Won't You Be My Neighbor
- Wade
I learned a lot from Mr. Rogers.
I learned how zippers work. I learned about the inner workings of a stoplight. I learned how people make crayons.
Most importantly, I learned the value of imagination. And that losing yourself in your dreams isn't something to be ashamed of.
Fred Rogers died this morning, succumbing to cancer at age 74. He recorded his last show in December, 2000, but is still seen regularly on reruns. I hope that continues.
Admittedly, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood wasn't the hippest of kid-oriented programs. I'd argue that its PBS counterpart, Sesame Street, had twice the flash. And when compared to a Ghostbuster, Ninja Turtle, or Yu-Gi-Oh, how lame is a guy playing a piano and changing his shoes?
But Mr. Rogers' wasn't about flash. His shows were deeper, more substantive. Low tech-- remember Picture Picture? He talked about feelings, and assured us that what we were feeling was okay. His background? He was an ordained Presbyterian minister and studied child development for several years.
As the years went on, Rogers' show became less popular. For one reason, improved technology allowed for more visually stimulating animated alternatives on other channels. Another, the rise in popularity of cable TV allows kids a new universe of viewing options. It's also much easier to plop your kid in front of an unbelievable Pokemon show than to deal with those annoying questions like "can we do that craft project that I saw today on Mr. Rogers?" Maybe that's too cynical, but it's got to be easier to deal with zombie kids than interactive ones, right?
Sorry. This isn't a social commentary piece. Remember the fun of watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and don't worry about acting cool. We all did it.
Go here. Sing along.
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feedback. Maybe we'll even run your letters in future Gambits. 'The Daily Gambit' is updated every weekday.
