“You’ve made this day a special day, by your just being you. There is no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are.”–Mr. (Fred) Rogers
Fifty years ago, American children were invited to a new neighborhood, one in which they could make some of their first and most lasting friends.
Fred Rogers created Mr. Rogers Neighborhood largely because he didn’t like what he saw on commercial television for children. He saw so much wasted potential in the medium and after some experimentation, he created a niche that is a lasting memory for most American children of the time.
For 895 episodes, he entertained and educated. He provided an example different from most people on the air at the time, particularly most men; he was gentle, friendly, and caring.
Each child watching the show was made to feel as though Rogers was talking specifically to her or him, and that was by design. As was the homey feel of the show, with each episode beginning with Rogers coming into the house, changing his shoes, and donning one of his trademark sweaters, knitted by his mother.
This is a far cry from the adrenaline rush most shows sought, at the time, a trend that persists today.
The show was groundbreaking in a number of ways, from the puppets he used, to the many ways he sought to relieve children’s anxiety and create a space for trust.
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A number of the episodes were designed to relieve children’s fear, particularly of the unknown, or of new experiences, including their first day at school and a trip to a children’s hospital.
The show helped children work through their feelings including the “negative” ones, with songs like “What do you do with the mad that you feel.” He taught them to own, trust, and work though their own feelings.
The show was groundbreaking in a number of ways, from the puppets he used, to the many ways he sought to relieve children’s anxiety and create a space for trust.
One of the biggest risks he took was with the creation of the Officer Clemmons, a recurring character who would appear in 98 episodes. Casting an African-American man as a police officer in 1968 was brave in itself. But in addition, the man who played the officer, Francous Scarborough Clemmons, was gay. Though he could not be out on the show, simply casting a gay man, particularly a gay black man, was a major risk that could have jeopardized the whole show.
Clemmons, who was also an opera singer and founded the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble, and served as Artist in Residence at Middlebury College, recently recounted his experience in a StoryCorps interview. In one iconic scene, Rogers and Clemmons soaked their feet in the water of a small pool in Rogers’ backyard.
The symbolism was powerful. Public pools were a major source of protest and many were segregated in the north as well as the south. In one case, a hotel manager threw acid in his pool to prevent integration. And, as a Presbyterian minister, Rogers well understood the image of him washing and drying Clemmons’ feet. It was a practice Jesus engaged in, one that many Christians continue today.
A very humble man, Rogers would nonetheless receive many awards over his career, including four Emmy awards and an Emmy lifetime achievement award.
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In 1969, Rogers testified before the US Senate Subcommittee on Communications in support of funding for public television. The small amount of money his show required–only $6,000 per episode at the time, allowed for a commercial-free, high quality program to be offered across the country. The cost of commercial television was far higher.
The committee chair, Senator John O. Pastore, was initially skeptical, and knew nothing of Rogers’ work, but by the end of his testimony, stated that he had “goosebumps” and told Rogers “Looks like you just earned the $20 million.” The modest PBS budget went from $9 million to $22 million.
That budget has always remained miniscule, and is under near constant attack, including now. Rogers showed the importance and influence of public funding of the media and the arts.
A very humble man, Rogers would nonetheless receive many awards over his career, including four Emmy awards and an Emmy lifetime achievement award. In 2002, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, by President George W. Bush. The US Senate commemorated his life a year later.
In an over-commercialized world, our children need simple, honest examples like Fred Rogers more than ever.
—A version of this piece also appeared in the Porterville Recorder on February 28th, 2018.
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Photo: Getty Images