upworthy

mister rogers

Joy

In 1997, Fred Rogers had A-listers in tears while receiving his lifetime achievement Emmy

"I never considered myself a TV star. I always thought I was a neighbor who just came in for a visit."

Fred Rogers accepts his Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fred Rogers, known by children of all ages as Mister Rogers, was a gentle, humble man who taught the values of kindness, empathy, creativity, patience, self-worth, and curiosity on television for over 33 years. In 1997, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmy Awards. That night, he demonstrated his trademark humility, also showing that gentle spirits can exude a sense of authority that even the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world respect without question.

The award was presented to Rogers by actor Tim Robbins, three years after the release of The Shawshank Redemption. In his introduction, he referred to Rogers as “the best neighbor any of us has ever had.” He also praised him for “giving generation upon generation of children confidence in themselves. For being their friend. For telling them again and again and again that they are special and that they have worth.”

When Rogers took the stage, he didn’t thank his agent or pat himself on the back for all the hard work he had done. No, he asked the successful people in the room to reflect on the individuals who had helped them achieve their success.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

“So many people have helped me to come here to this night. Some of you are here, some are far away, and some are even in Heaven,” he told the audience. “All of us have special ones who loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are, those who cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life? Ten seconds, I’ll watch the time. Whomever you’ve been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made.”

Without any reservations, the audience, composed of actors, producers, soap opera stars, and talk show hosts, did precisely what Mr. Rogers asked of them, and for 10 seconds, on national TV before an audience of millions, they quietly reflected.

george w. bush, fred rogers, medal of freedom, mister rogers, presidents, bush 2, neighborsPresident George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award to Fred Rogers July 9, 2002via The White House/Wikimedia Commons

He also added that those who helped and encouraged the people in the room to achieve their current status are the ones we should be celebrating. “Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they've made. You know they're the kind of people television does well to offer our world,” Rogers said.

Subtly, Rogers' remarks suggest that he believes television programming has a responsibility to help and encourage people, implying that television doesn’t always live up to these standards. He didn’t call anyone out. He wasn’t preachy. He just highlighted those who make a positive contribution to the world. Few people in entertainment could make that statement to those people but Mister Rogers.

king friday, mister rogers, fred rogers, pbs, children's tv, mister rogers neighborhoodKing Friday XIII and Fred Rogers. via HuffPo/Wikimedia Commons

Rogers concluded his speech with thanks to those who had helped him throughout his career. "Special thanks to my family and friends, and to my co-workers in public broadcasting, Family Communications, and this Academy for encouraging me, allowing me all these years to be your neighbor," he finished, adding, "May God be with you. Thank you.”

Focus Features/Youtube, Representative Image from Canva

A still from Focus Features' "Won't you Be My Neighbor?" documentary trailer (Left). Dad smiling and holding child (right)

Dad and parenting educator Jon Fogel, who goes by @wholeparent on social media, thinks he’s stumbled onto “one of the greatest parenting hack ever,” thanks to Mister Rogers.

In a clip posted to TikTok, Fogel explained how he had recently stumbled upon a study about the effect that “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” had on kids.”

“Kids who watched [the show] for whatever reason, seemed to be more patient, more calm, just more, like, emotionally attuned,” he said.


The study, published on ChildResearch.net, went to to predict that Mister Rogers’ signature soothing teaching style and well known “tools for learning” like curiosity, listening, and caring about one another “will grow even more important as the digital age evolves.”

That certainly seemed to be the case for Fogel, who explained that, like many parents, his kids are normally “bouncing off the walls” when they wake up between 5-6am. However, when he tried the Mister Rogers approach, everything changed.

“I am just going to act. I'm gonna pretend to be Mr. Rogers. I'm gonna speak like Mr. Rogers, like super slow-paced ... I'm just going to be Mr. Rogers…and see what happens to my kids,” he said.

The results were nothing short of magical.

Instead of “tearing up the house,” the kiddos sat in a circle, “patiently playing Lego” and “attentively attuned” to Fogel’s every word as he calmly and slowly asked questions.

Just think if he had worn a cardigan while doing all this.

@wholeparent Am i the only one doing this? Is this just a cheat code? #parenting #parenting101 ♬ Won't You Be My Neighbor? - Mister Rogers

Fogel’s hack quickly got a lot of views online, and many folks who watched the clip agreed this should be a new go-to parenting move.

