#Jesse Zuke

[crackedgemroom-26]

Lapis Lazuli dressed as Spike Spiegel

[unagrancantidaddepanes]

ok i wasnt gonna do it i told myself no im just not gonna say anything on this drama but this is so MINDBOGGLING that i HAVE to make a post about this

i am gonna start by saying as someone on the arospectrum i personally see peridot as either fully aroace or arospec (i like headcanoning either one) and as in a qpr or plantonic friendship with lapis.

peridot has been confirmed to be intended to be read as aroace by a storyboard artist (maya peterson) that would focus on her character, i am not denying that,

however

she is also confirmed to be intended to be read as experiencing romantic attraction, by the OTHER storyboard artist who originally worked on peridot, jesse zuke, who has just as much authority to talk about peridots character, if not more since (to my knowledge) she was the original main storyboard artist for peridot

the intention behind what peridot is suppose to represent is fundamentally contradictory, there is absolutely no use fighting over it. this is so dumb to fight over YES both sides have been confirmed canon THATS WHY THIS IS DUMB </33

ive been trying to find as many actual sources as i can (which has been pretty difficult since A LOT has been deleted) but I finally found a transcript of one of jesse zukes posts that is deleted that everyone keeps referencing

from this reddit post https://www.reddit.com/r/stevenuniverse/comments/5q738i/lauren_zuke_speaks_of_her_intention/

(jesse was formerly known as lauren)

anyone posts something shipping peridot, u get a load of comments saying "this is aroace erasure, shes written as aroace, a storyboard artist said so", anyone posts something about peridot being canonically aroace, u get a load of comments saying "shes not canonically aroace, she was written as experiencing romantic attraction, a storyboard artist said so" everyone is either one or the other it seems like NO ONE is acknowledging that both is true and really this confusion is the fault of the crewniverse ????

these storyboard artists BOTH focused heavily on working on peridot and creating her character, and their intentions behind what she is are completely contradicting.

i would love for peridot to be aroace. to me she IS aroace, but im not going to pretend like this isnt the most confusing most unclear way of confirming that. even if maya peterson intended for her to be seen as aroace, jesse zuke wrote her as the complete opposite and it would be stupid of me to ignore that. harassing eachother over this is stupid. your both correct, now shake hands and make peace with eachother lol, good night.

As an arospec person I am completely fine with people shipping peridot and I do not think it is aroace erasure, because while I would love to see an orientation like mine depicted in a character like peridot, im not going to ignore that fact the she was ALSO originally meant to be read as experiencing romantic attraction AND the fact that many of the crewniverse ships peridot with people or supports others doing it. it is not aroace erasure to ship a character that was literally intended to be read as experiencing romantic attraction by some of the people who worked on her character. rebecca god damn sugar, the creator of steven universe has made fanart shipping peridot. peridots voice actor has said she likes and supports people shipping peridot. its just that different people working on the show had wildly different intentions when creating her character, and didnt clear up a solid identity for her with everyone working on her

jesse zuke said in her post "cant speak for anyone else! many people are writing those episodes". just like if maya peterson and anyone else working on peridot intended for her to be read as aroace, other people working on her character with just as much authority were writing her completely differently. people are not seeming to acknowledge that these two things co-exist. it is not one or the other. even though they are complete opposites, somehow theyve made it so that its both at once.

she was simultaneously written to be both aroace and experiencing romantic attraction by different people writing her character, clearly because of miscommunication within the crewniverse.

heres rebecca sugars ship art btw since the first 2 were really hard to find, in case anyone else wanted some sort of actual evidence of it

also just wanted to bring attention to jesse zuke saying "anyone who wants to see the narrative they want is completely, 100% allowed to". peridot and her episodes were written to have multiple interpretations. this was written with multiple intentions. some of those intentions were aroace, some of them, like jesse zukes, were not. you are all correct peace and love

update i found a slightly longer version of jesse zukes post in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oIl1sEQ4_iI

"I wanted to close the book on this - I am queer, and intend fully to write queer characters when I do"

this is pretty clear confirmation that peridot was fully written with completely different ideas in mind from completely different people. jesse zuke INTENDED for peridot and lapis to be read as having a queer relationship, in this post shes encouraging people to read it that way, meanwhile other writers had other intentions which are just as real and valid.

inconsistency and messy production in steven universe is not a new thing

[bakuretsucon]

I've been thinking a lot about Jesse Zuke's old Peridot drawings lately, they're so cute, and honestly such a mood. Highly recommend checking out some of their storyboards and drawings! They've got a lovely artstyle!

