Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

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Come on over a minute.

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I just had some ideas

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that I'd been thinking about
for quite a while...

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About modulation.

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It seems to me
that there are...
akumenang.com

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Different themes in life.

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And one of my main jobs,

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it seems to me,

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is to help
through the mass media,

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for children...

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To help children

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through some of the difficult
modulations of life.

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Because it's easy,
for instance, to go from c...

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- ...to f.

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But there are some modulations
that aren't so easy.

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For instance,
to go from f to f-sharp,

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you've got to weave
through all sorts of things.

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And it seems to me,
if you've got somebody

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to help you as you weave...

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Maybe this is just
too philosophical.

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Maybe I'm trying to...
To combine, uh, things that...

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That can't be combined,
but it makes sense to me.

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14 years ago, a television
program for children

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made its inauspicious debut
on station wqed in Pittsburgh.

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Its host, Fred Rogers,
an ordained minister

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with an abiding interest
in children

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and an equally abiding belief

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that they deserve more
from television.

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-Mr. Rogers?
-Yes.

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Where do you live?

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-I live in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. -Oh.

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- Did you want to...

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- Pardon me?
- They are gathered

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in this television studio
with Fred Rogers,

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an adult who cares
just about them.

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His reward is the love
of millions of children.

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I want to tell you something.

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What would you like to tell me?

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-I like you.
-I like you, my dear.

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Thank you very much
for telling me that.

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We had a
director that once said to me,

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"if you take
all of the elements

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"that make good television

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"and do the exact opposite,

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you have
mister Rogers' neighborhood."

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Low production values,
simple set,

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unlikely star.

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Yet, it worked.

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Because he was saying
something really important.

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Love is
at the root of everything.

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All learning, all parenting,

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all relationships.

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Love or the lack of it.

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And what we see and hear
on the screen

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is part of who we become.

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He had a singular vision

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of kindness and love,

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but a question that I think of
a lot, in terms of Fred,

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is whether his attempt

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to influence America
succeeded or not.

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I was all set
to go to the seminary

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to become a minister,

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but I went home my senior year
for a vacation,

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and I saw this new thing
called television.

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Tootsie roll!
America's favorite candy...

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And I saw people

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throwing pies
in each other's faces.

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And I thought, "this could be
a wonderful tool.

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Why is it being used this way?"

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And so I said to my parents,

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"you know, I don't think
I'll go to seminary right away.

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I think maybe I'll go
into television."

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And they said, "wait,
but you've never even seen it."

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Station wqed

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is located in the heart
of Pittsburgh.

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His father
told him about this new station

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that was coming along here.

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It was going to be called...

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It was called
educational television.

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Nobody wanted
to do a children's program.

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And I said, "well, we need
a children's program."

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And I said,
"well, I'll produce it

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"and play some music
in the background.

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"We'll get some free films,

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and, Josie,
you can introduce them."

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And then we discovered
the awful fact

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that when you got free film,

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it was often brittle,
and it would break.

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And if you were
on the air live,

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you had to do something.

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Somebody had given me
this little tiger puppet.

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I pushed it through
the clock and said,

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"hi, Josie. It's 5:02,

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and Columbus
discovered America in 1492,"

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and then just went
right back in.

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And that's how
the puppetry began.

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We never expected
to use puppets.

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You know that... so much of it

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was the necessity being
the mother of that invention.

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My friend,
Daniel striped tiger.

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How do you do? How do you do?

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The interesting thing was--

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dad remembered
being six and seven

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and eight and nine years old.

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That inner child
never really went away.

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I had every imaginable

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childhood disease,
even Scarlet fever.

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Whenever I was, uh,
quarantined,

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I would be in bed a lot.

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I would put up my knees,

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and they would be mountains
covered with the sheet.

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And I'd have all these
little figures moving around,

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and I'd... I'd make them talk.

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I had to make up
a lot of my own fun.

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Eh! Take that.

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Eh, eh, eh!

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What's the matter?

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Over time, Fred became

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unsatisfied with
the children's corner.

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He thought that it was

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simple and slapstick.

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And he said he really wanted
to concentrate

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on the seminary, so he wanted
to stop for a while.

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His ordination was

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as an evangelist
for television.

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It was pretty way out there
for the presbyterian church.

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With television,

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Fred wanted to focus
on the very young.

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What do you think it is?

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Lion!

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A lion. Great.

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Back in the 1950s,
there was a school of people

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at the university of Pittsburgh

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looking at early childhood
education.

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What was it?

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They felt that physicians

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needed a training ground

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so that they had a sense
of where human behavior

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was coming from
from the very beginning.

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Dr. Benjamin Spock
was part of it.

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Berry brazelton, the famous
pediatrician, was a part of it.

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Erik Erikson, the extraordinary
psychologist, was a part of it.

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And Fred's part of that group.

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He-he became part of the group

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as a student
of Margaret mcfarland.

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Margaret mcfarland:
Fred, I think,

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to the child,
the television program

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between you and the child
is a real relationship.

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For him to say,

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"the feelings of a young child

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are every bit as powerful
as our adult feelings,"

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he was radical.

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I know everyone says that,
but he was radical.

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I've always felt that...

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That I didn't need
to put on a funny hat

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or jump through the hoop

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to have a relationship
with a child.

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I went to visit
with a new nursery school.

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I had never met
these children before.

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And I walked in,

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and there was a long stare
from most of them.

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And one little boy by the name
of Thatcher spoke first.

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And all he said was,

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"my doggy's ear came off

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in the automatic washer."

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And there was silence.

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Just complete silence.

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It was as if,

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"this is your test, Mr. Rogers.

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Are you still in touch
with childhood?"

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And so I said,

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"sometimes that happens
to toys, doesn't it?

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"Their ears come off
or their legs come off,

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"but that never happens to us.

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"Our ears don't come off.

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"Our noses don't come off.

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Our arms don't come off."

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And Thatcher's eyes
were getting bigger

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and bigger and bigger,
and he said,

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"and our legs don't come off?"

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And I said, "no, they don't."

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And immediately,
all of the other children

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started asking questions,
and poignant questions.

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It was just as if, you know,

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"we shall now open the door.

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"You have passed the test.

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You may come in."

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And what he wanted to do

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was to take all of that
that he learned

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in television work,

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add to that
the sense of ministry

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and the child development
background.

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It became
mister Rogers' neighborhood.

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A neighborhood was a place

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where, at times
that you felt worried,

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scared, unsafe,

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would take care of you,

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would provide understanding,
safety.

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That's what the neighborhood
was for Fred.

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Television has the chance

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of building a real community...

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...out of an entire country.

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The neighborhood
is not a fantasy place

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where all these
different people got together

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and everything
was happily ever after.

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When you have diverse people
together

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with their different opinions,

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you have conflict.

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And that's what happens
in the neighborhood.

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You have conflict,
real conflict.

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Halt, trolley.

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Give me your name, rank
and serial number.

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"King Friday xiii

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00:13:02,749 --> 00:13:06,050
"establishes border guard.

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00:13:06,052 --> 00:13:09,487
King against change."

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The parallels between what
is happening in the real world

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and what is happening
inside the neighborhood

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are uncanny and undeniable.

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00:13:24,104 --> 00:13:26,271
In 1968, the country is at war.

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He can go on fighting

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longer than we can.

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Frightened, meow,
frightened, meow.

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There's nothing
to be frightened about

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until somebody
starts shooting, henrietta.

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Meow, meow,
start shooting, meow!

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That was the first time
he knew that he was

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producing something
for a national audience.

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King Friday
was really irritated

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00:13:54,167 --> 00:13:56,301
that people
were changing things.

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So his reaction
as the authority

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was to build a wall.

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Remember our battle cry, Edgar?

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Down with the changers!

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00:14:21,862 --> 00:14:25,530
-'Cause we're on top.
-That's right.

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I can't believe
what a broad area we covered.

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00:14:32,806 --> 00:14:34,339
Oh, dear.
-Edgar, Edgar,

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wh-what do you think he means
by "any trouble"?

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00:14:37,344 --> 00:14:39,677
Fred didn't want you
ad-libbing,

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00:14:39,679 --> 00:14:41,479
putzing around with the words,

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because he was always trying
to get a message across

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in every show.

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I want there to be peace
in this neighborhood.

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It's been a hard time
for everyone.

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00:14:52,659 --> 00:14:56,361
Well, I really do hope
that what you say will work.

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Do you have the tags
on the bottom?

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00:14:58,164 --> 00:14:59,864
Yes, I... I put 'em on.

247
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-Look, see if you like them.
-Good.

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00:15:01,835 --> 00:15:03,334
"Love," this one says.

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And then we float them over
into the castle

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so that great uncle Friday
will know

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00:15:08,775 --> 00:15:11,342
that the whole neighborhood
wants peace.

252
00:15:11,344 --> 00:15:13,511
Paratroopers!

253
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Fire the Cannon!

254
00:15:14,848 --> 00:15:16,281
Hold it, king Friday.

255
00:15:16,283 --> 00:15:17,949
-Well, what is it?
-They're not paratroopers.

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00:15:17,951 --> 00:15:19,083
They're...
They're messages of peace.

257
00:15:19,085 --> 00:15:20,718
Look at this: "Tenderness."

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Messages of peace?

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"Peaceful co-existence."

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00:15:24,858 --> 00:15:26,090
-Wait.
-You see, that one was...

261
00:15:26,092 --> 00:15:27,525
They're peaceful messages, sir.

262
00:15:27,527 --> 00:15:29,560
Let us stop all fighting.

263
00:15:29,562 --> 00:15:32,530
Stop all fighting now.

264
00:15:32,532 --> 00:15:35,733
--Oh, superb! Superb!

265
00:15:35,735 --> 00:15:38,036
Meow, wonderful, meow.

266
00:15:38,038 --> 00:15:40,138
That was the first week.

267
00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:42,907
That's how it got started.

268
00:15:57,056 --> 00:15:58,723
From the early days

269
00:15:58,725 --> 00:16:00,792
of mister Rogers' neighborhood

270
00:16:00,794 --> 00:16:04,062
until the end of that program,
he came in the door

271
00:16:04,064 --> 00:16:06,230
every day the same way.

272
00:16:07,266 --> 00:16:08,666
Hi.

273
00:16:08,668 --> 00:16:10,068
Hello.

274
00:16:10,070 --> 00:16:12,236
And he changed to the sweater

275
00:16:12,238 --> 00:16:14,405
to give a sense
that we are gonna have

276
00:16:14,407 --> 00:16:16,641
this relaxing time together.

277
00:16:16,643 --> 00:16:17,675
Whoop.

278
00:16:17,677 --> 00:16:19,510
Change the shoes.

279
00:16:25,484 --> 00:16:27,585
Some food for the fish.

280
00:16:28,620 --> 00:16:30,254
Picture picture on the wall,

281
00:16:30,256 --> 00:16:32,657
would you kindly tell us all,

282
00:16:32,659 --> 00:16:34,759
is Mr. mcfeely on his way here?

283
00:16:34,761 --> 00:16:37,762
My job was
to be the prop person.

284
00:16:37,764 --> 00:16:39,664
And then he said, "oh,

285
00:16:39,666 --> 00:16:42,100
"i know you've done
some... some acting.

286
00:16:42,102 --> 00:16:44,869
"I'd like you
to play the character

287
00:16:44,871 --> 00:16:46,004
of the delivery man."

288
00:16:46,006 --> 00:16:47,538
I must go off, Mr. Rogers.

289
00:16:47,540 --> 00:16:49,607
I have a lot of deliveries
today in the neighborhood.

290
00:16:49,609 --> 00:16:52,543
So I became Mr. mcfeely
on the spot.

291
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,181
The trolley left for its house

292
00:16:57,183 --> 00:17:01,185
into the neighborhood
of make-believe.

293
00:17:02,187 --> 00:17:04,989
Boomerang, toomerang,
soomerang!

294
00:17:04,991 --> 00:17:07,492
Anything could
happen in make-believe.

295
00:17:07,494 --> 00:17:08,693
Oh!

296
00:17:08,695 --> 00:17:10,028
But make-believe was not real.

297
00:17:10,030 --> 00:17:11,462
I mean, there was
a distinction.

298
00:17:11,464 --> 00:17:14,399
Fred never appeared
in make-believe.

299
00:17:14,401 --> 00:17:16,567
Actors did. The puppets did.

300
00:17:16,569 --> 00:17:18,369
There's the clock

301
00:17:18,371 --> 00:17:21,139
where Daniel striped tiger
lives.

302
00:17:22,642 --> 00:17:25,643
Next you see
king Friday xiii's castle.

303
00:17:25,645 --> 00:17:29,180
King Friday xiii
is one of the few remaining

304
00:17:29,182 --> 00:17:31,649
benevolent despots.

305
00:17:31,651 --> 00:17:36,821
These characters are...
Were people in his life.

306
00:17:36,823 --> 00:17:37,922
Queen Sara

307
00:17:37,924 --> 00:17:41,225
would obviously be my mom.

308
00:17:41,227 --> 00:17:43,161
I'd just like to say

309
00:17:43,163 --> 00:17:46,164
what a fine person
my husband is.

310
00:17:46,166 --> 00:17:48,666
Why, Sara.

311
00:17:48,668 --> 00:17:51,436
None of us
like to think of lady Elaine

312
00:17:51,438 --> 00:17:54,505
as my aunt,
but we wonder about that.

313
00:17:55,508 --> 00:17:58,509
In the beginning,
she was a witch.

314
00:17:58,511 --> 00:17:59,744
I heard that.

315
00:17:59,746 --> 00:18:01,345
Here's a squirt.

316
00:18:01,347 --> 00:18:03,414
What can I say?

317
00:18:04,516 --> 00:18:06,584
In a beautiful tree

318
00:18:06,586 --> 00:18:09,887
lived x the owl
and henrietta pussycat.

319
00:18:09,889 --> 00:18:13,591
Meow, meow, beautiful day,
meow, meow, neighborhood.

320
00:18:15,028 --> 00:18:18,229
And then,
at the end of every program,

321
00:18:18,231 --> 00:18:20,798
we came back to Fred's
television house.

322
00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:25,636
And to help children understand
all of these experiences,

323
00:18:25,638 --> 00:18:27,405
he put that into a song.

324
00:18:39,953 --> 00:18:42,053
And children need to hear that.

