members of my family do terrible things, then guilt their way back in because, as others in my family have said, "Well, they're family!" As if that somehow diminishes the badness of their actions. The way I see it, the genetic relationship I have with someone is something I did not choose whatsoever; therefore, it doesn't matter to me. The relationships I have now with those family members I care about aren't because there's a blood relation - it's because they're good people, and I genuinely love them for who they are, not some arbitrary genetic link. I'll sooner surround myself with kind people I'm not related to than bad people I am, of which there are many in my family.

I've always associated the idea of family with people I was forced (or socially obliged) to spend my time with. If there's a particular human, co-worker, or member of a fandom that I don't like, I can choose not to befriend them with few social repercussions. But a dead-beat dad gets no slack for saying, "Yeah, I didn't like my kid, so I decided to stop spending time with him." Even a sibling who isn't fond of their sibling and treats that sibling poorly is (in my opinion) looked down upon for doing something wrong (not adhering to social norms) more-so than if they have a friend that they decide they don't like anymore and choose to stop spending time with. I think there's also a sort of particular bond that forms between people who are forced (by proximity) to spend inordinate amounts of time with each other. For example, the relationship between a child and whoever raises that child - this being indicative of family. I could see an argument for a similar type of bond forming between co-workers who spend 8 hours a day together for many many years, or possibly even roommates who live together for many many years. But I think that to use the word 'family' simply to mean a group of people that I feel particularly close to is such a vague term that it starts to lose its meaning altogether. If you want to consider your friends "so close" that they are essentially "family", I think that's great. More power to you and your friends who love each other! And maybe there should be a word for that. But I don't think that word is family.

One of the most interesting aspects of Steven's family is that it challenges the notion that adults have all the answers. An idea that has been the premise of many sitcoms. The Gems and Greg have all made mistakes when comes to Steven. Greg inadvertently undermines Steven's confidence in a bid to spend more time with him(House Guest). The Gems have all put Steven in varying levels of of physical and emotional distress while attempting to deal with their own issues (Future Vision, On the Run, Rose's Scabbard). The Gems have even admitted that they have no real idea what it is they're doing when it comes to raising Steven (The Test). They maybe thousands of years old but they've never been parents before. Through it all though Steven remains casting and understanding of his parents faults. By loving them for who they are and forgiving them for their faults and missteps he manages to hold his little patchwork family together.

Man, you should have had an episode on Stevonnie on gender/personal identity. That episode was really strong and might connect with your "Controlling vs "Being" Your Video Game Avatar"

In response to your question on the size and efficiency of a Democratic nation, there is actually some stuff to support this. Montesquieu is one of the biggest political philosophers ever and he had this theory that stated that different governments worked better for different sizes of nation: The bigger ones functioned best with a despotic or authoritarian government led and controlled by a singular dictator, towards the middle monarchies functioned best, and on the smallest end there was the Republics and the Democracies. In terms of Republics, the smaller the better because of the need to know the people you represent which is harder when you represent too many and the government functions slower when there are more people representing smaller groups. Democracies suffer the same flaw as the more people there are, the more likely it is that voices will be lost. While there is no one representing people in a Democracy, groups still form around common ideas in order to gain more traction and weight. When this happens, unity in ideals is essential in order to keep the group powerful and impactful, and so the differences and fringe ideas which might be shared among a larger group are lost into the current one demanding one focus. It is not only the representation of people, but the representations of ideas that makes a Democracy efficient, and so it makes sense that a smaller Democracy where groups are less needed and less powerful would have better efficiency.

The concept of family is... complicated. I have a single mother neighbour with a crippling illness, who has a boy I help take care of. In the recent years I've gradually felt more and more like a father to him. I know his teachers, his friends and their parents. I know his shoesize, and I can instantly recognize his hockey stick among 20 different sticks. He spends almost as much time at my apartment as he does at home, i.e. several hours a day. Sometimes we do something together like playing a game, and other times we do seperate things like him watching tv while I do dishes. He occasionally eat supper with me, and he sometimes brings a friend with him when he visits me after school. He tells me about his day at school, and two months ago I had the dad-son talk with him about never doing drugs. I help with homework. I play sports with him almost every day in the yard, and I comfort him if he's upset. I have taken him downtown to do parent-like things like buy clothes, get a haircut, or even take him to the emergency room with a bad sprain. In the public we are very often mistaken for dad and son, and we don't care. Even some neighbourhood kids are perplexed bt the fact that we don't live together. All this of course with the blessing of his mother, who is very grateful for everything I do. The boy resents his biological dad, because the dad is a deadbeat, who never keeps promises and hardly knows the boy at all. He apologizes constantly but never attempts to make things right, so the boy wants nothing to do with him. In contrast, the boy has told me several times that he loves me. In the recent years I am gradually feeling more and more as a father to him, including the huge emotional investment it implies. I sense he sees me like a father too, while his biological dad is most of all like a stranger to him. Life is strange.

