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In the CreativiTator Spotlight:
Fred "Mr." Rogers
“Hi, My name is Bob, and Mister
Rogers makes my flesh crawl.”
Author
Bob Garfield mentions in the forward to his 1996 book Mister
Rogers’ Neighborhood—Children, Television and Fred Rogers,
that this was his quip to people for almost 25 years when the
topic of Mr. Rogers was brought up. Garfield goes on to
recount how he set out to cure his pristine little girls (ages 7
and 11) from the “Neighborhood’s” influence by watching the then
“hip” show, Ren & Stimpy. After all, he said, “Didn’t
yesterday’s Mister Rogers’ kids ripen to become a generation of
teenagers that is impregnating, shooting, and selling drugs to
one another in unprecedented numbers?”
But
finally, after a quick half hour of Ren & Stimpy, and the
girls laughing themselves silly over the gross-out humor, Bob
had his epiphany! “…Mister Rogers is not the puppet king’s
insufferable wimp alter ego. He’s an endocrinological wonder
drug, restoring metabolic balance to our entire culture … While
it may be true that the first generation weaned entirely on
Mister Rogers is the most dysfunctional in American history,
there’s no telling how much worse off things might have been
without him.”
When I
think about all the amazingly talented and creative people we
are presenting on this website for your consideration, one
individual stands out above them all. He has been with me since
my earliest memories of childhood. And unlike so many, whose
public persona/character was different from their private one,
here is a person who was consistent all the way through. This
is a gift, something precious. I cannot say enough about Mr.
Rogers. And I am grateful that many others saw his worth both
when he was alive and after his passing in 2003. Thankfully we
have over 900 television shows and countless books, articles
etc…that can be viewed, read and examined to set an example for
all of us. He was a special neighbor.
Jim Henson
was all about the puppetry—pushing the craft to the outer
boundaries and beyond. At the same time Henson was doing this,
Fred Rogers was also using puppets. But for him they were
merely a tool—one of many he used to communicate the things that
he cared about. Fred was destined to not just make a children’s
show but to fulfill a mission. He was the original person to
not want “any child left behind.” He determined that if any
child watched his show, even if they did not hear it from their
own family or people they encountered in their every day lives,
they would hear at least from one person that they are unique
and special—they would come away with the feeling that they are
worthy of being loved.
In his
nearly 50 years in television, Mister Rogers had a burden to
help as many people as he could to feel loved and special. And
he was not just an on-air persona. Mister Rogers, was by all
accounts, the same gentle, kind, and caring individual off
screen as well. In his later years he received many accolades,
including The Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Lifetime
Achievement Emmy, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the
George Foster Peabody Award. And because Mister Rogers
practiced what he preached, he would silence the cynics and the
critics.
Around the
times of his retirement in 2001 (shortly before the September 11th
attacks) and his death in 2003, Mister Rogers received high
praise from varied and unexpected sources—including Salon
Magazine and Esquire.
Fred Rogers
did not try to be anything other than himself, he did not change
for anybody, but he used all of his resources to help others.
No one is perfect, but Mister Rogers is a refreshing example of
someone who did the best he could and definitely left the world
a much better place for him having been in it.
Growing up,
I loved watching his show and felt part of his neighborhood. I
grew up in a home where I was loved and felt special. Mister
Rogers reinforced that. As I have gotten older, I can
appreciate so much that here was a man who would literally
describe the space between the television and viewer as
“hallowed ground”. And he took his responsibility seriously. I
am so glad he was there for all the people who watched who were
not as blessed as I was.
Tom Junod profiled Fred Rogers for
Esquire magazine in 1998 in an article titled “Can you say …
Hero?” and thus began his friendship with Mr. Rogers. Here, an
excerpt from his eulogy:
Fred Rogers woke up every morning at five o'clock and prayed for
nearly two hours for people he loved. He loved so many
people—and so many people loved him—that I could never imagine
the form his prayers took, but I knew that he prayed for me, and
for my wife, and for members of my wife's family whom he had
never met and whom he knew only through what I had told him in
my phone calls and e-mails.
Click here for more
of the eulogy, and the link to Mr. Junod’s wonderful 1998
profile in Esquire.
A few
comments from celebrities upon Mr. Rogers' passing in 2003, from
the 3-17-03 issue of People Magazine:
Robin
Williams:
“He
sent a wonderful letter saying how moved he was by
[1989’s Dead Poets Society]. He talked about the
power of teaching. After that my wife, Marsha, said
‘Don’t ever make fun of him,’ and I didn’t. He is a
very sweet man. His power with children was that he
never talked down to them.” Robin Williams
LeVar
Burton (Reading Rainbow host on PBS, and star of
Star Trek—The Next Generation):
“…We all struggle for a purpose in the world, and he
knew who he was and why he was here, and he never
deviated from it. ..”
Michael Keaton (1989's Batman, a Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood stagehand in the ‘70s.)
