1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,639 Speaker 1: Guess what will what's that man go? So this week 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: I was thinking back on one of my favorite Mr. 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: Rogers facts. It's about when Coco the Gorilla met Mr Rogers. 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: You're on Coco with the Gorilla, right, I love Coco. Yeah, 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: she was the one that she knew sign language, right, Yeah, 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: that's right. So when Coco met Mr Rogers, she was 7 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,639 Speaker 1: already a huge fan. Apparently, scientists used to play the 8 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: program for Cocos. So when he walked in, she got 9 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 1: really excited. And not only did she give him like 10 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: this big hug, and Coco was I mean like she 11 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: was big, right, yeah, enormous, So you have to imagine 12 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: this giant gorilla just enveloping this rail thin man. But 13 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 1: then she started taking his shoes off, and he was 14 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: a little surprised, but then he realized she was only 15 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: doing that because it was the same way he used 16 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: to start every single show. I mean, well, everybody loves Mr. 17 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,639 Speaker 1: Rogers exactly, and there are a million stories about how 18 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: good and kind he was in real life and just 19 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: how beloved he was, even by gorillas. But with all 20 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: the tension and politics and general horrible nous going on 21 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: in the world today, we thought it'd be nice to 22 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: do a little Thanksgiving show about one of our favorite 23 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: neighbors and really one of my favorite humans, Fred Rogers. 24 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: Let's dive in, kay. Welcome wartime genius. I'm Will Pearson 25 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend Man Guesh. 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: I ticketter and sitting behind the sound proof glass zipping 27 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: up his card again. Over that another card. It's two 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: card against double card again. That's our friend and producer 29 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil. Alright, so Ango, we're obviously talking about Mr 30 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: Rogers today, and I'm guessing you watched a ton of 31 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers growing up. I did, I mean from our generation. 32 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,279 Speaker 1: I really don't know anyone who wasn't influenced by Mr Rogers. 33 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: But at my house, we didn't watch a ton of TV, 34 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: but we watched a lot of PBS, like we watched 35 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: Sesame Street and reading Rambo. We actually subscribed to three 36 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: to one Contact magazine, which actually had an influence on 37 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: Metal Floss and and uh, you know, there were shows 38 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: like Square one and Carmen San Diego. But I definitely 39 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: remember watching Mr Rogers and talking to the screen when 40 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers would ask questions, and also like learning Little 41 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: tricks from the show for some reason, always cracked me up. 42 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: I love watching kids talk to my kids still do that. 43 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: But so, do you remember what tricks you learned? Yeah, 44 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: I mean this is kind of ridiculous, but there was 45 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: an episode where he was doing some craft and he 46 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: made a little paper house just out of like a 47 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: single sheet of construction paper, and then he bent and 48 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: cut out a front door so that would open like 49 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: a real door. And for some reason I kind of 50 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: filed that away. And then in kindergarten during this holiday party, 51 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: when we were coloring gingerbread houses, I snuck over to 52 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,119 Speaker 1: this tin of scissors and cut out the front door 53 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: like I had seen just two sniffs, so swing open 54 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: or whatever. And all the adults were so impressed. And 55 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: when everyone asked me how I'd come up with such 56 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: a clever idea, I just kind of shrugged. I took 57 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: credit for it. I know, I totally stole it from 58 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers, and I will carry that guilt. I would too. 59 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: That's pretty stealing from Mr Rogers. And I'm sure those 60 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: adults are still talking about it too, how creative that 61 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: mango is. But yeah, of course I watched Mr Rogers too, 62 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: but it was. It was always funny how Mr Rogers 63 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: kind of became this thing at at Mental Flaws, it 64 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: was really your thing, and you wrote an article about 65 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: him when we first launched the website. I think it 66 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: was called like fifteen Reasons Mr Rogers was the best 67 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: neighbor ever, something like that. So I honestly think he 68 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: should be America's patron saint. I probably watched a little 69 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: more Mr Rogers than most people because my mom was 70 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 1: a preschool teacher. And actually, what's funny is that story 71 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: for Mental Flass was actually the second list I'd written 72 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: about Mr Rogers. Really, so what was the what was 73 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: the first? Well, in seventh grade, we had to do 74 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: this writing assignment where we talked about an inspirational figure 75 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: in our lives and we had to get in front 76 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: of the class for five minutes, and it was supposed 77 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,119 Speaker 1: to be serious. I think, uh, some kids talked about 78 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: their grandparents or people they considered heroes, but instead of 79 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: writting something meaningful, I think I was trying to impress 80 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: some girls in my class. So I decided to do 81 00:03:57,920 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: mine on Mr Rogers and why I thought he should 82 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: be president, and I presented it as a top ten list, 83 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: which was super edgy at the time, but the whole 84 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: thing was full of bad jokes about how he'd make 85 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: America feel special. And I'd also really gotten into Eddie 86 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: Murphy at the time, so I'd seen Eddie Murphy's SNL parody. 87 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: But I also included things like how Mr Rogers had 88 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: actually really influenced my style wearing cardigans and low top sneakers. 