
The Fred Rogers We Know - anarbadalov
https://hazlitt.net/longreads/fred-rogers-we-know
======
DonaldPShimoda
I recently watched the biography, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"

I can remember watching Mister Rogers on TV a bit when I was younger, but only
through reruns (I'm a child of the '90s), and not very regularly. Until
recently, he was a faint memory in the back of my mind. He comes up now and
again when there are terrible events (as the article mentions), but I wouldn't
say he was a defining figure in my early development.

After seeing the movie, I can only wish that I had had more of him and his
show in my life. He was truly dedicated to producing _emotionally_ educational
television for children. I think we could do with more of that these days.
Children's shows just aren't what they used to be.

I think I'd give the biography a 9 out of 10. Not because it's some incredible
feat of cinematic achievement, but because the message is so crucially
important. Do yourself a favor and go see it.

~~~
swyx
one really has to wonder why he had to fight for 20 million dollars for
children. CHILDREN! do we not care about our kids?

it would be a fun stat to track government spending on military vs children. i
dont even want to know the results.

~~~
zaccus
Lately it almost seems like there's a competition to see who cares the least
about children. As though giving any thought to their well being is some kind
of unwarranted "won't anyone think of the chidren?!" hysteria.

Toddlers are being arbitrarily kidnapped and kept in cages, and 40% of this
country just shrugs it off. Your comment is being downvoted without rebuttal.
Etc. Etc.

~~~
jpfed
Not caring shows toughness, in their minds.

“Welzer further describes that Nazism even managed to incorporate an
individual’s struggle with deeds into their frame of reference. They knew that
what they were doing was immoral on some level but it was framed in a way
where an individual who struggled with what they had to do and did it anyway
was perceived as a “real man” because he would put the good of the people’s
community over his own feelings.”

[https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8si6x5/monda...](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8si6x5/monday_methods_the_children_will_go_bathing_on/)

~~~
JackCh
Putting the good of the community before your personal comfort is not a trait
unique to Nazis. Anybody who doesn't commit tax evasion is doing it. What made
the Nazis unique was their particular notion of what constituted _" good for
the community"_.

------
hapnin
I'm a child of the 60s/early 70s who grew up watching Fred Rogers. My
environment was hell as a child. His show was a small counterbalance. Every
little bit helps.

~~~
8bitsrule
I'd guess that his model of thoughtful kindness and calmness helped many kids
(without any such neighbors) sense that alternatives to their emotional
environment existed. And that they could hold onto their inner authorities.

------
jason_slack
There is a book coming out in September:

[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419727729/ref=ox_sc_sfl_t...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419727729/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_31?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)

(not affiliated, etc)

Watching Mr. Rogers growing up really helped me handle tough situations
growing up. It may sound weird but I remain calm, under pressure, under
crisis, etc. I try to remind people of the positives the have and to work
through the negatives without spreading negative energy.

Edit: I didn't realize the documentary was still in theaters! That is my plan
for tonight then...

------
aklemm
Mister Rogers' interactions with other people are the purest and most kind
I've ever witnessed, so I pondered for a long time how it is that he could be
so humane and kind. Finally I realized the whole thing comes from his ability
to take others for exactly who they are in those moments.

~~~
wongma
He took his Christian faith very seriously and that heavily influenced his
worldview and treatment of others.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus in the book of Mark 12:30-31

~~~
glial
And Rogers had his own related message: "Love your neighbor and love
yourself."

------
emptybits
Big Fred Rogers fan here. I saw "Won't You Be My Neighbor" in a theatre last
week and it cemented my belief that his love and dedication to childhood
development is just as necessary today as it was in the 60s and 70s when I
watched it. Balance for the "animated barrages" of amusement, as Rogers called
them.

So does anyone know how to view/buy/rent a large (complete?) collection of all
those wonderful old episodes? I would like to re-watch these with young family
members. I'd happily buy a big Blu-ray or DVD set but I didn't see such a
thing available on PBS' site.

~~~
s4vi0r
Seasons 1-7 are available on Amazon, though I don't know if that covers all of
them or not.

~~~
sekh60
It does not unfortunately, there are 31 seasons.

------
acjohnson55
Having just watched "Won't You Be My Neighbor?", it's really interesting to
read this piece. It overlaps the content of that documentary, but also
explores other parts of Rogers' story that weren't covered in the film.

It's a really touching movie. I came away struck by the quiet radicalism of
Rogers' mission to simply validate other human beings, especially children. He
seemed to have honed the ability to climb the wall we put up to protect
ourselves once we learn that we're on our own in this world, as that world
invariably let's us down by ignoring us and invaliditating our dignity.

------
ada1981
I got a chance to see this in NYC at the Directors Guild with a q&a with the
author afterward.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Jeff Erlanger in the film. He was a friend
from when I was in grad school at Wisconsin - really a lovely soul.

~~~
da02
How did you get in? Are you a director or was it open to the public?

~~~
ada1981
I was a guest of a member of the directors guild. My friend is a director and
regularly invites me. It’s always a good time.

*My original post should say director, not author.

------
seoguru
I'm Seeing Mr. Rogers pop up quite a bit recently.

Reminds me of a srsly good podcast episode about Mr. Rogers:
[https://srslywrong.com/podcast/ep-131-the-genius-of-mr-
roger...](https://srslywrong.com/podcast/ep-131-the-genius-of-mr-rogers/)

------
gwbas1c
My daughter loves Mr. Rogers. We don't watch him very often, though. There are
only about 15 episodes available through Google Play. (Nothing on Netflix or
Amazon.)

I really wish there were more episodes available. She finds him captivating.

~~~
throwawayjava
There are 7 seasons available on Amazon (free with prime):

[https://www.amazon.com/Mister-Rogers-Neighborhood-
Volume-1/d...](https://www.amazon.com/Mister-Rogers-Neighborhood-
Volume-1/dp/B004BZG1MG)

And there are a ton on PBS Kids for free:

[http://pbskids.org/video/mister-rogers/](http://pbskids.org/video/mister-
rogers/)

~~~
ngokevin
Probably YouTube has tons of them as well.

------
newswriter99
"This is an article about Fred Rogers."

(inserts random paragraph about incels, misogyny and the fear of being shot at
for being a woman)

Talk about a big-lipped alligator moment.

~~~
klenwell
Not sure what a "big-lipped alligator moment" is, but I thought the writer
tied it all together pretty lucidly in the discussion about competing models
of masculinity. Also this:

> Visiting the archives of Canada’s public broadcaster this past May was more
> complex than usual due to increased security in the building. Five days
> after Alek Minassian had killed ten people and injured multiple others by
> driving a white van through a crowd, Canadaland reported that a post had
> appeared on the Incels.me message board with the subject, “[Serious] our
> next task: shooting up CBC headquarters.”

Rogers (I learned from this article) got his start on the CBC.

~~~
stormbrew
I don't really know how the GP thinks it applies, but a big lipped alligator
moment is a term that originated from a review of the movie All Dogs Go To
Heaven about a scene that is basically irrelevant to the plot or emotional
development of the characters and is literally just a musical number starring
a big lipped alligator.

~~~
akhilcacharya
Originally coined by a Nostalgia Critic episode. Surprised to see it
referenced on HN.

------
pandasun
"men who make up the misogynistic online subculture"

Where in the world did this come from in an article about Fred Rogers? The
author sounds unstable. What a loaded article.

