Theme from Jaws

[captlebubbles]

Setting aside individual complaints about oversexualization, oversimplification, 2Edgy4You, and patronization, I think the major defining difference between cartoons for kids and cartoons for teens and adults is the sliding scale of idealism vs cynicism

Comments

[wolfy_writing]

Good post!

Too much cynicism can bring a person down. At the same time, too much "Be good and hopeful and optimistic and things will work out" is...not gaslighting, but it can feel similar? Like if the only message you're getting is "Be good and brave and try hard enough, and you will succeed and connect and solve everything!" and in real life you're running into people who are jerks to you because they like it and nothing you do will change it, or have an area where no matter how hard you try, you'll never be as good at it as people want you to, you're going to be left feeling confused and crazy and wondering if you're secretly bad and lazy in some backhanded complicated way you're not even aware of, because everyone knows you just need to be good and hardworking to make things work, so if they don't, it's your fault for not trying hard enough. If it's done clumsily, it makes it seem like the universe is a vending machine where if you put in kindness coins, goodness comes out

[captlebubbles]

This is actually one of the things I really love about Steven Universe, because while the end result is love, trust, understanding, compassion, communication, etc, there are times when it simply doesn't work. I can give a more detailed explanation of what I mean if you don't mind spoilers but the non-spoilery gist is that while Steven will often try to find non-violent solutions to problems, a lot of situations lately have thrown him into the reality that those aren't always an option- sometimes you can't help, and he's a small fourteen year old child who wants to help everyone, ever, and is struggling with the reality that sometimes he can't and it's not his fault, it doesn't mean he's inadequate, and while he can work to get better he has to accept that there will be times when he has to let it go

[wolfy_writing]

That sounds great! (And feel free to spoil away.) I love hope and optimism when it's against a suitably complicated and nuanced backdrop. (Just like the difference between genuinely good dark stuff and cheesy grimdark is figuring how it fits into a world with hope and love, the difference between good positive stuff and cheesy fluff is figuring out how it fit into a world where bad and painful things happen despite everyone's best efforts.)

[captlebubbles]

Okay so, for a large part of the story Steven was able to get away with his usual methods because people were also understanding of him, and willing to work with him to solve the problem, and even those that weren't entirely were at least able to be talked round. Even Peridot, who started out as an antagonist (she even kidnapped Steven at one point). But then lately, there've been situations where he wasn't able to help. He tried to help Jasper, but she refused, she wouldn't even let him try. He wanted to help Bismuth but she didn't see any way that she needed help. He wanted to help Eyeball but she was too far gone to even listen. And he was simply unable to help Centipeedle, even though they both tried, because her problem was beyond his abilities to solve. And all of that is weighing heavily on him, and he's been dealing with a lot of feelings of inadequacy right now. In fact his fusion with Amethyst (gems can fuse to make other gems) was a result of both of them finding some solidarity in a degree of self-loathing and feeling

[wolfy_writing]

That sounds really good!