Oh! What are your thoughts on the representation of Black Women from Steven Universe? I think they did ... better than some but honestly still failed, you know?

Would absolutely love more videos on animated series you enjoy! As a hopeful future animator i found your video on black women stereotypes very helpful and would love more content like that aswell!

Bubby is such a gem though

This is the first video I’ve seen from your channel, and I really like your style! Just subscribed. Greetings from Germany!

This may be realize literally every road at Tiffany haddish has played is just this role...

Agreed with everything you said, amazing essay. Love, a nonbinary transmasc hopeful future animator <3

Well it’s true…therés a lot of black people like that what is the problem?

Luz is a latina, not black. She is domincan, which still consider themselves latin and hispanic. Luz does not look black whatsoever. I just thought she was a little mexican girl. I grew up thinking monique was a mexican girl because she has a nicer grad of hair and light skin. Ive noticed older shoes admit to making the black characters look latin because they were considered more attractive and much more visually appealing. So many of these characters were played by white people back in the day. Now i wish they would stop making everything black because they feel like they have to, i feel like no one wants our favorite characters recolored its terrible, the little mermaid remake was terrible in every way, not because she was black, but because she looked like a michael jackson sloth. I feel like we need many more native american and Latino characters, which would make me happy. Ita annoying that they male all latin characters half black, that isn't a common mix. Me more ore less stick with eachother, or get with white women. Myles morales is a Latino boy and should be played by a Latino, domincan, cuban, or puerto rican, not the corny black guy that the world dislikes and finds corny. If you make the characters then do them right. Im actually sick of seeing latin amd native american characters ruined. My people are the ones who deserve the representation. We are the true and first americans, and africans. I want to see more.

This is and was such a dangerous trope. I’m a black woman and growing up, this is what I thought I was supposed to do. Be strong and independent. This is saying black women don’t need help ever or is mentally ok. And that’s not true. I wasn’t strong all the time but I felt like I had to cry alone or fight for everyone. I just wanted to be myself. Thank goodness I grew up to break this but I’m sure there are other black women who probably need mental help. And that’s ok.

Can you talk about how women get sexualized and male gazed in literally everything, including kids' shows/movies? Cause that's something as a woman I can literally never escape. The only somewhat less sexualized characters end up being portrayed/seen as lesbian or something. Why can't a straight girl be a person instead of an object of desire?

Growing up as an undiagnosed, bubbly, introverted black kid was NOT easy and especially with the only black portrayals being shown to me were sassy or hotheaded black women. I grew up around southern women who spoke their mind and I'm not villianizing them but they often were straight to the point, blunt, and for a sensitive kid like me? I saw all this and thought that I wasn't "black" enough! I resonated deeply with characters like Clarence, Star Butterfly, Mabel Pines but none of them were black and that only worsened my insecurities. It wasn't until shows like Owl House, Kipo, and Craig of the Creek dropped when I was well into teenagehood that I finally had the comfort I desperately yearned for in the animation and media I watched.

Can I write a sassy white man? Lol. I am not trying to be sarcastic...I am a white woman who used to write a lot, and my favorite parts are the characters. I like writing fantasy and sci-fi where race may not be as important, BUT if there are humans I still write in diversity... it's BORING otherwise. My characters also have a tendency to be really fleshed out, and because of that they take on their own personality, life, and opinions of their own basically writing themselves. Because that's what's fun!!! I admittedly am not as good at a story line which is why I never finish anything, lol, but maybe SOME DAY!!! I have some good ideas on the back burner, lol. Honestly, I think a LOT of characters, not just the sassy black woman, are boring and based on troupes nowadays, a lot of which can be harmful. WAY too many fall flat in TV shows where they should be able to shine to their fullest because they are based on harmful tropes, and even more in movies where the characters aren't even interesting or well developed, when even if their is a large cast they should have consistently or personality and so many of them are copy paste of the same character with little differences like 'oh I'm the misogynist one who gets no real criticism or punishment at the end!' WOW what a great backstory/peapnality! I, admittedly, kinda like the 'sassy black woman' when done in a good way.....but it has to be done in a GOOD way, not the butt of a joke, that is so boring and over done. The problem of it is, like you said, the saturation that makes real life black women seem one dimensional or even hostile with some of the worse depictions, it is SO overdone. I have done strong female characters that aren't 'sassy' and it is hard to make them shine, not fall flat and fade into the background with some of my more unhinged characters. I think that is why sometimes the people write in the over dramatic personalities...it doesn't make it right, but try to imagine some of those characters you showcased without the 'sass' they would play more like Garnet, and while I like Garent she doesn't really shine on her own. But yeah. I like this....I agree with everything you said and yeah I feel like a lot more could be said about it, but your point had to be consise. And I know you are focused on one stereotype, nothing wrong with that, but if you look around more you will see a LOT more harmful troupes that seem perhaps helpful at first glance that need to be phased out more... I of course can't think of a single one right off the top of my head because of sudden pressure......lol. But I know they exist!!! 😅

