1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: I guess what will what's that man go? So this 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: week I was thinking back on one of my favorite Mr. 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: Rogers facts. It's about when Coco the Gorilla met Mr Rogers. 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: You remember Coco with the Gorilla, right, I love Coco. Yeah, 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: she was the one that she knew sign language, right, Yeah, 6 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: that's right. So when Coco met Mr Rogers, she was 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: already a huge fan. Apparently, scientists used to play the 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: program for Coco. So when he walked in, she got 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: really excited and not only did she give him like 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: this big hug, and Coco was I mean like she 11 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: was big, right, yeah, enormous, So you have to imagine 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: this giant gorilla just enveloping this rail thin man. But 13 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: then she started taking his shoes off, and he was 14 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: a little surprised, but then he realized she was only 15 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: doing that because it was the same way he used 16 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: to start every single show. I mean, well, everybody loves Mr. 17 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,919 Speaker 1: Rogers exactly, and there are a million stories about how 18 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: good and kind he was in real life and just 19 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: how beloved he was, even by gorillas. But with all 20 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: the tension and politics and general horrible nous going on 21 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: in the world, to we thought it'd be nice to 22 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: do a little Thanksgiving show about one of our favorite 23 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: neighbors and really one of my favorite humans, Fred Rogers. 24 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: Let's dive in Balcon partime genius. I'm Will Pearson and 25 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: as always I'm joined by my good friend Man Guesh. 26 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,199 Speaker 1: I ticket her and sitting behind the sound proof glass 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: zipping up his card again over that another car. It's 28 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: two card against double card again. That's our friend and 29 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: producer Tristan McNeil. Alright, so Mango, we're obviously talking about 30 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers today, and I'm guessing you watched a ton 31 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: of Mr Rogers growing up. I did, I mean from 32 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: our generation. I really don't know anyone who wasn't influenced 33 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: by Mr Rogers. But at my house, we didn't watch 34 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: a ton of TV, but we watched a lot of PBS, 35 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: like we watched Sesame Street and reading Rambow. We actually 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: subscribed to three to one Contact magazine, which actually had 37 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: an influence on Metal Floss and and uh, you know, 38 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: there were shows like Square One in Carmen, San Diego. 39 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: But I definitely remember watching Mr Rogers and talking to 40 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: the screen when Mr Rogers would ask questions, and also 41 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: like learning Little Tricks from the show. For some reason, 42 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: it always cracked me up. I love watching kids talk 43 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: to the kids still do that, But so, do you 44 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: remember what tricks you learned? Yeah, I mean this is 45 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: kind of ridiculous, but there was an episode where he 46 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: was doing some craft and he made a little paper 47 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: house just out of like a single sheet of construction paper, 48 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: and then he bent and cut out a front door 49 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: so they would open like a real door. And for 50 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: some reason I kind of filed that away. And then 51 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: in kindergarten during this holiday party, when we were coloring 52 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: gingerbread houses, I snuck over to this tin of scissors 53 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: and cut out the front door like I had seen 54 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: just two sniffs, so swing open or whatever. And all 55 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: the adults were so impressed. And when everyone asked me 56 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: how I'd come up with such a clever idea, I 57 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: just kind of shrugged. He took credit for it. I know, 58 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 1: I totally stole it from Mr Rogers, and I still 59 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: carried that guilt. I would too, that's pretty stealing from 60 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers. And I'm sure those adults are still talking 61 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: about it too, how creative that mango is. But yeah, 62 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: of course I watched Mr Rogers too, but it was 63 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: it was always funny how Mr Rogers kind of became 64 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: this thing at at Mental Flaws, it was really your thing, 65 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: and you you wrote an article about him when we 66 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: first launched the website. I think it was called like 67 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: fifteen Reasons Mr Rogers was the best neighbor Ever or 68 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: something like that. So I honestly think he should be 69 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: America's patron saint. I probably watched a little more Mr 70 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: Rogers than most people because my mom was a preschool teacher. 71 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: And actually, what's funny is that story for Mental Flass 72 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: was actually the second list I'd written about Mr Rogers, really, 73 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: so what was the what was the first? Well, in 74 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,119 Speaker 1: seventh grade, we had to do this writing assignment where 75 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: we talked about an inspirational figure in our lives and 76 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: we had to get in front of the class for 77 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: five minutes, and it was supposed to be serious. I think, uh, 78 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: some kids talked about their grandparents or people they considered heroes, 79 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: but instead of writting something meaningful, I think I was 80 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: trying to impress some girls in my class. So I 81 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: decided do mine on Mr Rogers and why I thought 82 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: he should be president, and I presented it as a 83 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: top ten list, which was super edgy at the time, 84 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: but the whole thing was full of bad jokes about 85 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: how he'd make America feel special. And I'd also really 86 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,119 Speaker 1: gotten into Eddie Murphy at the time, so I'd seen 87 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: Eddie Murphy's SNL parody. But I also included things like 88 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: how Mr Rogers had actually really influenced my style wearing 89 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: cardigans and low top sneakers. I put so little effort 90 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: into this thing, and honestly, most of my five minutes 91 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: