Won’t You Be Our Neighbor?

• SA Engages

August 3, 2018

Written By: Steph Ward & Kay Torres

As we celebrate 50 years of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and the impact Fred Rogers has had on so many since the late 1960s, it seems fitting that “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” was released this year. Fred McFeely Rogers was born in 1928 and grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It was his love for his hometown that heavily influenced the look and feel of the neighborhood throughout the television show. In 1952, Fred married Joanne Byrd, and the couple celebrated 50 years together prior to his death in February 2003 from stomach cancer. The couple had two children together, James and John.

While he was most known for his television show, Mister Rogers possessed many talents – from creating and composing the show to being an ordained minister, to advocating for children all across the country – he was hard working and faith-driven. His motivation to make others feel loved and special comes from his maternal grandfather, who told him, “Freddy, I like you just the way you are!” This phrase became familiar in his teachings and life work over the years and was the foundation for the man he was.

In 1968, Fred began Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood on NET (which later became PBS), which ran over 890 episodes through 2001. The show explored many topics for young viewers through a make-believe neighborhood that he created. There is much to be said about all the show drove him to accomplish through the years, but for him it was never those achievements that pushed him forward. He simply wanted children to know that they were unique and that they didn’t ever have to do anything sensational for people to love them.

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor” was released this past June and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville. The film received an impressive and well-deserved 99% rating by critics and 97% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes. Neville dives in deep to share how intimately Mister Rogers has influenced children and public television for generations. It is a compassionately riveting and inspiring film that moves you through his life in an emotional and heartfelt way. From his television show to the famously known U.S. Senate case where he advocated for government funding of children’s television, the film allows us to celebrate the legacy he has left behind for so many.

Kay, one of our event supervisors, and I recently watched this film, and we give it two thumbs up! We want to dig a little deeper into the film and share with you why we believe Mister Rogers was a creative genius.

Did you ever watch “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”? If so, how did it impact your life?

Steph: Yes, I watched the show many times with my grandparents growing up, but I don’t think I appreciated the topics he discussed as much as I should have. The overarching theme of loving our neighbors, no matter who they are, is such an important subject in our society and the show really helped drive this. We need more people like Mister Rogers who are willing to show that type of compassion against those who hurt.

Kay: Yes, watching “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” is one of my favorite memories as a child. I remember watching it with my friends at our babysitter’s house, and always singing along to “won’t you be my neighbor?”! My favorite part of the show was the opening sequence where he would walk in, sing the song, and change into his famous sweater. The lyrics to so much of the music from the show has stayed with me for over a decade, and it’s amazing to see the power of his music and how his simple messages influenced me throughout the years. I remember “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” being so relaxing, which was such a stark contrast to other children’s shows in the 1990s. Mister Rogers left such a lasting impact on so many children’s lives and watching the documentary allowed me to see and understand the creativity that he possessed to promote his simple message of love.

http://filmfisher.com/films/wont-you-be-my-neighbor/

Critics believe the show brought up a generation of entitlement. Do you agree?

S: I completely disagree. He was driven to show children they were loved, regardless of their success. In his Dartmouth commencement speech in 2002, he stated, “You don’t ever have to do anything sensational for people to love you.” I think often times we believe that what we do makes us successful, but in fact, it’s who we are. Are we kind? Do we show compassion to others who think differently than us? Are we empathetic? That’s what Mister Rogers was trying to say – we make choices that lead us to act. I believe it’s the love we receive (or lack thereof) that drives us to be the best version of ourselves.