I watched all of Steven Universe in three days for you, Mike. For you.

Yeah I love the Garnett duality thing

Hail Garnet!

Having had what the USA would consider a traditional family unit, and then a very non-traditional family nebula, I have to say that most definitions of family are inadequate. My traditional family life lasted until I was fifteen, but it was not a place of happy memories for (most likely) any member of that family. When I went into foster care, I went in understanding that I had more or less orphaned myself. I was the luckiest kid in the world to have my foster mother reach out and DEMAND to be specially certified so that I would not be lost in the foster care network. When her family took me in, it was not without bumps and confusions, but there was acceptance. We have all learned how to function together, to support one another without smashing into one another like comets because we have disagreements. Then my two youngest brothers were adopted, and their family pulled me in as well. In college ,my teacher's assistant found out I had nowhere to go one Thanksgiving and told me to show up at her house, or else. Family is an inadequate term for those human beings who reached out to you at unexpected times, in unexpected ways, because their heart is open to yours, because they cannot bear to think of you being lost, alone, afraid or in pain. Before I had even left my traditional family unit I found a group of people in an online chat room who, through our mutual interests, enabled me to trust enough to share what I had been going through, and who all encouraged me to seek help, that what was happening to me was not right, was not okay, and I shouldn't expect that a family would ever do those things to me, or anyone. Stephen Universe is very ambiguous in terms of family, probably on purpose. A touch for shock value and edginess, but very likely mostly in recognition of what I have experienced in my life: family is just a word. The act of living in a family is far too complex to share in a straight-forward Leave it to Beaver manner, while remaining true to life. It is most intriguing to note that Steven and his father share the last name "Universe," implying that they encompass something finite in size, but also equally ambiguous for the human mind to comprehend. We know that the universe contains everything, and yet we cannot grasp how truly vast it is. It is so enormous, we have to grasp it in stages, in scales. And that, I believe is also an important message about family. Certainly fandoms can be family-like, but often that claim of family is more of a small group within the fandom. Others would not consider themselves "of" the family, yet may discover they are under that same umbrella if a fellow fan finds them in trouble, or in need. Regretsy was a "fandom" which had a following and we considered ourselves a family, to the point of bailing out other members by purchasing items in their shops on etsy when they hit hard times. The nebulous tie of a shared interest (finding terrible items for sale on etsy and having a giggle- and sometimes buying these same pieces for entertainment) was enough to evoke a sense of community and mutual concern for one another. We may never have met face to face, but that time spent on the same subject, swapping jokes and frequently disagreeing, was enough. Was it as close a family as my foster family, or my brother's adopted family? Probably not for me, but for some, perhaps. Tenuous as it may seem from the outside, this sense of shared values and commonality lent itself to a sense of togetherness as close as families are often portrayed. Stephen Universe gets it right by not portraying family as a rigid inflexible structure, because life is not a noun, but an verb.

Mike, I want to thank you. Over the years since I first saw you on youtube(about 2-3 years ago) I have loved your content. In that time you have shown me and introduced to me many things that have enriched my life (shoutout to your Kill La Kill episode, I love you just for getting me into that anime) as well as broadening my scope of thinking. While I have noticed that the viewership on your videos has steadily been declining since you first started, your content quality hasn't, and I respect you that haven't compromised this show in any way to try and get more views. Keep doing you, for as long as you can.

Suggestions: Is Invader Zim the good guy? Can Lyoko be recreated in real life?

Steven Universe is a perfect example of the "Family is not just blood" idea and moral that has been a key point in a lot of fiction. Look at any of your favorite shows, books, and movies and you can spot the protagonist's family almost instantly. Harry Potter's family is his friends and mentors at Hogwarts, the Doctor sees his many companions as family, Deadpool has his own strange little family in the comics consisting of the ghost of a founding father, a SHIELD agent, and his recently discovered daughter, and Batman has one of the largest and most well known families in the world of comics spanning from father figure and most bad ass butler ever Alfred Pennyworth and adopted son/ward Dick Grayson to brother in justice and sometimes punching bag Clark Kent and on and off again lover and bag guy turned sometimes good guy Salina Kyle. They are all not tecnicly family save for the few biological and legal exceptions but they all behave as such and their roles can shift depending on situation. Sometimes Nightwing is Batman's son and other times his role is more of that of a brother. Sometimes Amy Pond was the Docter's younger and less experianced sister and other times she was his... mother in-law. Their roles are fluid and situational and that's what makes them enjoyable to watch and what makes them so real. Unconditional love and loyalty in its purest form. A family.