was spent with me on a stool, slowly zipping up 92 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: my sweater and uh, putting on sneakers, just really hamming 93 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: it off. I don't know why this is so easy 94 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: for me to picture, like you giving that same presentation now, 95 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: but it is funny. If you had not mentioned Mr 96 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: Robinson or Eddie Murphy's character on SNL, I definitely was 97 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: going to there. There was a good story about this. 98 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: I actually read that one time Fred Rogers happened to 99 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: be at thirty Rocks, so he decided to sneak in 100 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: and surprise Eddie Murphy, you know, just to meet him 101 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: in person. So he goes up and knocks on his 102 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: door and when Eddie opens it. He was, of course, 103 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: and I mean there's Mr Rogers just standing there grinning 104 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: at him, and so Eddie was supposedly a little bit 105 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: embarrassed by the situation, but he just gives him a 106 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: big hug and smiles and says, it's the real Mr Robinson. Oh, 107 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: I love that. So so did your class like your presentation? 108 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: Not to go back to that, but it's just I 109 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: can't stop thinking about it. They like it, I think so. 110 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: But the worst part was that the teacher liked it 111 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: so for the next assignment she made everyone else do 112 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: a top ten list of celebrities that should be president, 113 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: which we have now, I guess. But honestly, now that 114 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: I'm saying this out loud, all of it makes zero's sense, 115 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: you know. I know we both read and loved Tom 116 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: Juno's piece for Esquire years later and realized what an 117 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: amazing figure Mr Rogers actually was. There's so many incredible 118 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: parts of the story, but one of the things I 119 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: loved most was that wherever Fred went, people wanted to 120 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: tell him how much he meant to them. Everywhere. Actually, 121 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: I pulled this passage from the story because I wanted 122 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: to read it here it says, um quote, Once upon 123 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: a time, it's Rogers went to New York City and 124 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: got caught in the rain. He didn't have an umbrella, 125 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: and he couldn't find the taxi either, so he ducked 126 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: with a friend in the subway and got on one 127 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: of the trains. It was late in the day and 128 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: the train was crowded with children who were going home 129 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: from school. So of all races, the school children were 130 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: mostly black and Latino and and they didn't even approach 131 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers and asked him for his autograph or anything 132 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: like that. They just sang. They sang all at once, 133 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 1: all together the song he sings at the start of 134 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: his program, Won't You Be My Neighbor? And it turned 135 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: this clattering train into a single, soft runaway choir. I mean, 136 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: it isn't great so wonderful. I mean, he did do 137 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: eight episodes and thirty one seasons of that show, so um, 138 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: I looked up the numbers and it reached eight million 139 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: families every week, So obviously he was bound to run 140 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: into some fans. But that Juno piece is honestly one 141 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: of my favorite magazine stories ever. And for those of 142 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: you listening, it's written as these vignettes of him interacting 143 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: with kids and interacting with the a R. And you 144 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: just leave it wondering how can a person be that good? 145 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: I mean, it sounds ludicrous, but reading that story made 146 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: me want to be a better person. And I think 147 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: you know wrote that piece in the late nineties, and 148 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: then six or seven years later when you couldn't find 149 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: that story online because so many magazines had pulled all 150 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: their content from the Internet. I wrote that list partially 151 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: because I generally wanted readers to rediscover that article. Yeah, 152 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: and so we'll definitely link out to it from our 153 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: Facebook page. All right, so we we've talked around Mr Rogers, 154 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: But why don't we dive into his actual story here? Sure, 155 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: but why don't we start by each giving one fact 156 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: we learned about him this week? You always want to 157 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: skip greight to the facts. I got to be patient. Whatever, 158 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: I can't hope that they're so fun. But here's mine. 159 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: Did you know Mr Rogers was the official celebrity captain 160 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Like the hockey. Yeah, hockey doesn't 161 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: exactly seem like Mr Rogers. Yeah, I don't think it 162 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: is either, But for season and this was the NHL 163 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,239 Speaker 1: seventy anniversary. Every team got to pick a celebrity captain, 164 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: and most of the team's picked like a list celebrities 165 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: or of the stars or whatever. But the Penguins picked him. 166 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: And there was even this rookie trading card they made 167 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: for Mr Rogers. Oh my gosh, I love that. So 168 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: is he wearing a hockey uniform? Innute? I wish it's 169 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: just a picture of him in his neighborhood. But hearing 170 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: that made me like hockey a little more. Um, why 171 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: why don't you tell me about factor you liked? It's 172 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: hard to surprise you with these facts, but there, I mean, 173 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: there are some good ones, like like once he realized 174 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: how committed he was to kids in childhood development, it 175 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: makes sense that, you know, he taught himself to speak slowly. 176 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: I think he spoke at a rate of a hundred 177 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: and twenty four words per minute, because that's actually the 178 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: optimal speed for kids in the you know, three to 179 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: five age range. That's so crazy that he was not committed. 