“He
was a very open-minded man. The staff would pull
practical jokes on him, and he loved it. People were
proud to say they worked for Mister Rogers. He was a
genuine dude who is going to stand the test of time.” –
Joan
Rivers
“…Home was a haven when Mister Rogers was there.”
Bob
“Captain Kangaroo” Keeshan
“He
was basically a very shy man. He wasn’t the sort of
fellow who got up and made bold statements about what we
should be doing for children’s television. He did it in
his own way and did it very effectively.”
Al
Roker
“…Mister Rogers’s spirit will always remain with us. There
will never be another like him. I was blessed to know
him and Charles Schulz. They were cut from the same cloth.”
Rip Rense
of The Rip Post website had this to say about Mr. Rogers:
The
worth of the Neighborhood is even found in Eddie Murphy's
hilarious ghetto-ized send-up, Mr. Robinson's
Neighborhood, on Saturday Night Live (which
Fred reportedly enjoyed.) And it's certainly found in the
surprised faces of people on the street, even the young
toughs in New York who recently spotted Fred getting out of
a taxi, and declared, with undisguised awe, "Mister ----ing
Rogers!", as writer Tom Junod reported in his November, 1998
Esquire cover story on Can You Say. . .Hero?
Junod's own reaction to meeting the 70-year-old man with the
tennis shoes and zip-up sweaters (all, including the one
hanging in the Smithsonian, made long ago by his mother)
also suggests the power of the Neighborhood:
"I think the greatest misconception involving Fred is that
he's mild to the point of weakness," said Junod, from his
home in Georgia. "When in fact, he's mild to the point of
great strength. He has one of the most powerful and
commanding presences I've ever been around. His effect on
people is astonishing. His affect on me was astonishing. The
(Esquire) story meant a lot to me, but I was not in a place
I wanted to be, writing-wise. I wasn't feeling the
connection to my work I'm used to. Fred helped me restore
that. He did not deliberately do anything. He does not
proselytize for any position, but there is no question in my
mind but that Fred knew I was in a place I didn't want to
be---and he used his time with me to get me back. He's a
canny guy, that Fred. Watch out for him."
Read
more:
http://www.riprense.com/Mister_Rogers.htm
The
following quote from Fred can be seen in full context on the DVD
Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor. It is part of
Fred's May 1, 1969 testimony before a U.S. Senate committee
considering initial funding for the Public Broadcasting System.
In this clip you can see the amazing power and conviction of a
young Rogers at the beginning of his national influence. He
speaks in his gentle, quiet, and humble manner just as on the
show, but his intensity is breathtaking. And he almost
single-handedly melts the heart of a tough senator and gains
needed money for public broadcasting. “Mister Rogers Goes to
Washington”!
This is
what I give. I give an expression of care every day to each
child, to help him realize that he is unique. I end
each program by saying, 'You've made this day a special day
by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world
like you. And I like you just the way you are.' And I feel
that if we in public television can only make it clear that
feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a
great service.
Fred Rogers
intro on Wikipedia.org:
The Reverend Frederick McFeely Rogers
(March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003) was an
American educator, minister and television
host.
Rogers was the host of the
internationally acclaimed children's
television show Mister Rogers'
Neighborhood, in production from 1968 to
2001. As Mister Rogers, he became an
iconic presence to millions of viewers.
Rogers was also an ordained Presbyterian
minister. Throughout his life, he was a
tireless advocate for the education and
welfare of children.
Ramona Leiter
Be sure
to read the Introduction to this
Creativitators section of Creativity Crossroads
for an
overview of what the term "Creativitator" stands for on this
site.
Links:
Esquire Magazine Eulogy for Fred Rogers
1998 "Can You Say--Hero?" Esquire ten-page article on
Fred Rogers
CNN.Com Eulogy for Fred Rogers
Quotes from Fred Rogers on CNN.com
Fred
Rogers on the Presidential Medal of Freedom website
Extensive
Profile of Fred
Rogers on Wikipedia.org
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Official Home Page
Fred Rogers' Awards and Honors
Family Communications, Inc.
"[FCI is] a nonprofit organization
founded in 1971 by Fred Rogers as the production company for
MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD. We develop projects in all
media, provide education and training for people who work
with young children and consult on issues that affect
families."
The Phenomenal Mister Rogers
1998 Article on the FCI
website honoring the 30th anniversary of Mister Rogers'
Neighborhood
The Fred M. Rogers
Center for Early Learning and Children's Media
Songs
from the Neighborhood website
Home page of the Grammy-winning
recording project in which a dozen contemporary artists
combined to make a CD of songs by Fred Rogers, including
Ricky Skaggs, BJ Thomas, Amy Grant, Roberta Flack, Crystal
Gayle and more.
Books, DVDs, CDs
Books
BOOK: Life's Journeys According to Mr.
