Mr Rogers passing...

[mama2be]

I just feel like I need to acknowledge Mr Rogers and his passing. I think he died the day before I went into labor and remembered I wanted to put a little tribute to him here but it was late at night when I heard the news. I know that was two weeks ago but today I was driving in the car and just really thought about him and hoped that his show will be played forever so that Tristan will know he was and what a great man he was for so many decades.

[Rachels]

I totally agree! Here's the text of an email my cousin sent out after his death:

I ask that at least once today you raise your peanut butter and jelly
sandwich, with the crusts cut off (duh!), and make a toast to my John Lennon
of American children's television:

To the man who sat in a living room colored with shades of pea green and
puke orange, and never once acted depressed.

To the man who taught me how to tie my shoes the easy way (You know, the two
bows... Stop giggling! Ya wanna take this outside?)

To the man who made bo-bos and matching cardigans look cool (Who knew?).

To the man who made PBS look cool (sorry, Captain Kangaroo).

To the man who never sold out by refusing to buy a big purple dinosaur suit
and sing like he had just finished off a helium balloon. His voice was just
peachy keen, gee whiz, thank you very much.

My only regret is that he never made an instructional video called "How To
Be a Decent Human Being, Tie Your Shoes the Easy Way, Dress Way Before Your
Time, Carry a Tune, Build a Magical Train, Teach Lessons With Puppets, Make
Money While Remaining Fully-Clothed and Still Have Millions of People
Remember You".

He was a true original, an alternative to brain candy and the subtle rebel
of pop culture. I would have liked to be his neighbor and I will miss him
like I miss my Atari.........

Does someone have a tissue?



-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[sweetbasil]

Thanks for that reminder...
That night on the nightly news, he was remembered at the end of the program, and Kellen looked up from playing and watched the whole segment. Kellen started talking about how he loved Mr. Rogers, and how he comes to our house and plays and sings with him, and I just teared up. Bless his little heart- Mr. Rogers was a big part of my television-watching as a little girl, DH as a little guy, now and for our little boy to have "known" him to is just so special....

[alkagift]

I completely agree, it was a stunner for those of us kids who remember him so well. I was thinking about him last week and it occurred to me, after sitting through daytime TV while I was sick, that TV for children doesn't seem to use adults as leaders anymore, with perhaps the exception of Sesame Street. Adults are definitely secondary--Zoom, Arthur, teletubbies, Barney (eek--not an adult, to my mind) Caillou (can you tell I don't have cable?), Clifford, etc. Adult role models are either in the background, gone all together, or not "real", if you know what I mean. Is this a bad thing, a sign of the times? It seems sad that kids on these shows seem to learn so often from themselves on their own, not from example. I'd be interested in what current moms think!

Allison
Expecting #1 5/27/03

[juliasdad]

> Does someone have a tissue?

I'll make sure Mr. McFeely gets one to you via Speedy Delivery.

Thanks, Fred Rogers, from the bottom of my heart. You'll be sorely missed.

-dan

[ddmarsh]

I haven't heard it yet myself but my sisters tell me there is a great episode in the This American Life archives website involving Mr. Rogers. They both have said they thought this was one of the best episodes ever.

Debbie

[mama2be]

Oh Rachel thanks for sharing this...how beautiful and sweet!!!
Goose bumps and little tears over here!!!

[mama2be]

Allison,

I never looked at it this way but you are so correct!!!

Mr Roger's is not replaceable either is he???...there is no one out there like him, and you couldn't help but expect his golden image to be tarnished some how but he never let us down it never was...

[juliasdad]

Wow- interesting observation!! You're right... when I was growing up, there was plenty of adult-led children's TV. Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, Electric Company, Captain Kangaroo, The Magic Garden, etc., etc. Sure, they all had puppets, cartoons, etc. But they were all "anchored" by adults as central figures in the shows. Hard to find now.

Why is this? My guess is that it's all about money. The majority of mass-market America (sorry for the US-centric post) will tune to the shows that are most likely to keep their kids captivated the longest. And kids are bound to be more interested in funny-looking animated things rather than something that's not too different from their everyday experience.

Look at our food markets and the proliferation of heavily-processed, sugar/salt/MSG-laden foods. Same problem. We've confused what our kids will naturally gravitate towards, with what is actually good for them. The path of least resistance makes all men, and some rivers, crooked.

-dan

[flagger]

Fred Rogers believed that children in fact never changed. It was the world around them that had sped up to the frantic pace of quick cuts, blasting music, or singing dinosaurs or Tele-tubbies. There was a definite change in every show between the world of make believe and the real world, and you could only get there by taking the Neighborhood Trolley.