180 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: But uh, what's your actual fact? All right? Uh? I 181 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: don't know. Maybe that he was a vegetarian. He actually 182 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: owns shares in a vegetarian magazine called Vegetarian Times. That's 183 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: so strange. You know, my mom actually used to subscribe 184 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 1: to the Nice and a Lot in Common. Well, he 185 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:55,839 Speaker 1: stopped eating meat in the seventies because he didn't want 186 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: to eat anything with a mother. And when he was 187 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: profiled in the magazine, he said, I love tofu burgers 188 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: and beats. He has to be the only NHL captain 189 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 1: in history to ever say that. But let's get back 190 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: to his bio. Why don't you give us a quick 191 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: rundown of how Mr Rogers got into TV? Al Right, 192 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: I can do that, so, um, Fred mcpheeley Rogers, How 193 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: great is it that his middle name was mcpheel like 194 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: was born in n Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He grew up to 195 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: be a puppeteer and an ordained minister, but he had 196 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: a suite and fairly ordinary childhood. He was a gifted pianist. 197 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: He was editor of his high school paper, president of 198 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: student council. Not surprisingly, he did really well in school, 199 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: and when he graduated, he decided to go to Dartmouth 200 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: to study Romance languages. But then he transferred out a 201 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: year later than that to go to Rollins College because 202 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: he wanted to pursue music. Yeah, I've read that he 203 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: composed like two songs from Mr Rogers neighborhood. Yeah, that's right. 204 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: And I actually thought he was playing the piano at 205 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: the start of the show because I knew that he 206 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: could play the piano, and and because he does play 207 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 1: on the show when he sings. But but at the 208 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:01,319 Speaker 1: beginning of the show, it's actually his friend, the jazz 209 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: musician Johnny Costa. You know, I hadn't heard of Johnny 210 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: Costa before this week, and I read that he and 211 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: Fred went way back, and that this was kind of 212 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: a steady side gig in rough times for him. But 213 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: being friends. Mr Rogers new costas financial situation and the 214 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: salary he offered him was the exact amount Costa need 215 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: to put his son through college. It's not kind of sweet. 216 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: But from your reading, is Costa famous? Like I didn't 217 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: really know about him? Well, I mean I think people 218 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: in jazz circles knew him. You know. Apparently Ella Fitzgerald's 219 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: pianists used to tune into the last five minutes of Mr. 220 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: Rogers every day just to quote here what Johnny was up, 221 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: because he was that good. And I do have to 222 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: add this because it's a very Mr. Rogers fact. So 223 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: Johnny said, children understand good music. I would never play 224 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: piddling nursery rhyme. That's pretty neat. But we'll get into 225 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: Fred Rogers philosophy and a bit. But it was never 226 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: too dumb down anything. It was always about respecting the 227 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: kids and their feelings and their intelligence. You know, it's funny. 228 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: I heard Sarah Silverman talking about it really difficult topic 229 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: this week, but as she was kind of talking herself 230 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: up to it, she said, quote, if it's mentionable, it's manageable, 231 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: and like that kind of stuck with me and I thought, 232 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:11,839 Speaker 1: what a nice quote. And then as we were doing 233 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: this research, I realized that's actually a Mr. Rogers phrase 234 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: and one he used about talking about difficult topics on 235 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: his show. But we should get back to the biography. Yeah, alright. 236 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: So so Fred goes to college and he meets his 237 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: wife Jean there, who's also a pianist. But when he's 238 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: home on break from school, he watches TV and he 239 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: sees people throwing pies in each other's faces, and he 240 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: has this pretty visceral reaction to it, as you know 241 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: puts it. Fred was quote the soft sun of overprotective parents, 242 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: but he certainly had conviction. And and right then, while 243 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: watching this mean spirited pie throwing Fred realized that if 244 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: TV is going to have this sweeping effect on our culture, 245 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: he wanted to fight against programmings, base or impulses. He 246 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 1: wanted to fight for what he called broadcasting of grace 247 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: through the land. I don't know exactly what that means, 248 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: but it sounds kind of so. So when he became 249 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: this ordained minister, which which he did at the same 250 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: time that he went through grad school for child development, 251 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: he decided to use all of those skills on television. 252 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: And that's when he started Mr Rogers in Pittsburgh. Well 253 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: not exactly at that point. I mean, he'd done a 254 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: little puppeteering and TV producing, but his first real gig 255 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,079 Speaker 1: as Mr Rogers was actually in Canada, and that's when 256 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: he first got on camera, and the show was called Mr. Rogers. Weirdly, 257 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 1: for some reason, it was all one word. I'm not 258 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: sure why, but it only lasts a year or two 259 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: because Fred decided he wanted to raise his kids back 260 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: home and and that's when Mr. Rogers Neighborhood really kicked off. 261 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: So I of course want to talk about his pacing 262 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 1: of the show and how he used that medium for good, 263 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: but I also wanted to take a second to talk 264 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: about his wardrobe. I know a lot of people may 265 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: know that all of the cardigans on the show were 266 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: knit by his mother. Apparently she used to knit one 267 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: sweater a month for family members, and she'd ask Fred 268 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: what color this year, So wearing that cardigan was this 269 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: little tribute to his mom. But taking off his dress 270 