325
00:18:42,055 --> 00:18:44,589
I don't think
that anybody can grow

326
00:18:44,591 --> 00:18:48,659
unless he really is accepted
exactly as he is.

327
00:18:50,562 --> 00:18:53,397
I think he was
one of those people

328
00:18:53,399 --> 00:18:55,733
who would do their work
seriously

329
00:18:55,735 --> 00:18:59,337
and they hope that someone
will pick up on the seriousness

330
00:18:59,339 --> 00:19:02,473
of what they're about.

331
00:19:02,475 --> 00:19:04,242
There were times
when he thought,

332
00:19:04,244 --> 00:19:07,745
"will people ever understand
that I'm not just a klutzy guy

333
00:19:07,747 --> 00:19:10,748
"who's fumbling around
in a '50s living room with...

334
00:19:10,750 --> 00:19:12,116
With weird curtains?"

335
00:19:12,118 --> 00:19:15,753
Wgbh in Boston decided to have

336
00:19:15,755 --> 00:19:18,356
something called
a Mr. Rogers day.

337
00:19:18,358 --> 00:19:20,424
There was just a woman
in... in gbh

338
00:19:20,426 --> 00:19:22,793
who was in their PR department
who loved the program,

339
00:19:22,795 --> 00:19:25,530
and I think
her colleagues said...

340
00:19:25,532 --> 00:19:27,765
You know, I think they thought
it was really simple,

341
00:19:27,767 --> 00:19:30,434
kind of '50s, square.

342
00:19:30,436 --> 00:19:32,637
And she said, "no, I really
want to bring him here,

343
00:19:32,639 --> 00:19:35,306
and I want families to be able
to come and see him."

344
00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:40,278
And the line to get in

345
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,214
was blocks and blocks long

346
00:19:43,216 --> 00:19:45,850
before they even
opened the doors.

347
00:19:45,852 --> 00:19:48,019
And the word got around
really quickly

348
00:19:48,021 --> 00:19:51,589
that there's something
going on with this guy.

349
00:19:53,559 --> 00:19:57,028
Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rogers.

350
00:19:57,030 --> 00:20:00,031
I like you as you are.

351
00:20:02,335 --> 00:20:04,035
A little boy came up

352
00:20:04,037 --> 00:20:09,807
to him and said, "Mr. Rogers,
how did you get out?"

353
00:20:09,809 --> 00:20:12,577
And so he talked
to the little boy,

354
00:20:12,579 --> 00:20:14,478
explained what television
was all about.

355
00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:15,846
And the little boy's just

356
00:20:15,848 --> 00:20:19,483
taking it all in, going,
"mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm."

357
00:20:19,485 --> 00:20:22,486
And he...
When Fred finished, he said...

358
00:20:22,488 --> 00:20:24,322
The little boy said,

359
00:20:24,324 --> 00:20:26,824
"how are you gonna
get back in?"

360
00:20:32,899 --> 00:20:35,032
There was a whole

361
00:20:35,034 --> 00:20:39,103
spiritual dimension to his work
in the television business

362
00:20:39,105 --> 00:20:41,672
to be inclusive.

363
00:20:41,674 --> 00:20:43,674
He did this without ever

364
00:20:43,676 --> 00:20:47,745
identifying himself
as a minister.

365
00:20:49,081 --> 00:20:52,450
He didn't wear a collar.
He wore a sweater.

366
00:20:54,052 --> 00:20:56,787
And he preached in that context

367
00:20:56,789 --> 00:21:00,858
in a way more effective
than anyone I've ever seen,

368
00:21:00,860 --> 00:21:05,529
because it wasn't a sermon
like, uh, an oratorical thing.

369
00:21:05,531 --> 00:21:09,600
It was a communication
right into their hearts.

370
00:21:13,639 --> 00:21:16,741
He was a life-long
registered republican,

371
00:21:16,743 --> 00:21:20,645
and if you look at the values
that Mr. Rogers represented,

372
00:21:20,647 --> 00:21:23,247
it's influenced by his faith.

373
00:21:23,249 --> 00:21:27,118
His christianity was this kind
of wide open christianity

374
00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:30,554
that was accepting thinking
from all other places

375
00:21:30,556 --> 00:21:34,725
while never departing
from the Christian faith.

376
00:21:35,894 --> 00:21:37,662
Fred's theology was:

377
00:21:37,664 --> 00:21:40,164
Love your neighbor
and love yourself.

378
00:21:40,166 --> 00:21:42,900
And he saw that communication

379
00:21:42,902 --> 00:21:46,237
as the most deeply
spiritual thing

380
00:21:46,239 --> 00:21:48,506
that he could be doing.

381
00:21:52,010 --> 00:21:54,312
When I look at the camera,

382
00:21:54,314 --> 00:21:57,348
I think of one person.

383
00:21:58,617 --> 00:22:02,186
Not any specific person,
but one person.

384
00:22:02,188 --> 00:22:05,756
It's very, very personal.

385
00:22:08,126 --> 00:22:10,761
The space between
the television screen

386
00:22:10,763 --> 00:22:13,664
and whoever happens
to be receiving it,

387
00:22:13,666 --> 00:22:16,000
I consider that
very holy ground.

388
00:22:18,270 --> 00:22:20,371
A lot happens.

389
00:22:20,373 --> 00:22:22,273
A lot happens there.

390
00:22:28,780 --> 00:22:31,382
For somebody
who was in television,

391
00:22:31,384 --> 00:22:33,484
he was just...
He hated television.

392
00:22:38,123 --> 00:22:40,458
Here, buddy. It's all yours.

393
00:22:40,460 --> 00:22:42,526
Wow, look at this!

394
00:22:42,528 --> 00:22:44,462
Hey! What about me?

395
00:22:44,464 --> 00:22:46,964
In this country, the child

396
00:22:46,966 --> 00:22:49,633
is appreciated
for what he will be.

397
00:22:49,635 --> 00:22:53,204
He will be
a great consumer someday.

398
00:22:53,206 --> 00:22:57,408
The quicker we can get them
to go out and buy, the better.

399
00:22:57,410 --> 00:23:01,312
There's so much of that
in this country.

400
00:23:01,314 --> 00:23:03,647
Mr. Ellison, I think you
have felt strongly

401
00:23:03,649 --> 00:23:05,483
about some aspects of this.

402
00:23:05,485 --> 00:23:10,688
Public television
could make a contribution.

403
00:23:10,690 --> 00:23:13,991
As the American people

404
00:23:13,993 --> 00:23:17,728
becomes aware of itself,
it discovers itself.

405
00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:21,866
We do not know
as much as we should know

406
00:23:21,868 --> 00:23:26,237
about who we are, what we are
and how we differ.

407
00:23:26,239 --> 00:23:30,040
How will man use his miracles?

408
00:23:30,042 --> 00:23:34,245
The answer just begins
with public television.

409
00:23:34,247 --> 00:23:36,514
We want most of all

410
00:23:36,516 --> 00:23:39,517
to enrich man's spirit,

411
00:23:39,519 --> 00:23:42,186
and that is the purpose
of this act.

412
00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:50,294
And then Nixon
became president,

413
00:23:50,296 --> 00:23:52,463
and he wanted
to cut the funding.

414
00:23:52,465 --> 00:23:55,099
The beginnings of pbs

415
00:23:55,101 --> 00:23:59,036
was gonna probably be
dismantled by Richard Nixon,

416
00:23:59,038 --> 00:24:04,975
whose approach to media
was to threaten stations

417
00:24:04,977 --> 00:24:08,078
if they didn't behave
politically.

418
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,548
Nixon had a problem
with his budget.

419
00:24:10,550 --> 00:24:13,083
He had to find money
for the Vietnam war.

420
00:24:13,085 --> 00:24:15,886
It wasn't a lot of money
in today's terms,

421
00:24:15,888 --> 00:24:16,921
but he wanted
to cut the budget.

422
00:24:16,923 --> 00:24:19,256
In the midst of all this,

423
00:24:19,258 --> 00:24:21,058
Fred Rogers gets

424
00:24:21,060 --> 00:24:22,660
to go before congress,

425
00:24:22,662 --> 00:24:26,297
argue for $20 million
of funding

426
00:24:26,299 --> 00:24:28,466
to sort of solidify pbs,

427
00:24:28,468 --> 00:24:30,501
in front of John pastore,

428
00:24:30,503 --> 00:24:32,970
who's a senator who had already

429
00:24:32,972 --> 00:24:35,406
sort of made
his congressional bones

430
00:24:35,408 --> 00:24:37,141
by attacking television.

431
00:24:37,143 --> 00:24:39,477
This is going to be
a thorough hearing.

432
00:24:39,479 --> 00:24:42,847
This is going to be a hearing
not to reach for a headline,

433
00:24:42,849 --> 00:24:45,082
but to reach for a result.

434
00:24:45,084 --> 00:24:47,585
There had been
two days of hearings,

435
00:24:47,587 --> 00:24:49,787
and he hasn't been
very impressed.
akumenang.com

436
00:24:49,789 --> 00:24:51,922
If you'd been watching
those hearings

437
00:24:51,924 --> 00:24:53,657
and you had to bet
on whether or not

438
00:24:53,659 --> 00:24:55,092
pbs was going to keep going--
no.
akumenang.com

439
00:24:55,094 --> 00:24:57,461
That educational television
should permanently

440
00:24:57,463 --> 00:24:59,930
struggle for subsistence
is intolerable.

441
00:24:59,932 --> 00:25:01,665
All right,
who's the next witness?

442
00:25:03,035 --> 00:25:05,803
Senator pastore told the group,

443
00:25:05,805 --> 00:25:08,439
"I've heard everybody read
your testimonies.

444
00:25:08,441 --> 00:25:10,040
"I don't want anyone
to read anymore.

445
00:25:10,042 --> 00:25:11,942
I'm tired of hearing
the reading."

446
00:25:11,944 --> 00:25:14,778
When I heard about that,
I thought, "uh-oh, Fred."

447
00:25:14,780 --> 00:25:17,014
All right, Rogers,
you've got the floor.

448
00:25:18,784 --> 00:25:20,818
- May I use this?
- And I could hear

449
00:25:20,820 --> 00:25:23,621
in his voice the... the nerves.

450
00:25:23,623 --> 00:25:26,857
Senator pastore,

451
00:25:26,859 --> 00:25:30,494
this is a philosophical
statement

452
00:25:30,496 --> 00:25:33,364
and would take
about ten minutes to read.

453
00:25:33,366 --> 00:25:35,533
So I'll not do that. Uh...

454
00:25:36,668 --> 00:25:40,337
One of the first things
that a child learns

455
00:25:40,339 --> 00:25:43,140
in a healthy family is trust.

456
00:25:43,142 --> 00:25:47,311
And I trust what you have said,
that you will read this.

457
00:25:47,313 --> 00:25:49,680
It's very important to me.

458
00:25:49,682 --> 00:25:52,349
I care deeply about children.

459
00:25:52,351 --> 00:25:54,518
My first children...

460
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,654
Will it make you happy
if you read it?

461
00:25:56,656 --> 00:25:58,155
I'd just like to talk about it,

462
00:25:58,157 --> 00:25:59,757
-if it's all right.
-All right, sir.

463
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:02,693
This is what I give.

464
00:26:02,695 --> 00:26:07,164
I give an expression of care
every day to each child

465
00:26:07,166 --> 00:26:10,834
to help him realize
that he is unique.

466
00:26:10,836 --> 00:26:13,504
I end the program by saying,

467
00:26:13,506 --> 00:26:16,073
"you've made this day
a special day

468
00:26:16,075 --> 00:26:18,375
"by just your being you.

469
00:26:18,377 --> 00:26:22,079
"There's no person
in the whole world like you.

470
00:26:22,081 --> 00:26:24,915
And I like you
just the way you are."

471
00:26:24,917 --> 00:26:28,252
And I feel that if we
in public television

472
00:26:28,254 --> 00:26:31,922
can only make it clear

473
00:26:31,924 --> 00:26:36,860
that feelings are mentionable
and manageable,

474
00:26:36,862 --> 00:26:39,096
we will have done
a great service.

475
00:26:40,365 --> 00:26:42,733
Uh, could I tell you the words

476
00:26:42,735 --> 00:26:46,136
of one of the songs,
which I feel is very important?

477
00:26:46,138 --> 00:26:47,438
Yes.

478
00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:51,408
This has to do with
that good feeling of control,

479
00:26:51,410 --> 00:26:52,810
which I feel that...

480
00:26:52,812 --> 00:26:56,313
That children need to know
is there.

481
00:26:56,315 --> 00:26:59,984
And it starts out, "what do you
do with the mad that you feel?"

482
00:26:59,986 --> 00:27:02,786
And that first line came
straight from a child.

483
00:27:02,788 --> 00:27:06,056
I work with children,
doing puppets in...

484
00:27:06,058 --> 00:27:10,227
In very personal communication
with small groups.

485
00:27:10,229 --> 00:27:12,563
"What do you do
with the mad that you feel

486
00:27:12,565 --> 00:27:15,332
"when you feel so mad
you could bite?

487
00:27:15,334 --> 00:27:18,969
"When the whole wide world
seems oh so wrong

488
00:27:18,971 --> 00:27:22,740
"and nothing you do
seems very right?

489
00:27:22,742 --> 00:27:25,609
"It's great to be able to stop

490
00:27:25,611 --> 00:27:28,245
"when you've planned
a thing that's wrong

491
00:27:28,247 --> 00:27:31,682
"and be able to do
something else instead

492
00:27:31,684 --> 00:27:33,784
"and think this song.

493
00:27:33,786 --> 00:27:37,988
"I can stop when I want to,
can stop when I wish,

494
00:27:37,990 --> 00:27:40,824
"can stop, stop, stop anytime.

495
00:27:40,826 --> 00:27:44,128
"Know that there's something
deep inside

496
00:27:44,130 --> 00:27:47,364
that helps us become
what we can."

497
00:27:48,867 --> 00:27:53,337
I think it's wonderful.
I think it's wonderful.

498
00:27:53,339 --> 00:27:56,774
Looks like you just earned
the $20 million.

499
00:28:06,618 --> 00:28:09,953
Fred Rogers is
easily the star of the show,

500
00:28:09,955 --> 00:28:11,955
and if children had votes,

501
00:28:11,957 --> 00:28:14,658
public television would be
on easy street tomorrow.

