Sexuality as represented in Steven Universe

            Steven Universe is a children’s show that aired on Cartoon Network on November 4^th 2013.  The show is about a magical, out-of-this-world family known as the “Crystal Gems”; more specifically, it portrays the life of half-human, half-gem Steven.  This program is unlike most child shows in that its main themes center on sexuality.  Steven Universe explores homosexuality, attraction, and depicts the physical act of sex in a metaphoric way, through character “fusion.”  As a result, the show introduces children to the idea of sexuality, even if they are unable to grasp it at such a young age.

            A recurring theme that takes place in the show is the aforementioned act of “fusion” in which the characters, usually following some type of romantic setting, morph into one body.  The fusion’s physical appearance has qualities from both individual bodies, and is much larger in size compared to the other characters in the show.  Furthermore, both male and female alike are attracted to fusion characters, regardless of whether the fusion has more feminine or masculine features.  Due to the fact that this fuse takes place following a romantic encounter, it can be understood that it is meant to represent sex.  This is a theme that could be easily understood by adult viewers of the show, but would not be as readily apparent to children.  However, the show may prompt children to ask their parents questions regarding the fusion, which may lead to a premature conversation about sex.

            Outside of the act of sex itself, the show explores sexual identity.  According to the article “Steven Universe”, the show is recognized for its transgender representations.  The article states that fused bodies, or trans bodies can represent transgendered people, and that these forms are “malleable, unfixed, ever-changing and able to combine at will.”  Furthermore, the show depicts homosexual relations, with many characters in the show having feelings for other characters with same-sex characteristics.  According to the article, the show is “willing to push the boundaries of gender representation.”  As a result, Steven Universe has found popularity during its time on air for addressing ideas of sexuality in a way unlike any other child’s show.

            Personally, I did not enjoy the show.  More specifically, I did not like that the children (i.e. Steven and Connie) would do the act of fusion, just like their older friends.  Since fusion was meant to represent sex, it made me uncomfortable watching Steven and Connie engage in this act.  In one program, Connie even tells another character to not tell her parents about her fusion with Steven because her parents were unaware that she was doing “magical” things with him. In my opinion, I think the show should have kept the act of fusion specific to the older characters. However, if the show intended to encompass the entire idea of sexuality, and make it relatable to children, then it succeeded in doing so.  Ultimately, the show stands out from other children’s programs, and provides a forum for discussions to take place.

Lilo and Stitch: The Non-Traditional Family

            Lilo and Stitch, while entertaining, also contains many ideologies pertaining to family – more specifically, how a family should look.  The Disney film explores the lives of Lilo and her older sister, Nani, who have lost their parents in a car crash and are now doing life on their own.  Lilo, who often demonstrates that she feels alone in life, adopts Stitch, whom she thinks is a dog but is actually a newly created life form from space.  The film progresses by showing how Stitch fits, and sometimes does not fit, into their little family, while demonstrating that a family does not have to be perfect, or nuclear, in order to still have love amongst them.

            Multiple scenes throughout the movie contribute to the idea that Lilo does not have a normal family.  For one, her sister Nani has now assumed the role of her primary caregiver, and the audience views Lilo and Nani learning how to navigate this new fine line between mom and sister.  In one scene, Lilo says to Nani, “I liked you better as a sister than as a mom.” Nani, who is still relatively young, takes over parental responsibilities such as providing food, maintaining a job, etc.  When Stitch arrives, he adds to the already growing chaos.  Lilo now has a new “dog” to care for, mainly on her own since Nani is unable to focus on both Stitch and her many other parental responsibilities. Stitch, who at the start of the movie does not understand the concept of a family, makes a comment at the end saying, “This is my family. I found it all on my own.  It’s little and broken, but still good.”  This quote can be understood in two ways.

            First, it is interesting how the movie aims to portray a family outside of the traditional nuclear one (husband, wife, kids), but includes the comment of Stitch calling them “broken.”   This may be attributed to the fact that their parents died in a car crash, or that Nani and Lilo frequently butt heads, but regardless, it still alludes to the idea that if they were instead a “normal” nuclear family, they would not be broken.  However, the phrase “but still good” adds a redeeming quality.  This simple quote from Stitch contains the entire idea of the movie – that a family can still be “good” even if not traditional.

            Lilo and Stitch challenges the hegemony pertaining to families in the way that   Gloria Anzaldua’s novel Borderlands challenges the hegemony surrounding women.  According to Anzaldua, women had expectations on how they should behave, based on gender, and were also oppressed and dominated by men.  As a result, she develops the “new mestiza” that helps break down the barriers of dualistic gender norms, and the behavior that is to be expected from women.  Both Lilo and Stich and Anzaldua created a topic of discussion in which a change of thought surrounding hegemonic issues could be derived from society.

Influences on the Younger Generation

            Children are highly impressionable, and often mimic what they see and hear, as well as frequently doing what they are told to do.  A large influence to children results from exposure to the media, as well as influences in a school setting.  This can be positive, in that certain exposure may actually help children develop, both emotionally and from an educational perspective.  However, a high exposure to the media, and influences from teachers, may also present a problem when material is presented that can be developmentally harmful to children, or elicit unwanted behaviors. 

            Some aspects of television are educational, and beneficial for children to view.  For example, many shows on PBS are aimed at improving simplistic skills in children, such as counting or reciting the alphabet.  This may prove as beneficial in the long run; being exposed to educational material at such a young age has the potential to enhance a child’s knowledge in the future (not necessarily a guarantee though).  On the contrary, some television shows represent themes that are detrimental for the consumption of a child.  Programs that depict violence, profanity, or other elements related thereof may influence a child to act out in accordance to what they see and hear.  This has been an ongoing debate amongst researchers – how much, if at all, does television affect children?  Also, is it possible by doing short-term research to determine the long-lasting effects? Regardless of how impactful the media is on children, it is evident that it does have some effect, one way or the other.