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: shoes at the beginning of the show actually had an 271 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: alternate purpose. Really, I mean, I'm guessing it was just 272 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: to make the kids feel cozy. If you remember, back 273 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: in our education episode we talked about the fact that 274 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: it helps kids concentrate better in school when they take 275 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:11,959 Speaker 1: their shoes off. Was was that what this had to 276 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: do with? Yeah, that might have been a side benefit, 277 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: but his dress shoes also clunked and squeaked, So walking 278 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 1: around the studio with quieter and less squeaky shoes is 279 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: why he switched to sneakers. Okay, all right, Well, I 280 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: want to get into the actual TV show along with 281 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: some of the heartwarming stories about him. But before we 282 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: do that, why don't we take a quick break, Welcome 283 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: back to Part time Genius. So we're talking Mr. Rogers 284 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: and how he used his neighborhood to educate kids. So 285 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: let's talk for a second about the pacing of the show. Yeah, 286 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: so Rogers like the show to move slow but deep. 287 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: So he talked kids through things like anxiety, telling kids 288 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: they were too big to slip down the drain, or 289 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: talking about how things like haircuts don't actually hurt, or 290 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: even talking about complex things like divorce. And there are 291 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: also field trips around the neighborhood to nurture curiosity and 292 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: the Land of Make Believe was there, you know, the 293 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 1: place that trolley would go to with all the puppeting. 294 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: But um, what's really interesting to me is how much 295 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: he studied kids nature and the way they learned. So 296 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: there was this one Yale psychology study that compared the 297 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: effect of Sesame Street on kids versus Mr rogers neighborhood 298 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: and the results were sort of surprising. So why was that. Well, 299 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: the kids who watched Mr Rogers remembered the storylines better 300 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: and they also had a better tolerance of delay. Essentially, 301 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: they were more patient when they've been promised treats. I mean, 302 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: but you've seen old sesame streets though. I mean, I 303 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: know there's some quick moving graphics from time to time, 304 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: but for the most part those shows seemed pretty slow. Yeah, 305 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: but Mr Rogers really worked to keep the show as 306 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: seamless as possible, Like he'd rehearsed the show over and 307 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: over because he wanted to be thoughtful about every word 308 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: he used, and he didn't want to make too many cuts, 309 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: partially because that can be jarring to viewers watch so intensely. 310 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: You know, it is funny to contrast this show with 311 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: something like SpongeBob or a show like that. I remember 312 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: our friend Ethan Trucks and Mental Flaws telling us about 313 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 1: this study from two thousand eleven that the show was 314 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: basically making kids dumber. You know, of there was this 315 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: u v A study that that looked at a group 316 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: of four year olds that were allowed to watch an 317 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: educational cartoons, some that watched SpongeBob or spend their time coloring, 318 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: and after nine or ten minutes, they then tested the 319 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: kids on puzzle solving and following instructions and also a 320 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: tolerance of delay, and the kids who watched SpongeBob did 321 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: by far the worst. I mean, I'm guessing that's because 322 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: all those quick cuts made it hard to process for kids, right. Yeah, 323 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: but you know, the way the study was argued against 324 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: was pretty hilarious. There was a spokesman from Nickelodeon that 325 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: started out by saying that the show is intended for 326 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: older kids, but then the argument devolved into something like, quote, 327 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: watching a sponge and pants is just a new and 328 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: unfamiliar concept for kids to wrap their head around. Yeah, 329 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that's what caused a lower scores. There's 330 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: also that great story of someone coming to the studio 331 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: to put a fish on microphone and feed them in 332 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: the aquarium, like Mr Rogers wanted to hear the sound 333 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: of fish eating and and it was all being taped live. 334 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: But the person kept trying to hurry the fish along 335 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: because they just weren't feeding, so uh, they'd say things 336 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: like chow time or dinner bell and Mr Rogers just 337 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: kind of patiently waited, And afterwards he revealed his philosophy 338 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: that it's okay for kids not to have that immediate 339 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: gratification that they can learn to wait through watching the program. 340 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: It's just remarkable, really, I mean, the other thing Mr 341 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: Rogers was really thoughtful about with social issues, which he 342 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: kind of saws Christian issues as well. So Michael Long 343 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: of HuffPo wrote up a few things he'd noticed, and 344 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: here are some of the things I didn't realize about 345 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: the show. So ten years before Sally Ride, Mr Rogers 346 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: had his puppet character Lady Elaine Fairchild fly to outer 347 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: space and discover new planets. And then two years before 348 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: Barbara Walters broke through as the first female anchor on 349 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: the Evening News, he actually had Lady Elaine break that 350 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: barrier as well. Just conveyance parents and you know, and 351 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,639 Speaker 1: and and obviously those are imaginary characters and and I 352 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: do think they affected kids perceptions of what women were 353 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: capable of. But he also had some real people on 354 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: the show to stress these points as well. Right. I 355 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: read that he created a character Mayor Maggie of Southwood 356 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: played by an African American actor in nineteen seventy five, 357 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,239 Speaker 1: which I guess was almost like fifteen years before an 358 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 1: African American woman would become the mayor of a big city. Yeah, 359 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: And actually the character he created after Martin Luther King 360 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: Junior's assassination in nineteen sixty eight was also really important. 