Kate (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kate_nepveu) wrote2018-01-13 10:45 pm
kate_nepveu) wrote2018-01-13 10:45 pm
Entry tags:
Arisia: Steven Universe: We'll Always Find a Way
This may not be a great idea because I literally ended the last panel I was on by saying that I was done with brains—I am very tired—but I need to stay upright for a little bit and I don't have a lot of notes for this, I don't think, looking at my notebook. So:
Description:
Steven Universe continues to be a show that deals uncompromisingly with issues around gender, childhood, and family in ways both unexpected and delightful (if not without the occasional problem). It's also telling a great long-form adventure story. We'll talk about all elements of this show in a panel that, like the show itself, will appeal to fans of all ages.
Kate Nepveu (moderator), Brian Liberge, Julia Rios, Hannah Simpson, Rachel Kenley
SPOILERS for all episodes
When I gave my usual spiel about how I want panels to be conversations, I got to say, "I want this panel to be Garnet," which pleased me inordinately. Also, we started by singing the theme song, though I did not put my phone close enough to the mic and when Hannah corrected it, we were all a beat behind, sorry!
I started by asking about the pacing of the show, both WRT the "bombs" and the general scheduling. I gave the example that I thought the Zoo arc was a little overlong. Generally people liked the bombs because the episodes would otherwise be too short, but there was a lot of frustration about CN's scheduling. We spent a little more time on this than I hoped, but we ended up being basically ok on time, so it worked out.
Representation, a huge topic in any SU panel. Much heartfelt talk about Stevonnie as a positive representation of a nonbinary person and about deconstructions of toxic masculinity, in particular.
Here is the trans Lars headcanon post I mentioned.
Hannah pointed out that "Lion 4" didn't go as far as it could in terms of representation, that Greg mentioning the possibility that Steven could still be a girl would have been very welcome. Which is inarguable. However, I made a hash of trying to talk about a related topic, which (a) may have sounded like I was arguing, and so that was poorly done of me and I apologize, and (b) here is a quote of the comment I was trying to remember: "Garnet can't tell an XX fetus from an XY one after it's already conceived and developing? Is this a very subtle way of being trans-inclusive, that regardless of chromosomes Steven might have ended up being a Nora?" —rosefox here
Problem of Bismuth and Sugilite as black-coded butch characters who are not given chance to grow and develop past dangerous physicality, compared to e.g. Uncle Andy and Lars.
Audience asked about Lapis and PTSD/abuse; it's been so long since Jasper was on the show, relatively speaking, and Lapis' most recent reactions seemed to me more a reaction to the war, that honestly I thought this was about the mirror at first. But once I did remember that, I citedrushthatspeaks's great thoughts on "Alone at Sea".
I asked the audience whether they wanted to talk about music or whether Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, and everyone wanted music. Someone said that "Lil Butler" and "The Jam Song" have very similar chord structures and asked what we thought it meant, and my brain completely locked up at the thought—I have no musical theory but I think I do hear a similarity now? I can't think of any significance, uh, at all, though. I also asked what our favorite non-showstopper songs were (I have a weird fondness for the Big Donut training video music). Someone said Steven's ringtone that gets incorporated into "Full Disclosure" and now I have that stuck in my head. And an audience member told a story about the personal resonance of the show that I will not include here because I don't know if it was for this kind of audience, but I wanted to give them a hug and other panelists were beautiful and fierce in their support to them.
So, it was pretty great. But tiring, it was an active panel, and I was spending so much energy on moderating that I lost the ability to speak slowly, for which I also apologize.
Description:
Steven Universe continues to be a show that deals uncompromisingly with issues around gender, childhood, and family in ways both unexpected and delightful (if not without the occasional problem). It's also telling a great long-form adventure story. We'll talk about all elements of this show in a panel that, like the show itself, will appeal to fans of all ages.
Kate Nepveu (moderator), Brian Liberge, Julia Rios, Hannah Simpson, Rachel Kenley
SPOILERS for all episodes
When I gave my usual spiel about how I want panels to be conversations, I got to say, "I want this panel to be Garnet," which pleased me inordinately. Also, we started by singing the theme song, though I did not put my phone close enough to the mic and when Hannah corrected it, we were all a beat behind, sorry!
I started by asking about the pacing of the show, both WRT the "bombs" and the general scheduling. I gave the example that I thought the Zoo arc was a little overlong. Generally people liked the bombs because the episodes would otherwise be too short, but there was a lot of frustration about CN's scheduling. We spent a little more time on this than I hoped, but we ended up being basically ok on time, so it worked out.
Representation, a huge topic in any SU panel. Much heartfelt talk about Stevonnie as a positive representation of a nonbinary person and about deconstructions of toxic masculinity, in particular.
Here is the trans Lars headcanon post I mentioned.
Hannah pointed out that "Lion 4" didn't go as far as it could in terms of representation, that Greg mentioning the possibility that Steven could still be a girl would have been very welcome. Which is inarguable. However, I made a hash of trying to talk about a related topic, which (a) may have sounded like I was arguing, and so that was poorly done of me and I apologize, and (b) here is a quote of the comment I was trying to remember: "Garnet can't tell an XX fetus from an XY one after it's already conceived and developing? Is this a very subtle way of being trans-inclusive, that regardless of chromosomes Steven might have ended up being a Nora?" —
rosefox here Problem of Bismuth and Sugilite as black-coded butch characters who are not given chance to grow and develop past dangerous physicality, compared to e.g. Uncle Andy and Lars.
Audience asked about Lapis and PTSD/abuse; it's been so long since Jasper was on the show, relatively speaking, and Lapis' most recent reactions seemed to me more a reaction to the war, that honestly I thought this was about the mirror at first. But once I did remember that, I cited
rushthatspeaks's great thoughts on "Alone at Sea".I asked the audience whether they wanted to talk about music or whether Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, and everyone wanted music. Someone said that "Lil Butler" and "The Jam Song" have very similar chord structures and asked what we thought it meant, and my brain completely locked up at the thought—I have no musical theory but I think I do hear a similarity now? I can't think of any significance, uh, at all, though. I also asked what our favorite non-showstopper songs were (I have a weird fondness for the Big Donut training video music). Someone said Steven's ringtone that gets incorporated into "Full Disclosure" and now I have that stuck in my head. And an audience member told a story about the personal resonance of the show that I will not include here because I don't know if it was for this kind of audience, but I wanted to give them a hug and other panelists were beautiful and fierce in their support to them.
So, it was pretty great. But tiring, it was an active panel, and I was spending so much energy on moderating that I lost the ability to speak slowly, for which I also apologize.