0:00:03.289,0:00:05.889 Stop! Giant robots shouldn’t fight! 0:00:14.736,0:00:16.586 Steven Universe is an adventure show about 0:00:16.636,0:00:19.274 a boy with super powers derived from an 0:00:19.274,0:00:21.444 interstellar gemstone in his belly. 0:00:21.461,0:00:23.840 But in many ways it’s also a coming-of-age 0:00:23.840,0:00:26.190 story about a young man growing up and 0:00:26.191,0:00:28.021 trying to find his place in the world. 0:00:28.922,0:00:29.702 My gem! 0:00:29.707,0:00:31.957 Quick! Try and summon your weapon. 0:00:32.072,0:00:33.292 I don't know how. 0:00:33.795,0:00:36.675 Ah! It's fading! How do I make it come back? 0:00:36.688,0:00:39.868 Calm down, Steven. Breathe. D-- 0:00:41.664,0:00:42.514 [Group sigh.] 0:00:42.666,0:00:45.448 Aww! I was really close that time. 0:00:46.168,0:00:48.559 Coming-of-age narratives for boys usually 0:00:48.559,0:00:51.069 involve an education in sex, sports, 0:00:51.268,0:00:52.668 hunting, or fighting. 0:00:56.111,0:00:58.065 Jonathan: These activities are framed as a[br] 0:00:58.065,0:01:00.585 sort of rite-of-passage. In stories set in 0:01:00.585,0:01:03.113 sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero genres, 0:01:03.113,0:01:05.893 combat is almost always the mechanism 0:01:05.902,0:01:08.142 through which young men must prove 0:01:08.150,0:01:09.270 their worthiness. 0:01:11.661,0:01:13.689 This is usually not framed as outright 0:01:13.689,0:01:16.988 aggression on the hero’s part, but is 0:01:16.988,0:01:19.828 instead justified as the ability to “fight back.” 0:01:21.085,0:01:23.575 There are accompanying characteristics like 0:01:23.575,0:01:26.535 wit, determination, cleverness or confidence, 0:01:26.540,0:01:29.302 but learning how to be “tough" and proficient 0:01:29.302,0:01:32.189 in dealing out violence is consistently framed 0:01:32.419,0:01:36.279 as a necessary step for boys to complete 0:01:36.378,0:01:38.488 their journey into manhood. 0:01:38.793,0:01:41.621 As the series begins, Steven Universe appears 0:01:41.621,0:01:43.537 to be following in the footsteps of these 0:01:43.537,0:01:46.157 well-worn conventions. Steven wants his own 0:01:46.158,0:01:48.259 gem-powered weapon to help fight off 0:01:48.259,0:01:50.489 monsters like the other Crystal Gems. 0:01:52.710,0:01:55.230 But when he finally does conjure his weapon 0:01:58.106,0:01:59.586 it isn’t a weapon. 0:02:00.710,0:02:03.090 Steven, it’s a shield. 0:02:03.302,0:02:05.082 And this is where the series begins to 0:02:05.093,0:02:07.843 depart from classic genre expectations. 0:02:07.849,0:02:09.986 Rather than being disappointed at not 0:02:09.986,0:02:12.238 getting an offensive or aggressive skill, 0:02:12.238,0:02:14.258 Steven wholeheartedly embraces his 0:02:14.271,0:02:15.671 new defensive superpower. 0:02:15.678,0:02:17.758 Steven: Aw, what? I get a shield? 0:02:17.763,0:02:19.513 Oh, YEAH! 0:02:33.052,0:02:33.782 This way! 0:02:29.119,0:02:30.952 Hey guys, over here! 0:02:36.424,0:02:38.330 The show continues its subversion of 0:02:38.330,0:02:40.318 boy hero tropes when we find out that 0:02:40.318,0:02:41.538 Steven is a healer. 0:02:41.558,0:02:42.088 What? 0:02:42.145,0:02:43.895 I can see without my glasses! 0:02:44.116,0:02:48.146 Did I heal your eyes? But, how? 0:02:48.353,0:02:50.239 Jonathan: His mother had healing tears, 0:02:50.239,0:02:51.539 whereas Steven has... 0:02:51.639,0:02:54.289 Steven: The Juice box! I don't have 0:02:54.305,0:02:57.645 healing tears! I have healing spit! 0:02:57.991,0:03:00.998 Yeah, maybe a little gross. But when you 0:03:00.998,0:03:03.162 think about it, that essentially means that 0:03:03.162,0:03:05.182 Steven possesses healing kisses, 0:03:05.182,0:03:06.482 healing affection. 