            However, strong influences exist outside of the media as well; for example, in classrooms.  Teachers spend more time with children than their own parents do throughout the course of the younger school years.  The lessons, and words, spoken by teachers to students can make a lasting impact; furthermore, the general ideology of the school, and what is accepted, can mold a child to behavior, and speak, in a certain way.  In the novel Borderlands by Gloria Anzaldua, she speaks of the struggles of growing up as a young girl in school, and being required to speak English.  She was reprimanded if she spoke her native tongue, and was forced to suppress an aspect of her identity.  This is a phenomenon seen all too often throughout the American society. Through the school system enforcing English being the mainstream language, many children are influenced in a way that makes them abandon a key aspect of their life.

            Ultimately, it can generally be agreed that the media, as well as the school system (specifically teachers) have a strong influence on the younger generation.  The influences can be positive, and help children grow, but can also have negative impacts, and prove as detrimental.  This influence is very prevalent, and will not subside, but external influences may balance it out. 

Films and Gender

Gender representations have fluctuated drastically throughout the years, especially when seen in the media. For example, historically, men have always been represented as strong, and the better half of the two genders, whereas women have been presented as submissive or weak.  This phenomenon is especially apparent in Disney/Pixar films; looking at such films helps demonstrate the inaccurate representations that prevalently occur in the media. 

            Near the beginning of the 1900s, Disney started releasing princess films.  The plotline, while different in content, possessed the same overarching themes: the princess finds herself at a tough place in life, and ends up being saved by a prince, thereby living out her days happily ever after.  The prince is strong and is able to give the princess everything their heart desires.  For an extensive amount of time, this is how women in Disney films were mainly portrayed, as being unable to make a path in their own life, but rather having to be rescued by a male character.  These are the kind of films that young, impressionable girls would watch; consequently, these thematic ideas may have been stirring in their own minds, leading them to believe that women are weak and unable to provide a life for themselves.  For example, in Gloria Anzaldua’s book Borderlands she discusses how women within her hometown were made to feel of lesser importance in comparison to men.  These timeworn films have manifested themselves into real-life dialogue.

            Recently, however, Disney has adopted a more progressive post feminist way of approaching the making of their movies.  Rather than depicting women as weak, they show them being able to take control of their own lives (i.e. Moana and Princess and the Frog.)  Furthermore, they are beginning to abandon the traditional notions of depicting men as strong and lacking emotion.  For example, in recent Disney/Pixar films, such as Cars, Toy Story, ad The Incredibles, the male protagonists go through an evolutionary character development throughout the film in which at the beginning of the movie, they are tough and out of touch with their emotions, but by the end of the film, they acknowledge that they have flaws, and need help in certain aspects of their lives.  For example, in The Incredibles, the main character, Mr. Incredible, is insistent upon reliving his glory days and being as strong as he once was.  He goes as far as living a double life, with one of them allowing him to pursue his macho endeavors.  However, at the conclusion of the film, he realizes that he cannot act on his own any longer, even using the exact words, “I’m not strong enough.”  The Incredibles, as well as several other recent Disney/Pixar films, challenges traditional hegemonic ways of thinking in regards to gender.

            Even though these films were highly inaccurate in depicting gender in past circumstances, Disney has made strides towards representing gender in a reasonable manner.  Hopefully this representation will benefit audiences, and challenge them to see gender from a new perspective as well.

20 Feet from Stardom: Let Women Speak for Themselves

            In the film 20 Feet from Stardom, we get an inside look into the life and career of a background singer.  The film covers an array of singers, mostly African American women, and their journey from background singer, to prospectively headlining a show of their own.  Many of the women never reach their star potential, despite the amount of talent that they have.  Others are content being a background singer, and are simply happy that they have the opportunity to do what they love, sing.  The story is told through mainly interviews, interspersed with B-roll footage.  However, throughout the entirety of the film, the women singers are spoken for through men.  The fact that they are not fully entitled to their own voice, as well as seeing the struggles they endure to establish themselves in the music realm, demonstrates the inequality that existed between men and women in the past, and still is intrinsically seen today.

            As observed through the film, nearly all the backup singers are women.  Their standout vocals are what make the music memorable, yet they are not given the recognition they deserve.  Many women interviews describe their past dreams of becoming a solo act, yet insurmountable trials and the lack of support from audiences hindered them from ever reaching their goals.  In one occasion, a female background singer finally broke free from her record label, and begin to pursue her solo endeavors, only to have her contract sold back to the artist she was previously singing for.  The talent of these women went unnoticed, and they were forced to stay in the background throughout the entirety of their singing career.

            In the film, many male singers were interviewed about the circumstances of the background singers.  While it was evident that the men (such as Sting and Mick Jagger) were advocating for them, and were empathetic of their plights, it still took away from the women having a voice entirely their own.  Instead, we saw their situation explained through the eyes of men who were already famous.

            In Gloria Anzaldua’s Borderlands she frequently discusses how her, as well as other individuals of Mexican descent (specifically women), often had their voices taken away from then.  Instead, they were spoken for on behalf of men.  They often had roles assigned to them, such as a housekeeper, or caretaker of the children, and were deprived of other aspects of life that they may have desired, such as an education.  Furthermore, they often had derogatory terms ascribed to them that would define their place in life.

            Just as the women in 20 feet from Stardom were spoken for through male singers, so is Anzaldua.  However, rarely do we see the reverse of this phenomenon, where women are speaking for men.  In today’s society, women have defined their place for themselves substantially more, but we still have quite a ways to go before we reach equality in vocal representation.