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Restorers
Restoration in the Land of Make-Believe
The Legacy of Fred Rogers
by
Jonathan Merritt
Other profiles in the Q Legacy Series include
Carl F.H. Henry
,
C.S Lewis
and
Francis Schaeffer
.
-----
In 1965, a thin, soft-spoken man sauntered into Pittsburgh’s WQED, the nation’s first public television station, to pitch a show targeting young children. The concept was simple enough: convey life lessons to young children with the help of puppets, songs and frank conversations. It doesn’t sound like much. That is, until you realize that the man was Fred Rogers, and the program was
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
It's been 10 years since he filmed his last episode, but childhood memories still flood my mind at the mention of his name. The sound of the trolley’s bell reverberates from my past, and the thought of King Friday or Daniel Striped Tiger brings a smile to my face. I can still see him slipping off his jacket and putting on one his cardigans, famously knitted by his mother, Carolyn. He said he was my friend, and I believed him. During my formative years, Mister Rogers and I met often to talk about life, and his gentle candor made him the best neighbor any kid could ask for.
But Rogers was more than a great neighbor or good host; he was a restorer. According to Gabe Lyons in
The Next Christians
, a “restorer” is someone who views the world as it “ought to be.” Faced with the world’s brokenness, restorers are “provoked, not offended.” They work to make the world a better place by “creating, not criticizing” and by “being countercultural, not relevant.” Using this definition, Rogers may be one of the greatest American restorers of the 20th century.
Rogers got into television because he "hated" the medium. During spring break of his senior year in seminary, he encountered television for the first time and what he witnessed repulsed him. “I got into television,” he
recounted
, “because I saw people throwing pies at each other’s faces, and that to me was such demeaning behavior. And if there’s anything that bothers me, it’s one person demeaning another. That really makes me mad!”
In the wake of WWII, when men—many of them veterans—were having trouble expressing their feelings, Fred Rogers recognized that the children of these quiet giants might have problems expressing their emotions. He worried that the type of programming that was becoming normative would create a generation of emotionally-bankrupt Americans.
Faced with the decision to either sour on television itself or work to restore the medium, he chose the latter. He dropped out of seminary and began pursuing a career in broadcasting. Fourteen years later, he would create one of the most beloved American television shows of all time, and one that would shape entire generations of children.
While both the show and its affable host may be easy to caricature, a closer look at “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” uncovers the handiwork of an uncommon artisan. Each show was crafted to meet the psychological and emotional needs of young viewers by delivering what Rogers called “a neighborhood expression of care.” He worked closely with Dr. Margaret McFarland, the administrative director of Pittsburgh's Arsenal Family and Children Center, a division of the University of Pittsburgh's medical school. Before each episode was taped, a team of experts in child psychology would read and discuss the script’s effect on a child’s cognitive and emotional development.
When cameras were rolling, Rogers spoke sincerely about emotions such as trust or anger. When his pet goldfish died, Mister Rogers didn't just purchase a new one; he used the occasion to talk about loss and sadness. Never one to shrink from a difficult conversation, Mister Rogers held the hands of our children as they walked through a
plethora of difficulties
—“Vietnam and Watergate, Chernobyl and Challenger, Ethiopian famine and ethnic cleansing, Oklahoma City and Littleton, Polly Klaas and JonBenet Ramsey.” When the world was grieving and pulling its collective hair out, children found a place of calm and coping alongside a neighbor that would make State Farm jealous.
As I’ve gone back to re-watch forgotten episodes, I’ve noticed a depth I never recognized before. Mister Rogers talked to children like adults, teaching kids to face the world’s brokenness, not shrink back from it. “The world is not always a kind place,’’ he once said. ‘’That’s something all children learn for themselves, whether we want them to or not, but it’s something they really need our help to understand.’’