89 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: I put so little effort into this thing, and honestly, 90 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: most of my five minutes was spent with me on 91 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: a stool, slowly zipping up my sweater and uh, putting 92 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: on sneakers, just really hamming it off. I don't know 93 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: why this is so easy for me to picture, like 94 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: you giving that same presentation now, but it is funny. 95 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: If you had not mentioned Mr Robinson or Eddie Murphy's 96 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: character on SNL, I definitely was going to there. There 97 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 1: was a good story about this. I actually read that 98 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: one time Fred Rogers happened to be at thirty Rocks, 99 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: so he decided to sneak in and surprise Eddie Murphy, 100 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: you know, just to meet him in person. So he 101 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: goes up and knocks on his door, and when Eddie 102 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: opens it, He was, of course stunned. I mean, there's 103 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers just standing there grinning at him, and so 104 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: Eddie was supposedly a little bit embarrassed by the situation, 105 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: but he just gives him a big hug and smiles 106 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: and says, it's the real Mr Robinson. Oh, I love that. 107 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: So so did your class like your presentation? Not to 108 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: go back to that, but it's just I can't stop 109 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: thinking about it. Like it, I think so. But the 110 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: worst part was that the teacher liked it, so for 111 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: the next assignment she made everyone else do a top 112 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: ten list of celebrities that should be president, right, which 113 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: we have now, I guess. But honestly, now that I'm 114 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: saying this out loud, all of it makes zero's sense, 115 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: you know. I know we both read and loved Tom 116 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: Juno's piece for Esquire years later and realized what an 117 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: amazing figure Mr Rogers actually was. There's so many incredible 118 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: parts of the story, but one of the things I 119 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: loved most was that wherever Fred went, people wanted to 120 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: tell him how much he meant to them. Everywhere. Actually, 121 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: I pulled this passage from the story because I wanted 122 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: to read it here. It says um quote. Once upon 123 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: a time Mr Rogers went to New York City and 124 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: got caught in the rain. He didn't have an umbrella, 125 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 1: and he couldn't find the taxi either, so he ducked 126 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: with a friend in the subway and got on one 127 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: of the trains. It was late in the day and 128 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: the train was crowded with children who were going home 129 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: from school. So of all races, the school children were 130 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: mostly black and Latino, and and they didn't even approach 131 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers and asked him for his autograph or anything 132 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: like that. They just sang. They sang all at once, 133 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: all together the song he sings at the start of 134 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: his program, Won't You Be My Neighbor? And it turned 135 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: this clattering train into a single, soft, runaway choir. I mean, 136 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: it isn't just great, that's so wonderful. I mean he 137 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: did do eight episodes and thirty one seasons of that show, 138 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,799 Speaker 1: so um I looked up the numbers and it reached 139 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,799 Speaker 1: eight million families every week, So obviously he was bound 140 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: to run into some fans. But that Juno piece is 141 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: honestly one of my favorite magazine stories ever. And for 142 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: those of you listening, it's written as these vignettes of 143 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: him interacting with kids and interacting with the author, and 144 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: you just leave it wondering how can pur and be 145 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: that good? I mean, it sounds ludicrous, but reading that 146 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: story made me want to be a better person. And 147 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: I think you know, wrote that piece in the late nineties, 148 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: and then six or seven years later when you couldn't 149 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: find that story online because so many magazines had pulled 150 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: all their content from the Internet. I I wrote that 151 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: list partially because I generally wanted readers to rediscover that article. Yeah, 152 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: and so we'll definitely link out to it from our 153 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: Facebook page. All right, so we we've talked around Mr Rogers, 154 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: but why don't we dive into his actual story here? Sure, 155 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: but why don't we start by each giving one fact 156 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: we learned about him this week? You always want to 157 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: skip right to the facts, be patient, whatever. I can't 158 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: hope that they're so fun. But here's mine. Did you 159 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: know Mr Rogers was the official celebrity captain of the 160 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,679 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Penguins. Like the hockey. Yeah, hockey doesn't exactly seem 161 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: like Mr Rogers. Yeah, I don't think it is either, 162 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: but for season, and this was the NHL seventy anniversary, 163 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: every team got to pick a celebrity captain, and most 164 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: of the teams picked like a list celebrities or movie 165 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: stars or whatever. But the Penguins picked him. And there 166 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: was even this rookie trading card they made for Mr Rogers. 167 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I love that. So is he wearing 168 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: a hockey uniform in it? I wish it's just a 169 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: picture of him in his neighborhood. But hearing that made 170 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: me like hockey a little more. Um, why why don't 171 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: you tell me about fact you liked? It's hard to 172 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: surprise you with these facts, but there, I mean, there 173 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: are some good ones, like like, once you realize how 174 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: committed he was to kids in childhood development, it makes 175 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: sense that you know, he taught himself to speak slowly. 176 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: I think he spoke at a rate of a hundred 177 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: and twenty four words per minute, because that's actually the 178 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: optimal speed for kids in the you know, three to 179 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: five age range. That's so crazy that he was not committed. 