[lucky-clover-gazette]

"steven universe was bad you guys were so cringe" "steven universe was amazing you guys are just mean" how about "steven universe was a board-driven show with many episodes, a large cast of characters, and many different staff members throughout its run. comparing it to script-driven shows like avatar, she ra, gravity falls, and the owl house isn't wrong, but the production of each episode of su worked differently from the production of those shows. it makes sense that viewers could love certain episodes and seasons and dislike others, and there's nothing wrong with that. it is a show whose effect on the world was EASILY a net good, and rebecca sugar fought hard to make it happen. also the ukulele songs slap."

[laypis]

whooooooo wants my lapis lazuli playlist

too bad you're getting it

enjoy 🫶

[rosenotactuallyquartz]

Thank you for the actual good Rose metas! It’s so hard to find them in this fandom, they just want to go after her and make her look like a one note bad guy, it frustrates me- especially when they claim Steven hates her. Resents? Yeah…but hate?🌹😔 (bonus points if they defend the other diamonds but demonize pink. 🫤)

thank you, anon !! this was such a lovely message. we have similar takes, let’s be su buddies/nf

here, i have a quote to show you:

“i think an important lesson for steven is to find himself and not rely on rose's image as guidance for everything, because everything within the show has a moral grayness. to say rose quartz encapsulates all that is good and powerful about a mother character would take away so much depth of what humanity actually can be—hurtful people, conflicted people, people who can't or don't want to be healed—which i don't think rose ever got to learn. maybe steven can learn that. to me, rose is an example of what happens if you admire an idea of a person.” —jesse zuke, steven universe: art and origins, page 134

i just started my first year of college (journalism!) so i know i still have a lot to learn. but i love writing about pearlrose because rose is a character who i relate to so strongly, while pearl is a character i admire a lot.

i love steven universe because the characters are just so human, really. they’re traumatized & flawed & complicated & they have insecurities and issues. it makes these characters feel very real & relatable. for example, rose is not perfect; she hurt people because she was hurt, she hurt people because she made mistakes. she feels so much love for the people around her, but the way she feels about herself makes some of the characters question how she feels about them.

i could go on because she’s complicated. that’s why my posts are so long, i think (so it really means a lot to me that you enjoy my posts, because i know it takes some time & energy to read everything). but my point is that we’re not supposed to see these characters as “all good” or “all bad.” they’re people. rose is not the epitome of a good and perfect mother who did everything right and had no issues. she’s not an evil heartless villain, either. she’s just a severely traumatized person who has a big heart, made mistakes, struggles with mental illness, and feels guilty about her past because she never intended to hurt anyone. she’s like me; not my ideal self and not myself when i was at my worst. just me now, and that’s why she’s my comfort character.

a bit about pink! people were so caught up in the pink diamond reveal and the plot twist, and i understand! it’s a big deal. but from now we’re only falling apart & jungle moon, it was already clear that pink was badly abused on homeworld. & i think people overlook rose’s abuse trauma and therefore defend her less because they watch change your mind and miss the fact that white believes she is talking to pink. this made me understand rose’s character so much more. believing she’d never change, saying pink’s a bad person who only makes things worse. making her feel powerless. this had a lasting impact on rose’s mental health & relationships! i hate when people say, “pink was a bad person, but rose isn’t.” i can sympathize with & love rose and pink.

as for steven! the quote that i posted above really shows why he was impacted so much. we see episodes like lion 3 and storm in the room, and he often looked at rose as “encapsulating all that is good and powerful about a mother character” for his own comfort as a kid, because rose is dead. which was always difficult for him, remember his heartbreaking “i didn’t even get to know my mom”? he begins to learn that she hid some things, made some mistakes, hurt some people. when he was young, he felt like he knew her, and now he simply wonders who she is. he questions a lot of things, and after everything he’s learned, he still doesn’t have all the information. he doesn’t know—nor could he really understand—the guilt she felt, for example.