502
00:28:17,630 --> 00:28:20,064
- Oh, wow.

503
00:28:20,066 --> 00:28:22,466
Everything just
sort of exploded.

504
00:28:22,468 --> 00:28:24,668
You know,
suddenly there was press

505
00:28:24,670 --> 00:28:27,404
beating a path to our door.

506
00:28:27,406 --> 00:28:29,406
Good evening.
I was in Pittsburgh

507
00:28:29,408 --> 00:28:31,141
a few days ago

508
00:28:31,143 --> 00:28:32,476
doing a bit
of investigative reporting

509
00:28:32,478 --> 00:28:33,977
on a man named Fred Rogers.

510
00:28:33,979 --> 00:28:35,646
Meow, meow, meow, meow.

511
00:28:35,648 --> 00:28:37,314
Wonderful. Meow!

512
00:28:37,316 --> 00:28:39,483
Mr. Rogers
does ten different voices

513
00:28:39,485 --> 00:28:41,185
for ten different puppets.

514
00:28:41,187 --> 00:28:44,521
Well, a copperhead
is poisonous, is it not?

515
00:28:44,523 --> 00:28:46,523
He writes, he's the producer,

516
00:28:46,525 --> 00:28:49,860
he is the chief performer,
and he is a marvel.

517
00:28:49,862 --> 00:28:51,662
Fred Rogers,
as best I can tell,

518
00:28:51,664 --> 00:28:55,165
has managed to escape
the calloused, the embittered,

519
00:28:55,167 --> 00:28:58,502
the negative aspects
of being a public performer.

520
00:28:58,504 --> 00:29:00,537
He is doing the one thing
in the world

521
00:29:00,539 --> 00:29:04,742
that he wishes to do, and he is
by any definition a happy man.

522
00:29:14,519 --> 00:29:18,021
I sometimes wonder
myself how he ticked.

523
00:29:18,023 --> 00:29:21,024
It's a little tough
for me to have the...

524
00:29:21,026 --> 00:29:23,927
Almost the second Christ
as my dad.

525
00:29:23,929 --> 00:29:26,230
If we were
at the dinner table

526
00:29:26,232 --> 00:29:28,532
and he would want
to say something

527
00:29:28,534 --> 00:29:30,234
that wasn't necessarily

528
00:29:30,236 --> 00:29:35,973
Mr. Rogers-like,
he would say it in

529
00:29:35,975 --> 00:29:37,541
lady Elaine fairchilde's voice.

530
00:29:37,543 --> 00:29:38,876
Get out here, Friday.

531
00:29:38,878 --> 00:29:40,477
I need to speak with you.

532
00:29:40,479 --> 00:29:43,781
That was our cue
that this is the alter-ego

533
00:29:43,783 --> 00:29:45,215
speaking now, you know,

534
00:29:45,217 --> 00:29:47,584
and just letting off
a little steam.

535
00:29:49,922 --> 00:29:52,556
He and I both had childhoods

536
00:29:52,558 --> 00:29:55,492
that you weren't allowed
to be angry.

537
00:29:55,494 --> 00:29:58,595
You weren't allowed
to show your anger.

538
00:29:59,999 --> 00:30:02,900
And we were never able
to do it.

539
00:30:04,435 --> 00:30:06,336
It scared us.

540
00:30:10,074 --> 00:30:13,143
Music was my first language.

541
00:30:14,946 --> 00:30:17,815
I was scared to use words.

542
00:30:19,752 --> 00:30:22,085
I didn't want to be a bad boy.

543
00:30:22,087 --> 00:30:25,522
I didn't want to tell people
that I was angry.

544
00:30:28,793 --> 00:30:31,829
But I could show it through...

545
00:30:31,831 --> 00:30:35,199
The way I would play
on the piano.

546
00:30:35,201 --> 00:30:39,269
I could literally laugh or cry

547
00:30:39,271 --> 00:30:43,440
or be very angry
through the ends of my fingers.

548
00:30:49,781 --> 00:30:52,449
I've always felt that you were
someone who could understand

549
00:30:52,451 --> 00:30:55,886
the deep feelings
or thoughts of people.

550
00:30:55,888 --> 00:30:59,489
Well, it took me so long
to get tame.

551
00:30:59,491 --> 00:31:02,125
I try to understand
how everybody else

552
00:31:02,127 --> 00:31:04,361
is working at it.

553
00:31:04,363 --> 00:31:06,463
Sometimes it isn't easy.

554
00:31:06,465 --> 00:31:08,966
No, but it's worth a try.

555
00:31:08,968 --> 00:31:12,803
Daniel was pretty much Fred.

556
00:31:12,805 --> 00:31:15,973
He did all the voices,
but, uh...

557
00:31:15,975 --> 00:31:20,878
But I think Daniel
was the real Fred.

558
00:31:22,313 --> 00:31:25,482
Maybe I could talk about clocks

559
00:31:25,484 --> 00:31:27,551
and loving...

560
00:31:27,553 --> 00:31:28,919
And things like that.

561
00:31:28,921 --> 00:31:30,821
A, b, c, d,

562
00:31:30,823 --> 00:31:33,257
f, g, j, k,

563
00:31:33,259 --> 00:31:34,591
l, m, s...

564
00:31:34,593 --> 00:31:38,729
Oh, lady aberlin, I just
can't go to school tomorrow.

565
00:31:38,731 --> 00:31:40,397
Why not, Daniel?

566
00:31:40,399 --> 00:31:43,233
Because I don't know
everything.

567
00:31:43,235 --> 00:31:47,204
Daniel is articulating

568
00:31:47,206 --> 00:31:49,907
the fears and anxieties
and feelings

569
00:31:49,909 --> 00:31:53,176
that Fred had as a child,

570
00:31:53,178 --> 00:31:55,512
but that many children have.

571
00:31:59,350 --> 00:32:03,353
He never forgot how
vulnerable it was to be a kid.

572
00:32:03,355 --> 00:32:05,555
You know,
you're this little thing.

573
00:32:05,557 --> 00:32:08,525
Everything else in the world
is bigger than you are,

574
00:32:08,527 --> 00:32:10,861
and you have to learn
everything

575
00:32:10,863 --> 00:32:12,596
that helps you
get through in life.

576
00:32:14,899 --> 00:32:17,567
I think that it just
never left him.

577
00:32:17,569 --> 00:32:20,637
Whatever those scars
of his life were,

578
00:32:20,639 --> 00:32:25,175
he wanted to help heal
that wound, maybe?

579
00:32:27,045 --> 00:32:30,981
It's a lot easier,
even as an adult,

580
00:32:30,983 --> 00:32:35,052
for me to have Daniel say...

581
00:32:35,054 --> 00:32:38,388
"I'm really scared.

582
00:32:38,390 --> 00:32:41,425
Do you think maybe
you could give me a hug?"

583
00:32:41,427 --> 00:32:42,893
You know?

584
00:32:42,895 --> 00:32:45,395
That would be hard for me
to say, "I'm really scared.

585
00:32:45,397 --> 00:32:47,297
Do you think
you could give me a hug?"

586
00:32:47,299 --> 00:32:50,801
So the difference from the...
From here to here,

587
00:32:50,803 --> 00:32:56,406
that doesn't seem
very far, but...

588
00:32:56,408 --> 00:33:00,110
It was efficacious,
to say the least.

589
00:33:00,112 --> 00:33:03,680
A car ran over
the jaw of your cat?

590
00:33:03,682 --> 00:33:05,682
-Mm-hmm.
-And what happened?

591
00:33:05,684 --> 00:33:07,951
It was bleeding.

592
00:33:07,953 --> 00:33:09,753
Oh.

593
00:33:09,755 --> 00:33:12,255
They tried and fixed it,

594
00:33:12,257 --> 00:33:15,158
but they fixed it
for a half a day,

595
00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,327
but then it died.

596
00:33:17,329 --> 00:33:19,997
-But then it died?
-Mm-hmm.

597
00:33:19,999 --> 00:33:23,100
Oh, I think that's scary.

598
00:33:23,102 --> 00:33:26,870
All you had to do
was see Fred

599
00:33:26,872 --> 00:33:31,008
inhabit Daniel to...

600
00:33:31,010 --> 00:33:32,275
Really kind of figure it out.

601
00:33:32,277 --> 00:33:33,744
I mean, they were symbiotic.

602
00:33:35,179 --> 00:33:37,948
As strange as it is
to see a grown man

603
00:33:37,950 --> 00:33:41,885
have a symbiotic relationship
with kind of a dingy, you know,

604
00:33:41,887 --> 00:33:45,689
worn-out little sock puppet,
he definitely had that.

605
00:33:45,691 --> 00:33:48,792
Would you give me a hug?

606
00:33:48,794 --> 00:33:50,127
Mm-hmm.

607
00:33:50,129 --> 00:33:51,795
Thank you.

608
00:33:51,797 --> 00:33:54,197
'Cause I needed that.

609
00:33:55,566 --> 00:33:58,535
I better go back in the case,
Mr. Rogers.

610
00:33:58,537 --> 00:34:00,370
Okay, Daniel.

611
00:34:00,372 --> 00:34:02,139
He's really nice.

612
00:34:02,141 --> 00:34:04,007
You could talk to him.

613
00:34:04,009 --> 00:34:06,143
Okay, Daniel.

614
00:34:10,548 --> 00:34:13,650
Just a minute.
I want to show you something.

615
00:34:13,652 --> 00:34:15,385
Okay.

616
00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:18,722
Wonder what.

617
00:34:20,058 --> 00:34:21,224
It's a balloon.

618
00:34:21,226 --> 00:34:22,759
Oh, a balloon.

619
00:34:22,761 --> 00:34:24,661
Could you blow it up for me?

620
00:34:24,663 --> 00:34:26,563
Surely.

621
00:34:30,334 --> 00:34:32,836
So, this is the first year

622
00:34:32,838 --> 00:34:34,604
of mister Rogers' neighborhood.

623
00:34:34,606 --> 00:34:38,341
Daniel striped tiger
is there with lady aberlin,

624
00:34:38,343 --> 00:34:40,844
asking her to blow
a balloon up

625
00:34:40,846 --> 00:34:42,446
and then let the air out.

626
00:34:42,448 --> 00:34:45,515
You wonder why this
is in there.

627
00:34:49,922 --> 00:34:53,123
Uh, they can't hear.
Can you hear on any of these?

628
00:34:54,592 --> 00:34:57,861
There's something
I want to ask you.

629
00:34:57,863 --> 00:35:01,198
What does "assassination" mean?

630
00:35:02,533 --> 00:35:04,101
What happened? Do you know?

631
00:35:04,103 --> 00:35:05,769
Somebody said he's been shot.

632
00:35:05,771 --> 00:35:09,573
Let's roll some videotape
on this out here, friends.

633
00:35:09,575 --> 00:35:13,376
Ha-have you heard
that word a lot today?

634
00:35:13,378 --> 00:35:15,112
Yes.

635
00:35:15,114 --> 00:35:18,782
And I didn't know
what it meant.

636
00:35:18,784 --> 00:35:21,718
Well...

637
00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:25,122
It means...

638
00:35:25,124 --> 00:35:28,325
Somebody getting killed...

639
00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,796
...in a...
A sort of surprise way.

640
00:35:32,798 --> 00:35:35,165
That's what happened, you know.

641
00:35:35,167 --> 00:35:38,401
That man killed that other man.

642
00:35:38,403 --> 00:35:43,573
A lot of people are sad
and scared about it, you know.

643
00:35:43,575 --> 00:35:47,010
I'd rather talk about it
some other day.

644
00:35:47,012 --> 00:35:49,246
Whenever you like.

645
00:35:53,351 --> 00:35:55,785
I felt that I had to speak

646
00:35:55,787 --> 00:35:59,656
to the families of our country
about grief.

647
00:36:06,430 --> 00:36:10,767
A plea not to leave
the children isolated

648
00:36:10,769 --> 00:36:13,270
and at the mercy
of their own fantasies

649
00:36:13,272 --> 00:36:15,605
of loss and destruction.

650
00:36:18,943 --> 00:36:23,113
Children have
very deep feelings

651
00:36:23,115 --> 00:36:25,515
just the way parents do,

652
00:36:25,517 --> 00:36:29,986
just the way everybody does.

653
00:36:29,988 --> 00:36:36,159
And our striving
to understand those feelings

654
00:36:36,161 --> 00:36:39,863
and to better respond to them

655
00:36:39,865 --> 00:36:44,868
is what I feel is a most
important task in our world.

656
00:36:50,876 --> 00:36:54,077
He realized
that if he really wanted

657
00:36:54,079 --> 00:36:57,747
to communicate,
the most important thing

658
00:36:57,749 --> 00:36:59,549
is to listen.

659
00:36:59,551 --> 00:37:01,351
'Cause there's so many people
who will just

660
00:37:01,353 --> 00:37:05,855
lump 'em all together and say,
"hey, kids, come along.

661
00:37:05,857 --> 00:37:07,724
We'll see the next cartoon."

662
00:37:07,726 --> 00:37:09,826
And they couldn't
care less about

663
00:37:09,828 --> 00:37:12,829
what that cartoon
is saying to the child

664
00:37:12,831 --> 00:37:15,565
about such things
as human dignity.

665
00:37:27,379 --> 00:37:28,678
Remember what was happening

666
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:30,847
for children's television.

667
00:37:30,849 --> 00:37:32,515
It was speeding up.

668
00:37:32,517 --> 00:37:35,852
Fred was pretty radical
in television for that day

669
00:37:35,854 --> 00:37:37,854
in that he used time

670
00:37:37,856 --> 00:37:39,422
totally differently.

671
00:37:45,463 --> 00:37:48,932
To Fred, silence

672
00:37:48,934 --> 00:37:50,867
was his delight.

673
00:38:04,982 --> 00:38:08,051
Fred took
an egg timer and said,

674
00:38:08,053 --> 00:38:10,220
"do you want to know
how long a minute is?

675
00:38:10,222 --> 00:38:11,554
Here. We're going to show you."

676
00:38:14,458 --> 00:38:18,295
And we just sat there
for the whole minute.

677
00:38:20,731 --> 00:38:23,900
There's a lot of slow space.

678
00:38:23,902 --> 00:38:25,902
There's no wasted space.

679
00:38:28,106 --> 00:38:30,006
In.

680
00:38:31,843 --> 00:38:33,910
Out.

