If you were to put Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Charles Schultz, Walt Disney, and Fred Rogers in the same category of people who have entertained children and general audiences for generations, Fred Rogers arguably had the most positive and warm impact on them, on and off the screen. In this writer's humble opinion, he was the warmest man I've ever known through television. His pioneering series, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," was a special part of so many lives, including yours truly. It represented a safe place where children (the target audience) could visit and learn, along with characters like the puppet, Daniel the Tiger, and even see an expression of their own anxieties.
Morgan Neville's latest documentary, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, chronicles the life and legacy of Rogers, on and off the screen, from his native Pittsburgh to his background in child psychiatry to becoming an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church to his choice of working through television, beginning at WQED in his native Pittburgh.
What we see or hear on the screen is part of who we become. ~Fred Rogers
He knew that children (including minorities and handicaps) would be influenced and affected by the ever-growing popularity of television, considering how cynical, crude and slapstick many of the shows at the time (and in years to come) were. He radically sought to use television as a means to influence children by helping them understand and grow through the world around them. "I knew there are things in this world I couldn't protect my child from," agrees one parental figure in the documentary.
The show may have been made for children, but it was anything but baby food. (Click here and here.) It's interesting that Neville opens this feature with a home movie of Rogers (also a musician) wondering if "modulation"--that is, the "different modulations of life"--was too complex to explain to children.
What I never really knew (let alone grasped) was how Rogers never shied away from sensitive or difficult topics, such as divorce, death, assassination, grief, and war. Talk about parallels between the real world and this "neighborhood." He remembered what it was like to be a child (e.g., using imagination through hard times) and he made relationships, on and off the screen, by just being himself. Other show performers, like Francois Clemmons (the neighborhood's African-American officer), never really considered the impact that Fred had not on the show until years later. (Clemmons later considered Rogers a father figure.)
I also never knew about the formation of the Public Broadcasting Service, started by President Lyndon B. Johnson but disapproved by succeeding President Richard Nixon. The famous 1969 Congressional hearing featured Rogers' testifying before Senator John Pastore to keep public television on the air.
And I never really considered Rogers' use of silence, compared with rapid-fire TV shows at the time and over the years ("There's a lot of space, but there's no wasted space"). Did I mention he was also a swimmer, and that he dedicated his life to maintaining the same weight of 143. (This became his signature number over the years.) He even tried adult programming for a time with the same philosophies, but eventually came back to the show, with weekly theme cards (a daring move).
His warm and kindly persona also made him an easy target for parody (remember Eddie Murphy's "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood" sketch from SNL?) and ridicule. And let's not forget the urban myths people have made over the years, including the one that claims he was a sniper in Vietnam, and that he wore cardigan sweaters to hide tattoos on his arms. (That's been debunked, as he never served in the army.) There were also claims he was a closeted homosexual, which has also been debunked, agrees Clemmons (who came out as gay in later years).
Rogers was even criticized by news reporters who thought his message was brainwashing children into thinking they could be anything they wanted. Many people were even reportedly "intolerant" towards his notion of tolerance. Rogers reportedly had a difficult childhood, being bullied and pressured to "feel less than you are". This was something else he channeled on his program, regarding the theme of feeling like a "mistake."
His ultimate message (not just as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church) was "love thy neighbor". In other words, a message of inclusiveness and an example of empathy and understanding that said, "I like you just as you are." The show's signature song, "Won't You Be My Neighbor," was once describes by Rogers as an "invitation" to know you are loved, and that you are lovable. It also extends to the importance of remembering those who have helped us in our own lives, and ultimately asking us, "What are you going to do?"
With so many stories of famous celebrities who have fallen from grace in recent months, it's a breath of fresh air to know that Fred Rogers (according to just about everybody who knew him personally) was exactly as you assumed he would be, and then some. Boy, do we need that kind of character and example, more than ever.
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