"Membership in the family of God is neither inconsequential or something to be casually ignored. The church is God's agenda for the world. Jesus said, "I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." The church is indestructable and will exist for eternity. It will outlive this universe, and so will your role in it."
- Rick Warren
Thursday, September 30, 2004
I never really watched "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" when I was a kid. I mean, I remember seeing it from time to time, but it was never a regular watch like "Sesame Street" or "Electric Company." So my opinion of the show was always somewhat misinformed. And based on my limited exposure, I always found Mr. Rogers . . . well, a bit creepy. I found the whole show kinda creepy. What kind of name is Mr. McFeely (the delivery man), anyway? And couldn't he find some better puppets for the Land of Make Believe? Will somone give that ignorant King Friday a punch in the face? That dude's ig'nant!
Well, now I have kids, and they don't watch much television, but we do watch the first fifteen minutes or so of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" every day. (Fifteen minutes or so, because it coincides with lunch time.) Now I understand the appeal.
First of all, you really have to immerse yourself in the show to fully appreciate it. If your only exposure to it is occasional, misunderstanding the tone will naturally result. But I have now, as an adult, grown to love and appreciate Mr. Rogers.
What used to sound kinda creepy and effeminate in his voice, now sounds calm and soothing and respectful. He doesn't talk down to kids. He speaks to them like their his friends, his neighbors. Even when he's explaining how something works or where he's going, and he has to dumb it down somewhat, it never sounds condescending. I also now like that he talks about feelings and sorting them out. Yesterday, Chef so-and-so came by the house upset because he had lost a cake decorating contest. This chef guy was a huge Italian dude, with a low-buttoned shirt and a gold medallion. He looked like Alex Rocco, sort of. And Mr. Rogers calmly talked him through his disappointment with not winning the contest. (The theme of the show was "Competition.") It was beautiful.
Macy's favorite part of the show is not The Land of Make Believe, believe it or not. She really likes when Mr. McFeely brings a video to watch on Picture-Picture, and it usually is some footage of how something is made in the factory. We've seen how crayons are made, how construction paper is made, how backpacks are made, how baseball caps are made, how chocolate milk is made and bottled. It's pretty cool.
Macy enjoys running around and throwing books or papers on the floor while proclaiming, "Speedy delivery!" just like Mr. McFeely. I like how Mr. McFeely always sounds in a rush, and always sort of awkward.
Her favorite "character," though, is Trolley. Didn't every kid like it when the Trolley came out and ding-dinged and went through the tunnel and all that?
I also love how the grown men and women interact with the little sock puppets in Make Believe. They talk to them like they're real people, which I suspect would be easier if you were on "Sesame Street" and the puppets were larger and had more personality and had more people operating them. But these are just some dude's hand and Mr. Rogers doing a funny voice.
My favorite part of the show is when Mr. Rogers sings. Any time. I love it. The opening number. "It's You I Like." "You Are Special." The closing number.
It's just a great show.
These thoughts were inspired by a post at Ochuk's Blog in which he appreciates the slight weirdness of the show. I agree with him on Lady Elaine Fairchild. She can be irritating sometimes, but I like how the others just suffer her gently.
Read the comments, too. I agree with one commenter in particular: Lady Aberlin is a hottie. In a retro, matronly sort of way. ;-)
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Comments on "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood":
3. Jared
- 09/30/2004 4:17 am CDT
Mr. Eldredge, I challenge you to a duel. Let's take this outside, and you will feel the full weight of who I am. And when I am finished, you will be mild at heart.
4. judyh
- 09/30/2004 4:30 am CDT
I LOVED Mr. Rogers. He came on at 5:00 pm every weeknight, and made it possible for me to get dinner on the table. Except, of course, those nights when the show 'pulled me in'.
Truly, Mr. Rogers was a man 'fully alive'.
But, I have ONE exception. I HATED that week of the 'Bubbleland Opera'. WHAT IS THAT? That stupid song, 'everything is perfect here in bubbleland, bubbleland, bubbleland' runs through my head during migraine season and makes me want to scream! That's the one exception. I loved everything else.
I just recently saw Lady Aberlin in a movie. I believe it was 'Jersey Girl'.
And, I actually saw Mr. McFeely and Purple Panda in person.