180 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: But h what's your actual fact? All right? Uh? I 181 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: don't know. Maybe that he was a vegetarian. He actually 182 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: owns shares in a vegetarian magazine called vegetarian time. That's 183 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: so strange. You know, my mom actually used to subscribe 184 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,439 Speaker 1: to this nice and a lot in common. Well, he 185 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: stopped eating meat in the seventies because he didn't want 186 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: to eat anything with a mother. And when he was 187 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: profiled in the magazine, he said, I love tofu burgers 188 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 1: and beats. He has to be the only NHL captain 189 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: in history to ever say those. But let's get back 190 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: to this bio. Why don't you give us a quick 191 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: rundown of how Mr Rogers got into TV? Al right, 192 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: I can do that, so, um, Fred mcpheeley Rogers, How 193 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: great is it that his middle name was mcpheel like 194 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: was born in n in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He grew up 195 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: to be a puppeteer and an ordained minister, but he 196 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: had a suite and fairly ordinary childhood. He was a 197 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: gifted pianist. He was editor of his high school paper, 198 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: president of student council. Not surprisingly, he did really well 199 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: in school, and when he graduated, he decided to go 200 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: to Dartmouth to study Romance languages, but then he transferred 201 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: out a year later than that to go to Rollins 202 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: College because he wanted to pursue music. Yeah, I've read 203 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,719 Speaker 1: that he composed like two songs from Mr Rogers neighborhood. Yeah, 204 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: that's right. And I actually thought he was playing the 205 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: piano at the start of the show because I knew 206 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: that he could play the piano, and and because he 207 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 1: does play on the show when he sings. But but 208 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: at the beginning of the show, it's actually his friend, 209 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: the jazz musician Johnny Costa. You know, I hadn't heard 210 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: of Johnny Costa before this week, and I read that 211 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: he and Fred went way back and that this was 212 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: kind of a steady side gig in rough times for him. 213 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: But being friends. Mr Rogers new costas financial situation and 214 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: the salary he offered him was the exact amount Costa 215 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: needed to put his son through college. It's not kind 216 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: of sweet. But from your reading, is Costa famous? Like 217 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: I didn't really know about him. Well, I mean, I 218 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: think people in jazz circles knew him. You know. Apparently 219 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: Ella Fitzgerald's pianist used to tune into the last five 220 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: minutes of Mr. Rogers every day just to quote here 221 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: what Johnny was up to, because he was that good. 222 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: And I do have to add this because it's a 223 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: very Mr. Rogers fact. So Johnny said, children understand good music. 224 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: I would never play piddling nursery rhyme. That's pretty neat. 225 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: But we'll get into Fred Rogers philosophy and a bit. 226 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: But it was never too dumb down anything. It was 227 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: always about respecting the kids and their feelings and their intelligence. 228 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: You know, it's funny. I heard Sarah Silverman talking about 229 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: a really difficult topic this week, but as she was 230 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: kind of talking herself up to it, she said, quote, 231 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: if it's mentionable, it's manageable, and like that kind of 232 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: stuck with me and I thought, what a nice quote. 233 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: And then as we're doing this research, I realized that's 234 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: actually a Mr. Rogers phrase and one he used about 235 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: talking about difficult topics on his show. But we should 236 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 1: get back to the biography. Yeah, alright. So so Fred 237 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: goes to college and he meets his wife Jean there, 238 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: who's also a pianist. But when he's home on break 239 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: from school, he watches TV and he sees people throwing 240 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: pies in each other's faces, and he has this pretty 241 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 1: visceral reaction to it, as you know puts it. Fred 242 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: was quote the soft sun of overprotective parents, but he 243 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: certainly had conviction. And and right then, while watching this 244 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: mean spirited pie throwing Fred realized that if TV is 245 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: going to have this sweeping effect on our culture, he 246 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: wanted to fight against programmings, base or impulses. He wanted 247 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: to fight for what he called broadcasting of grace through 248 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: the land. I don't know exactly what that means, but 249 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 1: it sounds kind of so. So when he became this 250 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: ordained menace or which which he did at the same 251 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,079 Speaker 1: time that he went through grad school for child development, 252 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: he decided to use all of those skills on television. 253 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: And that's when he started Mr Rogers in Pittsburgh. Well 254 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: not exactly at that point. I mean, he'd done a 255 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: little puppeteering and TV producing, but his first real gig 256 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: as Mr Rogers was actually in Canada, and that's when 257 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: he first got on camera, and the show was called Mr. Rogers. Weirdly, 258 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: for some reason, it was all one word. I'm not 259 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: sure why, but it only lasted a year or two 260 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: because Fred decided he wanted to raise his kids back 261 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: home and and that's when Mr. Rogers Neighborhood really kicked off. 262 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: So I of course want to talk about his pacing 263 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: of the show and how he used that medium for good, 264 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: but I also wanted to take a second to talk 265 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,319 Speaker 1: about his wardrobe. I know a lot of people may 266 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: know that all of the cardigans on the show were 267 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,199 Speaker 1: knit by his mother. Apparently she used to knit one 268 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 1: sweater a month for family members, and she'd ask Fred 269 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: what color this year, So wearing that cardigan was this 270 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: little tribute to his mom. But taking off his dress 271 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: