Change Your Mind - Tumblr Posts
ok i agree but HEAR ME OUT. i also think it’s because she wanted to improve herself but she can’t since she’s a gem. Look at Greg the baby sitter. Pink envies the way humans can change who they are and grow up. I think Pink also killed herself because look at the condition of gem kind before she died. It wasn’t really a happy story. Corrupted gems were roaming the earth and the diamonds were still running homeworld oppressively. Pink only “won” her rebellion because she didn’t live in homeworld anymore. Now look at Steven’s life. His influence with the gems brought out their ability to grow with him. like Garnet says in Gem harvest, they didn't feel like a family until Steven came along. Plus, I pretty sure the earth would have been destroyed if Steven was never born.
Long story short, Pink sacrificed herself so that she can change who she is (literally. Not a persona like Rose) and also truly fix Homeworld and the mess she had made during the rebellion through Steven. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
A friendly reminder that Pink literally wanted to kill herself because of the abuse in her family
HAPPY CHANGE YOUR MIND!!!
OMG! YESTERDAY WAS JUST CHAOS!!!! REBECCA! YOU CAN’T JUST THROW A TZAR BOMBA ON US!!!
TO CELEBRATE HAVE A CRYSTAL PERIDOT AND LAZULI! IM SORRY IM SCREAMING BUT I. AM. BROKEN!
they’re no longer temps! THEY’RE FULL TIME, BABY!
Change Your Mind Review (SPOILERS)
Now I don't usually do reviews, but man, I can't NOT talk about this episode. I'll be pointing out the best, the worst, and the confusing, as well as some speculation. Prepare yourselves, because this will be a long one, and I have no idea how to do the "keep reading" thing on mobile. Really sorry! So I guess we'll start from the beginning. At first, I had no clue Steven was sleeping. It didn't hit me at all until it was revealed that Connie was gone. I thought it was a nice way to start, because the audience was just as disoriented and lost as Steven was in that moment. That, and it was made obvious that this was a regular occurrence for Pink. Then there's Blue herself. She was furious because she couldn't understand his actions, and when Steven tried to get her to understand, she retaliated because she couldn't. In real life, people try to explain things using what they know, even if the information they have isn't accurate or reliable. People assimilate new knowledge into the old, because that's easier than changing the information you have. This is where many prejudices come from. When new and old information conflict, it can create a strong dissonance, and generally, people don't know how to react to that. So if assimilating doesn't work, they reject. Luckily for Steven, he was able to contextualize the situation in a way that Blue could understand. Though it's not totally clear if Blue fully understands (and it wouldn't be realistic to expect her to after eons of being told that organics are inferior and that non-identical fusion is atrocious), she realizes that she had indeed been doing something wrong. This scene gave me hope. If one Diamond could find it in herself to change and move on, then maybe the rest would too, though I had no idea how the crew was going to pull it off in the next 40 minutes. Then there was Yellow. She had all of the same issues that Blue had, and more. The thing with Yellow was, she was already trying to fix things, but not in the way things needed to be fixed. Instead of working to make things better, she worked to make things WORK. The problem is that making do isn't helping at all, but rather maintaining the flawed system that continues to hurt the lower-caste Gems, and the Diamonds are still miserable anyway. Yellow is fully aware of this, yet she still reacted violently when Blue tried to do something different. Why? Fear. Ultimately, this is White's system, and to try to change it would mean incurring her wrath. It's mentioned that White had poofed a Diamond before, and if the old murals were anything to go off of, it was probably Blue. Yellow didn't want that to happen again. Even if it meant hurting Blue now, she wanted to guarantee that White wouldn't do something worse. For someone as structured as Yellow, it only made sense that reaching her meant showing her that "making it work" just wasn't working. I thought it was a touching scene overall. And oh boy, was I excited when Bismuth arrived to fight off White. And then when it was revealed who was flying the other ship, BOOM. Lapis and Peridot, ladies and gentlemen! I absolutely loved the new designs, I gotta say, though that was when I got my first nitpick. Where did the