2 things 1. In the Steven Universe fandom, creating "gemsonas" is a big thing. If you're unfamiliar with gemsonas it's simple: it's just a depiction of oneself as a gem, typically in the form of a drawing, but other media such as writing isn't unheard of. Anyway, this video made me wonder if creating a gemsona is putting oneself into the Steven Universe family to some extent. Thoughts? 2. While waiting for this to load I rewrote Giant Woman cuz why not. "All I wanna see this new Idea Channel (idea channel) / all I wanna be is someone who gets to see Idea Channel / I know it'll be great / oh I just can't wait / to see it when it's buffered..."

There were a lot of ideas you could have discussed using Steven Universe as a starting point, I'm surprised you went with non-standard families which are present and celebrated in quite a lot of fiction and fandoms. The numerous comparisons that could be made between Gems and dieties, the varying interpretations and implications of Fusion, the cultural reaction to a series that is female-led, but which is not geared towards one particular gender. There are a number of ideas that are a bit more unique to this series. But I really appreciated your quick and passionate look at Garnet in particular, who is, in fact, the best.

THE SU FANDOM MAY CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING: Fangirls, conspiracy theorists, stupid theorists, meme makers, extreme obsessive fans who get easily butthurt when someone critisises the show, and the occasional person who says it's just a bunch of gay space rocks and some fat kid.

just like the attack on titan one you did a few times back, I now have to put this into watch later until I watched this series... I truly hope it's only at one or two seasons...

One of the wonderful things about Steven Universe is how much the show make you actually feel. You feel for Steven as you watch him struggle with the world around him. There is just so much that he unaware of that makes every episode with him an adventure. One of the biggest draws to this show is how Steven sees not just the Gems and his father as family, but it seems like that everyone in the small town love and appreciate Steven and he cares deeply for for the relationships that he has made over the run of the series. It shows how the community itself can be a family. They may not fully understand the purpose of the Gems and at times they can be irritated by the property damage that occurs form them "saving the day" but in the end they see Steven and the gems as valuable members of their community.

Thank you so much for your hard work Idea Channel! This channel has opened me up to ideas (heh), books, people and shows I would have never known about otherwise. Because of this show I binge-listened to Serial in order to follow along with the show and I am now hooked on Steven Universe! I may not agree with everything said but these episodes help me critically think about about the world around me. It would be amazing if you started a book club and we discussed it at the end of the month. I would love to read more books based on this channel. Thanks again, I may not know how to join in on the conversations on RU-vid, but you always get me thinking.

I never understood the concept of gemtlemen it sounds like the most fedora wearing idea

Can I start a discussion about how all the Crystal Gems are women? I think that's an interesting idea. It's an entire race that's female. That makes sense if Crystal Gems are created in Kindergartens, grown like gems grow. Crystals grow naturally in nature and replicate themselves much like life does. So this could mean the Gems are like that and why they don't have an alternate sex. Since the default sex is female in nature it would really made perfect sense that all the Gems then be female. Ya'll think this is dead on?

Square mom is truly amazing. She's setting a good example for her meat child

To me Family is the group of people so close to your heart you just sort of connect with them while they're around; you want to talk to them, you revel in their success, you feel empathy when they are sad, you worry about them, you inclined to aid them because you love them for the person they are and the things they have done for you. They're the people you aspire to be like and mimic or the people you want to inspire and help. Because of this I consider my extremely close friends family members, because I know them as well as I know my other blood siblings. Me and my closest childhood friend are essentially twins, and we both consider it that way: people often confuse us with actual blood brothers, and to me there's really no difference. If I wasn't actually related to any of the members of my family I would still consider them family because that is how I have grown around them, and I think it is the same for others too. On the topic of Fandoms being a grand family, I think it's more that people in the same Fandom have something they can collectively bond over and therefore are partial to becoming family. They might idolise a character as a father figure and bond over the things they aspire to be like in that person, becoming brothers or sisters over a sudo-father. Perhaps they simply love the depth of the Fandom's ideas and bond over that, moving on to other topics and bonding over things that have nothing to do with the Fandom. The Fandom sort of ends up as a catalyst for bonding, similar to any other object or idea that people meet and bond over.

I think my only complaint about this video is that Pearl's feelings towards Rose aren't explicitly romantic, but it is more ambiguous and open for interpretation. I feel like a lot of the gems' feelings towards each other are open for interpretation.