shoes at the beginning of the show actually had an 272 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: alternate purpose. Really, I mean, I'm guessing it was just 273 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: to make the kids feel cozy. If you remember, back 274 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: in our education episode we talked about the fact that 275 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: it helps kids concentrate better in school when they take 276 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: their shoes off. Was was that what this had to 277 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: do with? Yeah, that might have been a side benefit, 278 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: but his dress shoes also clunked and squeaked, so walking 279 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: around the studio with quieter and less squeaky shoes is 280 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: why he switched to sneakers. Okay, all right, Well, I 281 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: want to get to the actual TV show along with 282 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: some of the heartwarming stories about him. But before we 283 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: do that, why don't we take a quick break, Welcome 284 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: back to Part time Genius. So we're talking Mr. Rogers 285 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: and how he used his neighborhood to educate kids. So 286 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: let's talk for a second about the pacing of the show. Yeah, 287 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: so Rogers like the show to move slow but deep. 288 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: So he talked kids through things like anxiety, telling kids 289 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: they were too big to slip down the drain, or 290 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: talking about how things like haircuts don't actually hurt, or 291 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: even talking about complex things like divorce. And they're also 292 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: field trips around the neighborhood to nurture curiosity and the 293 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 1: land to make believe was there, you know, the place 294 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: the trolley would go to with all the poppeting. But um, 295 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: what's really interesting to me is how much he studied 296 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: kids nature and the way they learned. So there was 297 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: this one Yale psychology study that compared the effect of 298 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: Sesame Street on kids versus Mr Rogers neighborhood and the 299 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: results were sort of surprising. So why was that. Well, 300 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: the kids who watched Mr Rogers remembered the storylines better 301 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: and they also had a better tolerance of delay. Essentially, 302 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: they were more patient when they've been promised treats. I mean, 303 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: but you've seen old sesame streets though. I mean, I 304 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: know there's some quick moving graphics from time to time, 305 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: but for the most part those shows seem pretty slow. Yeah, 306 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: but Mr Rogers really worked to keep the show as 307 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: seamless as possible, Like he'd rehearsed the show over and 308 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: over because he wanted to be thoughtful about every word 309 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: he used, and he didn't want to make too many cuts, 310 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: partially because that can be jarring to viewers watching so intensely. 311 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: You know, it is funny to contrast this show with 312 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: something like SpongeBob or show like that. I remember our 313 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: friend Ethan Trucks and Mental Flass telling us about this 314 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: study from two thousand eleven that the show was basically 315 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: making kids dumber. You know, there was this uv A 316 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: study that that looked at a group of four year 317 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: olds that were allowed to watch an educational cartoons, some 318 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: that watched SpongeBob or spend their time coloring, and after 319 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: nine or ten minutes, they then tested the kids on 320 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: puzzle solving and following instructions and also a tolerance of delay, 321 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: and the kids who watched SpongeBob did by far the worst. 322 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm guessing that's because all those quick cuts 323 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: made it hard to process for kids, right. Yeah, but 324 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: you know, the way the study was argued against was 325 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: pretty hilarious. There was a spokesman from Nickelodeon that started 326 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: out by saying that the show is intended for older kids, 327 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: but then the argument devolved into something like, quote, watching 328 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: a sponge in pants is just a new and unfamiliar 329 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: concept for kids to wrap their head around. Yeah, I'm 330 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: not sure that's what caused the lower scores. There's also 331 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: that great story of one coming to the studio to 332 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: put a fish on microphone and feed them in the aquarium, 333 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: like Mr Rogers wanted to hear the sound of fish 334 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: eating and and it was all being taped live, but 335 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: the person kept trying to hurry the fish along because 336 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: they just weren't feeding, so uh, they'd say things like 337 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: chow time or dinner bell and Mr Rogers just kind 338 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: of patiently waited. And afterwards he revealed his philosophy that 339 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: it's okay for kids not to have that immediate gratification, 340 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: that they can learn to wait through watching the program. 341 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: It's just remarkable, really. I mean, the other thing Mr 342 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: Rogers was really thoughtful about with social issues, which he 343 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: kind of saws Christian issues as well. So Michael Long 344 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: of HuffPo wrote up a few things he'd noticed, and 345 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: here are some of the things I didn't realize about 346 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: the show. So ten years before Sally Ride, Mr Rogers 347 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: had his puppet character Lady Elaine Fairchild fly to outer 348 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: space and discover new planets. And then two years before 349 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: Barbara Walters broke through as the first female anchor on 350 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: the Evening News, he actually had Lady Elaine break that 351 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: barrier as well. She's just breaking barriers, and you know, 352 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: and and and obviously those are imaginary characters and and 353 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: I do think they affected kids perceptions of what women 354 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: were capable of. But he also had some real people 355 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: on the show to stress these points as well. Right. 356 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: I read that he created a character Mayor Maggie of 357 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: Southwood played by an African American actor in nineteen seventy five, 358 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: which I guess was almost like fifteen years before an 359 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: African American woman would become the mayor of a big city. Yeah, 360 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: And actually the character he created after Martin Luther King 361 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 1: Junior's assassination in nineteen sixty eight was also really important. 