How a children’s series tackles negative self-talk
Rebecca Sugar’s STEVEN UNIVERSE masterfully depicts characters struggling with negative thoughts and how close relationships help us negotiate those feelings within ourselves
Take a moment.
Think of just
flexibility, love and trust —
Here comes an article overthinking a children’s show.
The Characters
Firstly, if you’re completely unfamiliar with Steven Universe as a series, you may have zero clue what the music video above means. I say this not because it’s a negative thing, as it’s entirely possible and permissible for someone to have never heard of a television series before. I say that to broadcast that I consider my reader might be someone with no familiarity to the series as there are limits to storytelling: you do have to have an understanding of the characters to derive meaning and get at something closer to a whole picture. But the whole picture is obviously not where we can start, so I must first introduce you to the universe of Steven Universe.
The titular character, Steven Universe, belongs to a family of Gems — they call themselves the Crystal Gems. Steven is half-gem, half-human. His mother, Rose, couldn’t exist after he was born (canonically) and so he was raised by his human father and Rose’s guardians, the Crystal Gems. One of the Crystals Gems is Garnet, who is actually a fusion of two gems: Ruby and Sapphire. In this series, gems are known to be able to form stronger versions of themselves through this metaphysical transformation process called fusion. Steven is able to employ the same process and fuse with his human best friend Connie, forming Stevonnie. Both fusion entities, Garnet and Stevonnie, are featured as the main characters of the song featured in this article, titled, “Here Comes a Thought.”
The Fusions
Stevonnie is compelling in the Steven Universe lore because Steven is half-gem, half-human, and Connie is human. Fusion between humans was unthought of by the gem species. The connections between Rose and everyone else is infinitely important in the overall story, but it becomes the obvious throughline of the series through Steven’s reckoning with her legacy. In comparison, Connie is raised by both her mother and father, and by all accounts has an excellent future ahead of her, despite a lack of perfect ocular vision.
Garnet finds her place in Steven’s heart as a protector and friend, and her futuresight creates some very satisfying storytelling during some early episodes of the series. As a fusion, Garnet is powerful and strong. As individual gems, Ruby and Sapphire face their own insecurities.
Flexibility, Love and Trust
The music video presented in this article and the introductory paragraphs leading up to this one serve as the only context needed to analyze this work.
Garnet begins with a simple verse:
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
Garnet and Stevonnie are seen in the background as Garnet sings over Ruby and Sapphire, wordlessly dealing with separate emotions. Ruby gets angry at a passing butterfly while Sapphire is overwhelmed by a swarm of butterflies as Garnet’s voice continues into a pre-chorus, which serves as a bridge to accepting negative thoughts and moving past them in the chorus.
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 youTake 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, it’s okay
You’ve got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear
I’m here, I’m here, I’m here
This verse, pre-chorus, and chorus will be repeated by Stevonnie, in a passing-on of wisdom that Garnet is known for sharing with others, as Ruby and Sapphire come back to each other and are able to move past their negative experiences together. As Stevonnie picks up the tune, the second-person you is exchanged for a first-person me:
Here comes a thought / that might alarm me
Steven and Connie come into view as the pattern is repeated: the fused identity is reflecting on the experience of individuals. Connie is the primary focus and Steven provides and emotional support as Garnet and Stevonnie continue the song in harmony during the chorus. They conclude with a simple truth in a final bridge: we can watch our thoughts fly away.
And it was just a thought, just a thought, just a thought, just a thought, just a thought / It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay
We can watch, we can watch, we can watch, we can watch them go by
From here, from here, from here
Negative self-talk can be toxic and melt someone’s self-esteem like acid. What Rebecca Sugar has done in this three-and-a-half-minute animated sequence accompanied by music is provide an antidote to the acid.
Humans are designed for community: community can only be built with flexibility, love, and trust. There need to be moments of vulnerability and pain shared between others to be fully human. We cannot isolate ourselves, otherwise our negative self-talk will be the only voice we listen to and even a butterfly can cause us harm.
