Growing up, I always thought "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" was goofy, corny and childish.
I was wrong.
After seeing "Won't You Be My Neighbor," the new documentary about Fred Rogers, I have recast my impressions of the show. Although it's still goofy and corny, it's childlike, not childish. That's its charm, and it's the reason it could take the most serious subjects and make them understandable to young children.
Shawn RyanTime and again in the documentary, Rogers, who died of stomach cancer in 2003, is a fierce defender of young children and their right to be treated with respect and love.
I was double-digits in age when the show debuted in 1968, so I wasn't its target audience, which generally ran from preschool to about second grade. I only caught fleeting glimpses of it on TV, so I had no idea that "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" took on the Vietnam War, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, racism, divorce and death, among other topics.
Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister, wasn't afraid to be direct. The segment on assassination uses the word directly and explains it clearly. It shows how, through hand puppets and songs and Rogers' approachable and kind demeanor, frightening subjects can be discussed in a safe zone.
In one remarkable sequence from 1969, Rogers is cooling his feet with a hose in a kiddie wading pool when Officer Clemmons, who is black, comes up. Rogers invites Clemmons - the first African-American with a recurring role on a children's television series - to sit down and cool his feet. Suddenly, sitting side by side, a white man and a black man are sharing a pool, something strictly outlawed in the real world at that time. Equally remarkable, when they take their feet out of the water, Rogers says, "Here, let me help you," and takes a towel to dry Clemmons' feet.
Rogers' sincerity - yes, that's his real personality you see on the show - helped him connect deeply with children (and many adults). Even when he's in a group of kids with one of his puppet characters on his hand, which is obviously not real, the children still treat the puppet as if Rogers isn't there, giving it a voice. They focus on Daniel Tiger or X the Owl, talking to it and not him. He became invisible.
My wife, Lori, who is a special education teacher, wanted to see "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" So I went without much expectation. When the lights came up in the theater, there were lots of sniffles and wiping of eyes and shared laughter as everyone saw everyone else doing the same thing.
Not me, though. Not me. It was just popcorn in my eye.
Contact Shawn Ryan at mshawnryan@gmail.com.