362 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: So he asked this musician friend of his whose voice 363 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: he loved to play the role of officer. Clements and 364 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 1: Story Corps did this incredible interview with Francois Clements that 365 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: deserves to be listened to. But here's how he described 366 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: it to NPR. Quote, I grew up in the ghetto. 367 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: I did not have a positive opinion of police officers. 368 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 1: Policemen were sicking police dogs and water hoses on people, 369 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: and I had a hard time putting myself in that role. 370 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: So I think he really struggled with it because he 371 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:58,959 Speaker 1: liked Fred but was conflicted about the impact he could have. 372 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: But then in nine nine there was this episode where 373 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers is resting his feet in a kiddie pool 374 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: on a hot day, and as Clements put it, quote, 375 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 1: he invited me to come over and rest my feet 376 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 1: in the water with him. The icon Fred Rogers was 377 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: not only showing my brown skin in the tub with 378 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: his white skin as two friends, but as I was 379 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: getting out of the tub, he was helping me dry 380 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: my feet. I mean, that whole story just kills me. Yeah. 381 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: And the thing is is like, it's so hard to 382 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: pick these stories because there are so many of them. 383 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: I actually saw a quote from Clemens where Mr Rogers 384 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: was ending the show the way he always did. He 385 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 1: was hanging up his sweater and telling the audience you 386 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: make every day a special day just by being you, 387 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: and I like you just the way you are. And 388 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: on that particular day, Clements thought Rogers was looking at him, 389 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: so he walks up to him and asks, Fred, were 390 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 1: you talking to me? And this is how NPR tells it. Yes, 391 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: I've been talking to you for years, Rogers said, but 392 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 1: you heard me today. It was like telling me that 393 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm okay as a human being, Clements says, And and 394 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: that was one of the most meaningful experiences I'd ever had. 395 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: I know. They're honestly a million stories of Mr Rogers 396 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: doing kind thing, from how he'd get up at five 397 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,640 Speaker 1: thirty every morning to answer massive piles of mail, like 398 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: every person who wrote in got a note back. He'd 399 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: also make friends with journalists, which made him a really 400 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,880 Speaker 1: hard interview because he take photos of them and their 401 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 1: time together and then mail those to him, and and 402 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: he keep up with them to ask how their families were. 403 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: One time, he made a limo driver drive to his 404 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: own house Sir Rogers could meet the driver's family, and 405 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: then they played music and sang late into the night. 406 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: And when a father wrote in because his blind daughter 407 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: had heard Mr Rogers feed the fish once but then 408 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: was worried that they had died, Mr Rogers changed his 409 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: daily narration to include a bit where he said the 410 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,239 Speaker 1: fish were fed and doing well. And there's just so 411 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: many heartwarming stories of him telling kids to be brave 412 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: and difficult situations. Yeah, yeah, there's too too many great stories. 413 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: And by all accounts, he was very much the same 414 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 1: person on an off screen. But we should talk a 415 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: little bit about how he saved PBS and also the VCR. 416 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:00,640 Speaker 1: So what why don't we do that? After the brink? 417 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: Okay manga. So earlier we were talking about this wonderful 418 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: profile of Mr Rogers and Esquire called can you Say Hero? 419 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: And we were lucky enough to get the author of 420 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: that profile on the line, Tom's you know, welcome to 421 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: part time Genius. Thanks for having me so, Tom, it's 422 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 1: been I think nearly twenty years since your profile, and 423 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 1: I think at the time Mr Rogers must have been famous, 424 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,479 Speaker 1: but not top of mind for most people. Why did 425 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,159 Speaker 1: you choose Mr Rogers as a subject? Yeah, I didn't. 426 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: I didn't actually cheer them. It was it was definitely 427 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: one of those profiles that was chosen for me. Um. 428 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 1: I mean there are two reasons for it. Number One, 429 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 1: we were doing a story or or an issue devoted 430 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 1: two American heroes, and you know, one of the editors 431 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: very strongly advocated that that Mr Rogers should be accounted 432 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: on that list. But the second thing that that had 433 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: happened was I had just gone through a bunch of stuff, 434 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: UM regarding Kevin Spacey a year before. I had written 435 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: the story, the cover line for which was Kevin Spacey 436 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: had the secret that sort of danced around outing him 437 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: and it probably did more than dance around so um, 438 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: and that at the time seemed incredibly um transgressive and wrong. 439 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: And you know, I was attacked from all sides, and 440 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: Kevin himself UM called for me to be blacklisted for 441 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:46,359 Speaker 1: further celebrity profiles, and I was just sort of finishing 442 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: up all that. The editor who advocated Mr Rogers on 443 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: the cover of the Hero's issue advocated that I'd be 444 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: the writers just like you know, not only would it 445 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: be sort of counterintuitive to have him on the cover, 446 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: it would be her extra counter recruited to have a 447 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: notorious comes you know that piece, and so what was 448 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: he interested in having a story on him? Um? You know, 449 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 1: it's just that it was just a funny thing. I 450 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: you know, he had a lot of protection at the time, 451 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: but I didn't know any of that. I know, contacted 452 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: his UM people, and his people said, okay, well you 453 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:27,880 Speaker 1: can you can you know, visit him um in New 454 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: York when he's in New York. I didn't know at 455 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: this time that his people were trying very hard to 456 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 1: dissuade him from talking to me. Don't you know who 457 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: this guy is? Don't you know what he did? And 458 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: it had nothing to do with you know, Fred being 459 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: gay or whatever. That was never part of the equation. 