361 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: So he asked this musician friend of his, whose voice 362 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: he loved, to play the role of officer. Clements and 363 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: Story Corps did this incredible interview with Francois Clements that 364 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 1: deserves to be listened to. But here's how he described 365 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: it to NPR. Quote, I grew up in the ghetto. 366 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: I did not have a positive opinion of police officers. 367 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: Policemen were sicking police dogs and water hoses on people, 368 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: and I had a hard time putting myself in that role. 369 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: So I think he really struggled with it because he 370 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,239 Speaker 1: liked Fred but was conflicted about the impact he could have. 371 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: But then in nine there was this episode where Mr 372 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: Rogers is resting his feet in a kiddie pool on 373 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: a hot day, and as Clements put it, quote, he 374 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: invited me to come over and dress my feet in 375 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: the water with him. The icon Fred Rogers was not 376 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: only showing my brown skin in the tub with his 377 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: white skin as two friends, but as I was getting 378 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 1: out of the tub, he was helping me dry my feet. 379 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: I mean, that whole story just kills me. Yeah. And 380 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: the thing is is like, it's so hard to pick 381 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 1: these stories because there are so many of them. I 382 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: actually saw a quote from Clements where Mr Rogers was 383 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: ending the show the way he always did. He was 384 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: hanging up his sweater and telling the audience you make 385 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: every day a special day just by being you, and 386 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 1: I like you just the way you are. And on 387 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: that particular day, Clements thought Rogers was looking at him, 388 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: so he walks up to him and asks, Fred, were 389 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: you talking to me? And this is how NPR tells it. Yes, 390 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: I've been talking to you for years, Rogers said, but 391 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: you heard me today. It was like telling me that 392 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: I'm okay as a human being. And Clement says and 393 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: and that was one of the most meaningful experiences I'd 394 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 1: ever had. I know. They're honestly a million stories and 395 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers doing kind thing from how he'd get up 396 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 1: at five thirty every morning to answer massive piles of mail, 397 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: like every person who wrote in got a note back. 398 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: He'd also make friends with journalists, which made him a 399 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: really hard interview because he take photos of them and 400 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: their time together and then mail those to him and 401 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:24,360 Speaker 1: and he'd keep up with them to ask how their 402 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: families were. One time he made a limo driver drive 403 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: to his own house. Sir Rogers could meet the driver's family, 404 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: and then they played music and sang late into the night. 405 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: And when a father wrote in because his blind daughter 406 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: had heard Mr Rogers feed the fish once but then 407 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: was worried that they had died, Mr Rogers changed his 408 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: daily narration to include a bit where he said the 409 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,439 Speaker 1: fish were fed and doing well. And there's just so 410 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: many heartwarming stories of him telling kids to be brave 411 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,479 Speaker 1: and difficult situations. Yeah, yeah, there's too too many great stories. 412 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: And by all accounts, he was very much the same 413 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 1: person on and off screen. But we should talk a 414 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: little bit about how he saved pp US and also 415 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,880 Speaker 1: the VCR. So why don't we do that after the break? 416 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: Okay MANA so earlier we were talking about this wonderful 417 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: profile of Mr Rogers and Esquire called can you Say Hero? 418 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: And we were lucky enough to get the author of 419 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 1: that profile on the line, Tom's you know, welcome to 420 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: part time Genius. Thanks for having me so, Tom, it's 421 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: been I think nearly twenty years since your profile, and 422 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,199 Speaker 1: I think at the time Mr Rogers must have been famous, 423 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: but not top of mind for most people. Why did 424 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 1: you choose Mr Rogers as a subject? Yeah, I didn't. 425 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: I didn't actually choose them. It was it was definitely 426 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: one of those profiles that was chosen for me. Um. 427 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: I mean there are two reasons for it. Number One, 428 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: we were doing a story or our an issue devoted 429 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: to American heroes, and you know, one of the editors 430 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: very strongly advocated that that Mr Rogers should be counted 431 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: on that list. But the second thing that that had 432 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: happened was I had just gone through a bunch of stuff, 433 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: um regarding Kevin Spacey a year before I had written 434 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,640 Speaker 1: the story, the cover line for which was Kevin Spacey 435 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: had the secret that sort of danced around outing him 436 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: and it probably did more than dance around so um, 437 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: and that at the time seemed incredibly um transgressive and wrong. 