orange in Lapis's sash come from? A homage to Jasper? On a blue Gem??? Gems are usually analogous in their color schemes, so to see a contrasting color on her was odd. Though maybe it's possible to see spots of other color in real lapis lazulis? I wouldn't know, and I could be wrong. It still irked me a bit, but in the grand scheme of things it was easy to overlook. Just feel the need to mention. White's ship's eyes? Those are horrifying. Put them away. Put corks in the pupils. Please, for the love of Sugar, those are going to give me nightmares. But at least seeing her trying and failing to swat everyone was pretty dang funny for someone who seemed so poised and perfect a few episodes ago. We. Finally. Got. More. Steven. Fusions!!! Smoky's outfit was adorable, Rainbow Quartz was a little surprising but definitely acceptable (I love Pearl's jacket by the way), and Sunstone was... uhhh??? Unique? Not what I was expecting from Garnet, that I will say. But the Fourth Wall breaks absolutely killed me. I guess I sort of liked the fusions? They were nice, but I was kind of simultaneously wishing to see more of them, and for their introductions to be spaced out more. It kind of felt rushed together. Also, fusing with a Gem before she's ready to reform seems really dangerous, but I guess it isn't. And what was with the whole "our only hope is for the four of us to fuse" thing? There were literally three other perfectly good gems right there. Obsidian. That was their name, right? They were pretty much exactly what I was expecting, and they are great monster mom. "YOU'RE HUGE!" Cue even huger giant woman robot mecha ship monster. The resulting climb/battle was equal parts awesome and amusing. The Gems crawling into the pupil gave me Big Jethro vibes. Considering who Sugar is with, it was probably intentional. (Wink wonk IJQ?) We totally called it with White Pearl. But to think White would do to the other Diamonds what she did to Pearl? That was really unexpected. That whole scene was unsettling and utterly terrifying. You know what I noticed about White throughout? She was projecting. The fandom generally seems to agree that White is very abusive towards the Diamonds, and her behavior definitely lines up. One thing that people as a whole have in common, I believe, is a desire to be good. Nobody really WANTS to be bad, but we are well aware that some people just are. And we don't want to be like those people. For some that means volunteering, and for others that means being polite to strangers. Most will try to suppress their flaws in some manner, as White pretty much outright admitted to doing. In some cases, though, oftentimes in abusive situations, there is a tendency to project those flaws onto others. White told Steven that he surrounded himself with weaker beings so that he could feel strong, but isn't that what White herself did? It's easier to say something is wrong with someone else than yourself. And then she made them "better." She did something that "helped," so now she could say she did something "good." And bad people don't do good things. By changing the Gems like she did, she was reinforcing her notion that she was doing something good, and therefore she could continue with that behavior. This is likely also why she talked over Steven in "Legs From Here To Homeworld." If he got a say, he could say something to challenge her world view, and that's scary. She couldn't accept that she had done something bad. ...There are theories and fanfictions everywhere discussing what would happen if Steven's gem was removed. Most decided that he would die. Some said Pink/Rose would come back. I guess now we know? He doesn't die, but he was severely weakened, possibly dying. Not that anything else could be expected in a kid's show, at least not on-screen. Not a disappointing outcome, though. What I don't get is, what WAS Pink Steven? Whatever that was wasn't a Gem, or at least not a Gem in the sense that we have come to understand Gems. I think that was just the Gem essence within Steven or something? Hopefully there will be something later on further explaining whatever that was. And can we talk about "SHE'S GOOOOOONNNE!" Uh, what?! It got a little Dragonball there for a second. But... why? Why is Pink Steven so OP? He made White, the strongest of all the Diamonds, fall down. Doesn't sound like much, but when a show makes a point of pointing out "Wow, this character is stronger than all of the other characters," that's a really big deal. But how, and why? Why is Pink Steven OP? Why is Pink Steven OP?! Please explain, Rebecca! :0 So, is Steven a human-Gem fusion then? Because that gave me some serious "Jailbreak" vibes. Oddly enough, it makes sense, and I am totally okay with this. White's Blush really brings out her whites. Cutest thing since Peridot's laugh on the Moon Base. Very precious. I shouldn't say this about evil immortal alien queens, but White is a gumdrop. Huh, White sure had a lot of ideas for what she was supposed to be. She had to get those notions from somewhere, right? That tells me that there has to be something out there greater than the Gems, possibly their creators? Everyone has their place in the Diamond Authority, including the Diamonds themselves. That means White was given her purpose. Perhaps she was in a similar boat to Yellow, maintaining the image to prevent wrath from higher up? Not at all related, but how did she know what a child was, anyway? We. Are the Diamond Authority. We'll try to save the corrupted Gems. And if you think we can't, we'll have a bubble bath and prove you wrong. JASPER. PADPARADSCHA. I love how every shot White is in, she just has this sneer like, "Ew, what am I even doing here, what are these things, is this water contaminated, where did these people come from, can we please just get back on the ship." It's nice to see that the Diamonds are really trying now. It's too late to correct their past wrongs, and they're probably not going to do a complete one-eighty after all the conditioning they've been through, but they're on their way to being their better selves, and I am happy for them and wish them the best. All in all, a wonderful episode all around. If this was why Steven Universe has such a wonky schedule, then keep it up if it means we get more like this.
Anyone else see the parallels between the Big Jethro and White Diamond infiltration scenes?
I am not at all sorry.
Is no one going to talk about the fact that Peridot went from being uncomfortable with the mere presence of a fusion to seeing an enormous polyfusion and being like "holy shit, that's awesome?"
Ik SU’s dead but i still love her
STEVEN UNIVERSE SPOILER! I love her so much UwU
Obsidian is quite simply an experience!!
steven universe is structural
one thing that often bothers me about other media is that it’s thoroughly morally individualistic. instead of being skeptical of authority, it’s only skeptical of the Bad People having authority. nothing wrong with the system itself, only the individuals within it. we didn’t need to dismantle the fire nation, we just needed a Good fire lord. we don’t need to challenge the audience’s perception of the status quo, we just need to make sure the “right people” are on top of it.
this is a huge reason i love steven universe. it is consistent that NO ONE should be a diamond. not a single person. steven isn’t here to be the good prince - neither him nor rose were above causing harm through that role.
none are above becoming worse through power over others.
instead, steven universe is here - the show and the person - to find how we can dismantle those mental and material hierarchies. it looks as people as they’ve been shaped through millennia of socialization. it change people’s circumstances rather than thinking they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps and just magically know what’s right.
in short - it knows you weren’t born good.
but that’s why it also knows you can become better.
whether it’s through realizing the power you held over others was never justified, no matter how little you understood your own privilege…
or whether it’s through realizing how others hurt you, in turn, molded you in such a way where you felt justified in taking it out on others…
or whether it was through realizing that you were expressing toxicity that you had never fully unlearned, no matter how much you tried to disavow it.
every gem is shaped by their circumstances. as is every person.
until steven could look at this as a network of circumstances, rather than individuals making choices based on some “individual morality” seemingly handed down by the stars, he couldn’t truly forgive his mother. or himself.
but just… putting things in perspective, understanding how circumstances and power shape decisions and relations in ways that are too big for any one person to control - for anyone to try to control - helps you appreciate the immense power of simply accepting yourself.
even if you weren’t made perfect, you can become a good person. you can bond with others to collectively reshape those societal ills. you can find it in yourself to forgive, because even if others didn’t understand what they did wrong, well, neither did you, once. and it’s okay - we’re all shaped to take the blame ourselves, even for things far outside our control.