0:03:06.485,0:03:10.525 Yeah! Here goes something new and exciting. 0:03:12.729,0:03:14.629 Mmm, and GO! 0:03:18.360,0:03:20.604 Okay, you should be better now. 0:03:20.604,0:03:23.268 So, Steven’s a healer and his gem power is 0:03:23.268,0:03:25.978 centered around shielding others from harm 0:03:26.089,0:03:28.262 That’s especially interesting because in 0:03:28.262,0:03:30.422 many fantasy stories and video games, 0:03:30.426,0:03:32.451 those are both considered to be secondary 0:03:32.451,0:03:33.681 or support skills. 0:03:35.505,0:03:37.823 Medics and other protective spell casters 0:03:37.823,0:03:39.813 have often been gendered roles. They’re 0:03:39.820,0:03:41.971 roles that have been filled by women who 0:03:41.971,0:03:44.271 stand back and supplement the other warrior 0:03:44.272,0:03:46.732 classes, who have traditionally been men. 0:03:46.733,0:03:48.556 This convention has begun to change in 0:03:48.556,0:03:50.549 recent years, which is a really good sign. 0:03:50.549,0:03:53.046 But the gendering of these types of roles 0:03:53.046,0:03:55.666 still remains a pervasive pattern in media. 0:03:56.693,0:03:58.798 Giving these kinds of support powers to 0:03:58.798,0:04:01.151 the male protagonist is a fun if pretty 0:04:01.151,0:04:03.617 straightforward inversion. But I’d argue 0:04:03.617,0:04:05.737 that Steven has another superpower. 0:04:05.738,0:04:07.561 Something that’s even more important and 0:04:07.561,0:04:09.950 even more fundamental to his character and 0:04:09.950,0:04:11.683 to the show’s values as a whole. 0:04:11.683,0:04:13.561 You see, Steven is empathic. 0:04:13.561,0:04:16.331 You might even say he’s super-empathic. 0:04:16.596,0:04:19.096 Steven, your mother had healing tears that 0:04:19.104,0:04:21.739 flowed from her gem. She felt real love for 0:04:21.739,0:04:24.522 those around her. She felt real sorrow when 0:04:24.522,0:04:26.739 they were hurt. You have the Rose Quartz 0:04:26.739,0:04:29.589 gem now. I know that power is in you too. 0:04:29.794,0:04:32.034 Empathy is the ability to understand and 0:04:32.034,0:04:34.294 share the feelings or emotions of another 0:04:34.294,0:04:37.322 person. But empathy is not just feeling bad 0:04:37.322,0:04:39.952 for someone else. It’s actually feeling what 0:04:39.959,0:04:42.829 they feel, and that’s an important distinction. 0:04:42.837,0:04:45.687 It’s what separates sympathy from empathy. 0:04:45.977,0:04:47.877 Spirit, show yourself! 0:04:48.848,0:04:52.688 It’s close. I can feel it. It’s hurting 0:04:52.696,0:04:54.076 and obsessed. 0:04:54.542,0:04:56.432 Wait, how do you know? 0:04:56.543,0:04:59.524 I don’t, but I could just feel it. She was 0:04:59.524,0:05:01.774 yelling, and she was really freaked out. 0:05:01.914,0:05:04.194 As season one begins the show’s structure 0:05:04.200,0:05:06.420 seems to be following a fairly standard 0:05:06.426,0:05:09.176 “monster of the week” adventure show formula. 0:05:14.349,0:05:16.959 But then in episode 23, which is appropriately 0:05:16.972,0:05:19.206 titled "Monster Buddies," we start to get 0:05:19.206,0:05:21.507 the sense that this is not just a show about 0:05:21.507,0:05:24.290 going on fun adventures and fighting baddies, 0:05:24.290,0:05:26.490 like a lot of other shows in the same genre 0:05:26.504,0:05:29.060 tend to be. At the beginning of that episode 0:05:29.060,0:05:31.442 we see the Gems fighting a monster just 0:05:31.442,0:05:33.522 like they have many times before... 0:05:33.831,0:05:34.945 Pearl: One more attack should do it. 0:05:34.945,0:05:36.889 Jonathan: -- but this time Steven reacts 0:05:36.889,0:05:37.648 a little differently. 