The dialogue felt so personal that they would
often trigger a verbal response from young viewers
, a “byplay,” in which they “may respond vocally to a question and Rogers, anticipating the reply, may follow through to his next point.” He imagined himself as something of a surrogate parent, which is why other children never appeared on the show. He didn’t want to create a sentiment of “sibling rivalry.” When Rogers would encounter a child who watched faithfully he might say, "Why, I think you've grown!" The child would often proudly respond, "I thought you'd notice that, Mister Rogers.”
The primary goal for the show was not relevance or entertainment value, but something deeper. Rogers aspired to produce quality programming that ran counter to what others were producing and connected with the inner needs of viewers. As a result, children connected to him in ways they didn’t connect with other hosts and he inexplicably competed with slick and fast-paced cartoons in similar time slots. Such success earned him many deserved accolades—a Presidential Medal of Freedom, four Daytime Emmys, the honor of being the longest running personality in the history of public television and the lifetime achievement award of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
[WATCH: Fred Rogers' moving acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Emmy's.]
But Rogers’ impact on culture stretches far beyond television and into the realms of both government and technology. Unbeknownst to many, he single-handedly saved two iconic acronyms: PBS and the VCR.
In 1969, PBS was in danger of losing its $20 million federal funding allotment due to national budget cuts, so Rogers went to Washington to articulate his mission before Congress. In just six minutes, he shared his philosophy with the grizzly Senator John O. Pastore.
“I give an expression of care every day to each child to help him realize that he is unique,”
he said
. “If we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health.”
Pastore responded that Rogers’ words gave him goose bumps, and that he “just earned the 20 million dollars” for PBS’s budget.
When the VCR landed in the American marketplace, it was illegal to record television shows from home. The debate over copyrights and freedom was fierce, but a calm and respected Rogers argued to Congress that recording a program like his was important because it allowed working parents to watch his show as a family. His testimony swayed enough votes to allow a change in the law, and the VCR began showing up in homes all across the country.
Rogers was a devout Christian that almost never explicitly talked about his faith on the air, but the way his show infused society with beauty and grace was near-biblical. We may never know how much he has shaped or even saved a generation of children from a life of emotionless stoicism through his thoughtful approach to television and his daily encouragement.
“You’ve made this day a special day by just your being you,” he’d famously sign off. “There is no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.”
In many ways, the lasting legacy of Fred Rogers will not be the greater emotional stability of generations of children or even a reinvigoration of imagination. It will be his example of how to restore the world through impassioned creativity and craftsmanship. For nearly four decades, Rogers entered our homes and entered our hearts. And each day without fail, he left our collective neighborhoods better and made our days a little bit more beautiful.
-----
What memories do you have of Fred Rogers and his program from your own childhood? In your opinion, do any children's programs today possess similar intentionality and educational quality?
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Comments
Sandra
This post made me cry. I remember watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood with my late mother each afternoon, and I consider him one of the greatest influences of my life.
Bryan
Great article! I loved Mister Rogers. I still think about old episodes of the show to this day. There was always a wonderful lesson to learn. And his sign off after every episode gave me a little jolt of confidence that I was fine just as I was. Individuality was frowned on in my small town. I miss that show. I should watch some old episodes.
Joanna
Thanks for this article. Fred Rogers was a visionary and followed through on his vision with incredible dedication. An example to us all. He spoke truth without being strident or preachy and people listened and many children's lives were made better. I've met adults who had difficult childhoods who were always comforted by him. I never watched his show as a child (it wasn't available where i lived) but i watched with my children here and love every episode. Thanks for putting this together.
I am very discouraged that even though his work is widely praised it seems that children's TV is going in the opposite direction - even PBS. More cartoons, more noise, more fast action and short attention span type stuff. Nothing gentle and thoughtful and slow moving like Mr. Rogers. Even though children love it and will "stay tuned" Why is that?
Aaron
I grew up in a low-income home and had mostly absent parents growing up. Without Mr. Rogers, my vision of the world and of myself would be different in countless ways. I am now a high school teacher and regularly talk of Mr. Rogers as a significant reason why I have a healthy life today.