Up against what's available on TV, NOTHING even comes close to touching the quality of the content of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
5. Don
- 09/30/2004 4:45 am CDT
Sometimes, particularly at work, I feel like Mr. McFeely - constantly running to and fro, needing to get the next thing done.
Sometimes, I act like X, the owl. I'm not proud of it, but it's there.
Today, I feel like Daniel Tiger -- desperately trying to be brave while facing all that life brings my way.
I loved Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood -- but the Electric Company was still better (insert your own vision of lips speaking different syllables across the screen at each other).
6. Neesox
- 09/30/2004 4:47 am CDT
I had a friend in college who had an album of Mr. Rogers songs from the show -- my all time favorite was the song about the man who manufactures chairs ("I'm a man who manufactures, who manufactures chairs"). And what about Daniel Kitty ("Meow, meow, Lady Aberlin")! My sister had a stuffed animal that looked a lot like Daniel Kitty. And if only I had a Handyman Negri -- I have lots of projects to keep him busy!
7. Daniel
- 09/30/2004 5:20 am CDT
I'll admit it. I'm a grown man but i cried when Mr. Rogers died. I hope they keep re-runs of his show on the air for my kids.
8. Manders
- 09/30/2004 6:28 am CDT
Two words: Daniel Tiger. If I could get something that looked like him, I would be a happy kid indeed. He was my favorite, for some reason. He's very endearing to me. I think the reason is because he and I first realized that God made the stars together, because of Lady Aberlin and this spiffy song she sang him on the show.
Neesox: I think you're thinking of Miss Kitty, who lived in the tree with X. Daniel was the little boy tiger who lived in the clock and went to school with the Prince and Anna Platypus. :)
10. John Eldredge
- 09/30/2004 6:55 am CDT
Did somebody say something? I couldn't hear it for the sound of the rushing whitewater here on the river. And the roar of big Monster Trucks. YEEEAAAAHHH! Next I'm going to climb up a mountain, blindfolded, and then do a little BASE Jumping. Then maybe we'll get around to a duel. But I thought you were from Tennessee, not Georgia.
I don't mean to sound negative about Mr. Rogers. It's just ... well, my dad wounded my heart when I was little. I'm going to cry.
12. Jared
- 09/30/2004 7:32 am CDT
I first realized that God made the stars together, because of Lady Aberlin and this spiffy song she sang him on the show.
Oh, man, that was an awesome moment. That ep aired just a few weeks ago. Daniel was singing that song about wondering where the stars and mountains and things came from, and then Lady Aberlin sings the same tune but with the words, "God made the ______."
I really loved that song, and I remember thinking, "I can't believe this is airing on public television!"
Daniel was the little boy tiger who lived in the clock and went to school with the Prince and Anna Platypus.
Heh. I like the school song:
"Anna, Prince, and Daniel
Anna, Prince, and Daniel
Daniel, Prince, and Anna are here.
Anna, Prince, and Daniel
Anna, Prince, and Daniel
Daniel, Prince, and Anna are HERE."
Today Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann was on "Mr. Rogers." Mr. Rogers went to the dance studio to watch Swann do ballet!
Then Swann showed up in The Land of Make Believe, danced a neat duet with Lady Aberlin, and then was sad because he and the dog guy lost their football game. But King Friday cheered him up by saying that if he did his best, he really "won" anyway.
---
Monsieur Eldredge, don't wear yourself out with all that extreme sports hooey. You're gonna need all your energy to defend against the major league, Jabez-sized butt-whooping I'm gonna perform on you.
And I'm not from Tennessee, I'm from Texas. Where everything is bigger -- including the disdain for girlie men like you. Bring it on, sissy-boy!
14. DLE
- 09/30/2004 12:17 pm CDT
"Mr. McFeeley" is based on Fred Rogers's maternal grandfather (I believe that's the correct relative), a man who had a great impact on Rogers's life--and his real last name was McFeeley.
I once did a paper at Wheaton College for one of my Christian Ed classes on the strength of "Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood" versus "Sesame Street." The biggest advantage is the pacing. "MRN" was methodically paced and did not switch between multiple edits and cameras very often. "SS" on the other hand basically created the whole MTV Generation of attention-deprived individuals by introducing the one and two minute snippet, plus it also revved parts up and then immediately cut to something slower, and vice versa. Rogers was also particularly good at showing respect to others and deferring to experts, traits few people model anymore to our kids, who are now taught to always question authority. Rogers took respect one step further in the way he modeled handling items, treating everything with a measured gentleness. Lastly, although there were some reinforcing messages in "SS" (like the letter and number of the day), Rogers's entire show--from the intro, to the world of make believe, to the conclusion--only taught one specific message at a time.