I was having lunch today, and I turned on an episode from 1984. I can remember how as the credits rolled and the camera pulled back through "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" always thinking Mr. Rogers lived or worked in the red building the camera always pointed to at the end.

I know several who can remember specific episodes (from 20 years ago) on how he dealt with death, or the tours he led the viewers on through factories or dairies. He never talked down to children yet spoke in a language they could understand. Ask people who grew up with Barney if they can remember certain episodes or had their souls touched in the way Mr. Rogers was able to reach them.

[mama2be]

Dan,

Your post makes me think also...a lot easier to sell a billion purple stuffed dinosaurs then a Mr Green Jeans doll...Money money money...don't you think???

[nigele]

I was so sorry when I heard of Mr. Rogers' death. How very sad the world has lost such a wonderful person.

[egoldber]

It was very sad to hear about Mr Rogers. My DH especially mourned since he grew up watching Mr Rogers and I am chagrined to admit that I did not. My family really wasn't a PBS kind of family.

But (and I can't believe what I am about to write) I feel compelled to defend Barney! While Barney is not an adult, there are numerous positive adult role models that play recurring roles on the show. His messages are very sweet (we should all love each other, take the time to be a good friend, share, learning is fun, etc.). I was VERY anti-Barney in my pre-Sarah days, but since making the decision to include some TV in her daily activities, I am glad that Barney is available. To be honest, I am NOT that impressed with Sesame Street. The characters on the show are loud, are often mean to each other and yell at each other. While I know that someday Sarah will be exposed to mean, loud children, that day does not have to be today.

Barney does deal with many issues that affect today's children: divorce, physical handicaps, and the trauma of ordinary childhood, like falling and skinning your knee. People wonder why Barney is so popular, and it is because it is a quality show that children adore. Do they milk the Barney name for every dollar they can get? Well sure. But hasn't Sesame Street done the same thing for decades?

I guess I have a personal fondness for Barney. It was during the universally despised "I Love You" song that for the very first time Sarah turned to me and gave me her first spontaneous hug. If nothing else, I will always remember Barney for that. We LOVE the "I Love You" song in this house!

I am purple, hear me roar! :)

[MartiesMom2B]

Sniff Sniff. Pregnancy Hormones going into overdrive.

I too grew up with Mr. Rogers, and remember dumping out the remainders of a milk carton to make a project that I saw Mr. Rogers make. OK so Mom wasn't happen with me, but I made a really cool house. Mr. Rogers was the best and was very soothing. The best part was when he took factory tours, such as the Crayola plant - which I just happily learned gives factory tours to everyone.

I hold my PB&J sandwich triangle up high for my favorite neighbor.

Sonia
EDD 4/14/03

[ddmarsh]

I wholeheartedly agree with your pro-Barney stance Beth :). I was actually quite disappointed that DS#3 did not adore him as #1 and #2 did. Is he corny? Sure. Is he wonderful in many ways? Just as certain. I actually have many problems with Disney and the way that "adult" jokes are thrown into the mix; with Barney you get wonderful messages, catchy songs (ok perhaps mostly remixing old favorites) and a great purple friend :). I will never forget taking the older two to see him live and I actually cried (not sobbed, but tears came to my eyes) when he came out on stage because I knew how thrilled they were - he was even surrounded by swirling dry ice :).

Debbie

[kapow]

I raise my cup of tomato soup to Mr. Rogers. I can remember specific episodes from my own childhood, and I hope that there will be Mr. Rogers in syndication for my own children.

I hope that we do not live in a world where another Mr. Rogers cannot exist on television because he won't sell dolls and lunchboxes!

[MartiesMom2B]

Mr. Rogers is in syndication at PBS. Even though he retired a couple of years ago, his show will continue!

Sonia
EDD 4/14/03

[kapow]

Fabulous! I hope there is some sort of chronological order to the episodes shown, otherwise it could get confusing - one day Mr. Rogers is dark-haired, the next day grey, then back again! :)

[egoldber]

Even though, his show is "available" on syndication, it is the option of a particular station whether or not to air the show. He is not available on my channel.

[murkycoffee]

This discussion group has been very helpful for us, but this is the message thread that brought at least me out of "lurking mode."

Mr. Rogers was my hero... so much so, that I registered "mrrogers.org" the day of his passing so I can create an informal fan-memorial site there.

Also, GREAT article on Esquire Magazine Online about Mr. Rogers. Go to http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2003/030227_mfe_rogers.html

Read the eulogy first, and then read the article itself. He was an absolutely amazing guy. If I can be half the man that he was...

[mama2be]

I love the name Madelaine (did I spell it correctly)...please de lurk and join us, and we have a calander of EDD dates going in the "Lounge" and archived on one of the recent pages...please add madelaine to it if you would like!!!