0:05:37.648,0:05:39.538 Steven: Yikes! Your arm. 0:05:42.114,0:05:45.573 Did you see it? No? Okay. Let’s rewind it 0:05:45.573,0:05:49.291 and watch it again. Ok. So, notice that 0:05:49.291,0:05:51.281 the creature's arm is damaged during this 0:05:51.296,0:05:52.316 encounter. 0:05:53.381,0:05:55.041 Steven: Yikes! Your arm-- 0:05:55.059,0:05:56.950 Jonathan: And seeing this, Steven expresses 0:05:56.950,0:05:59.252 concern for her well-being, while grabbing 0:05:59.252,0:06:02.090 at his own arm. Essentially, Steven is 0:06:02.090,0:06:04.747 super sensitive to others. He possesses the 0:06:04.747,0:06:08.030 capacity to vicariously experience other 0:06:08.030,0:06:10.389 people's feelings. When someone else is 0:06:10.389,0:06:13.379 hurting, Steven hurts. He feels their pain 0:06:13.396,0:06:15.136 as if it were his own. 0:06:15.232,0:06:17.982 This kind of super-sensitivity is especially 0:06:17.993,0:06:20.733 rare for boy heroes because in our culture 0:06:20.736,0:06:23.698 emotional intuition is still stereotypically 0:06:23.698,0:06:26.448 associated with women. And as such, media 0:06:26.453,0:06:28.658 often frames it as overly sensitive 0:06:28.658,0:06:31.512 "girl stuff." But on this show, 0:06:31.512,0:06:33.692 things work very differently. 0:06:33.711,0:06:36.001 Steven: Well, I think you're pretty great. 0:06:36.040,0:06:37.762 Jonathan: In this universe, it’s common 0:06:37.762,0:06:40.542 for male characters to act in caring and 0:06:40.545,0:06:42.365 emotionally sensitive ways. 0:06:43.563,0:06:45.301 You can watch my full episode about that 0:06:45.301,0:06:46.131 right here. 0:06:48.986,0:06:51.059 Later, Steven makes friends with another 0:06:51.059,0:06:53.229 monster and names her Centipeetle. 0:06:56.308,0:06:58.860 At first, they're both afraid of each other. 0:06:58.860,0:07:01.073 But remember from my last video that being 0:07:01.073,0:07:03.913 afraid is not a negative trait on this show. 0:07:06.147,0:07:08.581 And Steven's fear is reasonable; the monster 0:07:08.581,0:07:11.660 is indeed dangerous. But Steven is resolute 0:07:11.660,0:07:14.279 in his conviction that monsters are not 0:07:14.279,0:07:16.849 all bad, that there is still good in them. 0:07:16.882,0:07:21.462 Steven: It looks so scared. Uh, hi. 0:07:23.075,0:07:24.165 Aw, it's okay. 0:07:24.880,0:07:27.190 Look. Please don't be scared of me. 0:07:27.899,0:07:30.669 See, I'm not going to hurt you. 0:07:31.881,0:07:33.831 Jonathan: Now critically, Steven's belief 0:07:33.859,0:07:36.139 that his new monster buddy can be redeemed 0:07:36.161,0:07:38.463 is not framed by the show as childish 0:07:38.463,0:07:41.616 idealism. Instead it's looked upon as 0:07:41.616,0:07:43.206 honorable and commendable. 0:07:43.621,0:07:45.721 Stop! You don't need to fight! 0:07:47.360,0:07:50.850 This isn't you! You're not a monster anymore. 0:07:52.394,0:07:54.014 You're more than that. 0:07:54.472,0:07:56.852 The larger lore of this universe also works 0:07:56.875,0:07:59.405 to validate Steven's empathetic convictions. 0:07:59.412,0:08:01.934 Recall that the Crystal Gems all have 0:08:01.934,0:08:04.494 extraterrestrial superpowers because of 0:08:04.503,0:08:07.374 their gemstones. In the episode "Ocean Gem," 0:08:07.374,0:08:10.093 we learn that all the monsters our heroes 0:08:10.093,0:08:12.243 have been fighting each week are actually 0:08:12.256,0:08:15.424 gems themselves, or more accurately they 0:08:15.424,0:08:18.087 once were gems but they've been corrupted. 0:08:18.087,0:08:20.217 I can't believe Lapis would do this. 0:08:20.217,0:08:21.967 Gems shouldn't fight each other. 