Thank you for this article. It was powerful and important.
Eric
Wow, thank you for this post today...
It makes me wonder what today's programming that hs filled the void of Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood is doing to this generation of children. Will today's programs elicit the same warm fuzzy emotional responses reflected in these comments or something a bit more dark and dizmal.
Teri
You have a wonderful way of wording your stories. As I was reading, I realized I was holding my breath, and couldn't quit reading. We all loved Mr. Rogers.
joe
maybe i should of watched him a little more as a child, but no matter for that now, But i wish to share my observations.
We all live days numbered in the thousands before we pass, And the echo's of our actions may be felt a thousand years from now. But looking at his life as presented here, I have to think and wonder. And i say this as a poly-thiest. He lived his calling. He was shown to his task by his lord, And tho he may not of adopted the cloth of his faith. He lead in ways that can inspire people in ways that are breathtakeing.
People remember this now. He had a purty of spirt and dedication to his task that we may never see agian in our lives. I may of been ignorant of much of his past before this. But I feel obliged now that I know to consider him someone who expressed his faith in his Lord and his prayers for the world in the way that mattered most. he put his prayers to action and in doing so he has lead a life that could be called blessed or magical by many.
I for one am glad at the effect Mr Rogers has had on this world. And i pray that other pure souls like him take up the task of healing and guiding our children.
Charles Womack
Thank you. I better understand why my oldest daughter cried when Mr. Rogers died. I appreciate the way you set his life in the context of my life. I wish I had watched Mr. Rogers more.
Kiki
Beautifully written.
John M
J.I. Packer says this about a book -
“With a Bible in his hand, clarity in his mind, and gaiety in his heart, the former schoolmate of half the Beatles leads his readers into celebrating with him all the goodness that breaks through all the badness and madness [ see Mr. Rogers in the video above ] of life in God’s world today. His book is provocative (look at its title), evocative (perky wit and breathtaking beauty rub shoulders), and instructive on sin, grace, work, play, rest, style, idolatry, technology, and much else;
I guarantee that many weary souls will find it wonderfully *** restorative.” ***
The book, an oldish one, published in 1999 - Heaven Is Not My Home: Learning to Live in God's Creation, by Paul Marshall.
http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Not-My-Home-Learning/dp/0849990408
Gideon Strauss, who wrote a brief review in 2000, writess -
" Marshal encourages us to take our daily work seriously, since, quoting Marshal,
"our works, here and now, are not all transitory. The good that we have done will not simply disappear and be forgotten. This world is not a passing and futile phase; it will be taken up in God's new world. Our good buildings, our great inventions, our acts of healing, our best writings, our creative art, our finest clothes, our greatest treasures will not simply pass away. If they represent the finest works of God's image-bearers, they will adorn the world to come."
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/1422/
Maybe we need to learn more from Mr. Rogers than we think. Maybe we need to learn a larger theology. i.e., If all of us are to become "Restorers", very evocative term, we need a theology that puts a foundation under the work. Maybe Paul Marshall has something to offer in this task, as we reflect on what Mr. Rogers taught us all.
Jared
Beautiful, beautiful. You are a hell of a writer, son.
Michele
I loved Mr. Rogers! I wish my boys could watch his show now. It seems like every character on television programs for children now (animated or not) is "high strung", disrespectful to someone or something and often just plain rude or violent or both.
I wish we could go back to the days of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and Captain Kangaroo.
Great article!
Patti
Kindness and respect for others are the two things I remember most from my days watching Mr. Rodgers with our children. These are things we can all bring to those around us. Thanks for letting us be your neighbor Mr. Rodgers.
Jeff Nelson
Yes Mister Rogers was a fine example, a pure heart who never wavered from his mission. Not only did he reassure us as children for decades, he also left us a wonderful legacy as adults of what it is to be a Christian, humbly and quietly teaching us by fulfilling his mission with meekness and without all the drama that sometimes come with fame. He was the opposite of selfishness . In Thessalonians when it tells us to think about things that are pure and honorable and praiseworthy, this is one of those things. Thanks! Jonathan
Oh by the way the video clip made me cry too.