681
00:38:39,283 --> 00:38:43,086
I think silence
is one of the greatest gifts

682
00:38:43,088 --> 00:38:44,988
that we have.

683
00:38:50,094 --> 00:38:52,128
His questions are direct,

684
00:38:52,130 --> 00:38:54,264
simple, short,

685
00:38:54,266 --> 00:38:56,166
and then he waits.

686
00:38:56,168 --> 00:38:59,836
He interviewed me,
and he put his face

687
00:38:59,838 --> 00:39:03,206
about three inches away
from my face,

688
00:39:03,208 --> 00:39:06,142
says, "it's so nice

689
00:39:06,144 --> 00:39:09,779
to see you and to be with you."

690
00:39:09,781 --> 00:39:13,116
It scared the living daylights
out of me.

691
00:39:13,118 --> 00:39:17,654
But I realized this is what
children do with adults.

692
00:39:17,656 --> 00:39:19,622
And sometimes after

693
00:39:19,624 --> 00:39:23,293
they answer,
he doesn't say anything else.

694
00:39:23,295 --> 00:39:25,528
So they say a little bit more.

695
00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:28,865
It's-it's a... it's a perfect
interviewing trick.

696
00:39:31,470 --> 00:39:33,136
Very funny. Very funny.

697
00:39:33,138 --> 00:39:34,471
Very funny.

698
00:39:34,473 --> 00:39:36,005
I'm not falling for it.

699
00:39:36,007 --> 00:39:37,774
Very good.

700
00:39:47,184 --> 00:39:51,488
Handyman negri and
officer clemmons, I presume.

701
00:39:51,490 --> 00:39:53,590
Correct as always,
your highness.

702
00:39:53,592 --> 00:39:55,525
Could we take a close look

703
00:39:55,527 --> 00:39:57,660
at, uh, your badge here,
officer clemmons?

704
00:39:57,662 --> 00:40:01,498
My friends, I think,
can read it.

705
00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:04,434
P-o-l-i-c-e.

706
00:40:05,403 --> 00:40:07,103
I have always felt
policemen to be

707
00:40:07,105 --> 00:40:09,506
the most dangerous person
in the neighborhood.

708
00:40:09,508 --> 00:40:12,342
So, to have me playing
a police officer,

709
00:40:12,344 --> 00:40:14,043
I was tremendously hesitant.

710
00:40:14,045 --> 00:40:18,181
But there was something
reluctant about Fred to let go.

711
00:40:18,183 --> 00:40:20,750
And I said, "Mr. Rogers,

712
00:40:20,752 --> 00:40:23,853
"i would be very happy
to be on your program

713
00:40:23,855 --> 00:40:28,124
as long as it doesn't
interfere with my singing."

714
00:40:39,037 --> 00:40:40,770
And he teased me.

715
00:40:40,772 --> 00:40:43,606
He teased me about that
for 20 years.

716
00:40:43,608 --> 00:40:45,942
He'd say, "officer clemmons,

717
00:40:45,944 --> 00:40:48,545
"are we interfering
with your career?

718
00:40:48,547 --> 00:40:50,580
Are we interfering?"

719
00:40:50,582 --> 00:40:52,415
He was relentless.

720
00:40:52,417 --> 00:40:54,818
But he also told me, he said,

721
00:40:54,820 --> 00:40:57,220
"that was the moment
i loved you."

722
00:40:57,222 --> 00:41:01,391
He said, "because you were not
going to kiss my ass."

723
00:41:01,393 --> 00:41:04,127
Those are Mr. Rogers' words.

724
00:41:06,932 --> 00:41:09,466
Mm, that feels good.

725
00:41:12,236 --> 00:41:13,736
Oh, there's officer clemmons.

726
00:41:13,738 --> 00:41:15,271
Hi, officer clemmons.
Come in.

727
00:41:15,273 --> 00:41:16,473
Hello, Mr. Rogers. How are you?

728
00:41:16,475 --> 00:41:17,841
Come on.
Why don't you sit down?

729
00:41:17,843 --> 00:41:19,409
Oh, sure. Just for a moment.

730
00:41:19,411 --> 00:41:21,144
It's so warm, I was just, uh,

731
00:41:21,146 --> 00:41:22,479
putting some water on my feet.

732
00:41:22,481 --> 00:41:23,580
Oh, it sure is.

733
00:41:23,582 --> 00:41:24,848
Would you like to join me?

734
00:41:24,850 --> 00:41:26,316
That looks awfully enjoyable,

735
00:41:26,318 --> 00:41:28,084
but I don't have
a towel or anything.

736
00:41:28,086 --> 00:41:29,419
Oh, you share mine.

737
00:41:29,421 --> 00:41:31,187
-Okay.
-Sure.

738
00:41:31,189 --> 00:41:33,156
Around the country,
they didn't want black people

739
00:41:33,158 --> 00:41:36,659
to come and swim
in their swimming pools.

740
00:41:36,661 --> 00:41:40,830
And Fred said, "that is
absolutely ridiculous."

741
00:41:40,832 --> 00:41:42,599
Today,
trouble under a noon sun.

742
00:41:42,601 --> 00:41:46,102
Negroes and white rabbis
marched to a segregated hotel

743
00:41:46,104 --> 00:41:47,604
with these results.

744
00:41:47,606 --> 00:41:49,305
The manager, James Brock,

745
00:41:49,307 --> 00:41:52,108
told them to get off
his private property,

746
00:41:52,110 --> 00:41:54,878
tossed, uh, cleaning chemicals
inside the pool

747
00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:57,547
in an effort
to get the negroes to leave.

748
00:41:58,782 --> 00:42:02,919
My being on the program
was a statement for Fred.

749
00:42:03,954 --> 00:42:06,789
Cool water on a hot day.

750
00:42:10,128 --> 00:42:13,196
I think that will is the great

751
00:42:13,198 --> 00:42:18,301
unseen and unacknowledged
ingredient in Fred's story.

752
00:42:21,906 --> 00:42:25,708
The level of will
that this guy brought

753
00:42:25,710 --> 00:42:28,811
to really almost
all phases of his life,

754
00:42:28,813 --> 00:42:30,580
physical and spiritual...

755
00:42:33,350 --> 00:42:38,054
...there's no better
manifestation of that than...

756
00:42:38,056 --> 00:42:39,822
143.

757
00:42:39,824 --> 00:42:41,558
Is that your address here?

758
00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:42,659
Oh, no.

759
00:42:42,661 --> 00:42:45,495
It-it means something special.

760
00:42:45,497 --> 00:42:47,564
1-4-3?

761
00:42:47,566 --> 00:42:51,067
Mm-hmm. You see,

762
00:42:51,069 --> 00:42:53,069
"i" is one letter,

763
00:42:53,071 --> 00:42:57,206
and "love"-- l-o-v-e--
is four letters,

764
00:42:57,208 --> 00:43:01,377
and "you"-- y-o-u--
is three letters.

765
00:43:01,379 --> 00:43:05,748
Fred would go to
the Pittsburgh athletic club,

766
00:43:05,750 --> 00:43:08,351
and he swam a mile.

767
00:43:08,353 --> 00:43:11,521
He swam at a unhurried

768
00:43:11,523 --> 00:43:15,558
but deliberate
and determined pace.

769
00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:21,197
And then he got on the scale,

770
00:43:21,199 --> 00:43:26,202
and the needle of the scale
jumped to 143.

771
00:43:26,204 --> 00:43:29,038
And he came off it

772
00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:31,641
with kind of a little smile
on his face,

773
00:43:31,643 --> 00:43:37,113
and he told me that he
had weighed 143 pounds

774
00:43:37,115 --> 00:43:39,716
every day of his life
since, like,

775
00:43:39,718 --> 00:43:42,819
the late '50s or early '60s.

776
00:43:47,091 --> 00:43:50,293
Now, I've thought
about this a lot.

777
00:43:50,295 --> 00:43:55,565
What, that... that 143-pound
thing drives me insane.

778
00:43:55,567 --> 00:43:56,833
Try that.

779
00:43:56,835 --> 00:43:58,635
I can't do that.

780
00:43:58,637 --> 00:44:01,337
In Fred's private numerology,

781
00:44:01,339 --> 00:44:03,306
"i love you" is "1-4-3."

782
00:44:03,308 --> 00:44:08,011
So, when the needle
jumps to 143,

783
00:44:08,013 --> 00:44:12,649
there's, like,
this confirming quality.

784
00:44:12,651 --> 00:44:14,083
There are so many weird things

785
00:44:14,085 --> 00:44:16,653
that I'm not gonna tell you.

786
00:44:18,422 --> 00:44:20,657
No.

787
00:44:22,027 --> 00:44:24,661
Freddy was like
the little rich kid

788
00:44:24,663 --> 00:44:26,596
that lived in the big house.

789
00:44:26,598 --> 00:44:28,197
And we were all the...

790
00:44:28,199 --> 00:44:31,668
The goofball kids
that lived across the alley.

791
00:44:31,670 --> 00:44:34,771
We could be ourselves
around Fred.

792
00:44:34,773 --> 00:44:36,372
We were crazies.

793
00:44:36,374 --> 00:44:39,776
We all had long hair,
and we were always

794
00:44:39,778 --> 00:44:41,878
having fun,
we were always making jokes.

795
00:44:51,956 --> 00:44:53,723
Those aren't mine.

796
00:44:53,725 --> 00:44:55,458
Whose are these?

797
00:44:58,630 --> 00:45:01,964
If we ever
saw a camera laying around,

798
00:45:01,966 --> 00:45:04,400
we'd grab it,
I'd pull my pants down,

799
00:45:04,402 --> 00:45:07,670
I'd take a picture of my ass
and put their camera back.

800
00:45:07,672 --> 00:45:11,641
And, like, then it was film,
so, like, three weeks later,

801
00:45:11,643 --> 00:45:13,209
you'd go to the fotomat,

802
00:45:13,211 --> 00:45:14,977
and you'd get
your pictures back,

803
00:45:14,979 --> 00:45:17,313
and there's aunt Judy,
and there's uncle Fred,

804
00:45:17,315 --> 00:45:19,315
and there's some guy's ass,
you know.

805
00:45:19,317 --> 00:45:23,052
And one day, Fred brought
his camera into the studio,

806
00:45:23,054 --> 00:45:25,054
and he was taking pictures
with it.

807
00:45:25,056 --> 00:45:28,725
And we went behind the set,
took a picture of my butt

808
00:45:28,727 --> 00:45:30,193
and put his camera back.

809
00:45:30,195 --> 00:45:33,663
He never said anything,
and, like, months later--

810
00:45:33,665 --> 00:45:36,165
I think it was around
christmastime--

811
00:45:36,167 --> 00:45:40,103
he said to somebody, "did you
give Nick his present?"

812
00:45:40,105 --> 00:45:42,872
And it was a poster
of that picture

813
00:45:42,874 --> 00:45:45,341
of me and my butt.

814
00:45:54,752 --> 00:45:56,419
Thank you very much.

815
00:45:56,421 --> 00:45:57,754
You're welcome.

816
00:45:57,756 --> 00:46:00,623
-Did you make these yourself?
-Mm-hmm.

817
00:46:00,625 --> 00:46:04,093
I... I, um...

818
00:46:04,095 --> 00:46:07,396
I thought...
I-i thought of x the owl,

819
00:46:07,398 --> 00:46:09,265
so I... so I, um...

820
00:46:09,267 --> 00:46:13,536
I drew him in his house
and his little door.

821
00:46:13,538 --> 00:46:17,106
Oh, these are real treasures.

822
00:46:17,108 --> 00:46:19,742
-Thank you very much.
-You're welcome.

823
00:46:19,744 --> 00:46:22,578
Would you like
to see x the owl?

824
00:46:24,616 --> 00:46:26,482
You're a little happy.

825
00:46:26,484 --> 00:46:28,718
That makes you
just a little bit happy, huh?

826
00:46:28,720 --> 00:46:30,787
Oh, hello there.

827
00:46:32,824 --> 00:46:34,557
Hello, everybody.

828
00:46:34,559 --> 00:46:35,892
Hi.

829
00:46:35,894 --> 00:46:37,760
I'm x the owl.

830
00:46:37,762 --> 00:46:40,196
I hear you drew
a picture of me.

831
00:46:41,832 --> 00:46:43,566
This is a book

832
00:46:43,568 --> 00:46:46,903
on all of the different tapes
that we have.

833
00:46:46,905 --> 00:46:49,038
Here are the tapes. Here.

834
00:46:50,073 --> 00:46:52,175
At that point, he thought

835
00:46:52,177 --> 00:46:54,911
he had done enough programs

836
00:46:54,913 --> 00:46:56,746
that they could be repeated.

837
00:46:56,748 --> 00:47:00,116
Those are all
different visits...

838
00:47:00,118 --> 00:47:03,419
Television visits
that we have on tape.

839
00:47:03,421 --> 00:47:06,155
He was writing, he was hosting,

840
00:47:06,157 --> 00:47:08,090
he was singing,
he was composing.

841
00:47:08,092 --> 00:47:09,692
And it took a lot out of him.

842
00:47:09,694 --> 00:47:11,360
I think he wanted a breather.

843
00:47:11,362 --> 00:47:15,965
Well, next week, we'll start
to show all of these visits

844
00:47:15,967 --> 00:47:19,101
so everybody can see them
the whole way through.

845
00:47:19,103 --> 00:47:20,203
Well, I'll look forward
to that.

846
00:47:20,205 --> 00:47:22,305
Let's take a look at this one.

847
00:47:22,307 --> 00:47:25,374
When you think
about all of those episodes,

848
00:47:25,376 --> 00:47:28,444
there's only so many stories
you can tell, right?

849
00:47:28,446 --> 00:47:31,314
What's in
the future for Fred Rogers?

850
00:47:31,316 --> 00:47:34,884
I understand that you are
ceasing production this spring

851
00:47:34,886 --> 00:47:36,452
of the neighborhood shows.

852
00:47:36,454 --> 00:47:39,288
Well, it's going to give us
time to make some things

853
00:47:39,290 --> 00:47:41,724
that I've wanted to do
for a long time.

854
00:48:00,010 --> 00:48:02,378
-Hi, Katie.
-Hi, Fred.

855
00:48:03,547 --> 00:48:07,350
And, John, wait till
you see this quilt.