K:  Mister Rogers wanted every child to understand that they were special, which led many critics to contend that he brought up a generation of narcissists. According to The Wall Street Journal, critics attribute Mister Rogers as “a representation of a culture of excessive doting”. Personally, I don’t believe that’s what Mister Rogers was doing at all. I think he strived to identify the uniqueness and resources within ourselves to save us. He didn’t say the world would hand us success because we were special, but instead he showed children the value in understanding their strengths and weaknesses to overcome life’s difficulties. His philosophy was based on love, and not a self-absorbed theory of entitlement. Mister Rogers is often quoted saying “Love is at the root of everything, all learning, all relationships – love or the lack of it.” His philosophy didn’t bring up a generation of entitlement, but a generation of children that hopefully understand humanity and to hopefully reach beyond the titles that divide us, to be proud of our differences and believe that our inherent worth is just as important as the inherent worth of others.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118358476840657463

What resonates with you most about the documentary?

S: I have quoted it twice already, but the documentary talked a great deal about his commencement speech at Dartmouth in 2002. I ended up listening to the entire speech and was awestruck. In a society where there are so many different beliefs, I just appreciate his humbleness and how well he embraces all people. I want to quote the end of the speech, as I think it sums up who he was very well:

“Life is far more than anything you can see, hear, or touch – that deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive – love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.”

I think that’s pretty significant and something we could all take with us in a world that sometimes seems unaccepting of those who are unlike us.

K: The documentary highlighted Mister Rogers’ appearance before the United States Subcommittee on Communications, to challenge the cuts for public broadcasting in 1969. Mister Rogers’ ability to change the senator’s mind in six minutes is a testament to his care for children. Mister Rogers’ genuine care and authenticity allowed public television to keep 20 million dollars in funding. A statement that resonated with me from his speech was, “Feelings are mentionable and manageable; we will have done a great service to mental health. I think it’s much more dramatic that two men could be working out their feelings of anger, much more dramatic than showing something of gunfire – I’m constantly concerned about what our children are seeing.” Especially within our culture’s current climate, I believe it is so important for people of all ages to understand the power of their feelings, but also the power we have to control those feelings. He closes his speech by quoting one of his songs: “I can stop when I want to. Can stop when I wish. Can stop, stop, stop anytime… And what a good feeling to feel like this! And know that the feeling is really mine. Know that there’s something deep inside that helps us become what we can. For a girl can be someday a lady, and a boy can be someday a man.” This idea of control is something that our generation seems to forget as we seem to publicize our anger before we stop to understand those feelings. Mister Rogers encouraged children to communicate their feelings in a healthy way, but to first know that we are in control of those feelings and not the other way around. Mister Rogers led by example even in his Senate speech, even though he could have so easily spoken aggressively. Instead of aggression, he chose to argue by example quietly, in a way that presented television’s power to further social good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9uIJ-o2yqQ

Mister Rogers challenged the concept of love every day on his television show, and his belief in the God-given intrinsic value within each of us was the driving force of his message. With the buzz surrounding the documentary and many audiences newly-found interest in Mister Rogers, it is important to understand the simple power of love that he presented day to day. His mission to spread love in a world was daunting at times, and he said “Understanding love is one of the hardest things in the world.” He spread his mission through his television show, and now 50 years later people are still celebrating his impact in this world. PBS is celebrating “cheers to 50” to celebrate 50 years of “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” by showing full episodes, and is planning to broadcast the documentary early next year.

We all have something to learn from the sweet, mild-mannered man in a sweater. His impact doesn’t just stop at his television show; his legacy has continued to grow. The Fred Rogers Center strives to keep his legacy alive through thoughtful development of children. They understand the beauty in his simple yet powerful message. He was an incredibly sensational man, and he encouraged the simplicity of love throughout his life.

Mister Rogers’ mantra “won’t you be my neighbor” wasn’t just lyrics to a song or now the title of a hit documentary. It was an invitation that Mister Rogers carried in his own life. We encourage you to dig a little deeper into the life of this incredible man, check out the documentary at the dollar theater this weekend, and embrace the message of love that we all need to be reminded about.

 

Other resources:

PBS Cheers to 50 – https://www.pbs.org/parents/

Fred Rogers Center – https://www.fredrogerscenter.org/