Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever

Guest

15 reasons Mr. Rogers was best neighbor ever

1. Even Koko the Gorilla loved him. Most people have heard of Koko, the Stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in American Sign Language, and understand about 2000 in English. What most people don't know, however, is that Koko was an avid Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fan. As Esquire reported, when Fred Rogers took a trip out to meet Koko for his show, not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him, she did what she'd always seen him do onscreen: she proceeded to take his shoes off!

2. He made thieves think twice. According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, "If we'd known it was yours, we never would have taken it."

3. He watched his figure to the pound. In covering Rogers' daily routine (waking up at 5 a.m.; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family; studying; writing, making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him; going for a morning swim; getting on a scale; then really starting his day), writer Tom Junod explained that Mr. Rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life. He didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't eat the flesh of any animals, and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine.

4. He saved both public television and the VCR. Strange but true. When the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969, the relatively unknown Mister Rogers went to Washington. Almost straight out of a Frank Capra film, his 5-6 minute testimony on how TV had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed. While the budget should have been cut, the funding instead jumped from $9 to $22 million. Rogers also spoke to Congress, and swayed senators into voting to allow VCR's to record television shows from the home. It was a cantankerous debate at the time, but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family.

5. He might have been the most tolerant American ever. Mister Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, "God loves you just the way you are."

6. He was genuinely curious about others. Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he'd often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn't concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others. And it wasn't just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec's house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host). On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver's home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life. Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life.

7. He was color-blind. Literally. He couldn't see the color blue. Of course, he was also figuratively color-blind, as you probably guessed. As were his parents, who took in a black foster child when Rogers was growing up.

8. He could make a subway car full of strangers sing. Once while rushing to a New York meeting, there were no cabs available, so Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, and they assumed they wouldn't be noticed. But when the crowd spotted Rogers, they all simultaneously burst into song, chanting "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood." The result made Rogers smile wide.

9. He got into TV because he hated TV. The first time he turned one on, he saw people angrily throwing pies in each other's faces. He immediately vowed to use the medium for better than that. Over the years he covered topics as varied as why kids shouldn't be scared of a haircut, or the bathroom drain (because you won't fit!), to divorce and war.

10. He was an Ivy League dropout. Rogers moved from Dartmouth to Rollins College to pursue his studies in music.

11. He composed all the songs on the show, and over 200 tunes.

12. He was a perfectionist, and disliked ad libbing. He felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out.

13. Michael Keaton got his start on the show as an assistant. He helped puppeteer and operate the trolley.

14. Several characters on the show are named for his family. Queen Sara is named after Rogers' wife, and the postman Mr. McFeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult, and reminded young Fred that he made every day special just by being himself. Sound familiar? It was the same way Mister Rogers closed every show.

15. The sweaters. Every one of the cardigans he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother.

Farm Land Owner Number of posts : 1369 Location : Virginia

Thanks, Susie! I always liked Mr. Rogers but as I child I really disliked his puppets! They scared me. Blue

I also have a sweater that zips up and every time I zip it up I think of Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever Hollykeeper

Subject: Re: Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:31 am

I love that Susie----I have a book on him, but I've never heard a lot of these facts. He was quite an amazing person! I love #2 :haha: Although I never watched Mr. Rogers neighborhood often as a child, I really grew to admire him as an adult. When he spoke, you listened.

Here's his lifetime acceptance speech from 1997. Just beautiful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upm9LnuCBUM

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

~Mother Teresa

Guest

Your welcome. Cool

Thats a great video Amy.

Subject: Re: Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:10 pm

Undoubtedly, Mr. Rogers represented the best in humanity.

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Guest

I loved Mr. Rogers as a child. I came across it on tv not to long ago too and stopped to put it in. My kids all asked who that was and my youngest stopped and watched the little puppets on tv. I was sad to hear they were taking this off the air. It really is one of those timeless classics that should never leave tv.

Guest

i used to watch that when i was a lil kid!

Subject: Re: Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:07 pm

my mom used to make me and my sister watch Mr. Rogers everyday when we were at home. i didn't like it when i was little. now i can tolerate it. those were very interesting. great video Amy.

I want to be the best, so whatever comes with that, I’ll have to accept. ~Sidney Crosby
Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever Cute-2

Little House Lady Number of posts : 2761

Cool. I hadn't known the majority of those facts about him, thanks for posting!

Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever ChristinaKeeper2

Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever 10bChristina

"It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong."

Subject: Re: Mr. Rogers: best neighbor ever Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:41 am

Christina!! It's good to see you! Wave

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

~Mother Teresa

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