wow

Family structure is quite a ridiculously fluid thing, as well as being almost rigidly enforced. However, I think Steven Universe shows that family, or at least power therein one, is less so about inherent placement within a structure of people but ability to inspire. Rose is recalled by the Gems to be have been an incredible source of strength and morality. She knew and stood by the idea that the Earth, as a planet capable of life, was inherently worth saving due to its potential. And, therefore, worth protecting - even against the will of her own species. With this, the Crystal Gems made an army. You can still see the fervor Pearl has for the battle waged - even against her own species and at the cost of the rights she has as a gem to other gems. Without even an inch of regret (whether this is because of her love for Rose or because she genuinely believed in their cause or both is unsure). Either way, Rose could bring people together for a cause. When she's gone, replaced by Steven, you can see how the Crystal Gems realise how they're discombobulated as a group ("pathetic, clinging things!", "... and we don't have Rose to tell us what to do!"). She was that sole, singular rock in a confusing world which isn't theirs. To lose it, and to be confused if indeed they have lost it, creates a lot of confusion in their ranks. And prolonged grief, as they are constantly wondering how 'gone' Rose is. And I think this is also reflected in Fandoms. Fandoms are simply a bunch of people that like something. That, in of itself, isn't family. Sure, having a base understanding and shared knowledge does help create ties, however, it doesn't create that foundation of 'trust'. What DOES occur, in fandoms, is fan created content. Enjoyment of any subject is improved substantially when there is observed excitement or likeness to a degree that someone who likes it can't help but reciprocate. Whenever a fan discusses, creates art or writing, or makes theories and offers more to any particular work - there is more inspiration. That inspiration is what creates community. You can tell the most active and thriving of fandoms by the reach of what they've created for what they love. You can tell a fandom is sinking when the content made by fans starts to slow and ebb away, because there is less and less unexplored source material. Inspiration is what connects and helps make a family. Whether a collection of gems or a bunch of people excited and happy for a certain subject. Content creators for certain media start being recognised by the groups that love it. And the writers and creators of any media start being revelled as 'Gods' among them - the parents (or in Alex Hirches case, a weird combo of funny-duddy dad and comedic uncle). There's a reason that you get 'Word of God has spoken!' whenever they announce, deny, or add something to the discussion and creation of their works. I wonder if this is making any sense, I'll try to simplify it - The (very rough and not-at-all-perfect) Hierarchy of Influence in Fandoms goes: Creators (Word of God) High Contributors (fan creators of renown, skill, or influence. Usually churn out high quality work or high quantity or simply offer a new angle.) Low Contributors (not fan-household names, but add smaller things to the collection of cakes that is the delectable table of snacks) And Observers (the ones that don't create content, but still support and are enthusiastic about X thing, nontheless). These ranks are fluid, as well. Able to be moved up and down by the amount of work you put into the accumulation of effort. And there are also weird niches to fandoms, which enjoy it when X is abridged into a Y or Z look. This could be the 'dark edgy' look to the show, a 'highschool AU' that is quite approved of by fans, or even ships (which I really will not get into) which have their own hierarchies. But then again, 'hierarchy' isn't the way to put a fandom. At the end of the day, there is respect for the inspiration they exhume to their respective fandom. The more they can inspire, awe, and enthuse about a show - the more an observer can respect and reflect that love back. It's a weird circle of people willing to create and share content that they want to make for something that the obviously like. In Steven Universe, the Gems all followed Rose because she led them, morally, emotionally and combatively. They respected her, fought for her, and keep their way of life going because, even though she's gone, what she's done for them is still enough to keep them going. In that same likeness, a story or media can inspire a following of people. Even when the source stops creating content, love for it can still continue. It doesn't stop inspiring, even if the hype for it has slowed or died. Sometimes it just leaves a trail of works that someone can follow and enjoy years after any 'hype' is over. So, no, a fandom isn't quite a 'family' - but if there is still a strongly-knitted enough community at the end of the day, they can accomplish a lot f stuff under the banner of the thing they love. All because, at the end of the day, something about X, Y, or Z struck a chord with them enough to have them want to reciprocate what caused it. Even if it's just to watch, read, or quietly be consumed by that media.

As a child of a loving but very non-traditional family, I really love Steven Universe. But even more, as lover of animation, I love that it's building off of such a great community of creators. One of the things about animation is that it's such a tight-knit community and people work on so many projects together that it tends to spawn "generations" of writers and artists who then go on to put together their own teams and spawn another generation. A lot of these can often be traced through direct lines from one influential series to another way back. For example: Rebecca Sugar created Steven Universe after working on Adventure Time with series creator Pen Ward, who wrote on Flapjack with series creator Thurop Van Orman, who worked on Powerpuff Girls with series creator Craig McCracken, who worked on Dexter's Laboratory with series creator Genndy Tartakovsky... (and I'm pretty sure this continues back for quite a while, maybe even as far back as John Kricfalusi and Ralph Bakshi). Talk about family! That's a quality animation lineage right there.

Pearl's emotional connection to rose was never explicitly stated as being romantic. some interpreted it more akin to the relationship of a lord and their knight or a lady and her handmaiden. I personally see is as both. Also i always assumed Greg owned the car wash since he runs promotional sales and advertisements for it, as seen as the cardboard cut out of himself he carries in the beginning of maximum capacity, along with being the only person observed working there.