Wow, this was your first video essay??! You did amazing! Looking forward to your next one :]

This video really helped me confront some racial biases I didn't realize I had. The calls to action were incredibly helpful. I know it's not a black person's responsibility to educate on black issues, so thank you for taking the time and energy to make this video❤

I totally didn't even recognize April O'Neil from Rise TMNT would fall under this stereotype! I am white though so I'm probably not the best at picking it up. I was also just busy arguing with older millennials who were complaining and whining so loudly about how April was black! As if alternative universes aren't a well known thing in nerd fandoms!!! I love this version of April too because she very much acts like a teenager and is so cool and funny and my favorite character in Rise! Love this video! You described things in a way that's easy to understand. (I have learning disabilities.) You've got a real talent for video essays and I can't wait to watch more from you! 💞

I think this trope's harm is more rooted in misogyny than racism. Traits that are pretty positive in a vacuum (confidence, outspoken-ness) are only made harmful because a certain demographic sees it as a joke. It reminds me a lot of anti-suffragette propaganda where men are laughing at women for being domineering and wearing pants because it's absurd to *them*. But (I want to say) to most people there's nothing absurd about it, it's just a possibility. There are definitely problems with overexposure and the belief that a blaccent makes anything funny. I don't know how to transition to this but I saw a video a bit ago about the "black female activist" trope and kept thinking "how is this harmful?". It shares a lot of origins with the Sapphire but I think the only thing wrong with these tropes is how men see them as annoying or laughable.

Hey! What a great start as a video essayist, I loved it. And here is a question. Would you say that another way to challenge the trope, in addition to what you said in the video, is creating white character tropes? Like, using white stereotypes in animation to make humor. Do you think that is a good idea?

Agreed

Citing Al-Jazeera for sources is fucking wild my dude 😂😂😂

I think this just made me question my gender 10/10

I was the only black girl in my grade and those little mayo packets I went to school with were WAITING for me to “do something black” every time they saw a black woman in media. I’m not even joking or being hyperbolic, I had to avoid any “black” behavior unless I wanted to immediately be made fun of. To the point where I didn’t eat watermelon or fried chicken in public for years.

Christ, I couldn’t make something as corporate and simultaneously racist if I tried.

I just found a new favorite creator! I needed some good news today <3

It’s a trope because it’s real. The vast majority of tropes are just based off of real life. Sassy black women, especially in the environments shown, are the majority

I loved watching Steven universe (at least the first couple seasons) but I never got over when Steven fused with his dad?!?! I'm so confused why they did that. I also think it's really weird that steven fused with pearl amythest & garnet cause they're like his parents too. Fusing seems like such an intimate thing in the first couple seasons

Look, I was interested but.. don’t think stereotypes primary function is justification to oppress people because most people just don’t want to do that and there’s easier ways than stereotyping for those that do, like being part of an HOA. I think stereotypes exist as a way to rapidly form expectations of other people because most of your interactions with others are insignificant with a few notable exceptions including danger. I mean if you were around during Genghis Khan (or whoever pick someone or some group) it’s pretty undeniable that humans are dangerous. I just think it’s part of humanity and it’s one of those things maybe humanity can’t get past because there are too many of us around to meaningfully know. I suppose if reading mind tech or basically heaven where no human would hurt another one was developed maybe we could get past it but for now there are going to be generalizations based on some pretty dumb characterizations.

