Lately, it’s been a struggle for me to sit down and indulge in a popular new TV show. I often question whether my attention span is getting worse because of mindless TikTok scrolling and Instagram reels. I do attempt to watch shows, but for some reason, I am always left going back to that one show that never did me wrong. Steven Universe is my “they don’t make shows like they used to before” show.
Steven Universe entails coming-of-age, exploring problems with family relationships, gender, and sexuality. I’ve come to realize that there are too many shows that lack plot and emphasize excessive humor. Someone would attribute these types of shows to “brain rot,” which I agree with, but I feel that there are many other factors that go into making a hit show. The main one is the growth of our era. The early 2000s were way more creative, not just with shows, but with style and self-expression. Now conformity is what our society has come to. As creative budgets decrease, A-list celebrity appearances increase. The only value of TV shows is who features in them.
In the past, I was never opposed to watching five seasons of Steven Universe or a 20-episode spinoff and a half-hour movie musical. But now it’s difficult for me to tap into an eight-episode series on Netflix, even one that everyone is raving about. The new-age productions give viewers nothing to latch onto. Whether it’s the same love or crime plot, there’s always an aspect missing: perhaps the authenticity of the show, for example, or the relatability of the characters. Nothing can compare to any TV show before 2017, which is not too far removed from our times but encapsulates such significant feelings.