Stefan Galaxy is way better

Before anything else, I just wanted to say thank you so much for talking about Steven Universe, I've been giddy all week just waiting for this episode! (I'm so glad I tweeted you that video of Rebecca and Steven, haha) Now, on to my monster of a comment... I totally agree with the idea of the Steven Universe fandom being a family. Like you mentioned, the cast and crew feel like our guardians and make a point to interact with the fans a lot-I'd even argue they do it more than some others in the “family” of shows SU is a part of (side note: I love that the crews are so connected, many have worked with each other and spread across CN, Disney, and even online shows like Bee and Puppycat or Bravest Warriors! More unique families!) Most of the crewniverse answer a ton of our questions on social media and at cons, whether with direct information or messages to just tune in next week, which can be really helpful because the show is so lore-heavy. We thrive on the knowledge they provide for us and spread new information like wildfire. This also includes their amazing archive of Behind-the-Scenes work, including a whole blog full dedicated to promos, backgrounds, storyboards, music and art! Plus pretty much everyone has their own social media accounts, and the cast and composers are super fun to talk to even if they're less involved with the story. The crew also make sure we know they appreciate all the content we're making, whether it's art, fanmixes, cosplay or original characters (Rebecca really loves gemsonas and wants everyone to make a bunch and fuse them all with each other!). They're also cool with the “cringey” stuff: NSFW art and fanfiction exists, and is never shunned (by the crew, anyway. The fandom is another story). We've been told on multiple occasions that the crew sees all, and that they come up with even weirder stuff in the writers' room. Like the gems, they enable us, and usually aren't surprised by what we do, but sometimes the fandom makes something amazing and everyone loves it (for example, that fan-written rap for Peridot in “Stronger than You”-it went viral, fast!) Either way, we can always be the crazy weird butterflies that we are! However, like you said, there are also expectations for us: the crew make a point to call out parts of the fandom when we're out of line, most recently people who have been bashing the Uncle Grandpa crossover for no reason. They accept everyone, but always try remind us of “where we are” in this world they've created...the show is for kids first, and we need to recognize that. As a fandom, we're definitely pretty rowdy, and we walk an interesting line in our interactions with the crew because we can speak to everyone so directly. I often feel bad for the amount of hate the crew gets, especially since they have way more perspective and know what they're doing. Like Steven's family, our relationship is a bit ambiguous. It's similar to siblings bickering among themselves and with guardians, but not quite there. Whatever the case, hopefully we'll all calm down soon enough and learn to trust the crew a bit more (and treat everyone with a bit more respect). Speaking of ambiguity, I also agree with you that a lot of Steven Universe is meant to be that way-the crew have always encouraged us to interpret the show in whatever way we want or need to (to a point, obviously). Because it's a storyboard-driven show, tons of people have the chance to work on it and put all of their individual experiences into the story, so there's no one way to interpret a lot of stuff. Basically, if we see something and can relate to it in a particular way, that's awesome! However, listening to others' interpretations can be very interesting as well, and it's okay to grow and learn from others in the fandom OR agree to disagree (I would have never thought about Garnet having dissociative identity disorder, but that's a cool thought). The show never forces ideas on us or claims to be controversial and edgy, but can really hit deep if you feel like looking for meaning. If not, it can just be fun to watch, and sometimes that's what people need, too. SU is a show with a lot of complex themes, and I've seen a ton of people talk about how helpful it's been for them, and that makes me so happy. Plus Rebecca Sugar is someone I look up to a lot as a person and a writer, along with the rest of the crew, so talking about SU is great! I LOVE THIS SHOW! Can you tell??

SU has a great idea of family and relationship. Not just with Steven, but all around. I think the only confirmed nuclear family is Connie's family. Then we have Onion's family with his mom, dad, and step-brother; there's PeeDee with his brother and dad, there's Sadie with her mom, the Pizzas consisting of a father, his two daughters, and grandmother, the Dewey's with just the father and son, and even some background couples are non-traditional, like the two woman with their child that can be seen in Bubble Buddies and Sadie's Song. None of these are ever problematic or cause commotion because everyone in Beach City accepts each other. That's what I believe family is based on: acceptance of one another, wholly and truly.

If you're evil and you're on the rise

/) brohoof to family!

I like how now there is no other good way to describe garnet other than "The lesbian alien rock fusion badass of awesome."

First of all, I absolutely ADORE this show! I'm so glad that you did an episode on it. As far as the way it represents "family," I agree that it stretches the standard definition, while still emphasizing the main ideas behind the term, such as love, concern, companionship, growth, unity, etc. I especially love the interaction between Steven and Connie's families. I recall one episode in which Steven has to bring his mother to a dinner with Connie's family. Unable to choose which "mother" to bring, he decides to have all three fuse and come together. Hilarity ensues, but the point is that Steven views all three equally as mother-figures. I think is because Steven never really knew his mother (or is his mother?) and is grasping on to the only mothers he has ever known. I look forward to seeing their relationship develope, especially as Steven learns more about his and their past. It's such a great show!

