The Tumblr Files - Official Thread (Case I: Steven Universe) - An exposé on the media and people that destroyed the Internet

[Aero the Alcoholic Bat]

I like speaking directly to children because there are a lot of things they may not have learned to be upset or confused by yet.” I dunno about you, but that sounds pretty pedophilic.

Fixed it for you.

 

[The_Bladder_Splatter]

Speaking as someone that grew during that time and that also was part of the SU fanbase i could tell this animated series contributed to the derrangement of people on the internet, specifically adults obsessing over cartoons and similar media, the show in it's beginnings was quite good and like everyone here on this thread i was captivated by the cosy chiptune soundtrack, the overall aesthetics and most importantly the lore, we have to remember that a good chunk of the fandom thrived in speculating and making theories to the point of spawning several popular Youtube channels, but the fandom kept doing evil and disgusting shit so much that i couldn't find any enjoyment in engaging in anything related to it, and then it came the rolling pile of garbage that was the Future season killing any good faith that many had in the show, so now although we live in blissful respite i still dread for the day that Steven Universe would rise again alongise many of it's devils for in Ian Jones-Quartey's words the show's finale isn't the end of the franchise, please forgive my autism

 

[I_Am_Not_Bruce_Willis]

i still dread for the day that Steven Universe would rise again alongise many of it's devil for in Ian Jones-Quartey's words the show's finale isn't the end of the franchise, please forgive my autism

Since Steven Universe helped codify media for the "modern audience", would a "modern"/10-20-years-later reboot cancel out the stuff that made it so notable online in the first place? As in a "modern" Steven Universe reboot wouldn't be gay?

Wonder how it will feel for the Tumblr generation to have their childhoods ruined for once.

 

[WelperHelper99]

Since Steven Universe helped codify media for the "modern audience", would a "modern"/10-20-years-later reboot cancel out the stuff that made it so notable online in the first place? As in a "modern" Steven Universe reboot wouldn't be gay?

Wonder how it will feel for the Tumblr generation to have their childhoods ruined for once.

I mean the reason reboots went "make it gay and put a chick in it" is that for the most part is that the original creators either checked out or died, and corporate just handed it off to the new hires. I don't think any of the SU staff is even 50 yet. They probably would just pick up where they left off in 10-20 years.

 

[The_Bladder_Splatter]

Since Steven Universe helped codify media for the "modern audience", would a "modern"/10-20-years-later reboot cancel out the stuff that made it so notable online in the first place? As in a "modern" Steven Universe reboot wouldn't be gay?

For me, my main fear is that Steven Universe will most likely have a sequel or a spinoff sequel, we have to remember that Future ended up in a somewhat open road for a new story and when it eventually does happen the horrible fandom that was created will become active once more and i really don't want that shit to come back

 

[Coo Coo Bird]

While stuff like SuperWhoLock, Homestuck and the Onceler fandom did define Tumblr's identity early on, they aren't what Tumblr used to "change the Internet", if that makes any sense.

I feel like Homestuck left a legacy of fans that don't seem to actually enjoy media so much as they making elaborate headcanons about it. "I'm going to draw Rose morbidly obese and black and if you can't recognize her you're just racist!"

And Supernatural definitely had a legacy in spawning the Omegaverse. There are actual Omegaverse novels that people pay money for, it's ridiculous.

 

[Not a bee]

Interesting thread. I am definitely watching. I think it goes deeper beyond SU though, and started with Homestuck/Hetalia.
For any oldfags that remember, Hetalia was a ADHD anime with super short episodes that a shitton of women loved. There was ship wars, fanart, yaoi fanfics, it was nuts. You couldn't turn to anywhere on the Internet without a Hetalia pic being shoved in your face it was that big. Then Homestuck came along, and all of the Hetalia fans who got older now latched onto Homestuck, and it was kind of a start with the whole LGBT+ pandering, different race headcanons (and if you don't imagine this character as a gay black you are racist/homophobic) and then SU happened. I think a lot of HS fans jumped on the SU bandwagon because HS kept taking massive hiatuses and they were bored and needed some new entertainment.
Edit; Jfc I am late with everything I do. Ignore me I suck cocks.

 

[Sprate Header]

Really good write-up. The 2012-2016 time period could always use more analysis imo.

Only things I'd recommend editing are:

• a clarification that Amanda was Shmorky's ex. The first time she was mentioned she wasn't introduced, and idk Shmorky lore so I just had to guess, lol.
• the EFFECTS ON OTHER CARTOONS section could easily have more examples included, at the very least in a spoiler. I come into a thread to learn about Tumblr's cancerous effects on the Internet and the cartoon industry, I don't want to have to go to another thread to actually see those examples, y'know?

Also, will you be posting the other parts as their own threads, or will you just post them as replies to this thread?

 

[The_Bladder_Splatter]

would a "modern"/10-20-years-later reboot cancel out the stuff that made it so notable online in the first place? As in a "modern" Steven Universe reboot wouldn't be gay?

Basically a soft rebooot that focuses on the main story and lore alas what SU should have been?

 

[Garnet123]

Basically a soft rebooot that focuses on the main story and lore alas what SU should have been?

Look at what is happening to Dr Who. It went back to the original showrunner of the first NuWho seasons and he quadrupled down on the rainbow puke (that was present, but to a tolerable degree, during his first run). No doubt a similar thing would happen to a SU reboot if any of the original people involved return, or the reboot is handled by someone who grew up as part of the original SU tumblr fanbase. They would throw out anything resembling a plot and just make it a slice of life romane between gay space rocks.