“The impact of being calm and respectful toward tiny humans is amazing. They’re spongy mirrors. They absorb our energy and reflect it back at us,” one person wrote.

Another added, “Calm and slow, open and non-judgmental, you invite them to share their thoughts with you, they’re happy that you’re listening and paying attention to them.”

One viewer pointed out how Rogers has a special set of rules for talking to children, lovingly dubbed “Freddish” by his team of writers, which meticulously reconstructed language so that young children could understand what was being said to them in a positive way. Just one of the many reasons why the show was such a phenomenon in the children’s programming sector.

Others chimed in with praises of Rogers’ timeless appeal—for kids and adults alike.

“Mr Rogers is very ASMR…I’m 41 and still sing the theme song to my kids,” one parent shared.

Mister Rogers might be known for his educational work with children, but he’s taught many lessons to us "big kids" too, primarily when it comes to effective, compassionate communication. His legacy is a gift that keeps on giving.

Pop Culture

Mr. Rogers described meeting Eddie Murphy in 1982 and it showcases his kind confidence

Letterman asked what he thought of Eddie Murphy parodying him on SNL's "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

Mr. Rogers shared his thoughts on Eddie Murphy with David Letterman.

Few people have earned the amount of genuine, wholesome love that Fred Rogers did. Mr. Rogers made an indelible mark on countless children's childhoods with his goodness, and he even managed to maintain his reputation for being genuinely kind and caring until the end of his life and beyond.

It's a rare feat these days, to live a life in the spotlight and not be outed for some kind of scandal. But Mr. Rogers did and we love him all the more for it.

There are countless qualities that made Mr. Rogers who he was, but one clip from a 1982 David Letterman interview showcases his unique combination of kindness and self-assuredness.


In the clip, Letterman chatted with Rogers for a few minutes about his career, then pointed out that there was a performer in the building who had done imitations of Rogers.

"I just met him a little bit ago," Rogers responded, pulling out a Polaroid photo of himself smiling next to comedian Eddie Murphy.

Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and one of his most popular skits was a parody of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" called "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

By Eddie Murphy standards, the skits were fairly clean, but they referenced some hefty topics such as poverty, racism and gentrification while also playing up certain racial and socioeconomic stereotypes. And they weren't always very kid-friendly (as is the case with many SNL skits).

"How do you react to that?" Letterman asked Rogers. "We talked to Andy Rooney about someone doing an impression of him and he didn't seem too keen on it."

Rogers' response was honest but totally classy.

"Well, some of them aren't very funny," he said. Then he seemed to choose his words thoughtfully: "But I think that a lot of them are done with real kindness in their hearts."

Watch:

People in the comments praised Rogers for being exactly who he was during the interview.

"I love that he seems unfazed that some of the audience are not exactly laughing with him... or that Dave would ask him some baiting questions. The man is so comfortable in his own skin that he cares not what others think or say. One of the many reasons he was such a wonderful role model for us kids. A truly wonderful human being." – @OldSaltyBear

"After watching this interview, I just realized what you see on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is basically him, he wasn't acting or trying to be someone else just for the show, that was him. Fred Rogers was Fred Rogers on and off the show. Such genuineness, it definitely, and exponentially, multiplies the kindness he shows on the show." – @arisketch9247

"Mr Rogers was truly the odd man out. Just a wonderful human being. I was never a fan of Letterman but I think he wanted this interview to go different. I’m not sure the exact intent but Mr Rodgers was just a convicted, sincere and genuine person to want kids to be kids. Even the bad, he wanted them to be true to their feelings and have a safe place to express it. He was the best." – @MurphySullivan

Others shared how much Mr. Rogers meant to them personally:

"I will always appreciate Mr. Rogers because my childhood was one of abuse and violence. Watching an adult talk to me like I mattered and in a calm way was a refuge for me. It may sound corny and dramatic, but it was my reality back in the 80's. He was a blessing and a genuine person." – @jameswhittenburg5299

"That man saved me from my childhood. Abuse surrounded me. There were no good or trustworthy adults I could rely on, but I had Mr. Rogers. I loved him when I was really young, & he taught me things I desperately needed to hear. What a wonderful, wonderful man." – @dshepherd107

"I don't think people realized that Mr. Rogers was actually a foster parent to every child that watched this show. He's still fostering children posthumously. He just had that big of a heart and good spirit. Such a good man. RIP" – @randomsteve7808

It's truly impossible to overstate the impact Fred Rogers had on generations of kids during his lifetime, and thanks to the miracle of television, his legacy continues to inspire and comfort to this day.