A classmate of mine once provided a quote that I feel fit perfectly into this discussion! "Blood makes you related. Loyalty makes you family". Snappy quotes aside, I'd say that Steven Universe isn't the first show that's demonstrated the choose-your-own-family dynamic. The anime Tenchi Muyo, for example, perfectly demonstrates how a group of 'mostly' unrelated people can function in almost the exact same way you'd expect a rural Japanese family would do; they all live in the same house, everyone has their assigned chores etc. You've got plenty of mother and father-figures coming and going, all the while the main character idealizes the memories of his biological mother who, surprise, in the end turns out to have been....well, a damn clown.

It's been a while, but discussion on family were a big party of my African American psychology class in undergrad. Unfortunately my notes from that class only got the last name of the guy, but there was a definition of family by a Hill (1998) that I liked which emphasized that family provides both instrumental and expressive functions. Instrumental functions are, of course, your physical and material needs like food, shelter, clothes, etc. while expressive functions are the emotional support and nurturance. One of the more interesting aspects of that class's discussion on family though was the idea of "fictive kin", which are people who are not related through blood or marriage but are functionally related to and "feel" like family. That concept always struck me as particularly interesting, and I think it fits well with the idea of fandoms and other groups like that serving as "family" of sorts if we want to argue that fandoms help to provide a lot of those expressive needs. Sure, being part of a fandom might not give me food or clothing, but it does provide a ready made network and, in some cases, a sense of identity and belonging that I think contribute to a person's emotional and mental health.

A family is an immediate social unit of people who are with you as you go through good or ill, who you also care for as they go through good or ill. It's a symbiotic relationship that can be codified and strengthened with certain formal acts, such as marriage vows, or oaths of brotherhood/sisterhood, and others. This level of empathy and attachment goes beyond mere emotional activation, and is defined by an overriding obligation. No matter what, they are your family, and you need to look out for them, even if they don't feel the same. It's something you need to do for yourself. To me, family is obligation. Not the obligation that others put upon you, but the obligation you take for yourself.

While I'm not all on board with the idea of fandoms being a family, I will say that I have seen the most cooperation come out of the SU fandom in terms of trying to keep it safe for the intended audience (young children). For instance, a lot of us have taken measures to make sure that any R-rated content is not as prevalent online- not taking down content, but keeping it from the front lines so to not scare off young viewers (i.e., asking Google to move inappropriate pictures down from the first few lines of SU-related image searches). There is definitely something family-like about trying to protect the younger members of a group- or maybe it's just common decency.

Fantastic analysis! I'm so happy this show is getting some recognition and you hit the nail on the head for the reason I love this show: all the characters are so well done and work together so well.

The concept of family is something that has changed throughout my life. Until the age of 13 my family was my mother, my father and our pets. Then my parents got divorced and my family extended to my step-dad and my step-brother. When I turned 20 I moved to France with my paternal uncle and aunt, so for the following 4 years they and my cousins were what I referred to when I used the word family. Now I live in Finland and I'm friends with several other expats. We don't really use the word family to describe our group of friends, but in the end these are the people I spend Christmas and other family holidays with. They are my closest support group above all. Throughout my life my family hasn't exactly changed, but expanded. And even if when I use the word family I exclude people who are not blood related to me, I do feel that several friends belong to the same group. Family to me is the group of people who have helped me and cared about me throughout my life. In a way, family are the people I feel indebted to, but of course without the guilty feeling associated with debt. Also I hadn't watched Steven Universe before, and I just marathoned the whole thing throughout the weekend. It's great, but it really took me about 20 episodes to really start liking it.

I think expanding on the idea of family is just one part of it; episodes in SU generally revolve around testing or exploring all sorts of relationships and their aspects, romantic or platonic. Rather than having much in the way of a real antagonist for the gems to fight against, the show up until now has been more like a sitcom. When we finally did get to more serious aspects, relationships still took center stage, whether it's the gems trying to work out what their relationship with Steven should look like and how to care for him without completely understanding him or his needs, Steven playing the kind of role his mother likely did trying to protect everyone he cares about and reaching out to any and all other characters regardless of background, or the fact that the first real villain character was a gem who considered fusion (which here represents relationships/bonds between characters) "a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger". This is what makes SU interesting to talk about, most episodes offer something to think about. People have already mentioned obvious ones, like Fusion Cuisine or The Test. As for the fandom bit, I personally wouldn't call a fandom a family, least of all the SU fandom which has unfortunately gained a bit of a reputation for harassing the show's creators and their fellow fans, but that's probably a YMMV thing like you mentioned. I think I remember you showing examples in the Doctor Who episode for how much a fandom can impact peoples' lives, and I know fandoms can definitely offer a shared interest in something for people to bond over.