he’s a kid. then, we blink and he’s sixteen. old enough to begin realizing that the adults in his life weren’t perfect (i.e., greg was always a good dad, but now he’s questioning him as a father). still, he’s too young to understand a lot of things. he’s processing so much, and he’s struggling with his trauma & mental health issues. like you said, he resents her! i don’t think he hates her, i think he’s sixteen. when he’s in his 30s, and his trauma is no longer fresh, i do think his opinions on rose will look quite different because he’ll learn what jesse zuke talked about in the quote that i referenced. & i think some people looked at this specific timeline in future and said, “oh, so she’s bad.” i know that’s easy to do because the show is from steven’s perspective, but we can have our own outside perspectives, too! we can empathize with steven and his specific pain & questions & issues, but we can also empathize with rose and her specific problems that steven can’t quite grasp because of his personal perspective.

i’m so sorry for rambling. basically, i agree with you & i love the moral grayness of the show. categorizing a lot of these characters and ships as “all good” & “all bad” has led to a lot of takes in the fandom that i personally disagree with.

but i love this part of the fandom (mutuals ily) and if you’d like, feel free to talk to me about su anytime! my dms are open, pink anon :3

[thereactionof1984]

To this day, I still find myself, from time to time, thinking about @loycos 's Bellow Diamond human AU (ilysm loycos) and @thegembeaststemple 's Jasper (this was Premium Quality Jasper).

And Jesse Zuke's Lapidot (whatever happened to them? Have they worked on any other shows?).

[wizards1977]

wrt that SU toxic yuri post, I remember EVERY gem ship having discourse at the time. Pearlrose was problematic of course bc Pearl served Rose, but also Pearlnet was problematic bc Pearl made Garnet fuse under false pretenses, Pearlmethyst was problematic bc Pearl said mean things abt the kindergarten. Jaspis is the other obvious one but Lapidot was problematic too bc Jesse Zuke drew fanart of it and that was queerbaiting. Amedot was also queerbaiting. Ruby and Sapphire were problematic bc they’re co-dependent. Every single ship got the SU critical treatment

[just-antithings]

a twitter anti that likes to say how lurking people’s old accounts makes you a creep and stalker: proceeds to do that with rebecca//sugar to find any NSFW art she did to expose her.

this same anti has also deadnamed and mocked jesse zuke for having a breakdown and for umm shipping lapidot? SU cringe crits are another level.

[raveneesimo]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: SU "Lars No. 2" Pen Drawing - Jesse Zuke

[renthony]

So I’m watching Stephen Universe for the first time ever (at some point when it was still on the air or just after it ended I watched the first episode or two on a pirating site but got bored watching it alone and gave up). And last night we watched the episode where Stephen unlocks his room in the Temple?

Holy shit! That episode literally ends with:

“Are you mad at me for liking the way the book ended, Connie?”

“No, Stephen, of course not, it’s just a book!”

And people seriously sent death threats over shipping in this show?!?!

People tell me that I'm "too invested" in Steven Universe discourse, but I'm not one of the ones who participated in a mass harassment campaign against the Crewniverse that resulted in at least one person deleting their Twitter account to avoid the constant death threats from the supposed "fans."

My interest in Steven Universe discourse is entirely from the perspective of media by marginalized creators being held to significantly higher standards from the viewing public. Shit like the mass harassment campaign against Jesse Zuke over Peridot shipping wars is a perfect example tbqh.

[crackedgemroom-26]

Lapis as a Cowgirl by Jesse Zuki

[thehyperrequiem]

Hypestartopia (Zootopia Parody) Cast

“From the largest stone monster to the smallest bug, the city of Hypestartopia is a cartoon character metropolis where various characters live and thrive. When Mayday (Su Ling Chan) becomes the first guitarist to join the police force with her Brother (Richard Horvitz), she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Mayday jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Zuke (Steven Bones), a drummer who makes her job even harder.”