0:08:22.171,0:08:25.041 We're always fighting gems, actually. 0:08:25.047,0:08:26.027 What?! 0:08:26.195,0:08:28.275 Oh, how do I put this? 0:08:28.893,0:08:32.123 All gems aren't necessarily good. 0:08:32.621,0:08:34.131 All those monsters we fight used to be 0:08:34.135,0:08:35.855 just like us! Right, Pearl? 0:08:35.871,0:08:38.155 Yes, but they've become corrupted and 0:08:38.155,0:08:40.330 broken. We have to take care of them, 0:08:40.330,0:08:43.887 subdue them, contain them. It's the best 0:08:43.887,0:08:45.687 we can do for them for now. 0:08:45.969,0:08:48.279 This also illustrates one of the core values 0:08:48.288,0:08:50.748 of the show, which is the belief in the 0:08:50.748,0:08:53.488 possibility of transformative redeption. 0:08:53.712,0:08:56.134 The truth is Rose Quartz had tried to use 0:08:56.134,0:08:58.304 her powers to save these monsters too. 0:08:58.310,0:09:00.350 But she was never able to heal them. 0:09:00.379,0:09:03.644 Never? But if she couldn't do it. 0:09:03.644,0:09:05.997 Who knows. Maybe when you have better 0:09:05.997,0:09:08.057 control of your powers, you might help 0:09:08.078,0:09:10.227 them in ways even your mother couldn't. 0:09:10.227,0:09:11.297 Even this one. 0:09:12.283,0:09:13.733 Steven: I'll keep it safe. 0:09:13.808,0:09:15.311 Jonathan: And Steven, along with his 0:09:15.311,0:09:17.729 supercharged empathy, are often the voice 0:09:17.729,0:09:18.909 of that message. 0:09:18.922,0:09:22.532 Steven: Wow...wait for me Centipeetle. 0:09:22.798,0:09:25.298 I promise I'll heal you up someday. 0:09:27.346,0:09:29.893 He sees the redemptive possibility in 0:09:29.893,0:09:32.643 everyone and everything, even when the much 0:09:32.656,0:09:34.930 more experienced gems may be a little 0:09:34.930,0:09:38.080 skeptical. For Steven, no one is unworthy 0:09:38.093,0:09:41.063 of compassion or empathy, even monsters. 0:09:46.819,0:09:48.859 Steven, be careful. 0:09:48.967,0:09:51.449 But this just happened. Maybe I can do 0:09:51.449,0:09:55.499 something. Jasper, it's okay. I'm here. 0:09:56.832,0:09:58.802 I just wanna try and heal you. 0:10:01.200,0:10:03.260 It's uncommon to see this kind of empathy 0:10:03.260,0:10:05.257 on television, especially when expressed 0:10:05.257,0:10:07.459 for the "bad guys." While it is true that 0:10:07.459,0:10:09.868 most "good guys" in media do demonstrate 0:10:09.868,0:10:11.611 some empathy for their friends, their 0:10:11.611,0:10:13.732 family, and their allies, those feelings 0:10:13.732,0:10:16.332 are very rarely extended to their enemies. 0:10:16.394,0:10:18.268 And it's almost unheard of in programming 0:10:18.268,0:10:20.566 aimed at children, which tends, more than 0:10:20.566,0:10:23.564 most, to break narratives down into simplistic 0:10:23.564,0:10:26.264 good versus evil, easy to digest lessons. 0:10:26.475,0:10:28.115 [Duck Tales theme song plays] 0:10:29.985,0:10:31.855 Jonathan: In most animated shows, the "bad 0:10:31.855,0:10:34.811 guys" simply can't be reformed. If you look 0:10:34.811,0:10:37.108 at everything from, say, Duck Tales to the 0:10:37.108,0:10:39.338 Batman universe, you'll notice that the 0:10:39.338,0:10:42.417 villains are by and large framed as evil 0:10:42.417,0:10:45.057 by nature. Villainy is not just something 0:10:45.060,0:10:48.060 they do. Villainy is what they are. 0:10:49.152,0:10:50.832 The prisoner will stand. 0:10:51.064,0:10:53.074 Jonathan: So any attempt at rehabilitation 0:10:53.074,0:10:55.204 is ultimately doomed to fail. 0:10:56.954,0:10:58.803 And the belief in the possibility of 0:10:58.803,0:11:01.003 redemption is therefore often framed as 0:11:01.013,0:11:03.833 foolish or naive or worse—something 0:11:03.833,0:11:06.513 that can actually endanger society itself. 