One of my favorite shows is Steven Universe. (are we really surprised? an aries rising w leo in my 5th house? i’m never growing up, and i love kids.)
[Spoiler Alert: Some of the songs/videos may give away plot, but tbh, the story is still compelling, and the animation is stunning (so many easter eggs!), so if you haven’t watched the show and want to, don’t be discouraged!!
There are 5 initial seasons, 1 movie, and then one last ‘Future’ season, and the episodes are 11 mins long. It’s on Hulu and HBO.]
I can’t even say SU is a ‘comfort show’ because often it ignites me, moves me, makes me want to sing, dance, fight, love, nerd out, laugh until my belly hurts. It reminds me of the complexities of the relationships I have to and with myself, my family, friends, the world, and yes, the Universe.
It reminds me of how simple they can be, too.
As an educator, it especially tickles me because it finds so many interesting, silly-but-not-minimizing, creative ways to talk about *big* concepts - everything from colonization to interpersonal harm, gender, power dynamics in relationships, family, consent, personal integrity and authenticity. Freedom and sharing that freedom with others. Sometimes it’s not a discussion, it’s just shown, not told, upsetting assumptions we might make about how things, people, and situations should be depicted. Although they also have conversations and storylines that handle these things straight up, I think one of the best ways they do it is through music.
There are lil songs about moving through shame and self-forgiveness, seeing a chance for a new kind of life, being brave enough to face someone’s intense pain and heartbreak with them in hopes of change, knowing you have big potential and purpose even when your life feels limited at the moment, the happiness and gratitude of being wherever you are with people you love, and making sure they know how much you appreciate them.
These are are great. Go enjoy them. They are even better in context. :)
The song that pulled me to the page today, "Peace and Love (on the Planet Earth)", is one that always sparks my sense of hope, my memories and desire to collaborate on projects that are meaningful and special to the people with me (and if we’re lucky, others too), and also my innate music nerd, the one who exalts in polyrhythms, layerings of sound and chords, vibrations, wordplay, harmonies, the math of music and how it brings us into alignment with what surrounds us and what is within us. Meaning. Intention. Expression.
In this episode, Steven and the Gems are prepping for (yet another) catastrophe, but have taken a break to watch the sunset. Peridot, a tech wiz and new member of the Gems, is distraught, because she wants to keep working, but Steven urges her to take a break, and reminds her that ‘feeling good is important, too’. He then shows her the music in her tools, teaches her the musical scale on his ukelele using the solfege (do/re/mi/fa/so/la/ti/do), and suggests she express her frustrations and apprehensions through music. And so Peridot’s musical adventure begins! The Gems join her for a sweet, fun song on effort and labors of love.
[Peace and Love (On The Planet Earth): S2E24]
lyrics and info here
My favorite parts of the video are:
- the image of the sunset over the sea and the Gems sitting, watching it together
- Steven’s silly lil face, and his lil scoot scoots while he explains music, and that joy and pleasure are valid purposes, too
- how quickly Peridot catches on to the scale and how to harmonize because she’s translating the notes to math in her head!
- the fact that Steven, a 12yo, is able to a) connect with Peridot’s (very valid) concerns, b) teach her a basic and effective music lesson in 30 secs, and c) offer her an emotional management strategy that she is able to resonate with (ba dum tshhh)
- the reminder that there are many ways to create and understand meaning and purpose
Enjoy! I’d love your thoughts, feels, responses. Talk to me <3
This last one I’ll leave you with also makes me ache a bit, mostly because of how deeply it resonates. One thing I have found though, since the last time I listened, is that the first four lines hit a lil different lately, and I’m grateful for that.
May we all be given the gift of being known authentically, and may we all find ways to change our minds in ways that open us and the people around us to love, connection, comfort, and joy.
I don't need you to respect me, I respect me
I don't need you to love me, I love me
But I want you to know, you could know me
If you change your mind
If you change your mind
If you change your mind
Change your mind- Ep: Change Your Mind, S5E29
Stay Brave, fam, and keep singing ^_^
Seph
also, thank you so much Rebecca Sugar, and every artist (musician, writer, actor, illustrator, all of you) who brought the wonder of Steven and the Gems into the World.
We really needed some beautiful, immortal, rebellious heroes made of love and light, didn’t we?
Oh I used to burn Steven universe songs. Thanks for sharing some joy