(And if you haven't seen "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," here's a taste:)

Judging by social media posts, one of the most common reactions to Joe Biden's town hall last night was a feeling of calm. Throughout the evening, comment after comment from viewers praised the former vice president's full, coherent sentences (a low bar, but here we are) and detailed policy explanations, with many remarking that they felt a sense of calm wash over them as he spoke.

There was no shortage of comparisons of the two candidates as people flipped back and forth between the two town hall events, with the individual-focused format allowing the contrast between them to be made crystal clear.

And oddly enough, one of the most apt comparisons came in the form of a remarkable self-own from a senior adviser on Trump's campaign team. In response to someone complaining that Savannah Guthrie asking tough questions of the president was "badgering," Mercedes Schlapp responded, "Well @JoeBiden @ABCPolitics townhall feels like I am watching an episode of Mister Rodgers Neighborhood."


Aside from the misspelling of Mister Rogers' name, the tweet could not have been more spot on. The baffling thing was that Ms. Schlapp apparently intended for the comparison to be an insult. Umm, has she ever actually watched Mister Rogers' Neighborhood? Does she know that Mister Rogers was and is a beloved America icon? Is she aware of the incredible gift that this tweet was to the Biden campaign?

Mister Rogers embodied decency and goodness, epitomized what it means to be a man of character, and established his legacy by genuinely connecting with people of all walks of life. Who he was in his show was who he was in real life, according to everyone who knew or worked with him. He's famous for is compassionate authenticity.

Perhaps Ms. Schlapp was trying to imply that the Biden town hall was boring? But the thing is, Mister Rogers wasn't boring—he was soothing. He captured the hearts and imaginations of countless Americans during his decades on television. And got people's attention—even small children—without flashiness or outrageousness, but with true kindness and genuine joy.

Americans have grown weary of chaos and bullying and incoherent ranting. An episode of Mister Rogers is exactly the feeling tens of millions of us crave right now.

And it's not as if Fred Rogers only appealed to children. When he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmy's, he made audience members tear up, not just with what he said, but with 10 seconds of silence in which he asked people to think about the people in their lives who had "loved them into being" and made them who they are.

At the same time, Rogers' example to children shouldn't be overlooked. Many Americans yearn to return to a time when the president, regardless of party, was someone we could let our kids watch without having to follow it up with a lesson on how not to behave.

Mister Rogers wasn't just calm and compassionate—he exuded a selflessness and generosity of spirit that was palpable. He shared his feelings and was very personal in his interactions, but he didn't make things about him. He made everything about us.Some might claim the comparison was meant to be about the town hall hosts and not the candidates, but in the words of Joe Biden, "Come on, man." The reality is that Biden's town hall felt like a Mister Rogers' episode because it was a civilized event with a civilized candidate. If Trump hadn't spent four years peddling piles of untruths and coddling conspiracy theorists, he wouldn't have to be confronted about his untruths and retweeting of conspiracy theories. You make the bed, you have to be willing to lie in it.

Considering the name misspelling and the obvious misstep in trying to use Mister Rogers or his show as any sort of insult, it seems clear that some folks on the Trump team could use a little more Fred Rogers in their lives.

Then again, considering the fact that Fox News called Mister Rogers "evil" once and claimed that his telling kids they were special just the way they were just made kids feel "entitled," sitting someone with a skewed sense of reality down to binge watch Mister Rogers episodes might not do any good. You can lead a horse to water, etc.

The point is that the tweet backfired spectacularly, since it showed that either 1) The Trump campaign is so out of touch with American culture that they think a comparison to Mister Rogers is in any way a negative, or 2) The Trump campaign is so inept that they just highlighted how a conversation with Joe Biden elicits the same calm, compassion and reassurance as one of America's most beloved heroes.

Either way, ouch.

P.S. Biden also stayed long after the cameras were off to talk to people who didn't get a chance to ask their questions—very Fred Rogers-like. That's what a being good neighbor and a good president looks like.