460 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: But it had to do with just me being sort 461 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: of a bad guy, a notorious guy. And that really 462 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,119 Speaker 1: set up the whole dynamic for the story because I 463 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 1: didn't I didn't know that that was going on. But 464 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: I went and saw him in his apartment in New 465 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 1: York City, and you know, he he you know, I 466 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: called him up and said, you know, can I come over? 467 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: And he was like, well, Tom, you know, I'm I'm 468 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: in my robe and slippers, I'm taking a nap, you 469 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 1: can come over, you know, and and you know, and 470 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: I went there and I knocked on the door, and 471 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: you know, by god, he was in slippers and in 472 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 1: a robe and U and he was in this apartment. 473 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:25,679 Speaker 1: And just right from the very very start, I started 474 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: asking him questions which he never answered. He did not. 475 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: I mean I thought for it many times. Um, he 476 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: never answered a single one of my questions. He always 477 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 1: reflected by asking any question about myself, you know, um, 478 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: you know, and and you know part of that is 479 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,719 Speaker 1: in the story, you know, he he asked me. I mean, 480 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 1: just like I was started asking him about his past. 481 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: And I was like, wow, you know, I was. I 482 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: had a lot of friends back there. I didn't have 483 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,120 Speaker 1: a lot of friends, but I had a lot of 484 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, imaginary friends like stuffed animals and things. I 485 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 1: bet you had a close friends like that. Two didn't 486 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: you come like? Yes? Then was old Rabbit? Oh, I 487 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 1: bet you loved old Rabbit very much. And you know, 488 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: and it was it was just, you know, that dynamic 489 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: from the very beginning. And you know, as a journalist, 490 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: I had to decide whether to accept that or not. 491 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: And I did, and I think I did because they 492 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: needed to. I think I was really I was really 493 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: at a tough place in my career. I had just 494 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: gone to Esquire from g Q, and you know, GQ 495 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,120 Speaker 1: was was pretty much a you know, a UM. It 496 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: was like, you know, NonStop um, you know, glory really 497 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:47,959 Speaker 1: and it was it was just you know, I did 498 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: you know, every story was was kind of greeted, you know, 499 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: and welcomed um, you know, with enthusiasm. And then I 500 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: went to Esquire. My first story was on Kevin Space 501 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: and people just hated it and for a while kind 502 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: of like hated me, and and then said came in 503 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: and really really, um, I think saw that. I think 504 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: he saw that. I think that he saw that I 505 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: needed someone to trust me, and he decided to and 506 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 1: I decided to trust him. And that was the dynamic 507 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 1: of the whole story. Wow, that's really interesting, Well, Tom, 508 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: One of the things we haven't seen written about much 509 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: is is his relationship with his sons. Do you happen 510 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: to know much about him as a parent, you know, 511 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: I don't, I really don't. You know. I met his 512 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: wife Joanne many times and I'm still in touch with her, 513 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 1: but I don't know very much about his relationship with 514 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: his son. Well, you know, I've known he was a minister, 515 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: but he was always so quiet about his faith on 516 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: the show. And I'm curious, why do you think he 517 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: asked you to pray with him during your reporting, because 518 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: I think he was quiet about his faith on the show. 519 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 1: But I think he lived his face, you know, every day. 520 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 1: I mean, I know for a fact that he woke up, 521 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: um every morning at five o'clock in order to pray 522 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,359 Speaker 1: for people and to write and to think and to read. 523 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: But from five to seven, with his time by himself 524 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 1: and UM, part of that was prayer for people. And I, 525 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: you know, I became one of the people he prayed for. UM. 526 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: You know, from the very beginning, he was ministering to me. 527 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: He was not just like a typical profile subject in 528 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,879 Speaker 1: any way at all. He was ministering to me and 529 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: I was okay with it, and in fact I was, 530 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,160 Speaker 1: you know, I needed it, And so that was that 531 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: was really what happened. So but I think that Fred 532 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: was one of those guys. It was, you know, he 533 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: was very private. He was not a person who you know, 534 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: talked about his personal life at all, I mean like zero. 535 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: And but I think that when you got past a 536 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: certain point. I think his life faith was a huge 537 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 1: component of that private life. So Tom, I was curious, 538 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: what was your relationship like with him after the interview 539 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: and and uh, did you stay friends? Yeah? We did. 540 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: We stayed We stayed friends until he died. And um, 541 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: even though I did not know how sick he was. UM, 542 