438 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: And you know, I was attacked from all sides, and 439 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: Kevin himself UM called for me to be blacklisted for 440 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: further celebrity profiles, and I was just sort of finishing 441 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 1: up all that was the editor who advocated Mr. Rogers 442 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: on the cover of the Hero's issue advocated that I'd 443 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: be the writers just like you know, not only would 444 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: it be sort of counterintuitive to have him on the cover, 445 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: it would be ut extra counterintuitive to have a notorious 446 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: come you know that piece, and so what was he 447 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: interested in having a story on him? Um? You know, 448 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: it was just it was just a funny thing. I 449 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 1: you know, he had a lot of protection at the time, 450 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: but I didn't know any of that. I know, contacted 451 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 1: his people and his people said, okay, well you can 452 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: you can you know, visit him, um in New York 453 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: when he's in New York. I didn't know at this 454 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: time that his people were trying very hard to dissuade 455 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: him from talking to me. Don't you know what this 456 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 1: guy is? Don't you know what he did? And it 457 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with you know, Fred being gay 458 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: or whatever. That was never part of the equation. But 459 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: it had to do with just me being sort of 460 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: a bad guy, a notorious guy. And that really set 461 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: up the whole dynamic for the story because I didn't 462 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: I didn't know that that was going on. But I 463 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: went and saw him in his apartment in New York City, 464 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,959 Speaker 1: and you know, he he you know, I called him 465 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: up and said, you know, can I come over? And 466 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: he was like, well, Tom, you know, I'm I'm in 467 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: my robe and slippers, I'm taking a nap, you can 468 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: come over, you know, and and you know, and I 469 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: went there and I knocked on the door, and you know, 470 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: by god, he was in slippers and in a robe 471 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: and U and he was in this apartment. And just 472 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: right from the very very start, I started asking him 473 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: questions which he never answered. He did not. I mean, 474 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: I thought thread many times. Um, he never answered a 475 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: single one of my questions. I collected by asking any 476 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,160 Speaker 1: question about myself, you know, um, you know, and and 477 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: you know part of that is in the story, you know, 478 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 1: he he asked me. I mean, just like I was 479 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: started asking him about his past. And I was like, wow, 480 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: you know, I was. I had a lot of friends 481 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: back there. I didn't have a lot of friends, but 482 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: I had a lot of you know, imagine a friends 483 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: like stuffed animals and things. I bet you had a 484 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: close friend like that too, didn't you, Tom. But yes, 485 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: then was old Rabbit. Oh. I bet you loved Old 486 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,400 Speaker 1: Rabbit very much. And you know, and it was it 487 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: was just, you know, that dynamic from the very beginning. 488 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: And you know, as a journalist, I had to decide 489 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: whether to accept that or not. And I did, and 490 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: I think I did because I needed to. I think 491 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: I was really I was really at a tough place 492 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: in my career. I had just gone to Esquire from 493 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: g Q, and you know, g was was pretty much 494 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: a you know, a UM it was like, you know, 495 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: NonStop um, you know glory. Really, I mean it was 496 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: it was just you know, I did you know, every 497 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: story was was kind of greeted, you know, and welcomed, um, 498 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: you know, with enthusiasm. And then I went to Esquire 499 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: and my first story was on Kevin Space and people 500 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: just hated it. And for a while they kind of 501 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: like hated me, and and then friend came in and really, really, um, 502 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: I think saw that. I think he saw that. I 503 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 1: think that he saw that I needed someone to trust me, 504 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: and he decided to and I decided to trust him. 505 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: And that was the dynamic of the whole story. Wow, 506 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 1: that's really interesting, Well, Tom, One of the things we 507 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: haven't seen written about much is is his relationship with 508 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 1: his sons. Do you happen to know much about him 509 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: as a parent, you know, I don't, I really don't. 510 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: You know. I met his wife Joanne many times that 511 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: I'm still in touch with her, but I don't know 512 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: very much about his relationship with his son. Well, you know, 513 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: I've known he was a minister, but he was always 514 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: so quiet about his faith on the show. And I'm curious, 515 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 1: why do you think he asked you to pray with 516 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: him during your reporting, because I think he was quiet 517 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: about his face on the show. But I think he 518 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: lived his day, you know, every day. I mean, I 519 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: know for a fact that he woke up, um every 520 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: morning at five o'clock in order to pray for people 521 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:13,400 Speaker 1: and to write and to think and to read. But 522 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: from five to seven, with his time by himself and UM, 523 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,399 Speaker 1: part of that was prayer for people. And I, you know, 524 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: I became one of the people he prayed for. UM. 525 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: You know, from the very beginning, he was ministering to me. 526 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: He was not just like a typical profile subject in 527 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: any way at all. Uh, he was ministering to me, 528 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: and I was okay with it, and in fact I was, 529 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: you know, I needed it. And so that was that 530 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: was really what happened. But I think that Fred was 531 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: one of those guys. It was, you know, he was 532 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 1: very private. He was not a person who you know, 533 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: talked about his personal life at all, I mean like zero. 534 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: And but I think that when you got passed a 535 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: s at the point, I think his life and faith was, 536 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,399 Speaker 1: you know, with a huge component of that private life. 537 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: So Tom, I was curious, what was your relationship like 538 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 1: with him after the interview and and uh, did you 539 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,479 Speaker 1: stay friends? Yeah? We did. We stayed We stayed friends 540 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 1: until he died. And um, even though I did not 541 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: know how sick he was. UM, I was not one 542 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: of the people who um was led into that level. 