Steven Universe shows me not every family is hostile, and that's good for me. It tells me to calm down and associate myself with others, ask for help. I get LONELY. I don't usually ask for help because I don't want to annoy others. I have a limit on bothering others, and it seems perfectly reasonable that Steven (character) is curious and full of hope for people getting along because of his age. Children are tiny humans, and are likely honest, which seems to go well together with talking a problem out, which in turn, is his ideal solution to problems he faces. His family is there with him, and that speaks to me

Steven universe is the best example of appreciation of love and family in cartoons I currently view, I don't know if the fandom can be considered a family. But people are putting effort into Steven universe's "family" by making it safe online for the younger audience, creating places for people too appreciate speculate and generally show love for it. You said family is border fuzzy, a family can be considered many things, i consider a family a place where your shown love support and general appreciation for existence in general. And i definitely appreciate Steven.

family is difficult to define specifically, but abstractly it's easy to suggest that family is but a conglomerate of like people or things who or which are bound to one another by love or logic or anything really. in that sense they're distinct simply due to their self-preserving symmetry.

Steven Universe is my favorite fandom and i think it also talks about family because, the Gems are always talking about Stevens mom and how they miss her,also Steven cares for the Crystals Gems his dad and many other people(even from space; Lapis Lazuli).................. althiug this show made by Rebecca Sugar also talks about how we arent the only ones in space, in this case its just cartoons, we must do like Rose did for us. First care about others and then about yourself, i have learn so much from Steven Universe about life and so many other things............. i hope this show never ever ends :)

I'm surprised you didn't bring up the episode in which Connie's parents want to meet Steven's parents. I think they deal with what is "Family" quite directly.

Oh my god, thank you so much for showing me this, I've watched 32 episodes of it in a row, and I JUST CAN"T STOP.

Family I'd have to say is someone you'd regard very closely. Not necessarily romantically, platonically, or whatever, but you share this kind of bond with them that's only experienced in families. You stick up for one another, protect each other, and support each other. That's a family.

In my opinion, Steven Universe is showing a term to where family's don't need to be perfect and how family's do come in many messy shapes and sizes but ultimately, through there ups and downs, can stay as one big lovable family. Within Steven's family, the creators show how you do not have the 'western custom' gender rolls we do see in most of our society and having 'mothers' that have no gender while having multiple! (Also i might mention how Steven is sort-of his own mother) In the episode 'Joy Ride' we see how other minor characters also have many different types and sizes of family's; some have fathers and siblings but no mothers. Again, stretching the western cutlers custom idea to a family. I also love how this show goes over "same gender" relationships and how these people love each other is not a bad thing.(I wish this was brought up in the video!) This is what I believe is a major point this show is making beside the fact of having non-perfect family's. How it is showing this to the younger audience is perfect. I wish i could see more of this in other popular shows for the younger audience and around in the family style television shows. I love the living hell out of this show and I have been with this show sense it was still considered a 'childish show' but now my friends cant get enough. They love the statements it brings up and how Steven Universe can express said characteristics and will stand by those characteristics. Love this show. Love this channel. -Noah B. P.S. Pearl Is My Fav!

Mike, i cannot tell you how much it means to me that you associated punk rock with family. The only instance, in my life, where I can honestly say, in the midst of strangers, I was at home, was in the pit, at a Propaghandi show. After having watched these many videos, in chronological order, this was the first time that i was moved to say something to you, without the intention that would be shared with your audience. you and yours fragging rock. what you do, at least briefly, has enriched my life thank you

So, I wonder what RWBY and it's 'Fanon' say about Creative Inception? I'm not sure where else to put this idea, but Monty Oum passed a couple of months back, but the communities surrounding this Fandom reacted as a family does to a loss of one of their own. And I'd love to see an episode relating to this subject. Mike, you are amazing, and keep inspiring us to think!

When I began teaching, I wrestled with the relationship I had with each of my students. I found myself genuinely caring about them as people, enjoying their company simply because they're cool people. If a kid was upset or dealing with something difficult, it concerned me. I think that personal connections help me cater to their needs in the classroom, but at the same time I feel like professionalism forces me to keep a certain distance. My authority and involvement as a teacher is definitely not the same thing as what a parent has. I feel like if I were to try to alter the nature of it and take on a more parental influence, the teacher/student relationship would probably fall apart (as would my career).

My Dad always says "Family are the people who are (consistently) there for you. They're the ones celebrating with you when good things happen, and helping clean up the mess after bad things do." This rule of thumb has served me well.