 

[I_Am_Not_Bruce_Willis]

Also, will you be posting the other parts as their own threads, or will you just post them as replies to this thread?

The other cases will be posted in this thread.

A clarification that Amanda was Shmorky's ex. The first time she was mentioned she wasn't introduced, and idk Shmorky lore so I just had to guess, lol.

Done.

 

[The_Bladder_Splatter]

Look at what is happening to Dr Who. It went back to the original showrunner of the first NuWho sea

Wasn't doomed from the start?, Dr.Who really took a turn during the Eccleston/Tennant era with the whole Torchwood and captain Jack stuff who was a carácter that quite literally fucks everything in front of him and that it may have been the showrunner's self insert knowing how this people are

 

[Not a bee]

MLP was also big during that time, and if I remember correctly, it wasn't pozzed like SU, Dr. Who, etc was. Why is that?

 

[I_Am_Not_Bruce_Willis]

MLP was also big during that time, and if I remember correctly, it wasn't pozzed like SU, Dr. Who, etc was. Why is that?

Probably Hasbro's oversight. At the end of the day the show was still meant to promote a toyline, and back during that transition period for animation Hasbro didn't see any benefit to it. The fanbase on the other hand definitely laid the groundwork for the Troon uprising. Hard to deny that.

 

[Kari Kamiya]

MLP was also big during that time, and if I remember correctly, it wasn't pozzed like SU, Dr. Who, etc was. Why is that?

The Internet wasn't as politically charged back then. The Brony fandom became a cesspool of degeneracy eventually, but they kinda kept that to themselves at the time.

Also women weren't the majority of the fandom anymore, hence why the Brony fandom took on the life it did.

 

[Up3]

The Internet wasn't as politically charged back then. The Brony fandom became a cesspool of degeneracy eventually, but they kinda kept that to themselves at the time.

Also women weren't the majority of the fandom anymore, hence why the Brony fandom took on the life it did.

I remember being 8 watching cupcakes and smilie hd

 

[Space Police]

Hetalia was a ADHD anime with super short episodes that a shitton of women loved. There was ship wars, fanart, yaoi fanfics, it was nuts. You couldn't turn to anywhere on the Internet without a Hetalia pic being shoved in your face it was that big.

Hetalia is keyed because it's a TV show based around countrywars. The only way it would have been better is if it had references to Satoko Houjou and a Mexico character that really really hated Italy and constantly accused people of being obsessed with him.

 

[Aero the Alcoholic Bat]

Their first break-out hit movie in years, Tangled, wasn’t just popular with general audiences, but specifically with the rising demographic of quirky teenage girls.

Characters like Rapunzel, or later on Anna and Elsa from Frozen created a whole new “aesthetic” for this audience to latch onto, and thus Tumblr would grow uber-attached to any quirky female character with a touch of feminism that appeared in the major animated movies of the day. Aesthetic edits of these characters flooded the site, with dedicated blogs being a dime-a-dozen.

One particular thing I’ve noticed about girls on the Internet is that they love to be goofy and quirky. As in they often follow the character templates set by characters like Rapunzel or Anna, for example.

Which I find ironic, because it sounds somewhat similar to the manic pixie dream girl, a stock character that's been criticized by feminists for being sexist or reductive of women somehow.

Being "quirky" is a form of trying too hard. Trying too hard to be cute (or "adorkable," if you're male). It's also a cheap, yet ineffective way to disguise an obnoxious or even outright repulsive personality.

Vivziepop also employs this trope when trying to make Lucifer seem like the good guy in Hazbin Hotel, as in, he was kicked out of heaven for being "quirky" and too much of a free spirit for other angels' tastes, even though anyone who knows anything about theology at all knows that Lucifer was a power hungry asshole and demagogue with daddy issues.

Or Jeffrey Marsh, who still labors under the delusion that he got his ass beat by his father, and his school bullies, because they were mad at him for being too "quirky" or "too much" or too "extroverted" for their tastes, even though it's far more likely that they hated him for being an obnoxious sex pest from an early age.

 

[harmy.kook]

I forced myself to finish it for sunk cost fallacy sake. It was interesting at its core. It just had a lot of bullshit it didn't need strapped on. And yes it ruined the internet. People took it as gospel in a sense. I saw it, and honestly looked at it as a interesting artistic exercise that got too big, and a FANDOM that got out of control. You didn't even bring up the girl that got nearly bullied into suicide because she drew Rose skinny. That was PEAK SJW hours if you ask me, and when the internet really started decending into madness.

Oh definitely.

That's not even talking about the more meta things that came out.

You know the typical stuff: the gay drawings by Rebecca, the Nicki Minaj Cameo that just... Yeah, etc

 

[WelperHelper99]

Oh definitely.

That's not even talking about the more meta things that came out.

You know the typical stuff: the gay drawings by Rebecca, the Nicki Minaj Cameo that just... Yeah, etc

SU had a good concept. Ailen space rock warriors that got stuck here basically after fighting a war against the Empire. That was the coolest part to me always. The war shit. Instead of focusing on that it got gay, focused way too hard on relationships, and yeah celebrities and shit. Not to mention the meta like leaked drawings of gay seggs, like just weird ass shit. Like you could have just focused on the war shit, sprinkle the relationships in lightly, have the occasional emotional episode, and that would have solved 90% of the problems. Also go to a 22 minute episode format. Fuck short episodes.