Rogers: Things to Remember Along the Way by Fred
Rogers
From Amazon.com:
From
Publishers Weekly
Anyone who misses the soothing presence of children's
television veteran Fred Rogers, host for over 30 years of
Mister Rogers's Neighborhood, will savor the morsels of
wisdom in this collection of his inspirational quotes,
lyrics and anecdotes. The second such collection published
since his death in 2003, the book presents Rogers's thoughts
on such themes as identity formation, relationships and
spirituality. Each page offers a short but profound quote,
capturing the simple eloquence that made him so beloved.
Rogers's wife, Joanna, also contributes an affectionate
foreword in which she reminisces about the show and
describes the solace she still finds in her husband's words.
Rogers's affirming messages, such as "We all have different
gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world
who we are," will make readers want to kick off their shoes,
slip into their sweaters and enter the Neighborhood of
Make-Believe for an afternoon. Readers of all ages will be
inspired by this touching tribute to one of the most
endearing television personalities of all time.
Book Description
Invaluable words of wisdom and sage advice for anyone
embarking on a new journey in life-from the beloved author
of The World According to Mister Rogers red Rogers has been
an enduring presence in American homes for over 30 years as
the beloved host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and his
legacy of comforting, plainspoken advice continues in this
new book. Culled from many of Fred Rogers' never-before
published speeches, books, songs,
BOOK:
The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers:
Spiritual Insights from the World's Most Beloved Neighbor
by Amy Hollingsworth
Amazon.com description:
Tom Brokaw of NBC
Nightly News once said of the American icon Fred Rogers,
"Mister Rogers was an ordained minister, but he never talked
about God on his program. He didn’t need to." Eight years
before his death, Fred Rogers met educator and journalist
Amy Hollingsworth. What started as a television interview
turned into a wonderful friendship that lasted the rest of
his life—and dozens of letters that detailed the force
behind this gentle man of extraordinary influence. Educator?
Philosopher? Physchologist? Minister? Here is an intimate
portrait of the real Mister Rogers. The Simple Faith of
Mister Rogers focuses on his spiritual legacy, but is much
more than that. The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers is about a
man who, to paraphrase the words of St. Francis of Assisi,
"preached the gospel at all times; when necessary, he used
words."
BOOK: I'm Proud of You: My
Friendship with Fred Rogers by
Tim Madigan
From Publisher's Weekly review on Amazon.com: Fred
Rogers, the "gentle icon" of public television's
Mister
Rogers' Neighborhood, taught generations of children and
their parents how to express feelings and relate to others
in a positive way. Rogers was also an ordained Presbyterian
minister who regularly studied the important spiritual
thinkers and shared his faith with an eclectic range of
adult friends. Madigan, a journalist with the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram, became one of those friends after writing
a piece on Rogers and Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) in
1995. Soon Madigan and Rogers were corresponding, and
Madigan reprints here many of their letters and e-mails.
They built a warm, supportive friendship, one that nourished
Madigan through his self-doubt "Furies" and the difficult
death of his dear brother. As Rogers grieved for Madigan's
losses and several of his own, the two taught each other
about the beauty of giving and receiving "unconditional
regard" from a beloved friend. So close did they become that
readers may share Madigan's shock at discovering that Rogers
was gravely ill—too weak for a last visit before his death
in 2003. Even if readers don't feel their day-to-day lives
transformed by this luminous memoir, in times of grief or of
loss they'll know which book on their shelf to turn to.
DVD
DVD:
Fred Rogers -
America's Favorite Neighbor
Amazon.com review:
Writer, producer, puppeteer, songwriter--America's
Favorite Neighbor takes a thorough look at the career of
legendary children's television host Fred Rogers. Produced
for Pittsburgh's WQED, this informative documentary tracks
his rise as floor manager for various NBC programs, such as
Your Hit Parade, to the major awards he received
later in life, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award and
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Along the way, he's seen
launching public TV programs The Children's Corner,
which featured a soon-to-be-famous puppet named King Friday,
and Canada's MisteRogers. The latter, naturally, was
followed by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which made
its national debut in 1968, and would eventually became the
longest running program in PBS history. Hosted by fellow
Pennsylvania native Michael Keaton (Batman), who
worked on his show in the early days, America's Favorite
Neighbor is suitable for all ages, but is geared more
towards adults, particularly parents and educators.
--Kathleen C. Fennessy
CD
Songs from the Neigborhood:
The Music of Mr. Rogers
Amazon.com Reader Review
I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and only
until recently, I didn't realize he had written so many
songs. Sung by a mixed genre of superb vocalists (Roberta
Flack, Amy Grant, BJ Thomas, Donna Summer, etc.), these
songs are as meaningful today as when first written. Unlike
so many of today's "children's" songs (and I use that term
loosely), these still speak wholesome messages, while also
being as hip as anything else currently on the market. My
nieces (ages 5 & 8) loved it. My friends' children (ages 3
thru 9) loved it.
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