In the thirty-first episode of the first season of Steven Universe, Steven is such a sweetheart. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe.Â
I know I’m getting repetitive now, but I kinda don’t care. Steven just feels so deeply for everyone around him, and I LOVE IT.
Steven Tag
Definitely one of the most delightfully silly gags on the whole show. LOOK AT GARNET’S VERSION OF STEVEN! THE BEST. THE VERY BEST.
The Truth is Out There
While this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Ronaldo’s blog, I’m so pleased with this fuller exploration of it. This episode helped me realize a few things, namely that Beach City has to be an odd place to live. Weird shit happens there all the time! And yet, despite that there are four supernatural / paranormal-esque people living in the city, Ronaldo still manages to believe there’s something else going on. It’s a testament to the power of conspiracy theories that even in a place where three Crystal Gems live openly, Ronaldo can ascribe the weirdness of Beach City to… sneople. SNEOPLE. (It’s so fun to say because it’s so terrible.)
When Ronaldo takes Steven under his wing, it affects Steven’s perception of the world. Ronaldo’s a better example of it, but it’s all confirmation bias at work. Ronaldo sees all these disparate pieces and finds ways to twist them to fit the whole, even if that requires him to look past… well, the truth. There’s a great scene where Ronaldo explains what the truth really is, about how it’s all about instinct and seeing what you want to see, and it’s such a great explanation of this phenomenon at work!
And hell, it certainly makes Steven think about the world differently, at least until Pearl and Amethyst point out that the Gems are responsible for every strange incident in Beach City. It reminded me of the time that I read Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead during a particularly terrible time in my life and I became an asshole for a few weeks because I totally believed it explained my circumstances. Suffice to say, I told someone about it and got chewed out for having THE WORST OPINIONS, and now I take every opportunity I get to tell people how Ayn Rand is The Worst.
Unfortunately, Ronaldo does not take Steven’s explanations well. He’s built his entire identity around Keep Beach City Weird, so what happens when he loses the motivation to maintain the blog? Well, initially, it’s a crushing depression and sense of pointlessness, but then… well. WELL. Steven tries so hard to cheer Ronaldo up by dressing up as a Sneople (HE’S SO ADORABLE), but it instead inspires him to go WAY TOO FAR IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. He knocks out Steven, ties him up, and… well, I have idea what Ronaldo would have done if his brother Peedee or the Crystal Gems hadn’t intervened.
In the end, this isn’t a story about how conspiracy theories are inherently bad. Peedee feeds his brother a new theory to obsess over so that he doesn’t have an existential crisis. But notice that he’s no longer hurting anyone! That was the message in “Keep Beach City Weirdâ€: as long as what you believe isn’t harmful, then maybe we should just let people be happy.
Thus, I want to know something. What conspiracy theories have you believed over the years? I grew up on The X-Files and lived in between two active Air Force bases, so I’m prone to believing that aliens have visited earth and that the world governments are hiding shit from us. Plus, I’ve seen some bizarre things in the sky that I can’t explain. CALL MULDER AND SCULLY.
The video for “Keep Beach City Weird†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon! There are various levels of support, from $1 up to whatever you want! You’ll get to read a private blog, extra reviews, and other such rewards. I POST A LOT OF CUTE PHOTOS, OKAY. Think of it like a private Tumblr blog that only SPECIAL PEOPLE get to read.
– I have updated my list of conventions and events for the remainder of the year and much of next year.  Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches have been announced here.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