856
00:48:07,352 --> 00:48:11,153
He wanted to do
some prime-time stuff

857
00:48:11,155 --> 00:48:14,390
for adults, and so he got
funding to do a show

858
00:48:14,392 --> 00:48:16,759
called old friends...
New friends.

859
00:48:16,761 --> 00:48:20,062
I wonder what it is
that makes one person

860
00:48:20,064 --> 00:48:22,365
push on in the face
of difficulty

861
00:48:22,367 --> 00:48:26,135
and makes someone else crumble
in helplessness.

862
00:48:27,170 --> 00:48:28,871
What does tomorrow feel like?

863
00:48:28,873 --> 00:48:30,840
That big. I feel...

864
00:48:30,842 --> 00:48:32,341
I feel that big.

865
00:48:32,343 --> 00:48:34,710
There's no feeling
for tomorrow.

866
00:48:34,712 --> 00:48:36,913
Feeling is dead for me in here.

867
00:48:38,282 --> 00:48:41,684
He was incredibly open.

868
00:48:41,686 --> 00:48:44,120
He was scarily open.

869
00:48:46,456 --> 00:48:48,457
He wanted to speak to adults.

870
00:48:48,459 --> 00:48:50,459
He kind of put
the puppets away.

871
00:48:50,461 --> 00:48:53,296
But have you watched
some of these?

872
00:48:54,298 --> 00:48:57,033
The feeling that...

873
00:48:57,035 --> 00:49:01,704
This instrument is a place,

874
00:49:01,706 --> 00:49:05,942
that it is a country,

875
00:49:05,944 --> 00:49:10,046
that it's somewhere that you go

876
00:49:10,048 --> 00:49:13,015
to say something.

877
00:49:17,087 --> 00:49:18,921
What... what does this

878
00:49:18,923 --> 00:49:21,023
have to do with our world?

879
00:49:22,426 --> 00:49:25,995
I don't know any store
that's like this.

880
00:49:25,997 --> 00:49:29,565
Any television program
that's like this.

881
00:49:29,567 --> 00:49:31,534
A flower is like this.

882
00:49:32,669 --> 00:49:34,737
A child is like this.

883
00:49:34,739 --> 00:49:37,773
Nobody but Fred
would have thought

884
00:49:37,775 --> 00:49:40,176
of doing that for adults.

885
00:49:40,178 --> 00:49:42,244
Take number 19.

886
00:49:42,246 --> 00:49:45,081
Thank you for your poems
and your thoughts

887
00:49:45,083 --> 00:49:48,117
about loving poetry and music.

888
00:49:48,119 --> 00:49:51,420
You really inspired us
to make this program.

889
00:49:51,422 --> 00:49:54,190
I'll be with you next time.

890
00:49:54,192 --> 00:49:56,325
But he wasn't making

891
00:49:56,327 --> 00:49:58,260
the kind of connections
with adults on television

892
00:49:58,262 --> 00:50:00,496
that he thought
he might be able to make.

893
00:50:04,534 --> 00:50:07,269
I remember opening the paper

894
00:50:07,271 --> 00:50:09,438
and reading about a child

895
00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:12,441
jumping off a roof
with a towel around his neck

896
00:50:12,443 --> 00:50:15,077
because he was
playing superman.

897
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:19,715
And there had been a lot
of stories like that.

898
00:50:19,717 --> 00:50:22,952
Some children died
because of the injuries.

899
00:50:22,954 --> 00:50:24,387
I read it to Fred.

900
00:50:24,389 --> 00:50:27,023
It hit him, because he thought
he had covered

901
00:50:27,025 --> 00:50:30,960
all that there was to say
in child development,

902
00:50:30,962 --> 00:50:33,195
but this was new.

903
00:50:33,197 --> 00:50:35,464
Fred didn't become angry a lot,

904
00:50:35,466 --> 00:50:38,401
but he just became so angry
about the fact

905
00:50:38,403 --> 00:50:40,970
that people would mislead
a small child.

906
00:50:40,972 --> 00:50:44,573
And angry
that it was his medium

907
00:50:44,575 --> 00:50:46,308
that was doing this.

908
00:50:51,648 --> 00:50:52,782
Yeah, superman.

909
00:50:55,752 --> 00:50:59,321
I am tired of hearing people
who have long ago

910
00:50:59,323 --> 00:51:02,658
set aside the concerns
of childhood,

911
00:51:02,660 --> 00:51:06,395
telling everybody
what children really need.

912
00:51:06,397 --> 00:51:09,065
I'll tell you
what children need.

913
00:51:10,333 --> 00:51:13,736
They need adults
who will protect them

914
00:51:13,738 --> 00:51:17,940
from the ever-ready molders
of their world.

915
00:51:20,611 --> 00:51:23,512
That was the moment Fred said,

916
00:51:23,514 --> 00:51:26,382
"i wonder if we could do
a week on superheroes,

917
00:51:26,384 --> 00:51:30,152
talking about
the pretend-ness of it."

918
00:51:31,021 --> 00:51:32,588
Very quickly,

919
00:51:32,590 --> 00:51:36,592
we came back with the show.

920
00:51:43,767 --> 00:51:44,700
Mm-hmm.

921
00:51:44,702 --> 00:51:46,402
Uh, careful, Ana.

922
00:51:46,404 --> 00:51:48,437
-I don't want you to...
-I think I'm flying.

923
00:51:48,439 --> 00:51:50,973
-I am! I'm flying!
-No, you're falling!

924
00:51:50,975 --> 00:51:52,908
What is going on here?

925
00:51:52,910 --> 00:51:55,811
Oh, Ana was trying to fly.

926
00:51:55,813 --> 00:51:57,880
I was using my super-skirt,

927
00:51:57,882 --> 00:51:59,548
and I was going
through the air.

928
00:51:59,550 --> 00:52:02,952
Yes, but you were going down,
and you might have gotten hurt.

929
00:52:02,954 --> 00:52:04,420
That's right, Ana.

930
00:52:04,422 --> 00:52:06,589
You have to be really careful

931
00:52:06,591 --> 00:52:08,491
with super-things.

932
00:52:08,493 --> 00:52:12,561
He was cool with every kid.

933
00:52:12,563 --> 00:52:15,397
That's the whole thing.
I mean, there were little...

934
00:52:15,399 --> 00:52:17,299
Kids that were...
They were little bastards.

935
00:52:17,301 --> 00:52:20,336
They were just rowdy,
and Fred never said,

936
00:52:20,338 --> 00:52:22,605
"this kid's a dick.
Get him out of here."

937
00:52:22,607 --> 00:52:25,074
You know, I mean,
i sure would've.

938
00:52:25,076 --> 00:52:27,610
Fred used to say

939
00:52:27,612 --> 00:52:30,646
that the outside world
of children's lives

940
00:52:30,648 --> 00:52:33,349
has changed,
but their insides haven't.

941
00:52:33,351 --> 00:52:37,086
He realized that his work
wasn't through.

942
00:52:37,088 --> 00:52:39,355
I'm Fred Rogers,
and I'd like to talk

943
00:52:39,357 --> 00:52:41,157
with you about make-believe.

944
00:52:41,159 --> 00:52:43,626
When it goes to the next level

945
00:52:43,628 --> 00:52:45,294
is in the 1980s when he goes

946
00:52:45,296 --> 00:52:46,428
to the theme weeks.

947
00:52:46,430 --> 00:52:48,030
I mean, to... to do

948
00:52:48,032 --> 00:52:49,298
a week on death...

949
00:52:49,300 --> 00:52:51,033
"Oh, hi, kids.

950
00:52:51,035 --> 00:52:54,670
We're gonna
do a week on death."

951
00:52:54,672 --> 00:52:55,938
On divorce.

952
00:52:55,940 --> 00:52:58,374
Some people
get married, and after a while,

953
00:52:58,376 --> 00:53:00,376
they're so unhappy
with each other

954
00:53:00,378 --> 00:53:03,112
that they don't want
to be married anymore.

955
00:53:03,114 --> 00:53:05,447
On children getting lost.

956
00:53:05,449 --> 00:53:08,284
Man, that's guts.

957
00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:12,988
Help! Help, help!

958
00:53:12,990 --> 00:53:14,657
Help, please, everybody!

959
00:53:24,901 --> 00:53:29,405
There's a piece of paper
that I accidentally ran into.

960
00:53:31,875 --> 00:53:34,910
And he typed in this little
sheet of paper

961
00:53:34,912 --> 00:53:38,314
about how he couldn't do it,

962
00:53:38,316 --> 00:53:40,716
that he didn't think
he was up to the task.

963
00:53:41,751 --> 00:53:43,719
"Am I kidding myself

964
00:53:43,721 --> 00:53:46,655
"that I'm able to write
a script again?

965
00:53:46,657 --> 00:53:49,658
"Am I really just
whistling Dixie?

966
00:53:49,660 --> 00:53:51,660
"I wonder.

967
00:53:51,662 --> 00:53:57,032
"If I don't get down to it,
I'll never really know.

968
00:53:57,034 --> 00:53:59,435
"Why don't I trust myself?

969
00:53:59,437 --> 00:54:02,171
"After all these years,

970
00:54:02,173 --> 00:54:06,709
"it's just as bad as ever.

971
00:54:06,711 --> 00:54:10,412
"The hour cometh, and now
is when I've got to do it.

972
00:54:10,414 --> 00:54:14,016
"Get to it, Fred. Get to it.

973
00:54:14,018 --> 00:54:18,454
"But don't let anybody
ever tell anybody else

974
00:54:18,456 --> 00:54:20,289
"that it was easy.

975
00:54:20,291 --> 00:54:22,024
It wasn't."

976
00:54:27,964 --> 00:54:30,733
The time that I was with him

977
00:54:30,735 --> 00:54:34,069
going on a New York City
subway, all the children

978
00:54:34,071 --> 00:54:35,971
in that crowded subway car

979
00:54:35,973 --> 00:54:39,041
began singing
the neighborhood song.

980
00:54:51,722 --> 00:54:54,890
He might as well
have been an animated figure

981
00:54:54,892 --> 00:54:57,126
stepped into real life.

982
00:54:57,128 --> 00:54:58,961
Could I try that?

983
00:54:59,964 --> 00:55:01,063
I brought my skates with me.

984
00:55:01,065 --> 00:55:02,064
I can try.

985
00:55:02,066 --> 00:55:04,566
Whoa.

986
00:55:08,906 --> 00:55:10,906
-What else do you like to do?
-Moonwalk.

987
00:55:10,908 --> 00:55:14,243
- Moonwalk?
- You got it. Yeah.

988
00:55:14,245 --> 00:55:15,811
People thought he was

989
00:55:15,813 --> 00:55:18,314
such an important
American figure,

990
00:55:18,316 --> 00:55:20,015
they wanted him to speak out

991
00:55:20,017 --> 00:55:21,784
on the issues of the day.

992
00:55:21,786 --> 00:55:24,420
And so Fred grew
pretty comfortably

993
00:55:24,422 --> 00:55:25,821
into more of a public role.

994
00:55:25,823 --> 00:55:27,956
You know, the earth is a name

995
00:55:27,958 --> 00:55:30,926
for the place
where everybody lives.

996
00:55:30,928 --> 00:55:32,361
And the moon

997
00:55:32,363 --> 00:55:34,530
is the name for the place

998
00:55:34,532 --> 00:55:36,632
where the astronauts go.

999
00:55:36,634 --> 00:55:39,301
Every time we went through

1000
00:55:39,303 --> 00:55:41,503
a national
or international tragedy,

1001
00:55:41,505 --> 00:55:44,440
my impulse was always
to call Fred

1002
00:55:44,442 --> 00:55:45,708
and put him on the radio.

1003
00:55:45,710 --> 00:55:47,776
What shall we tell our children

1004
00:55:47,778 --> 00:55:50,446
about the things
that are in the news

1005
00:55:50,448 --> 00:55:52,448
that seem so difficult,
so tragic?

1006
00:55:52,450 --> 00:55:53,949
Pilot Mike Smith,

1007
00:55:53,951 --> 00:55:56,719
followed by christa mcauliffe,
teacher in space.

1008
00:55:56,721 --> 00:55:58,387
Christa has been rehearsing

1009
00:55:58,389 --> 00:56:00,389
the lessons she'll teach
from space.

1010
00:56:00,391 --> 00:56:01,990
Good morning.

1011
00:56:01,992 --> 00:56:04,626
This is christa mcauliffe,
live from the challenger.

1012
00:56:04,628 --> 00:56:06,362
The lessons will be seen

1013
00:56:06,364 --> 00:56:08,130
nationwide
on public television.

1014
00:56:08,132 --> 00:56:11,166
Five, four, three...

1015
00:56:11,168 --> 00:56:13,402
Two, one...

1016
00:56:13,404 --> 00:56:14,803
And liftoff!

1017
00:56:14,805 --> 00:56:18,307
Liftoff of the 25th
space shuttle mission,

1018
00:56:18,309 --> 00:56:19,808
and it has cleared the tower.

1019
00:56:19,810 --> 00:56:21,543
Challenger,
go at throttle up.

1020
00:56:21,545 --> 00:56:23,879
Roger. Go at throttle up.

1021
00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:32,421
God, no!

1022
00:56:36,092 --> 00:56:38,694
How do we put it to children

1023
00:56:38,696 --> 00:56:40,996
so they will understand?

1024
00:56:44,501 --> 00:56:48,337
And part of Fred's answer
was always to tell children

1025
00:56:48,339 --> 00:56:51,673
that we, the parents,
would take care of them.

1026
00:56:52,942 --> 00:56:55,344
Sometimes I found that
a difficult message myself

1027
00:56:55,346 --> 00:56:57,379
as the parent of a young child.

1028
00:56:57,381 --> 00:56:59,081
Sometimes I felt I was lying.

1029
00:56:59,083 --> 00:57:01,016
I knew that there were things
in this world

1030
00:57:01,018 --> 00:57:03,118
that I couldn't protect
my child from.

1031
00:57:06,089 --> 00:57:08,524
Sometimes we need to struggle

1032
00:57:08,526 --> 00:57:13,462
with a tragedy
to feel the gravity of love.

1033
00:57:13,464 --> 00:57:17,766
Love is what keeps us
together and afloat.

1034
00:57:30,581 --> 00:57:34,149
You know, it must
be tough to be Fred Rogers...

