Did Mr. Rogers Ruin Our Values? A TVLine IM Debate
Louis: I was definitely afraid of the sock puppets, like the kitty that Mr. Rogers voiced using a sly grandmotherly drawl. Who signed off there? You know McFeely was on the fence about that.
Julie: Another side note: Mr. McFeely still makes appearances around town in costume. He's pretty much Pittsburgh royalty.
Louis: WHAT! Does Lady Elaine Fairchild make any regular visits to a dermatologist for that effed-up rosacea?
Julie: Well, Fred voiced her too so maybe that's what she was so creepy.
Louis: Oh, right, Fred had a hand in all of them. (S.O.S., my puns). Anyway: We're doing a poor job of defending Fred right now. Look, FoxSnooze, the "You're Special" shtick was a way of getting at an energizing message -- that you have an imagination you can explore. And when I started imagining I could mock whoever I wanted, it turned into a world of make-believe now known as Movieline. My dream was not deferred.
Julie: <3. It's just a classic straw man argument. I don't think anybody actually believes this but blogs/news outlets/we are recirculating it because it is completely ridiculous. Mr. Rogers was more positive than Oprah. Are we going to start writing thesis papers on how she screwed up middle-aged women's self-esteem?
Louis: Julie, you have to wait ten years to say something like that! I'm already writing: "Did the Trolley Give Me Unreal Expectations About Where I Could Ride My Big-Wheel?" Getting Murdoch on the dial now. Take us home, Miller.
Julie: Instead of threatening anyone else who besmirches Fred Roger's good name, I think it's best we end with Mr. Rogers' own words: "Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people." Call me lame, but I believe that.
Louis: Point, The Neighborhood. Thanks for the press release from HQ, Julie.
Julie: Always.
Blame It on Mr. Rogers: Why Young Adults Feel So Entitled [WSJ]
Pages: 1 2
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
My kids loved Mr. Rogers because he had a quieting effect on them after they had watched the high-energy Sesame Street. Neither one of them have a sense of entitlement. That trait comes from the parents who give their children everything they want for fear of disappointing them. Parents want their kids to like them so they indulge their every whim. It also comes from parents who feel they should get their children's approval for everything. How many times do we hear parents giving their children a directive and immediately following that directive they ask, "Okay?" (i.e. "Put your toys away,okay?") This conversational pattern tells the kids THEY are in control of everything. Stop blaming Mr. Rogers, folks! The buck stops in your home!
I watched Mr. Rogers as a kid like it was my first chore. I remember the awesome puppets, the trolley, and that he would always put on a cardigan sweater in the opening like it was yesterday. I never found him indulging. He actually pushed tolerance and self-confidence. He never fronted anything commercial besides PBS as far as I knew. He never promoted stuff that was harmful. To me this is the 180 degree angle of parents blaming cartoons and video games for erratic behavior of children. Blaming Mr. Rogers for anything is exactly what is threatening a values system. Sorry, the man was a saint.
I love Mr. Rogers . . . and MovieLine.
The type of "Specialness" Mister Rogers promoted in his show, is that we were all special because there is only one of each and every one of us. Even now at 27 years old this is something I marvel at.... that I am the only one on the planet that is exactly like me, the only one there ever has been or ever will be. And if you believe in the Biblical account of Creation as explained in the book of Genesis, that makes it all the more mind blowing.... not only am I and everyone else one-of-a-kind, but created beings to boot!
Thank you, Mister Rogers :).