Mayday (No Straight Roads) as Judy Hopps

Razputin Aquato (Psychonauts) as Himself/Judy’s Little Brave Brother

Zuke (No Straight Roads) as Nick Wilde

Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, and The Psychic 7 (Psychonauts) as Themselves/Judy’s Friends

Coach Oleander (Psychonauts) as Chief Bogo

Sauna Egg Cookie (Cookie Run) as Clawhauser

Various Other Characters as Members of The Police Force

Mayor Mallow (Flipline) as Mayor Lionheart

Twizzly Gummy Cookie (Cookie Run) as Bellwether

Hatty Hattington (Battleblock Theater) as Mr. Big

Lady Bow (Mario) as Fru Fru

Formaggio (Jjba) as Duke Weaselton

Joe Puddy (Poptropica) as Mr. Otterton

Zomberry! Joe Puddy (Poptropica) as Savage!Mr. Otterton

Elaine Puddy (Poptropica) as Mrs. Otterton

The Bubbler (Miraculous Ladybug) as Yax

Moonlight Cookie (Cookie Run) as Nangi

Vampire Cookie (Cookie Run) as Flash

Diego Brando (Jjba) as Mr. Manchas

Scary Monsters! Diego Brando (Jjba) as Savage!Mr. Manchas

White Ghost Cookie (Cookie Run) as Priscilla

Goblin Cookie (Cookie Run) as Finnick

Duke Gotcha (Flipline) as Peter Moosebridge

Shannon (Flipline) as Fabienne Growley

Stoneheart (Miraculous Ladybug) as Koslov

Donatella Aquato (Psychonauts) as Bonnie Hopps

Augustus Aquato (Psychonauts) as Stu Hopps

Dion, Frazie, Mirtala, and Queenpie Aquato (Psychonauts) as Themselves/Judy’s Siblings

Various Characters as Judy’s Other Family Members

Muscle Cookie (Cookie Run) as Gideon Grey

Toothpaste Cookie (Cookie Run) as Doug

Half Avocado Cookie (Cookie Run) as Woolter

Wild Strawberry Cookie (Cookie Run) as Jesse

Sayu (No Straight Roads) as Gazelle

Various Characters as the Citizens of Zootopia

[ankle-beez]

top 5 su "criticisms" from back in the day that made you go "what the fuck are you even saying"

Peridot being in a high-chair in that deleted scene from Log Date was ableist

Lars turning pink was racist and whitewashing

Let's Think About Love is problematic

Rebecca Sugar is a nazi sympathizer because she didn't have Steven not kill the Diamonds

Literally everything that was flung towards Jesse Zuke during their time on the show, among these being that they were ruining Peridot's character because Jesse made a funny remark about regretting not making Peridot obsessed with fidget spinners canon before they left the show

[lucky-clover-gazette]

💜💔❤️‍🩹

yesssss time to be toxic >:))

💜 a crack ship

(steven universe) i was a 2015 lapidot hell crackshipper. it was awesome. this was before they had any canon interaction besides lapis being on the prison ship with peridot and jasper. i had more trouble shipping them post-tiny peridot but still loved the development they had together thanks to storyboarder jesse zuke. i also completely dodged the discourse about lapidot/amedot somehow?? probably bc i stopped caring pretty soon after the barn mates era

💔 a least favorite ship

literally anything involving characters i hardcore ship not being together, or opening up their relationship. in four swords, it’s anything that breaks up or adds to vidow; for she ra, it was catradora. i simply cannot partake in the multi/polyshipping when i’m genuinely invested in a pairing <3

❤️‍🩹 a popular ship that you just don’t get

uhhhhhhh ngl most zelinks… i find that the only way i can wrangle those blonde bitches into being interesting is SIGNIFICANTLY changing them from how they are in canon. and then they just kinda become something else entirely, and i love canon botw/totk/tp/oot link way too much to change his personality and my interpretation for shipping purposes.

[peridyke]

one time. many years ago in like 2017. I saw someone make a post saying that jesse zuke the steven universe storyboard artist was like steven moffat