1035
00:57:35,385 --> 00:57:39,588
...with your mission in mind

1036
00:57:39,590 --> 00:57:41,657
and then to have parodies.

1037
00:58:02,079 --> 00:58:04,580
Eddie Murphy did that

1038
00:58:04,582 --> 00:58:06,415
mister Robinson's neighborhood,

1039
00:58:06,417 --> 00:58:08,617
and I remember meeting him,

1040
00:58:08,619 --> 00:58:10,519
and he just threw his arms
around me

1041
00:58:10,521 --> 00:58:12,521
the first time he saw me,

1042
00:58:12,523 --> 00:58:14,423
and he said,
"the real Mr. Rogers."

1043
00:58:14,425 --> 00:58:17,793
That's, uh,
Mr. Rogers there in the, uh...

1044
00:58:17,795 --> 00:58:19,595
-On the left.
-On the left, yeah.

1045
00:58:19,597 --> 00:58:20,963
Uh, now, how do you react
to that?

1046
00:58:20,965 --> 00:58:23,131
Well, some of them
aren't very funny.

1047
00:58:23,133 --> 00:58:26,134
But I think that, uh...
That a lot of them

1048
00:58:26,136 --> 00:58:28,437
are done with real kindness

1049
00:58:28,439 --> 00:58:29,938
-in their hearts.
-Mm-hmm.

1050
00:58:29,940 --> 00:58:32,875
I'm moving to a new
neighborhood

1051
00:58:32,877 --> 00:58:35,377
where I've made a...
A new friend.

1052
00:58:36,780 --> 00:58:39,348
Can you say "hooker"?

1053
00:58:39,350 --> 00:58:41,283
There were some that...

1054
00:58:41,285 --> 00:58:43,785
Were not as kind

1055
00:58:43,787 --> 00:58:49,725
in nature, and if they
made fun of the philosophy,

1056
00:58:49,727 --> 00:58:50,726
that was the only thing

1057
00:58:50,728 --> 00:58:53,028
that offended him, I think.

1058
00:58:53,030 --> 00:58:56,632
The battle of the pbs stars.

1059
00:58:56,634 --> 00:59:00,669
The crowd is literally buzzing
with excitement

1060
00:59:00,671 --> 00:59:03,205
as Mr. Rogers enters the ring.

1061
00:59:03,207 --> 00:59:04,706
Oh, look out there, Fred!

1062
00:59:04,708 --> 00:59:07,309
Fred had such
a great sense of humor,

1063
00:59:07,311 --> 00:59:08,977
for the most part.

1064
00:59:08,979 --> 00:59:11,213
There's child,
obviously in shape

1065
00:59:11,215 --> 00:59:13,482
-and ready for this fight.
-Thank you.

1066
00:59:13,484 --> 00:59:14,983
But what about Rogers?

1067
00:59:14,985 --> 00:59:19,354
Experts have cast aspersions
on his manhood itself.

1068
00:59:19,356 --> 00:59:22,024
Fred would watch them
with the rest of us,

1069
00:59:22,026 --> 00:59:25,527
and everybody would be
laughing, and I just wonder...

1070
00:59:25,529 --> 00:59:28,730
If a little bit
of fat Freddy came back.

1071
00:59:30,033 --> 00:59:32,501
Just before
getting to adolescence,

1072
00:59:32,503 --> 00:59:36,838
he didn't have an easy time
making friends, I don't think.

1073
00:59:36,840 --> 00:59:40,609
He got a good taste of what
bullying was all about.

1074
00:59:41,544 --> 00:59:43,211
I've often wondered,

1075
00:59:43,213 --> 00:59:46,181
if there hadn't been
a fat Freddy,

1076
00:59:46,183 --> 00:59:48,550
would there have been
a Mr. Rogers?

1077
00:59:48,552 --> 00:59:49,851
You can feel the momentum

1078
00:59:49,853 --> 00:59:51,853
actually swinging toward child.

1079
00:59:51,855 --> 00:59:54,189
And what just happened there?

1080
00:59:54,191 --> 00:59:55,557
He grabbed a puppet!

1081
00:59:55,559 --> 00:59:57,125
Oh, look at this!

1082
00:59:57,127 --> 01:00:00,362
He's hitting child
with the lovable king Friday!

1083
01:00:00,364 --> 01:00:02,364
And the French chef is down.

1084
01:00:11,208 --> 01:00:12,407
A laughter record.

1085
01:00:12,409 --> 01:00:16,044
Used to play one like this
when I was a young boy.

1086
01:00:16,046 --> 01:00:18,313
You see, I felt
that the adults around me

1087
01:00:18,315 --> 01:00:21,617
were pressuring me to be
what I couldn't be yet.

1088
01:00:21,619 --> 01:00:24,386
"Act like a grown-up,"
I'd hear them say.

1089
01:00:24,388 --> 01:00:27,756
Well, I was afraid they'd laugh
at me when I tried.

1090
01:00:27,758 --> 01:00:29,891
So I found a record like this,

1091
01:00:29,893 --> 01:00:32,060
and I could make
the laughs start

1092
01:00:32,062 --> 01:00:36,064
and make them stop
whenever I wanted to.

1093
01:00:36,066 --> 01:00:38,734
For someone who hated
to be laughed at,

1094
01:00:38,736 --> 01:00:41,737
it was a good feeling
to be in charge

1095
01:00:41,739 --> 01:00:44,139
of at least this laughter.

1096
01:00:45,842 --> 01:00:52,648
I think that those
who would try

1097
01:00:52,650 --> 01:00:56,585
to make you feel less
than who you are...

1098
01:00:56,587 --> 01:00:58,320
I think that's
the greatest evil.

1099
01:01:15,272 --> 01:01:16,938
There was
a wonderful quote from Fred.

1100
01:01:16,940 --> 01:01:19,174
Oh, that's hard.

1101
01:01:19,176 --> 01:01:21,376
The most important learning--

1102
01:01:21,378 --> 01:01:25,347
it's the ability to accept
and expect mistakes

1103
01:01:25,349 --> 01:01:27,649
and deal with the
disappointment that they bring.

1104
01:01:27,651 --> 01:01:29,451
Hi, neighbor.

1105
01:01:29,453 --> 01:01:32,854
Had a little trouble
with my zipper there.

1106
01:01:32,856 --> 01:01:36,291
I'll get these shoes tied
and then...

1107
01:01:36,293 --> 01:01:38,360
Try the zipper again.

1108
01:01:38,362 --> 01:01:41,029
And Fred also understood

1109
01:01:41,031 --> 01:01:44,800
that there's a deeper level.

1110
01:01:44,802 --> 01:01:46,468
You know something,

1111
01:01:46,470 --> 01:01:48,837
-lady aberlin?
-What, Daniel?

1112
01:01:48,839 --> 01:01:51,840
I've been wondering
about something myself.

1113
01:01:51,842 --> 01:01:53,975
Something about Mr. skunk?

1114
01:01:53,977 --> 01:01:56,311
Something about mistakes.

1115
01:01:56,313 --> 01:01:57,979
What is it?

1116
01:01:57,981 --> 01:02:02,884
I've been wondering
if I was a mistake.

1117
01:02:03,986 --> 01:02:05,821
If you were a mistake?

1118
01:02:05,823 --> 01:02:07,889
And I will tell you,

1119
01:02:07,891 --> 01:02:12,661
sitting in the studio
listening to that, that day,

1120
01:02:12,663 --> 01:02:14,996
I said to myself,

1121
01:02:14,998 --> 01:02:18,266
"i can't believe Fred
had the courage

1122
01:02:18,268 --> 01:02:20,669
to put that into words."

1123
01:02:20,671 --> 01:02:25,841
Sometimes I wonder
if I'm too tame.

1124
01:02:57,141 --> 01:02:58,206
You do?

1125
01:03:01,879 --> 01:03:06,314
Lady aberlin
is saying to Daniel

1126
01:03:06,316 --> 01:03:08,550
what Fred himself
wanted to say,

1127
01:03:08,552 --> 01:03:12,454
not only to his childhood self,
but to all children.

1128
01:03:19,730 --> 01:03:21,129
"Okay, then Daniel's
going to say,

1129
01:03:21,131 --> 01:03:23,131
'oh, thank you.
That helped me a lot.'"

1130
01:03:32,075 --> 01:03:33,575
and I thought to myself,

1131
01:03:33,577 --> 01:03:36,611
"thank you, Fred,
for reminding us

1132
01:03:36,613 --> 01:03:41,516
that it's not so easy
to quiet a doubt."

1133
01:03:41,518 --> 01:03:44,085
But make it a duet

1134
01:03:44,087 --> 01:03:47,155
so that it's not just
your fears,

1135
01:03:47,157 --> 01:03:49,424
but you'll hear my support.

1136
01:04:05,542 --> 01:04:09,678
I think you are just fine

1137
01:04:09,680 --> 01:04:12,514
exactly the way you are.

1138
01:04:12,516 --> 01:04:13,815
The way I look?

1139
01:04:13,817 --> 01:04:15,217
Yes.

1140
01:04:15,219 --> 01:04:16,685
The way I talk?

1141
01:04:16,687 --> 01:04:18,320
Well, yes.

1142
01:04:18,322 --> 01:04:19,988
The way I love?

1143
01:04:19,990 --> 01:04:22,424
Especially that.

1144
01:04:38,308 --> 01:04:40,575
There were black kids
watching the show.

1145
01:04:40,577 --> 01:04:44,246
They needed a black figure
who would not let them down.

1146
01:04:44,248 --> 01:04:46,314
So, if I came out as gay

1147
01:04:46,316 --> 01:04:48,984
and there was some kind
of scandal,

1148
01:04:48,986 --> 01:04:52,020
that would not serve the race.

1149
01:04:52,022 --> 01:04:54,656
I carried that all the time.

1150
01:05:02,399 --> 01:05:05,000
- Really nice, François.

1151
01:05:05,002 --> 01:05:07,502
I went to a gay bar
downtown called the play pen.

1152
01:05:07,504 --> 01:05:09,704
Oh, god, did I have
a lot of fun.

1153
01:05:09,706 --> 01:05:11,573
But somebody, uh, told the

1154
01:05:11,575 --> 01:05:13,608
mister Rogers' neighborhood
people about it,

1155
01:05:13,610 --> 01:05:16,444
and he asked me, "did you...
Were you downtown at that bar?"

1156
01:05:16,446 --> 01:05:17,679
And I said, "yes."

1157
01:05:17,681 --> 01:05:20,348
He said, "you can't go
back there anymore."

1158
01:05:20,350 --> 01:05:22,584
I wanted to show this film
to you.

1159
01:05:22,586 --> 01:05:25,253
Okay, on picture picture.

1160
01:05:26,522 --> 01:05:29,357
Here's Mrs. clemmons at home.

1161
01:05:29,359 --> 01:05:31,860
In '68, I got married.

1162
01:05:31,862 --> 01:05:33,695
I'm not stupid.

1163
01:05:33,697 --> 01:05:36,598
There's the
portrait of the king and queen.

1164
01:05:39,735 --> 01:05:41,102
If I came out publicly,
he said,

1165
01:05:41,104 --> 01:05:42,537
"you cannot be
on the show anymore."

1166
01:05:42,539 --> 01:05:46,274
The sponsors,
Johnson & Johnson, and sears,

1167
01:05:46,276 --> 01:05:50,645
they are not going to support
an openly gay man.

1168
01:05:50,647 --> 01:05:55,884
Fred was not prepared
to lose that market.

1169
01:05:55,886 --> 01:05:59,788
My marriage failed miserably.

1170
01:05:59,790 --> 01:06:02,891
And I discovered
you can't pray it away.

1171
01:06:04,661 --> 01:06:07,829
Eventually,
Fred came around to it.

1172
01:06:07,831 --> 01:06:09,464
I think François

1173
01:06:09,466 --> 01:06:13,501
just came a little too soon,
maybe, you know?

1174
01:06:15,771 --> 01:06:18,406
Oh, yes. Oh, my, yes.
Heavens.

1175
01:06:18,408 --> 01:06:21,443
Um...

1176
01:06:21,445 --> 01:06:24,279
You gotta forgive me for this,
but I have to ask you something

1177
01:06:24,281 --> 01:06:26,915
that may sound impertinent,
and I don't mean for it to

1178
01:06:26,917 --> 01:06:28,750
for a second.

1179
01:06:28,752 --> 01:06:30,518
Are-are...

1180
01:06:30,520 --> 01:06:32,287
Are you square?

1181
01:06:32,289 --> 01:06:34,756
I mean, are you a straight guy?
I mean, you're just...

1182
01:06:34,758 --> 01:06:36,491
Are you really the way you are?

1183
01:06:36,493 --> 01:06:38,760
First of all, no, he's not gay.

1184
01:06:38,762 --> 01:06:41,363
I tell everyone who asks me,
"no, he's not gay."

1185
01:06:41,365 --> 01:06:43,198
But the, uh...
The other part is--

1186
01:06:43,200 --> 01:06:45,767
I spent enough time with him
that if he had the...

1187
01:06:45,769 --> 01:06:50,338
If there was a gay vibe,
i would've picked it up.

1188
01:06:50,340 --> 01:06:53,842
Nope, not as far as I know.

1189
01:06:53,844 --> 01:06:57,278
I mean, I think that anybody
who looked at Fred

1190
01:06:57,280 --> 01:07:01,683
looked at somebody
that they couldn't compare

1191
01:07:01,685 --> 01:07:03,284
with anybody else.

1192
01:07:03,286 --> 01:07:05,220
There's something inside you

1193
01:07:05,222 --> 01:07:07,022
that hasn't been lost.

1194
01:07:07,024 --> 01:07:09,024
Thank you, Daniel.

1195
01:07:09,026 --> 01:07:10,792
-Your childhood.
-Mm-hmm.

1196
01:07:10,794 --> 01:07:12,127
Okay.

1197
01:07:12,129 --> 01:07:13,294
I like him.

1198
01:07:13,296 --> 01:07:15,063
I know.

1199
01:07:15,065 --> 01:07:16,297
-Bye.
-Bye-bye. Okay.

1200
01:07:16,299 --> 01:07:17,966
That was one of the things

1201
01:07:17,968 --> 01:07:19,868
that I responded to.

1202
01:07:19,870 --> 01:07:21,803
That's terrific.

1203
01:07:21,805 --> 01:07:23,304
Wow.

