Today I learned that there are people who think Steven Universe is a bad show because the Diamonds have a redemption arc, because for some reason they believe that because Steven Universe includes a redemption arc for characters they hate, the message of the show is that every cruel, hateful person deserves and should have a redemption arc. (1/2)
critical of some aspects of steven universe storytelling
@noelle i write this having mostly watched and enjoyed steven universe and i don't think it is a terrible show and in the episodes where it is really in its element i think it is probably a pretty good show actually
and i don't, in theory, have a problem with the diamonds having a redemption arc either
however
i did take issue with the broader messaging that it is the responsibility of (queer) kids who have escaped abusive households to return home and make things right instead of staying the fuck away
it shouldn't have been steven's job to fix the diamond family and that kind of thinking is what keeps people trapped in abusive situations instead of gaining independence; to me it felt very much like setting queer kids up for failure by saying if you just return home and try hard your parents will eventually understand, when the reality is that in many many cases they won't
it's like the thanksgiving bit with the one conservative dude where it was like oh if the illegal aliens just give the conservative white guy a chance maybe they can be friends!! it feels like really irresponsible storytelling to me which places all the responsibility on the queer/marginalized people instead of the people who actually are causing harm
the show does this because steven is a schmaltz and those are the kinds of stories he likes and it is very self-aware of that fact but like. just do the stories about pearl being gay then. do the stories about the gems having amazing fusion adventures. don't do a story about fucking parental abuse that's not a schmaltzy topic, that's a topic which will hit some people very deeply and you have to be extremely careful before you even begin to touch
it's like there was nobody in the writing room to say "maybe we are not equipped to handle this story" and i think it led to a lot of things getting put in which were ultimately half-baked and kind of botched
critical of some aspects of steven universe storytelling
@Lady I've been thinking about this all day, and I'm still no closer to being able to elucidate what I actually mean beyond that I'm wary of equating "the protagonist did X" and "the viewer should do X". On the other hand, we have essentially been conditioned to view media, and especially serial television, as morality tales, with the protagonist's behavior being essentially endorsed by the writers unless it has in-story consequences. So I guess I mostly wish we weren't so inclined to Take Lessons from the media we consume, even as I'm aware that the unintended consequences of a show's writing are still consequences. 
critical of some aspects of steven universe storytelling
@Lady I have respondy thoughts but I am collapsing into bed, please forgive me for putting them off until tomorrow.