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Jan 01, 2019ba_library rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I saw this DVD on order at SPL and put a hold on it. I had to ask my childhood friend when she came over for visit if she watched Mr. Rogers because I never did. She said no but her younger sister watched it as a child. So, I guess I am a bit too old for Mr. Rogers (I grew up watching J.P. Patches). The only Mr. Rogers I remember was Eddie Murphy’s version on early Saturday Night Live. The DVD traces the show history and provides background on Fred Rogers. A young man who put off theological study to try out public television with a show for young children. It captured a generation and covered subjects as broad as being scared to dealing with divorce or death. I thought his appearance at Congress to testify when PBS was going to get a $20 million cut was brilliant (seemed like many of the Congress / politicians were big babies). The DVD covers the parodies (Eddie Murphy, PeeWee Herman) which Rogers was okay with as long as they didn’t parody his message (all children are special and loved). They touch on subjects such as was Mr. Rogers gay (his wife and sons appear in the DVD). One character on the show was gay in real life (the Police officer on the show) and he said Fred Rogers told him that he loved him and the actor recalls that neither his father nor step-father ever told him that. The show ends with a group protesting that Mr. Rogers is responsible for making a generation of children feeling entitled. To me Fred Rogers comes across as a truly remarkable and unique individual who felt he could communicate well with children and he put those efforts/talents into his show.