0:11:08.904,0:11:11.192 But on Steven Universe things are more 0:11:11.192,0:11:13.830 nuanced. Here, the "bad guys" don't just 0:11:13.830,0:11:15.995 do bad things because they're intrinsically 0:11:15.995,0:11:18.499 or inherently evil. They do bad things 0:11:18.499,0:11:19.909 because of their history and their 0:11:19.909,0:11:21.979 circumstances. Now the bad guys are no less 0:11:21.991,0:11:24.544 dangerous, but it does mean there always 0:11:24.544,0:11:26.714 exists at least the possibility for 0:11:26.725,0:11:29.280 redemption. And that possibility is what 0:11:29.280,0:11:31.370 guides and shapes Steven's actions. 0:11:35.428,0:11:37.678 Wait. Let me try talking to it. 0:11:39.269,0:11:42.989 Hey. How's it going? Can you hear me? 0:11:43.386,0:11:44.936 Are you in there somewhere? 0:11:45.090,0:11:47.010 And this brings us to the final point 0:11:47.016,0:11:49.056 I want to make in this video. A critical 0:11:49.063,0:11:51.393 part of Steven's super-empathy is that 0:11:51.408,0:11:54.079 it's always actionable. The actionable part 0:11:54.079,0:11:56.929 is key. Not only does he feel for others... 0:11:57.223,0:11:59.183 Steven: Oh, oh! She's coming back! 0:11:59.568,0:12:02.168 Jonathan: ...he also does something about it. 0:12:02.237,0:12:04.185 Steven: Alright, everyone be supportive. 0:12:04.185,0:12:06.165 Jonathan: Steven consistently intervenes to 0:12:06.165,0:12:07.908 de-escalate and resolve conflicts. 0:12:07.908,0:12:10.638 Lapis! I don't want to fight anymore. 0:12:12.284,0:12:16.314 I said I don't wanna fight! 0:12:17.155,0:12:19.057 Jonathan: In the episode "Ocean Gem," we 0:12:19.057,0:12:20.581 get to see Steven using all of his 0:12:20.581,0:12:22.951 superpowers to de-escalate a potentially 0:12:22.960,0:12:26.119 cataclysmic situation. He ends the fight 0:12:26.119,0:12:29.128 and ultimately resolves the conflict by 0:12:29.128,0:12:31.054 talking it out with the antagonist. 0:12:31.054,0:12:33.524 Lapis, I'm coming up to see you. 0:12:37.671,0:12:38.831 Steven: Lapis. 0:12:38.842,0:12:40.902 What are you doing here, Steven? 0:12:40.911,0:12:45.091 What? I... No. What are you doing here? 0:12:45.356,0:12:49.386 This thing, the ocean, this is crazy! 0:12:50.435,0:12:52.655 Can't we work this out? We gems should 0:12:52.660,0:12:53.710 be friends. 0:12:56.874,0:12:58.748 Jonathan: Steven talks with her, he listens 0:12:58.748,0:13:00.853 to her, and he treats her with empathy 0:13:00.853,0:13:01.863 and kindness. 0:13:01.869,0:13:03.979 I just want to go home. 0:13:04.694,0:13:06.514 Jonathan: In the end, he even uses his 0:13:06.518,0:13:09.398 healing powers to mend her broken gem, even 0:13:09.407,0:13:11.027 after she's tried to hurt him, 0:13:11.027,0:13:12.867 his friends, and his family. 0:13:19.785,0:13:21.525 Thank you, Steven. 0:13:21.588,0:13:24.008 Now it's not all kumbaya in Beach City. 0:13:24.215,0:13:27.063 The Crystal Gems are not pacifists. Our 0:13:27.063,0:13:29.803 heroes are often forced into battle, but 0:13:29.815,0:13:32.301 when that happens Steven still expresses 0:13:32.301,0:13:34.080 his discomfort, even when 0:13:34.080,0:13:35.720 he's under attack by mutants. 0:13:36.947,0:13:38.569 Steven: They're all over us. They're 0:13:38.569,0:13:40.569 attacking the drill. What do we do? 0:13:40.919,0:13:43.099 Jonathan: So win or lose, the specter of 0:13:43.099,0:13:45.431 violence and confrontation weighs heavy 0:13:45.431,0:13:46.571 on his heart. 