Sincere question! At the end of the video, two animated characters are mentioned that are not judged as good black representation because they do not have any visibly black features -Can someone here explain or give examples of black features?

Even though there's definitely the negative correlation of elephants, hippos and whales usually being played as black, (which is messed up) I at least was always happy that gloria and madagascar seems like she is portrayed as beautiful. She's desirable to multiple characters.

Donna from Parks and Rec

Someone I knew once said " not to be racist or anything, but I think it's really funny when black girls are like whiney because they're portrayed as so bold in media 😆." Me: what🫥. The stereotype is so pervasive that people will actually beat upset, or think it's pathetic if women don't meet it.

Thanks!

This is such an important conversation that needs to be heard by animator's, writers directors! And much much more I can remember being 16 wishing there was more dark skin on screen but not if a stereotype followed suit!

You mean...there are black women who AREN'T sassy?!?! 🤔

As a person with PCOS who isn’t trans , even just seeing a Character like Stevonnie have facial hair and a deep voice but still have a feminine figure means so much. It’s the little things.

OH MY GOD my gender has finally been described non binary woman! i identify as non binary because its un umbrella term and i don't really identify with the concept of gender at all byt i look girl, i act girl, i am perceived as girl. and im okay with that! because i don't care, i also dont care if someone calls me a guy or uses he him, but usually that doesn't happen irl. Another term I've heard for this is womeh... because meh... i guess i am a woman kinda... dont really care! yk?

Somehow this popped up in my feed. I'm biracial (black/Persian), master's degree, well traveled, no "blaccent". If I had a dollar for every time a white person (usually American and very much including liberals) in my life accused me of having attitude (or being uncooperative, or whatever the situation) because I had the audacity to calmly, rationally, and intelligently disagree with them... I'd be rich. 😐 I feel like they just see a brown blur in front of them and no matter how much they should have seen me for who I am - my character that should've been obvious after weeks or months - they don't see anything but their own stereotypes and projections. I can't believe that not only have we barely made progress since I was a kid, but now we're going backwards, thanks to the nazi sympathizer psychopathic oligarchs in power... 😒

i remember watching cyberchase as a kid and thinking jackie was “weird” for not falling into the sassy black girl stereotype 😳 absolutely terrifying in hindsight

All I’m hearing is Cree Summer (Freddie from A Different World). I love her!

your first video essay? tf this was so good, keep going !!

I think marina ida from splatoon is the opposite of this trope. Shes black, but she acts so kind and sweet? I think?

19:14 all i needed to know

I know a lot of black women that behave like this but I also know a lot of black women that don’t act like this. I think this is a stereotype that has become a trope but it doesn’t deny actual representation of real people. It can harm perceptions especially depending on the narrative of the character it’s portraying. If the characters purpose is to be annoying, villain, butt of the joke then it comes off as a harmful stereotype when a personality is portrayed this way. I think it’s nuanced but I agree, this personality portrayal is often times a racist or (other) stereotype bc of the negative manner it’s writing when it lacks character depth.

I saw the "strong sassy black women" always as a positive. From my perspective, you have to be "strong" to be heard, when you are part of a minority group that was and still is oppressed, and people don't listen to you, both because you're black and because on top of that you are a woman. Still, now I understand why using this for humor (and in general) is incredibly problematic, thank you.

Definitely more of a US thing, i think characters in UK films & tv series are more nuanced. Hate the one-dimensional characters in American media. Dont get me wrong theres amazing American stuff out there but my god most of it is shite. I did watch a good film recently where the lead actor was a black lady, Naomi Ackie, and they didnt turn her into a racial trope - Blink Twice if anyone has seen it any thoughts? She was absolutely superb!