Psychology of Peace
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"You've made this day a special day, by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are."
- Fred Rogers 1969 U.S. Senate Communications Subcommittee Statement on PBS Funding (American Rhetoric)
- Fred Rogers 1969 U.S. Senate Communications Subcommittee Statement on PBS Funding (American Rhetoric)
Rogers taught America’s little ones to manage feelings. Graphic violence from the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial resulted in a week devoted to “mad feelings.” Rogers assured children that angry feelings were normal, but hurting oneself or others was never okay. |
“In an era of fast food and fast imagery... Mister Rogers' Neighborhood stands out as an island of peace and coherence leavened by humor and a gut-level sense of how children come to understand and master the awesome developmental tasks."
- Dr. Nancy E. Curry, Professor Emerita, University of Pittsburgh, psychoanalyst (Fred Rogers Center)
- Dr. Nancy E. Curry, Professor Emerita, University of Pittsburgh, psychoanalyst (Fred Rogers Center)
He was likely motivated by his childhood experience of being bullied for his weight.
"He was bullied when he was 8 years old, and had an awful experience where he was chased
by boys who called him 'Fat Freddy.'"
- Amy Hollingsworth, author of The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers 2005 (Belief Net)
"I was listening to some children after the 9/11 catastrophe, and I was amazed to discover that many of them thought that that was happening every half hour... the news was being rebroadcast over and over... some of the very young ones thought that it was happening in their town..."
- Fred Rogers 2002 (The Diane Rehm Show) |
Whenever he felt afraid, Rogers recalled his mother’s advice: "Always look for the people who are helping. You'll always find somebody who's trying to help."
- Fred Rogers 1981 (YouTube) |
Rogers worked in television for over 50 years. Adored by co-workers, children, even Koko the Gorilla, he was untouched by scandal and rarely criticized.
"Koko watches Mister Rogers' Neighborhood... when Rogers... entered, Koko immediately folded him in her long, black arms, as though he were a child, and then... 'She took my shoes off,' Mister Rogers said." - Tom Junod, journalist reporting on 1998 visit between Rogers and Koko 2014 (Esquire) |
"He had a huge impact on kids and on television. He was a nice man. If it were only that at the end of the day, that would be enough. But he was a lot more than that."
- Michael Keaton, actor and former Neighborhood staff member 2003 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Michael Keaton, actor and former Neighborhood staff member 2003 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
In 2007, Fox News labeled Rogers “evil" for "damaging" children by telling them they were special. Fox based its report on one professor’s claim that students expected extra credit to raise grades: "They felt so entitled, and it just hit me. We can blame Mr. Rogers." When fans objected, a retraction followed: “The reference to Mr. Rogers was just a metaphor. I have no... qualifications to evaluate the real problems... Mr. Rogers was a great American.”
- Don Chance, LSU finance professor 2007 (The Wall Street Journal and ThinkProgress) |
“Despite human moments, Mister Rogers, Mother Teresa and Roberto Clemente are on the short list of humans widely revered for their goodness, generosity and love. Saying bad things about any one of them is an activity partaken in by those who would readily punt a baby panda holding a baby penguin.”
- Virginia Montanez 2013 (Pittsburgh Magazine)
- Virginia Montanez 2013 (Pittsburgh Magazine)
Banner Image: Rogers speaks to children on set c. 1990s (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)