0:13:49.635,0:13:51.955 Something doesn't feel right about this. 0:13:51.992,0:13:53.632 Then use the D-pad. 0:13:53.798,0:13:57.565 No. It's just, these things. We can't just 0:13:57.565,0:13:59.845 leave their gems out there. They're going 0:13:59.855,0:14:02.149 to form again later. If I could just bubble 0:14:02.149,0:14:05.699 them, then they'd be safe. Come on. 0:14:05.725,0:14:07.465 We've got to help them. 0:14:07.506,0:14:09.686 And of course there's tension and discord 0:14:09.694,0:14:11.914 among friends from time to time, sometimes 0:14:11.923,0:14:14.373 even leading to physical fights, but on 0:14:14.386,0:14:16.406 this show those issues are ultimately 0:14:16.413,0:14:18.703 resolved through means other than violence 0:14:18.709,0:14:20.893 and domination, often at the insistence 0:14:20.893,0:14:22.103 of Steven himself. 0:14:22.310,0:14:25.595 So it was all my fault? Hoho, you totally 0:14:25.595,0:14:27.667 weren't even trying to sync with my dancing. 0:14:27.667,0:14:29.827 You should know how I dance by now. 0:14:29.925,0:14:31.105 Steven: Stop! 0:14:31.348,0:14:33.758 Come on, guys. Please stop fighting. 0:14:34.232,0:14:38.292 Why don't you just leave! 0:14:39.873,0:14:43.573 Admit it. I'm just an embarrassment to you. 0:14:43.605,0:14:46.923 Amethyst, please, no more! I know you're 0:14:46.923,0:14:49.366 upset, but I can't bear to watch you two 0:14:49.366,0:14:50.416 hurt each other. 0:14:50.453,0:14:52.437 It's Steven's undying faith in the 0:14:52.437,0:14:54.697 possibility of redemptive transformation 0:14:54.706,0:14:57.346 that drives his efforts to prevent fights. 0:14:57.534,0:15:01.754 You, listen to me now. You are talking 0:15:01.771,0:15:04.661 about things that you do not understand. 0:15:04.663,0:15:08.523 Garnet, stop, please! It's not worth it. 0:15:08.832,0:15:11.492 We're done here. Let's just go home. 0:15:12.120,0:15:14.967 Wait, don't! Come on, baby melon. 0:15:14.967,0:15:16.367 We have to stop this. 0:15:16.720,0:15:18.710 If that thing hurt you, so help me, I'll... 0:15:18.719,0:15:22.919 No! It didn't do anything. Garnet, don't 0:15:22.948,0:15:25.612 hurt it! I accidentally let it out of its 0:15:25.612,0:15:28.162 bubble, but it didn't even try to hurt me. 0:15:28.165,0:15:30.075 It's not like the other monsters. 0:15:30.079,0:15:31.819 It's just scared and confused. 0:15:32.120,0:15:33.610 Everything that we've talked about in this 0:15:33.620,0:15:36.040 episode is extremely rare for boy heroes 0:15:36.054,0:15:38.324 on TV. But it really shouldn't be. 0:15:38.429,0:15:40.519 The world could use a whole lot more of 0:15:40.533,0:15:42.924 Steven's superpowers. We need more role 0:15:42.924,0:15:44.954 models for boys where empathy and 0:15:44.954,0:15:47.264 de-escalation and diplomacy are framed as 0:15:47.264,0:15:49.324 brave and heroic behaviors. 0:15:49.644,0:15:51.611 Haha, yeah. That's what I'm talking about. 0:15:51.611,0:15:53.317 You got that much needed counterpoint to 0:15:53.317,0:15:54.757 our cynical worldview. 0:15:54.959,0:15:56.819 The good news is that unlike a magical 0:15:56.836,0:15:59.226 shield or healing saliva, you don't need 0:15:59.230,0:16:01.182 an interstellar gemstone to practice 0:16:01.182,0:16:03.569 empathic behaviors. Now it may take us 0:16:03.569,0:16:05.192 some time to learn how to wield them 0:16:05.192,0:16:07.402 effectively, but we all have access to 0:16:07.407,0:16:09.377 those very human superpowers. 0:16:09.895,0:16:12.235 I hope you enjoyed this in depth exporation 0:16:12.243,0:16:15.043 of themes and messages on Steven Universe. 0:16:15.112,0:16:17.211 If you'd like to see more videos related 0:16:17.211,0:16:19.319 to media and manhood, you can help fund 0:16:19.319,0:16:21.382 the Pop Culture Detective Agency 0:16:21.382,0:16:23.002 over on our Patreon page.