543 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: But I mean, you know, after UM the story came out, 544 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: we stayed friends. I mean I have I don't know, 545 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,479 Speaker 1: like I don't know how many emails I have from 546 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: friends that he set me between in two thousand and 547 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: three when he died, but I mean at least five hundred, 548 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: and they were just they were mostly short, they were 549 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,479 Speaker 1: mostly there, just like you know, praying for utahm. They 550 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: were praying praying for I mean, I mentioned, you know, 551 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 1: a family relation who was having trouble and she was young, 552 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: and I know that he prayed for her. And I 553 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: know that for I know that for a fact, and 554 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: so so I would like call him every once in 555 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: a while, like one I would, you know. It was 556 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 1: just funny. I was the other day in Atlanta. I 557 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: came around US exit. That reminded me of Fred because 558 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: I remember the day when I came around that exit 559 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: and there was a snapping turtle crossing it to get 560 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: to some sort of you know, vis digital pond that 561 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: had been you know, developed around and I stopped my 562 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: car and you know, I picked up the snapping turtle 563 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: and all these people all at once came out and 564 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: helped me. And you know, I told I told Fred 565 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: about it. I called him up and told him about it, 566 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: and he was like, isn't that like you you know, always, 567 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: you know, he always had he always had a kind 568 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: word to day. And the last time I spoke to 569 00:28:55,000 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: Fred Um was um on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day she 570 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: dousand two. And on Christmas Eve there has been a 571 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: a battle in my family and it was brought between Um, 572 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: my wife and I. But my wife got involved in 573 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: a practice between me and some you know, some other 574 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: that it was, you know, it was just a typical 575 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: kind of family fulm But my wife was really upset 576 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:33,239 Speaker 1: that night and she couldn't sleep and for she was 577 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: so she was so mad about how she had been 578 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: treated and the thing that got her to sleeper that 579 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: she thought to herself, like, what would Fred Rogers do? Well, 580 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 1: how would Fred Rodgers react to this? That's I mean, 581 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: that's how sort of ingrained Um he was to you know, 582 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: our our way of thinking in our family life. And 583 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: you know I called him Um Christmas morning. I called 584 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: him that next day and told him that, and he, 585 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 1: you know, he gave me that same that same answer. 586 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: You know, how how like you Tom to call me 587 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: and tell me that. And I did not know that 588 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: he was dying of stomach cancer. He already was. He 589 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: was you know, he was diagnosed and he was sick. 590 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: He died Um two two months later instead of you 591 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: were of two thousand and three. And I, you know, 592 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: I remember very well Howard found out that he died. 593 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: You know, I went down to my computer, looked open 594 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: my laptop and there was his picture. And you know, 595 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: I just I knew, I knew right away with that 596 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: picture Ned, and you know it was I had to 597 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: give a speech that day here in Atlanta, and I 598 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: wound up UM asking everybody in the audience to maintain 599 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: one minute of silence in UM in tribute to Fred. 600 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: Not something to remember Fred, but because that's what he did. 601 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 1: That's how that's how he, you know, opened his speeches. 602 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: He would count off that minute of violence and have 603 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: people think about someone they love or have the audience 604 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: to think about people that they love. And so I 605 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: do that that day. It was pretty emotional. Wow, well 606 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 1: it's it's such a great story and I can't imagine 607 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: that story for you having come at a at a 608 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: better time and what a life changing moment. I think 609 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: it's been so remarkable for us as we've been preparing 610 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: to do the episode this week, is just how many 611 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 1: people there are in the world that feel similarly. That 612 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: we're so positively affected by him and in so many ways. 613 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: But thank you for writing this profile on him. I know, 614 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: again it's been a couple of decades, but Mango and 615 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: I have talked about this one so many times over 616 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: the years. It's definitely changed my life, and you know, 617 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: we definitely changed how I operated about that. Thank you 618 00:31:49,320 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: so much, Tom, I really appreciate it. Welcome back to 619 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius. So before the break, I mentioned that 620 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: we talked quickly about Mr Rogers impact on culture and 621 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 1: specifically PBS and the VCR, and in both instances, Mr 622 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: Rogers went to Washington. It was it was almost out 623 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: of a Capra film. And actually you can see these 624 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: things going around. You still still see them shared all 625 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: the time on social media. Him going in front of Congress, 626 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: but when PBSS budget was going to be cut, he 627 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: went and spoke passionately about how TV can help kids 628 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: with emotions, and instead of a budget cut, the funding 629 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: jumped from nine to twenty two million dollars. Is that incredible. 