Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mr. Rogers was and is a huge positive influence in the lives of small children. His passing away leaves a huge emptiness in the hearts of those who grew up watching him.

In what is all to often a violent and unsure world, Mr. Rogers was the voice of stability and kindness that children could rely on. He always stressed the importance of learning, responsibility, and caring for yourself and others. His kind and gentle demeanor and slow, pronounced way of speaking were absolutely perfect for small kids, making them feel as if they were in the presence of another parent. In fact, Mr. Rogers WAS a kind of third parent to many children, particularly for many during the late 1970s and 1980s, when former at-home mothers were increasingly working outside the home and had less time for them.

Mr. Rogers' greatest legacy was his continuous reminder that he "likes you just the way you are" or "thinks you're great just for being you". This is such an important message for small children who are still forming their ideas about who they are and how they fit into a society that is very often not as kind (and too often, horribly cruel). Individuality and imagination were celebrated gifts.

To this day, I don't have the slightest idea how Fred Rogers came to know children so well, where he got this gift to communicate with them and speak to them on their level. I do know that he is a national treasure who will never be forgotten by millions of people. Mr. Rogers was the ultimate combination of a teacher and a best friend, and is utterly irreplaceable.

One thing that always bothered many people about Mr. Rogers is that he was not believable. Well, the wild thing is that what you see on TV is what you get in real life.

Fred Rogers is the most soft spoken and kindest person you would ever want to meet. What you get is not fake love like in many of today's kid's shows (Barney, to name the most evil one), but true heart from a man who cares.

Mr Rogers is married, has a son, and his son was a bit of a rebel, but you can't deny the man's love for people. I grew up with him. I'm glad I did.

If you don't believe me, just look at the bloopers from his show (Him setting up the tent is the most famous - all he does is laugh).

Never have I seen something that sincere. Never have I thought there's something that could make me cry so hard. Never have I felt so much love from the other side of the TV screen.

A pure kindness.

Never underestimate the power of Public Television. Fred Rogers makes children feel comfortable and loved, even if their home life isn't perfect. They don't really show the oldest episodes on PBS, but even back in 1968, Mr. Rogers was having episodes about difficult topics, one episode from the aforementioned year about the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. One might jeer at Mr. Rogers' style of taking his fancy jacket off and changing into a sweater, or changing from his business shoes into tennis shoes, but it gives the feeling comfort in a weary world.

Fred McFeely Rogers. A brilliant man. In a time when children were largely ignored (and even feared at times by adults) this man had the good sense to realize one simple fact: children are people too! I am 20 years old and I am PROUD to claim that I watched Mr. Rogers every day growing up. All I watched when I was little was Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, and Today's Special. Those were children's shows that made a child feel good. Unlike the wave of horrible children's shows that came in a few years ago (any show ending with -mon comes to mind), these shows were real. Mr. Rogers was real. You could almost believe that he really was your neighbor. He seemed like the kind of man you would see every day. But there was a huge difference: he loved and cared about children. Mr. Rogers has taken a lot of flack for his feelings towards children. How sad is it that feelings such as kindness, love, and sympathy are regarded with suspicion? Despite hundreds of attacks, despite cries of "pedophile" or "child raper", this man never wavered in his beliefs. He never backed down from what he felt was right. Some people (including 1 person on here) have wondered about the origin of the name McFeely. Well, I will tell you. It's not a hidden reference to a supposed desire to "feel" children. McFeely is his middle name, his mother's maiden name, and his maternal grandfather's name. His grandfather was responsible for some of Mr. Rogers' trademark lines: "I like you just the way you are", among others. Some people may know the song "Mr. Rogers" by Korn. Jonathan Winters, the lead singer and songwriter, screams at him "I hate you!" "I wish I never would have watched you" and "child f----r" to name a few. The reason Winters had so much hostility towards him is that as a child when he heard Mr. Rogers' kind words, he thought it meant that if you were nice to people, they would be nice to you. He thought everyone in the world was like Mr. Rogers. Unfortunately, he was wrong, and Winters was molested on many different occasions by a neighbor. Very sad, yes, but he was only projecting his anger onto this kind man. I think even Winters realizes that he really doesn't blame Fred Rogers for what happened to him. In conclusion, I'd just like to say thank you to Fred Rogers for giving so much of yourself to us and asking so very little in return. God bless you, Mr. Rogers, and my prayers go out to his family and friends.