Fred Rogers was so far ahead of his time he was almost retro in his approach to children's educational models. We need to learn from him; he had it right. Most of the tripe we let kids watch today is a hundred and eighty degrees from "MRN," and that's too bad for our kids.
One last interesting tidbit: Fred Rogers is one of the most prolific songwriters of the 20th century, having penned several hundred songs, virtually every one of the songs ever used in his show over its extraordinary run.
When I attended Carnegie Mellon University in the early 1980s, WQED (the PBS station where Rogers taped his show) was right next to my dorm. I used to encounter Fred Rogers walking from his home in Shadyside to the studio. He was as delightful in person as he was on his show, always very gracious and a good listener. He sometimes would come onto CMU's campus and play tennis at the courts there, often taking up the challenge of students to a set or two.
So in all truth, I can say that I lived in Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood!
Mr. Rogers, we miss you!
15. Alison
- 09/30/2004 9:18 pm CDT
Chef Brockett. His name was Don Brockett, and he was a Pittsburgh fixture.
Thanks for bringing back some good memories in your post.
Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood were part of my childhood, and I made sure my kids were exposed to his teachings even though we live in France now.
16. Ellen
- 10/01/2004 6:04 pm CDT
Such a lovely show, Mr. Rogers. The best. I have loved reading everyone's memories of the show. My senior year of college I happened to always be home getting ready for a mid-morning class when reruns were aired. I fell in love with hearing, "You Are Special" a few times a week. While turning the show on brought much mockery (in fun) from my roommates, there was just a peace that Mr. Rogers emanated that I really needed during that hectic time in my life.
17. Stacey
- 10/26/2004 6:28 am CDT
Lady Elaine Fairchild was my absolute favorite character. She didn't take flack fron anybody! I was a shy nonconfrontational kid, but sometmes you have to stick up for yourself, and Lady Elaine often gave me the courage to do that. Yes, she was a little mischevious sometimes, but aren't we all?
18. Mary Chonowski
- 05/17/2005 6:29 pm CDT
My name is Mary. I am 24 years old, and I grew up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I have to say that Fred Rogers did a supremely fine job on his Operas, especially "Windstorm In Bubbleland". The Opera inspired me so much that I wrote a story based on it. (Don't worry, I did NOT plagerize from the Opera. The Characters, and Story are strictly mine).In the story, THREE (Hildegarde Hummingbird was only one) kittens try to fight off a ferocious wind, but three collapse from exhaustion. Penny, the Hero of the story, was as "Strong as the Wind", and she fought to the limit. She collapses near the end, but sees the wind going on its way. Her friends muster up strength, and Penny fought so hard, that her friends fought off a weak wind at the end. I thank Mr. Fred Rogers for the wonderful inspiration. The Opera was excellent. I give this Opera ,on the scale from one to five stars, FIVE STARS.May God rest Fred Rogers' soul.
20. Mary
- 05/17/2005 6:43 pm CDT
I made a mistake, earlier. In my story, FOUR (not THREE) kittens try to fight off the windstorm. Penny is the FOURTH kitten who saves, and defeats the wind. I apologize for the error. Name of the story again:"Windstorm In Cat Country". THANK YOU< FRED ROGERS! May God bless him.
21. james poulakos
- 09/01/2006 7:50 am CDT
Fred Rogers was also a very talented jazz pianist, and a composer. I *believe* he composed many of the songs we talked about here, the theme song for the show, and he is the pianist we hear playing those songs.
Oh, and when I was small, I remember having bad dreams where Lady Elaine was chasing me. I was afraid she would come down the chimney at night and into my room. Can't fault Mr. Rogers for that. I think I saw something scary with puppets, that was unrelated, like a movie or something the adults were watching, and that put the idea in my head that maybe Lady Elaine was creeping around chimneys at night.
I grew up on Mr. Rogers and I loved his show. Picture-Picture was always one of my favorites too. It was a sad, sad day for a lot of 30-somethings when he died.