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: I was not one of the people who um was 543 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,160 Speaker 1: led into that level. But I mean, you know, after 544 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:33,439 Speaker 1: UM the story came out, we stayed friends. I mean 545 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: I have I don't know, like I don't know how 546 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: many emails I have from friends that he set me 547 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: between in two thousand and three when he died, but 548 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 1: I mean at least five hundred. And they were just 549 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,919 Speaker 1: they were mostly short. They were mostly there's like, you know, 550 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: praying for Utah and they were praying praying for and 551 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 1: I mentioned, you know, a family relation who was having 552 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:01,439 Speaker 1: trouble and she was young, and I know that he 553 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: prayed for her. I mean I know that for I 554 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 1: know that for a fact, and so so I would 555 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,360 Speaker 1: like call him every once in a while, like one 556 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: I would you know. It was it was just funny. 557 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: I was the other day in Atlanta. I came around 558 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: US exit. That reminded me of Fred because I remember 559 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: the day when I came around that exit and there 560 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: was a snapping turtle crossing it to get to some 561 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: sort of you know, vistigial pond that had been you know, 562 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: developed around and I stopped my car and you know, 563 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 1: I picked up the snapping turtle and all these people 564 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: all at once came out and helped me. And you know, 565 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: I told I told Fred about it. I called him 566 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 1: up and told him about it, and he was like, 567 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: isn't that like you you know, like always, you know, 568 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: he always had he always had a kind word to say. 569 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: And the last time I spoke to Fred, Um was 570 00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: um on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. She's down in two 571 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: and on Christmas Eve there has been a a battle, 572 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: uh in my family and it was brought between um, 573 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: my wife and I. But my wife's got involved in 574 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: a practice between me and some you know, some others. 575 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: It was, you know, it was just a typical kind 576 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: of family form. But my wife was really upset that 577 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: night and she couldn't sleep and she was so she 578 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: was so mad about how she had been treated, and 579 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: the thing that got her to sleepers that she thought 580 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: to herself like, what would Fred Rogers do? How would 581 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: Fred Rodgers react to this? That's I mean, that's how 582 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: sort of ingrained um he was to you know, our 583 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: our way of thinking in our family life. And you 584 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: know I called him Um Christmas morning. I called him 585 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: that next day and told him that, and he, you know, 586 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: he gave me that same that same answer. You know 587 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: how how like Tom to call me and tell me that? 588 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: And I did not know that he was dying a 589 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: stomach cancer. He already was. He was, you know, he 590 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: was diagnosed and was sick. He died two months two 591 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: months later, and said your weary two thousand and three. 592 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: And I know, I remember very well how he found 593 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: out that he died. And I went down to my computer, 594 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: looped over my laptop and there was his picture, and 595 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: you know, I just I knew, I knew right away 596 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: with that picture Ned, and you know it was I 597 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: had to give a speech that day here in Atlanta, 598 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: and I wound up UM asking everybody in the audience 599 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: to maintain one minute of silence in UM in tribute 600 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: to Fred. Not something to remember Fred, but because that's 601 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: what he did. That's how that's how he you know, 602 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: opened his speeches, he would count off that minute of 603 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: silence and have people think about someone they loved. We 604 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: had the audience to think about people that they loved, 605 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: and so I did that that day. It was pretty emotional. Wow, 606 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: well it's it's such a great story and I can't 607 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: imagine that story for you having come at a at 608 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 1: a better time and what a life changing moment. I 609 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: think it's been so remarkable for us as we've been 610 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: preparing to do the episode this week, is just how 611 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: many people there are in the world that feel similarly. 612 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 1: That we're so positively affected by him and in so 613 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: many ways. But thank you for writing this profile on him. 614 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: I know, again it's been a couple of decades, but 615 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: Mango and I have talked about this one so many 616 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: times over the years. It definitely changed my life and 617 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: you know, definitely changed how I operated. Thank you so much, Tom, 618 00:31:47,640 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 1: I really appreciate it. Welcome back to our time, genius. 619 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 1: So before the break, I mentioned that we talked quickly 620 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: about Mr Rogers impact on culture and specifically PBS and 621 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: the VCR, and in both instances, Mr Rogers went to Washington. 622 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: It was it was almost out of a Capra film. 623 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: And actually you can see these things going around. You 624 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: still still see them shared all the time on social media. 