1204
01:07:23,306 --> 01:07:27,308
I definitely saw another way
of... of being a man.

1205
01:07:28,811 --> 01:07:31,413
I'm sure you've heard
all these rumors

1206
01:07:31,415 --> 01:07:35,350
about Fred being a Navy seal
and killing people.

1207
01:07:35,352 --> 01:07:37,819
Was Fred a Navy seal?

1208
01:07:37,821 --> 01:07:39,687
Did Fred have tattoos?

1209
01:07:39,689 --> 01:07:41,322
And that, you know, he wore...

1210
01:07:41,324 --> 01:07:42,924
He wore the sweater

1211
01:07:42,926 --> 01:07:45,160
to cover the tattoos.

1212
01:07:45,162 --> 01:07:49,597
Fred was born a rich kid.

1213
01:07:49,599 --> 01:07:52,267
He didn't know how to use
a screwdriver,

1214
01:07:52,269 --> 01:07:54,369
let alone kill a bunch
of people.

1215
01:07:54,371 --> 01:07:57,405
That, to me, is just, like,

1216
01:07:57,407 --> 01:08:01,443
a classic example
of people looking at Fred

1217
01:08:01,445 --> 01:08:04,112
in all his eccentricity
and singularity,

1218
01:08:04,114 --> 01:08:07,916
and trying to basically say,
"well, that can't be.

1219
01:08:07,918 --> 01:08:10,618
He has to be this way."

1220
01:08:10,620 --> 01:08:12,954
The universal question
about Fred is--

1221
01:08:12,956 --> 01:08:15,924
was he that way in real life?

1222
01:08:15,926 --> 01:08:17,592
And the answer is yes.

1223
01:08:19,361 --> 01:08:21,863
François clemmons, hi.
Welcome.

1224
01:08:21,865 --> 01:08:23,198
Thank you. How you doing?

1225
01:08:23,200 --> 01:08:24,732
-I'm fine. How are you today?
-Fine.

1226
01:08:24,734 --> 01:08:26,768
My feet were tired,
so I thought I'd just

1227
01:08:26,770 --> 01:08:28,803
soak them for a while
in this water.

1228
01:08:28,805 --> 01:08:31,239
-Does it make 'em feel better?
-It does.

1229
01:08:31,241 --> 01:08:32,774
-Would you like to try?
-Sure.

1230
01:08:32,776 --> 01:08:34,542
On the show,

1231
01:08:34,544 --> 01:08:37,645
he would say, "i love you
just the way you are."

1232
01:08:37,647 --> 01:08:39,214
One day, I said,

1233
01:08:39,216 --> 01:08:42,550
"Fred, were you talking to me?"

1234
01:08:42,552 --> 01:08:44,552
And he looked at me,
and he said,

1235
01:08:44,554 --> 01:08:48,323
"yes, I've been talking
to you for two years,

1236
01:08:48,325 --> 01:08:51,759
and you finally
heard me today."

1237
01:08:51,761 --> 01:08:53,828
And I just collapsed
into his arms.

1238
01:08:53,830 --> 01:08:56,564
I was... I started crying. I...

1239
01:08:56,566 --> 01:08:58,933
That's when I knew
that I loved him.

1240
01:09:07,978 --> 01:09:10,011
No man had ever told me

1241
01:09:10,013 --> 01:09:11,412
that he loved me like that.

1242
01:09:11,414 --> 01:09:13,148
I needed to hear it
all my life.

1243
01:09:13,150 --> 01:09:14,415
My dad never told me.

1244
01:09:14,417 --> 01:09:17,452
My step-father never told me.

1245
01:09:17,454 --> 01:09:22,357
So, from then on,
he became my surrogate father.

1246
01:09:23,459 --> 01:09:25,960
I'm so proud of you, François.

1247
01:09:25,962 --> 01:09:27,428
Oh, thank you, Fred.

1248
01:09:27,430 --> 01:09:29,197
-Thank you.
-May I help you here?

1249
01:09:29,199 --> 01:09:30,698
Thank you.

1250
01:09:30,700 --> 01:09:33,301
The people who have had

1251
01:09:33,303 --> 01:09:37,472
a lot of struggle
in their lives,

1252
01:09:37,474 --> 01:09:40,375
those are the people
who really impress me.

1253
01:09:44,613 --> 01:09:47,348
There was an interview
with a little boy

1254
01:09:47,350 --> 01:09:49,450
by the name of Jeff erlanger.

1255
01:09:49,452 --> 01:09:53,821
We wrote because Jeff was
going to have a spinal fusion

1256
01:09:53,823 --> 01:09:56,791
and be in a...
What they call a halo, uh...

1257
01:09:56,793 --> 01:09:59,527
-Cast. A halo cast.
-Metal rim, and then cast

1258
01:09:59,529 --> 01:10:02,297
on his shoulders
and bolted all together and...

1259
01:10:02,299 --> 01:10:03,798
-All the way down his trunk.
-Yeah.

1260
01:10:03,800 --> 01:10:05,700
We weren't sure...
-Howard: He may not have

1261
01:10:05,702 --> 01:10:08,136
survived the surgery,
and so we said, you know,

1262
01:10:08,138 --> 01:10:09,704
"what would you like to do?

1263
01:10:09,706 --> 01:10:12,307
"Uh, this is going to be
a really big task for you,

1264
01:10:12,309 --> 01:10:14,342
"and so we want
to kick it off with something

1265
01:10:14,344 --> 01:10:16,177
that would be really special."

1266
01:10:16,179 --> 01:10:18,046
Mr. Rogers?

1267
01:10:18,048 --> 01:10:20,181
Hey, Jeff.

1268
01:10:20,183 --> 01:10:22,483
-I'm glad to see you.
-Hi.

1269
01:10:22,485 --> 01:10:25,220
Thank you very much
for coming by.

1270
01:10:25,222 --> 01:10:28,323
Can you tell my friends
what it is

1271
01:10:28,325 --> 01:10:30,825
that made you need
this wheelchair?

1272
01:10:30,827 --> 01:10:31,926
Sure.

1273
01:10:31,928 --> 01:10:37,665
Well, when I was about
seven months old,

1274
01:10:37,667 --> 01:10:40,235
I had, um...

1275
01:10:40,237 --> 01:10:43,104
I had a tumor,

1276
01:10:43,106 --> 01:10:45,506
and it broke the nerves

1277
01:10:45,508 --> 01:10:48,176
to tell my hands
and legs what to do.

1278
01:10:48,178 --> 01:10:50,245
I see.

1279
01:10:51,347 --> 01:10:54,549
And I got a wheelchair

1280
01:10:54,551 --> 01:10:56,517
when I was four years old.

1281
01:10:56,519 --> 01:10:58,453
-That was your first one?
-Mm-hmm.

1282
01:10:58,455 --> 01:11:00,188
-When you were four.
-Uh-huh.

1283
01:11:00,190 --> 01:11:02,924
He told Jeff before
they started that they would

1284
01:11:02,926 --> 01:11:04,692
have a chat and then sing
a song together.

1285
01:11:04,694 --> 01:11:06,361
I think he said,
"we might sing a song."

1286
01:11:06,363 --> 01:11:07,629
-I remember.
-Yeah.

1287
01:11:07,631 --> 01:11:09,530
'Cause, I mean,
i was sort of surprised.

1288
01:11:09,532 --> 01:11:11,399
"What? He's going
to start singing a song?"

1289
01:11:11,401 --> 01:11:12,800
Well, you know,
this is totally...

1290
01:11:12,802 --> 01:11:14,135
Not even what song.

1291
01:12:30,447 --> 01:12:32,947
-And it is you I like, Jeff.
-Thanks.

1292
01:12:32,949 --> 01:12:35,316
And there must be times
when you do feel blue.

1293
01:12:35,318 --> 01:12:36,684
Uh-huh.

1294
01:12:36,686 --> 01:12:39,320
I'm not feeling blue
right now, though.

1295
01:12:39,322 --> 01:12:40,688
- Me, neither.

1296
01:12:41,790 --> 01:12:43,958
I'm so glad
that you came today.

1297
01:12:43,960 --> 01:12:45,226
Thanks.

1298
01:12:45,228 --> 01:12:46,461
I remember asking one of the...

1299
01:12:46,463 --> 01:12:48,196
One of the staff people
that was there,

1300
01:12:48,198 --> 01:12:49,831
"well, you know,
what do you think?

1301
01:12:49,833 --> 01:12:50,832
Did it go okay?"

1302
01:12:50,834 --> 01:12:52,700
"Oh, this is good.
This is good."

1303
01:12:53,635 --> 01:12:55,169
He had his surgery.

1304
01:12:55,171 --> 01:12:56,804
He survived.

1305
01:12:56,806 --> 01:13:01,376
Certainly, Mr. Rogers had
an impact on who Jeff became.

1306
01:13:01,378 --> 01:13:03,644
His sense of self.

1307
01:13:03,646 --> 01:13:07,915
You obviously have a power now.

1308
01:13:07,917 --> 01:13:09,584
I mean, that you wouldn't
have had

1309
01:13:09,586 --> 01:13:12,120
when you first
started the show.

1310
01:13:15,324 --> 01:13:17,525
Well, it might sound
very ingenuous,

1311
01:13:17,527 --> 01:13:19,994
but I don't feel that.

1312
01:13:22,664 --> 01:13:27,068
Behold.
These shall be your minions.

1313
01:13:27,070 --> 01:13:29,670
I would hope that anybody

1314
01:13:29,672 --> 01:13:32,673
who sets himself or herself out

1315
01:13:32,675 --> 01:13:36,911
to produce mass programming
for children...

1316
01:13:38,414 --> 01:13:41,349
...could have the kind
of respect

1317
01:13:41,351 --> 01:13:43,117
of childhood that I have.

1318
01:13:46,855 --> 01:13:51,759
Because it's not all clowns
and balloons.

1319
01:14:00,969 --> 01:14:03,371
What do you mean,
you don't agree with me?!

1320
01:14:06,442 --> 01:14:09,777
Some television programs
are loud and scary,

1321
01:14:09,779 --> 01:14:12,980
with people shooting
and hitting other people.

1322
01:14:12,982 --> 01:14:16,384
You know, you can do
something about that.

1323
01:14:16,386 --> 01:14:21,122
When you see scary television,
you can turn it off.

1324
01:14:23,225 --> 01:14:25,259
We need to help our children

1325
01:14:25,261 --> 01:14:27,895
become more and more aware

1326
01:14:27,897 --> 01:14:31,732
that what is essential in life

1327
01:14:31,734 --> 01:14:35,436
is invisible to the eye.

1328
01:14:35,438 --> 01:14:37,238
Thank you.

1329
01:14:37,240 --> 01:14:39,674
Thank you very much.

1330
01:14:39,676 --> 01:14:42,410
As he got older, it was

1331
01:14:42,412 --> 01:14:46,314
more important for him
to be strong in his beliefs.

1332
01:14:46,316 --> 01:14:49,584
Maybe that was how
he was getting his anger out.

1333
01:14:49,586 --> 01:14:51,452
His anger that people

1334
01:14:51,454 --> 01:14:52,620
didn't take him seriously.

1335
01:14:52,622 --> 01:14:53,921
They didn't get him.

1336
01:14:53,923 --> 01:14:56,691
They didn't get
the depth of the show.

1337
01:14:59,661 --> 01:15:03,297
He started out being Daniel,

1338
01:15:03,299 --> 01:15:06,834
soft and quiet and shy;

1339
01:15:06,836 --> 01:15:10,505
developed into king Friday.

1340
01:15:10,507 --> 01:15:12,540
That is not correct.

1341
01:15:12,542 --> 01:15:15,610
Now do it again
and do it perfectly.

1342
01:15:15,612 --> 01:15:16,944
Wasn't king Friday

1343
01:15:16,946 --> 01:15:19,146
a wonderful insight
into his character?

1344
01:15:19,148 --> 01:15:20,348
His determination

1345
01:15:20,350 --> 01:15:22,049
and his ambitions.

1346
01:15:22,051 --> 01:15:27,188
As a king, I must see
that the world runs smoothly.

1347
01:15:27,190 --> 01:15:28,789
Farewell to you both.

1348
01:15:28,791 --> 01:15:30,625
That gruffness was his way

1349
01:15:30,627 --> 01:15:33,794
of getting what he wanted
across.

1350
01:15:33,796 --> 01:15:37,298
Fred Rogers wanted something
very badly

1351
01:15:37,300 --> 01:15:40,134
and would do what he felt
was necessary

1352
01:15:40,136 --> 01:15:41,869
in order to get it.

1353
01:15:46,508 --> 01:15:49,744
Let's take the gauntlet

1354
01:15:49,746 --> 01:15:52,713
and make goodness attractive

1355
01:15:52,715 --> 01:15:56,050
in this so-called
next millennium.

1356
01:15:57,319 --> 01:15:59,620
That's the real...

1357
01:16:01,490 --> 01:16:04,825
That's the real job
that we have.

1358
01:16:04,827 --> 01:16:07,695
I'm not talking about
pollyanna-ish kind of stuff.

1359
01:16:07,697 --> 01:16:11,065
I'm talking about
down-to-earth,

1360
01:16:11,067 --> 01:16:13,901
actual goodness.

1361
01:16:13,903 --> 01:16:16,837
People caring for each other

1362
01:16:16,839 --> 01:16:19,840
in a myriad of ways,

1363
01:16:19,842 --> 01:16:22,843
rather than people knocking
each other off all the time.

1364
01:16:22,845 --> 01:16:26,681
I mean, I don't find that
funny at all.

1365
01:16:27,783 --> 01:16:30,184
What changes the world?

1366
01:16:30,186 --> 01:16:35,423
The only thing that ever
really changes the world

1367
01:16:35,425 --> 01:16:38,559
is when somebody gets the idea

1368
01:16:38,561 --> 01:16:42,396
that love can abound

1369
01:16:42,398 --> 01:16:44,999
and can be shared.

1370
01:16:47,369 --> 01:16:50,304
You're doing a great job.

1371
01:16:57,045 --> 01:16:59,213
Dad never stood up and said,

1372
01:16:59,215 --> 01:17:01,215
"look at what I've done.
Look at this.

1373
01:17:01,217 --> 01:17:02,883
Isn't this wonderful?"