Family, from my point of view, is described by its longevity. When I say that, I mean that family is somewhat eternal. Disowning someone is a much bigger deal than unfriending someone. Family is something you can never get away from, and that creates a strange sort of love unlike any other. I think Steven Universe does a great job at describing this feeling between its characters.

I am so glad you brought up how different cultures organize family structure! I have been playing around with the old phrase "It takes a village to raise a child" and in my early pondering accidentally replaced 'village' with 'tribe'. I was thinking about what I have witnessed and been regaled to about the family structures of American Native cultures, at least here in the upper Midwest. Traditionally, everyone in the tribal unit are 'relatives', direct blood connection or not. Any person who is in or around your age group is your 'cousin', anybody who is in or around your parents age group is your "aunt/uncle', anyone who is old enough to be an elder is a 'grandma/grandpa', etc. The people you are more directly related to, parents and siblings and such, may be more responsible for you and your actions than the others of your unit but the lines between who is and isn't 'family' is blurred. Leading back to "It takes a village" and Steven Universe, while Steven doesn't have the "traditional" type of family structure, he does have a very expansive support system with numerous individual throughout Beach City. Lars and Sadie jump to mind right away. Or the "Cool Kids". All could easily be seen as surrogate cousins in the way they interact with Steven. Greg and the Gems may have the most responsibility in shaping the kind of man Steven grown up to be, but everyone in Beach City is playing their role in shaping who he is and how he deals with his problems. And more often then not, Steven is affecting them as much as (if not more) then they affect him. Displaying an essential amount of give and receive in all of the characters' development, which is why it is so goddamn heartwarming. (Sadie, you enjoy that PB&J!) Thank you for doing a episode about Steven Universe!

Yes! Been waiting for Idea Channel to cover something about SU!

Once upon a time going to anime conventions, especially in recognizable costume, made me feel like I was in a "family", or at least a community that relied, learned, cared, and watched out for each other. That was a long time ago, and the community has changed very much. Now... "Family doesn't end with blood."

I think it's very difficult for fandoms to be families. Rather than an entire fandom being one's family, I think certain groups of people within the fandom become like family. The people within these groups become fast friends and are able to relate to each other about both life and the media they collectively like. Many people on tumblr, for example, have groups of friends they met online through talking about a fandom they participate in, and they are all extremely close.

Im a big member of the Steven Universe fandom. And I can tell you, we do treat ourselves like a giant family, we stick up for each other, talk to each other on other apps, and we are just all together.

The way that Steven Universe (along with Clarence) is able to expand the idea of non-traditional family is that no matter what lengths the show goes to imbue comedy into the show, the idea of the non-traditional family is never the butt of the joke or mocked by anyone else in the show. Even in episodes where the creators put a lot of focus on how Steven's family differs so much from the other families in Beach City (for examples see the episodes "Beach Party" and "Fusion Cuisine"), the family is never explicitly mocked or really called abnormal. And if they are, the writers go to great length to call the one who said so out.

I think family is about love. One of my uncles told me, when I was younger and particularly annoying, "I will always love you. I just don't always like you." Your family is people you deeply care about even when they do things that make you angry. You love then no matter what they do. Nothing can change that love, not distance, not abuse, not mental illness, nothing. Family is eternal love.

Stephen Universe is one of my favorite shows; I somehow end up teary eyed during almost every episode. When it comes to family what SU shows is that the Gems are closer, to me, to an extended family; they may not be of blood but sometimes an emotional connection is stronger then the ties of blood. The Gems help raise Stephen with help from his Dad, even if he doesn't live with Stephen, and this in no ways is more harmful for Stephen emotionally, because he is always in some sort of danger!, then a normal family. When Stevonnie makes their first appearance the Gems go through the emotions that a group of caring individuals would go through when someone they love is experiencing something BIG in their life. Family does not need to be blood but someone or a group or anything that for a person has a strong emotional connection to. When it comes to fandom it is the idea of belonging that is in every and all groups that come together because of something, be it Batman, Doctor Who or Adventure Time or The Blood Brothers. Within these groups you can share ideas and emotions that feel as if these are the people who you are most free to talk to, share with, about that topic of fandom.

Family: the group or collection of people that you coexist with, rely upon and feel an unconditional attachment to, despite you opinions of them or feelings towards them. You don't have to like everyone in your blood family, fandom family or sports family; but you have something strangely in common with them and would miss them if they were to vanish.

Omg you always make videos about stuff straight after I watch it :D

I'm so relieved that this wasn't the April Fools episode.

Friends are the family you choose, and shared fandoms give you something you like and can share with strangers. And later can become friends, so in a way people with in a shared fandom are friends, they just do not know each other at that time. Though I personally consider everyone I have not met yet a friend, everyone I have met a close friend, then there is my best friends who are people I choose to have as friends, and my best friends I consider family.