Kyle Chowning
I am so compelled by Mr. Rogers. As the lead for a TV network that aims to extend the mission that Mr. Rogers proclaimed, only now, have I been able to recognize that we were on the same page, same path and same focus.
However, what's most compelling is his ability to communicate. In his acceptance speech for the Academy, he reached into the hearts and minds of an entire audience and compelled them to be thankful. He used the platform not for his good, but theirs.
I want to be like Mr. Rogers. I want to be such a man.
I would be remis to leave out a quote that a friend of mine, who actually was Mr. Rogers neighbor told me recently: “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than complex.” You can check out more here:
http://www.misterrogersandme.com
Thanks Jonathan. Great stuff.
James Krombholz
Thank you for your post. From time to time in my life and ministry I have returned to the memory of this man and his life of humble service, and I am reminded that God has made us part of what God is building through Christ.
In this world as it is, things fall apart, but ours is not to curse decay, but witnesses to the steadfast love of the God who raised Jesus from the dead. So, we can be bold to hope and let the light shine in the darkness. Fred Rogers showed us one way we can live out God's call.
Thank you.
Steve James
As an only child, I can't begin to tell you how Mister Rogers influenced my life. I didn't have brothers, sisters, or (until about age 10) neighborhood playmates. But I have many, many dear friends today, and I like to think Mister Rogers helped my parents teach me how to be a good person and a good friend.
Allison Lee
Thank you for the quote about a restorer "being countercultural, not relevant." That's really what Jesus was, wasn't He? It sometimes seems to me that, in evangelism, we believers often set being relevant as too high a priority. At least, in the ministry with which I serve, I think...I wonder if, sometimes, we make the presentation of the beautiful message of reconciliation a throw-away, instead of a meaningful avenue of sharing life-changing truth, all in the name of being relevant. This is so thought-provoking; I want to go read more about restorers and what it means to be one.
Doug Jenkins
I attended the same Pittsburgh Theological Seminary from which Mr. Rogers had his theological degree. One of my colleagues played the Panda while she attended classes, Many of us discovered how true Mr. Rogers was to his TV image, calm, collected, thoughtful and thought-provoking, when he was once a guest lecturer in a class which became standing-room-only
As I turned into the main aisle at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church during my class' graduation, I noticed Mr. Rogers sitting in the back pew at the aisle. I stuck out my hand, and received a warm return handshake.
Bill
This touched me so. Thank you for the words you've offered.
Benjamin
Mister Rogers summered in a modest, gray, shake-shingled house on the edge of Nantucket Island. My mother rented a tiny cottage next door. I was a young MTV News producer when I met him in 2001. He was the single-most authentic person I'd met before, or since. He asked me about my job at MTV News. At the end of our conversation, he said, "I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex." The next summer, I told him how often I'd thought about his lesson. "Spread the message," he said. My documentary, "Mister Rogers & Me," is the result of that charge. Please join us on our journey at
http://www.misterrogersandme.com.
Sean W.
Mr. Rogers: I miss you.
Jessica
A co-worker just showed me this and I was so moved. Thank you.
Laurie
Beautifully expressed. I think you captured the heart of Fred perfectly. One possible correction...I worked at WQED while he was there and we always were told he did finish seminary and was ordained with a special focus to serve in the world of broadcasting.
Jonathan Merritt
Laurie,
I'll have to track that one down. I know he received an honorary degree, but I need to see if he received an actual degree. Thanks for the heads up.
Jm
Anita Morfin
Mr. Rogers is one of the few "important" people in this world who responded personally to any of my students. His compassion for and insights into the human soul and person made him a real *"hero", though I doubt he would have ever considered himself anything but 'ordinary'.
*"Hero: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities." (Notice it does not refer to athletes, presidents or other well-known persons.)
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