625 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: Him going in front of Congress, but when PBSS budget 626 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: was going to be cut, he went and spoke passionately 627 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 1: about how TV can help kids with emotions, and instead 628 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 1: of a budget cut, the funding jumped from nine to 629 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: twenty two million dollars. That incredible. And when the government 630 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: was debating whether VCR should be allowed in homes because 631 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: recording videos from TV might work against copyright issues, and 632 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: keep mind this was a long time ago, but it 633 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: was actually a pretty heated issue, Rogers convinced them that 634 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 1: for working families, being able to tape a show and 635 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: then watch it together later was really important, and his 636 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 1: testimony swayed that decision as well. I mean, he was 637 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: so gentle but so convincing. Burger King rend this commercial 638 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 1: a while back called Mr Rodney, which was kind of 639 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: a sweet parody. But then they got a call from 640 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers, who had received letters from kids and parents 641 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: wondering why he was now pushing Burgers. Would be kind 642 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: of a weird fit for a vegetarian, so I guess 643 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: that's why they just decided to transition to that giant, 644 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: weird looking king. That isn't going to parody anything. I 645 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: don't think so. But Mr Rogers had never done any commercials, 646 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: so you know, he hadn't even done those PBS auctions 647 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,280 Speaker 1: that you see during the fundraising drive. So he gently 648 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: asked them to remove the hundred fifty spot because he 649 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: didn't want any of his kids confused, and Burger King 650 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: actually pulled it like the commercial only aired for one week. 651 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: His ability to just call people up and relate to 652 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,479 Speaker 1: them as humans was extraordinary, and even Burger King agreed. 653 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: This is what their spokesperson said, quote it just goes 654 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: to show that everybody will be good if you're spoken 655 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: to in a nice way. Yeah. I mean, he really 656 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: believed in these peaceful resolutions, and even in smaller ways, 657 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: like when gorba Chov visited the US during the tail 658 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: end of the Cold War, he had a guest on 659 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: from a Russian children's program with a translator. He wanted 660 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: to show kids how people can communicate from different parts 661 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 1: of the world and and how quote, we all want 662 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 1: friendships and we all want to be cared for. And 663 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: some months later he went to Russia and returned the 664 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,359 Speaker 1: favor with an appearance on Russian TV. Yeah, he has 665 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: this quote, I love uh. Peace means far more than 666 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 1: just the opposite of war. And there's so many more 667 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 1: stories to tell. But maybe that's a nice place to 668 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: end this for now. Well, I mean, we can end 669 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: this part of the show, but there's still one more 670 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:30,840 Speaker 1: part of the show we have to get to, and 671 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: that's the fact. Do you know Mr Rogers was color blind? 672 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: I didn't like literally color blind. Though his family also 673 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,839 Speaker 1: took in foster children of all races. All right, well 674 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: here's one you should love. So Mr Rogers was a napper. 675 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: He got up at five thirty every morning to answer 676 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 1: mail from from viewers, and then he went swimming, and 677 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: every afternoon he'd tried to get in and app So 678 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: I need to figure out how to get more naps 679 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: into my day. But did you know Mr Rogers created 680 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,279 Speaker 1: his own ice cream flavor for a local dairy. It 681 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,320 Speaker 1: was called Blueberry Go Round and it had a blueberry 682 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 1: ripple with macaroon chunks in it. His grandmom used to 683 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 1: make macaroon's for him as a child, apparently, you know, 684 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: And sometimes people forget that he was a loving husband 685 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,359 Speaker 1: and father. So once while playing piano at an event, 686 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,360 Speaker 1: his wife walked in the door, and he joyously stopped 687 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 1: playing and ran to greet and embrace her. The photos 688 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,439 Speaker 1: he took of journalists and experiences were so he could 689 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: share his day with her, and after he passed, she 690 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: had a really hard time not starting her sentences with 691 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:40,760 Speaker 1: we oh, that's sad. Well. This is my absolutely favorite 692 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:42,880 Speaker 1: fact about him, and what I wrote in Mental Flaws 693 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,840 Speaker 1: years ago quote. As an ordained Presbyterian minister and a 694 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:51,000 Speaker 1: man of tremendous faith, Mr Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever 695 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: he was asked to castigate non Christians or gays for 696 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:56,359 Speaker 1: their different beliefs, he would instead face them and say, 697 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: with sincerity, God loves you just the way you are. 698 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 1: I love that. And you know, on this Thanksgiving, what 699 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:04,880 Speaker 1: do you say instead of crowning a winner, Let's forget 700 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 1: about the trophy today. And in this segment the way 701 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:10,839 Speaker 1: Mr Rogers would end some of his speeches, all right, 702 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 1: here goes. All of us have special ones who have 703 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,239 Speaker 1: loved us into being. Would you just take along with 704 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 1: us ten seconds to think of the people who have 705 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,240 Speaker 1: helped you become who you are? Ten seconds of silence. 706 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 1: We'll watch the time. Thank you for listening to Part 707 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: Time Genius, and thank you for being exactly who you are. 708 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 709 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: of how stuff works and wouldn't be possible without several 710 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 1: brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't even 711 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,799 Speaker 1: begin to understand. Chris and McNeil is the editing thing. 712 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 1: Noel Brown made the theme song and does the MIXI 713 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,440 Speaker 1: mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. 714 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 1: Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the 715 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 1: Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams 716 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: and Eves. Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. 717 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, we 718 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: hope you'll subscribe, and if you really really like what 719 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:20,799 Speaker 1: you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review for us. 720 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 1: Do we do we forget Jason? Jason who