if it’s one thing white diamond and steven have in common, it’s the flaw of thinking their responsibilities and faults are individual. that they must perform a role, because everything in the entire world seems to point towards that being their destiny. knowing better, being better, even if you don’t say it out loud.
that’s why steven could understand white like no one else could. instead of realizing the way the world around them had hurt them, they were both socialized to take individual responsibility. if something goes wrong, they’re “to blame”. they have to make the decision for everyone. they have to make the right decision, or it’s no one’s fault but their own.
they bought into individualism, again and again and again… until steven was faced with the truth - he’s just himself. being forced to take responsibility for his mom and the crystal gems was socialization he needed to unlearn to accept that. he cannot fill the shoes of his mother, she was always barefoot.
that socialization impacted him in countless ways, instilling him with guilt over everything that goes wrong… so it’s fitting that the most radical thing he can do is simply love himself. not because, but in spite of what the world told him to be.
What a good boy TWT
2 years anniversary of Change Your Mind
I don’t need you to love me, I love me
Desolation Row - Bob Dylan
They're selling postcards of the hanging They're painting the passports brown The beauty parlor is filled with sailors The circus is in town Here comes the blind commissioner They've got him in a trance One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker The other is in his pants And the riot squad they're restless They need somewhere to go As Lady and I look out tonight From Desolation Row. Cinderella, she seems so easy "It takes one to know one," she smiles And puts her hands in her back pockets Bette Davis style And in comes Romeo, he's moaning, "You belong to Me I Believe." And someone says, "You're in the wrong place, my friend You'd better leave." And the only sound that's left After the ambulances go Is Cinderella sweeping up On Desolation Row. Now the moon is almost hidden The stars are beginning to hide The fortune-telling lady Has even taken all her things inside All except for Cain and Abel And the hunchback of Notre Dame Everybody is making love Or else expecting rain And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing He's getting ready for the show He's going to the carnival tonight On Desolation Row. Ophelia, she's 'neath the window For her I feel so afraid On her twenty-second birthday She already is an old maid To her, death is quite romantic She wears an iron vest Her profession's her religion Her sin is her lifelessness And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah's great rainbow She spends her time peeking Into Desolation Row. Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood With his memories in a trunk Passed this way an hour ago With his friend, a jealous monk NOW, he looked so immaculately frightful As he bummed a cigarette Then he went off sniffing drainpipes And reciting the alphabet You would not think to look at him But he was famous long ago For playing the electric violin On Desolation Row. Dr. Filth, he keeps his world Inside of a leather cup But all his sexless patients They ARE trying to blow it up Now his nurse, some local loser She's in charge of the cyanide hole And she also keeps the cards that read "Have Mercy on His Soul" They all play on the penny whistle You can hear them blow If you lean your head out far enough From Desolation Row. Across the street they've nailed the curtains They're getting ready for the feast The Phantom of the Opera In a perfect image of a priest They are spoon-feeding Casanova To get him to feel more assured Then they'll kill him with self-confidence After poisoning him with words And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls "Get outta here if you don't know" Casanova is just being punished for going To Desolation Row. At midnight all the agents And the superhuman crew Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do Then they bring them to the factory Where the heart-attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping To Desolation Row. Praise be to Nero's Neptune The Titanic sails at dawn Everybody's shouting "Which side are you on?" And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot Fighting in the captain's tower While calypso singers laugh at them And fishermen hold flowers Between the windows of the sea Where lovely mermaids flow And nobody has to think too much About Desolation Row. Yes, I received your letter yesterday About the time the door knob broke When you asked me how I was doing Or was that some kind of joke? All these people that you mention Yes, I know them, they're quite lame I had to rearrange their faces And give them all another name Right now I can't read too good Don't send me no more letters no Not unless you mail them From Desolation Row.
This is that one scene from “Change Your Mind”, right?
I’m just a sucker for emotional power-ballads. 💫❤️
(I can’t draw the way y’all do, or at all so here she is!)
Well what do you know it’s rainbow 2.0