630 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: And when the government was debating whether VCR should be 631 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 1: allowed in homes because recording videos from TV might work 632 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 1: against copyright issues, and keep mind this was a long 633 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: time ago, but it was actually a pretty heated issue, 634 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,959 Speaker 1: Rogers convinced them that for working families, being able to 635 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 1: tape a show and then watch it together later was 636 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: really important, and his testimony swayed that decision as well. 637 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: I mean, he was so gentle but convincing. Burger King 638 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: ran this commercial while back called Mr Rodney, which was 639 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: kind of a sweet parody, But then they got a 640 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: call from Mr Rogers, who had received letters from kids 641 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: and parents wondering why he was now pushing Burgers would 642 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: be kind of a weird fit for a vegetarian, so 643 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 1: I guess that's why they just decided to transition to 644 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: that giant, weird looking king that isn't going to parody anything. 645 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: I don't think so. But Mr Rogers had never done 646 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: any commercials, so you know, he hadn't even done those 647 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,959 Speaker 1: PBS auctions that you see during the fundraising drive. So 648 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: he gently asked them to remove the hundred fifty spot 649 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: because he didn't want any of his kids confused, and 650 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: Burger King actually pulled it like the commercial only aired 651 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: for one week. His ability to just call people up 652 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: and relate to them as humans was extraordinary, and even 653 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: Burger King agreed. This is what their spokesperson said, quote 654 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: it just goes to show that everybody will be good 655 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: if you're spoken to in a nice way. Yeah. I mean, 656 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 1: he really believed in these peaceful resolutions, and even in 657 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: smaller ways, like when gorba Chov visited the US during 658 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: the tail end of the Cold War, he had a 659 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: guest on from a Russian children's program with a translator. 660 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 1: He wanted to show kids how people can communicate from 661 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,040 Speaker 1: different parts of the world and and how quote, we 662 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: all want friendships and we all want to be cared for. 663 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 1: And some months later he went to Russia and returned 664 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: the favor with an appearance on Russian TV. Yeah, he 665 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 1: has this quote, I love uh. Peace means far more 666 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,319 Speaker 1: than just the opposite of war. And there's so many 667 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:27,399 Speaker 1: more stories to tell. But maybe that's a nice place 668 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 1: to end this for now. Well, I mean, we can 669 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:31,479 Speaker 1: end this part of the show, but there's still one 670 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: more part of the show we have to get to, 671 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: and that's the fact of Yeah, do you know Mr 672 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: Rogers was color blind? I didn't like literally color blind, 673 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: though his family also took in foster children of all races. 674 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: All right, well here's one you should love. So Mr 675 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: Rogers was a napper. He got up at five thirty 676 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: every morning to answer mail from from viewers, and then 677 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: he went swimming, and every afternoon he'd try to get 678 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: in a nap. So I need to figure out how 679 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: to get more naps into my day. But did you 680 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: know Mr Rogers created his own ice cream flavor for 681 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 1: a local dairy. It was called Blueberry Go Round and 682 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: it had a blueberry ripple with macaroon chunks in it. 683 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: His grandmam used to make macaroons for him as a child. Differently, 684 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 1: you know, and sometimes people forget that he was a 685 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: loving husband and father. So once, while playing piano at 686 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: an event, his wife walked in the door and he 687 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 1: joyously stopped playing and ran to greet and embrace her. 688 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,359 Speaker 1: The photos he took of journalists and experiences were so 689 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 1: he could share his day with her, and after he passed, 690 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: he had a really hard time not starting her sentences 691 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: with we, oh, that's sad. Well. This is my absolutely 692 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,879 Speaker 1: favorite fact about him, and what I wrote in Mental 693 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: Flaws years ago quote. As an ordained Presbyterian minister and 694 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: a man of tremendous faith, Mr Rogers preached tolerance first. 695 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,800 Speaker 1: Whenever he was asked to castigate non Christians or gays 696 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: for their different beliefs, he would instead face them and say, 697 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:01,839 Speaker 1: with sincerity, God loves you just the way you are. 698 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 1: I love that. And you know, on this Thanksgiving, what 699 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 1: do you say instead of crowning a winner, let's forget 700 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 1: about the trophy today. And in this segment the way 701 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers would end some of his speeches, all right, 702 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: here goes. All of us have special ones who have 703 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: loved us into being. Would you just take along with 704 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: us ten seconds to think of the people who have 705 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,520 Speaker 1: helped you become who you are? Ten seconds of silence. 706 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: We'll watch the time. Thank you for listening to Part 707 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,359 Speaker 1: Time Genius, and thank you for being exactly who you are. 708 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:55,240 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 709 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:57,720 Speaker 1: of how stuff works and wouldn't be possible without several 710 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 1: brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't even 711 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel 712 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: Brown made the theme song and does the mixy mixy 713 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gay 714 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: Bluesier is our lead researcher with support from the Research 715 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and 716 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: Eves Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 717 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 718 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:21,640 Speaker 1: And if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 719 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: you could leave a good review for us. Do we 720 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 1: do we forget Jason? Jason who