1374
01:17:02,885 --> 01:17:06,487
The only time I ever saw him
come even close

1375
01:17:06,489 --> 01:17:08,756
to anything like that
was when he did the interview

1376
01:17:08,758 --> 01:17:10,358
with koko the gorilla.

1377
01:17:14,664 --> 01:17:16,230
Great.

1378
01:17:16,232 --> 01:17:17,431
That's a happy sound.

1379
01:17:17,433 --> 01:17:18,499
Is it?

1380
01:17:18,501 --> 01:17:19,634
That's a purr.

1381
01:17:19,636 --> 01:17:21,469
Like that?

1382
01:17:21,471 --> 01:17:23,604
Can you teach me
how to do that?

1383
01:17:26,342 --> 01:17:28,676
Isn't that a nice way
to welcome someone

1384
01:17:28,678 --> 01:17:30,978
and say that you're happy?

1385
01:17:32,147 --> 01:17:35,650
It's... it was
a weird kind of a...

1386
01:17:35,652 --> 01:17:37,618
Kind of a thing, but, uh...

1387
01:17:37,620 --> 01:17:42,323
You realize there was something
kind of magical going on there.

1388
01:17:42,325 --> 01:17:44,759
What? Love?

1389
01:17:44,761 --> 01:17:46,761
"Love you," she said.

1390
01:17:46,763 --> 01:17:49,096
-Oh, is that...? Oh.
-"Love you. Visit. Love."

1391
01:17:49,098 --> 01:17:51,332
-Oh.
-Well, that was very nice.

1392
01:17:51,334 --> 01:17:52,867
Thank you, koko.

1393
01:18:04,546 --> 01:18:08,015
There's so much
to think about, isn't there?

1394
01:18:10,018 --> 01:18:11,786
Let me ask you
something about what we've

1395
01:18:11,788 --> 01:18:14,155
-been discussing for the last
three hours. -Woman: Yeah.

1396
01:18:14,157 --> 01:18:15,790
-Yeah. -Mr. Rogers
and the narcissistic society

1397
01:18:15,792 --> 01:18:17,158
that he gave birth to

1398
01:18:17,160 --> 01:18:19,994
because he told every kid
that they were important.

1399
01:18:19,996 --> 01:18:23,130
Do you believe his philosophy
destroyed a generation?

1400
01:18:23,132 --> 01:18:26,467
This evil, evil man.

1401
01:18:26,469 --> 01:18:28,502
The criticism goes like this:

1402
01:18:28,504 --> 01:18:30,371
"You told everyone
they're special.

1403
01:18:30,373 --> 01:18:33,641
"They don't have to do anything
to earn that special.

1404
01:18:33,643 --> 01:18:35,576
"That's what's wrong
with our country.

1405
01:18:35,578 --> 01:18:37,645
That's what's wrong with
children today."

1406
01:18:37,647 --> 01:18:40,047
He didn't say,
"if you want to be special,

1407
01:18:40,049 --> 01:18:41,682
you're gonna have
to work hard."

1408
01:18:41,684 --> 01:18:43,250
And now all these kids
are growing up,

1409
01:18:43,252 --> 01:18:45,186
and they're realizing,
"hey, wait a minute.

1410
01:18:45,188 --> 01:18:48,255
Mr. Rogers lied to me.
I'm not special."

1411
01:18:48,257 --> 01:18:51,492
I'm sure by then Fred
had heard the criticisms,

1412
01:18:51,494 --> 01:18:55,596
but he's not talking
about entitlement.

1413
01:18:55,598 --> 01:18:57,364
And if you don't believe

1414
01:18:57,366 --> 01:19:00,868
that everyone
has inherent value,

1415
01:19:00,870 --> 01:19:03,437
you might as well go against

1416
01:19:03,439 --> 01:19:06,006
the fundamental notion
of christianity

1417
01:19:06,008 --> 01:19:12,580
that you are the beloved son
or daughter of god.

1418
01:19:12,582 --> 01:19:13,681
-Hi, Mr. Rogers.
-Hi.

1419
01:19:13,683 --> 01:19:14,949
It's a pleasure to meet you.

1420
01:19:14,951 --> 01:19:16,584
I'm glad to meet you.
Thank you.

1421
01:19:16,586 --> 01:19:18,185
I watched your show
as a youngster.

1422
01:19:18,187 --> 01:19:19,854
I wasn't allowed to go
to preschool

1423
01:19:19,856 --> 01:19:21,388
'cause I had a disability,

1424
01:19:21,390 --> 01:19:23,691
and my mom made me
watch your show every day.

1425
01:19:23,693 --> 01:19:24,959
So thank you.

1426
01:19:24,961 --> 01:19:26,393
Bless your heart,
and here you are.

1427
01:19:26,395 --> 01:19:28,896
Thank you for
my preschool education.

1428
01:19:28,898 --> 01:19:31,365
And thank you
for inspiring me today.

1429
01:19:31,367 --> 01:19:34,201
At the very end of Fred's

1430
01:19:34,203 --> 01:19:37,304
very last commencement speech,
he said

1431
01:19:37,306 --> 01:19:40,474
what he meant when he'd say,
"you're special."

1432
01:19:40,476 --> 01:19:44,879
And what that ultimately means,
of course,

1433
01:19:44,881 --> 01:19:48,382
is that you don't ever
have to do

1434
01:19:48,384 --> 01:19:51,652
anything sensational

1435
01:19:51,654 --> 01:19:53,888
for people to love you.

1436
01:19:55,056 --> 01:19:56,991
It is really a matter

1437
01:19:56,993 --> 01:19:58,893
of believing that

1438
01:19:58,895 --> 01:20:03,063
you're endowed
by your creator with good.

1439
01:20:04,733 --> 01:20:06,967
You know,
there are many different ways

1440
01:20:06,969 --> 01:20:08,235
of saying, "i love you."

1441
01:20:08,237 --> 01:20:10,905
In fact, I like
to think about times

1442
01:20:10,907 --> 01:20:12,673
when I've seen people
showing their love.

1443
01:20:12,675 --> 01:20:14,742
- Okay.

1444
01:20:14,744 --> 01:20:16,577
Mm-hmm.

1445
01:20:16,579 --> 01:20:18,078
Show 1765.

1446
01:20:18,080 --> 01:20:19,680
This is the last scene

1447
01:20:19,682 --> 01:20:22,283
of the last show
of the last day,

1448
01:20:22,285 --> 01:20:25,486
the last taping day
of the interior

1449
01:20:25,488 --> 01:20:27,121
of mister Rogers' neighborhood.

1450
01:20:51,647 --> 01:20:53,347
This place has been condemned.

1451
01:20:53,349 --> 01:20:55,049
Oh, it's been condemned.
Oh, well.

1452
01:20:55,051 --> 01:20:58,853
-You got two days to move out.
-Okay, thanks. See you.

1453
01:21:01,324 --> 01:21:03,891
That was wonderful.

1454
01:21:03,893 --> 01:21:06,126
Years ago, it wasn't so weird

1455
01:21:06,128 --> 01:21:10,965
that... that somebody
as nice as Fred was around.

1456
01:21:10,967 --> 01:21:15,202
Now there-there isn't room
for a nice person on TV.

1457
01:21:15,204 --> 01:21:18,305
So, we must have, uh,
regular reunions.

1458
01:21:18,307 --> 01:21:19,473
Yeah.

1459
01:21:19,475 --> 01:21:20,908
How about Tuesday?

1460
01:21:22,912 --> 01:21:24,378
Yeah, I'll have forgotten by...

1461
01:21:24,380 --> 01:21:26,313
About everyone by Monday,
so Tuesday will...

1462
01:21:26,315 --> 01:21:28,682
-Tuesday will bring it
all back. -Bring it all back.

1463
01:21:58,014 --> 01:21:59,780
- We did it.
- We did it.

1464
01:21:59,782 --> 01:22:01,181
-Can you believe it?
-We did it!

1465
01:22:01,183 --> 01:22:04,518
Ooh, mercy.

1466
01:22:04,520 --> 01:22:07,755
When he did stop
making the programs,

1467
01:22:07,757 --> 01:22:11,458
I felt that he was depressed.

1468
01:22:12,527 --> 01:22:14,862
I mentioned it to him,

1469
01:22:14,864 --> 01:22:17,598
and he said,

1470
01:22:17,600 --> 01:22:21,635
"well, I miss my playmates."

1471
01:22:29,245 --> 01:22:30,644
Mm-hmm.
- Okay.

1472
01:22:30,646 --> 01:22:31,946
That's fine.

1473
01:22:31,948 --> 01:22:34,415
Okay. Okay, slate out.

1474
01:22:34,417 --> 01:22:36,450
We decided to have Fred back

1475
01:22:36,452 --> 01:22:40,120
to do some promos about 9/11.

1476
01:22:42,157 --> 01:22:44,558
He was very troubled,
and I said,

1477
01:22:44,560 --> 01:22:46,660
"Fred, what's wrong?"
And he said,

1478
01:22:46,662 --> 01:22:51,098
"i just don't know what good
these are gonna do."

1479
01:22:51,100 --> 01:22:54,335
And I just remember saying,

1480
01:22:54,337 --> 01:22:56,904
"Fred, how can you say that?"

1481
01:23:02,477 --> 01:23:07,081
When the horror of 9/11
really hit him,

1482
01:23:07,083 --> 01:23:10,818
i-i think it was
a real eye-opener.

1483
01:23:10,820 --> 01:23:13,754
He was realizing that...

1484
01:23:13,756 --> 01:23:16,123
It was just so big.

1485
01:23:16,125 --> 01:23:20,294
It's always going to be
an ongoing struggle

1486
01:23:20,296 --> 01:23:23,263
to overcome evil.

1487
01:23:23,265 --> 01:23:26,200
I remember thinking, "okay,

1488
01:23:26,202 --> 01:23:29,670
"this is the time
that you need to pump him up

1489
01:23:29,672 --> 01:23:32,272
"because he doesn't understand

1490
01:23:32,274 --> 01:23:34,775
"this... this is really
important.

1491
01:23:34,777 --> 01:23:36,677
People listen to you."

1492
01:23:37,779 --> 01:23:39,513
Okay.

1493
01:23:43,618 --> 01:23:46,954
No matter what
our particular job,

1494
01:23:46,956 --> 01:23:50,290
especially in our world today,

1495
01:23:50,292 --> 01:23:56,063
we all are called
to be tikkun olam,

1496
01:23:56,065 --> 01:24:00,501
"repairers of creation."

1497
01:24:00,503 --> 01:24:04,972
Thank you for whatever you do,
wherever you are,

1498
01:24:04,974 --> 01:24:07,975
to bring joy and light

1499
01:24:07,977 --> 01:24:09,810
and hope and faith

1500
01:24:09,812 --> 01:24:12,980
and pardon and love

1501
01:24:12,982 --> 01:24:16,817
to your neighbor
and to yourself.

1502
01:24:35,570 --> 01:24:38,672
Fred didn't like going
to the doctor's office.

1503
01:24:38,674 --> 01:24:41,875
He had stomach problems
for a long time.

1504
01:24:41,877 --> 01:24:43,444
I mean, for several years.

1505
01:24:43,446 --> 01:24:47,581
Oh, what's that
right down there?

1506
01:24:49,518 --> 01:24:51,185
Take a look at the aquarium.

1507
01:24:51,187 --> 01:24:53,520
Do you see a dead fish?

1508
01:24:53,522 --> 01:24:57,224
A dead fish would be one
that isn't swimming

1509
01:24:57,226 --> 01:24:59,893
or breathing
or anything at all.

1510
01:24:59,895 --> 01:25:01,695
Look down there and see,
will you?

1511
01:25:01,697 --> 01:25:03,797
See if you see any.

1512
01:25:03,799 --> 01:25:05,866
Oh, yes, right there, isn't it?

1513
01:25:05,868 --> 01:25:08,368
He told me that he was sick.

1514
01:25:08,370 --> 01:25:11,371
I played a bach sarabande
for him over the phone.

1515
01:25:11,373 --> 01:25:15,676
It's like sending
a little loving message.

1516
01:25:23,251 --> 01:25:26,153
When he was very ill,

1517
01:25:26,155 --> 01:25:30,891
he talked a lot
about dying well.

1518
01:25:30,893 --> 01:25:35,395
To die with the hopes in...

1519
01:25:35,397 --> 01:25:38,132
With the hopes intact.

1520
01:25:42,604 --> 01:25:46,273
Before he became comatose,
he said,

1521
01:25:46,275 --> 01:25:49,143
"do you think I'm a sheep?"

1522
01:25:49,145 --> 01:25:51,345
And we knew what he
was talking about

1523
01:25:51,347 --> 01:25:54,014
because he had been reading
in the Bible

1524
01:25:54,016 --> 01:25:58,152
about the last days,
with the... with the judgment.

1525
01:25:59,921 --> 01:26:03,257
It will be decided at the end

1526
01:26:03,259 --> 01:26:06,527
who is a sheep
and who is a goat.

1527
01:26:08,129 --> 01:26:12,766
And I think the need was
always there for being loved,

1528
01:26:12,768 --> 01:26:16,670
for being capable
of being loved.

1529
01:26:18,439 --> 01:26:19,940
There was a...
A little silence,

1530
01:26:19,942 --> 01:26:22,109
and then I said, "Fred,

1531
01:26:22,111 --> 01:26:24,978
if ever there was a sheep,
you're one."

1532
01:26:44,299 --> 01:26:47,301
Well, I suppose
it's an invitation,

1533
01:26:47,303 --> 01:26:49,870
"won't you be my neighbor?"

1534
01:26:49,872 --> 01:26:54,408
Uh, it's an invitation for...

1535
01:26:54,410 --> 01:26:57,711
Uh, somebody
to be close to you.

1536
01:26:57,713 --> 01:27:03,383
You know, I think everybody
longs to be loved

1537
01:27:03,385 --> 01:27:09,022
and longs to know
that he or she is lovable.

1538
01:27:10,826 --> 01:27:15,495
And consequently, the greatest
thing that we can do

1539
01:27:15,497 --> 01:27:18,699
is to help somebody know

1540
01:27:18,701 --> 01:27:22,903
that they're loved
and capable of loving.

1541
01:27:42,023 --> 01:27:43,857
Across the street
from Fred's funeral,

1542
01:27:43,859 --> 01:27:46,760
there's this hubbub,
and there's all these people

1543
01:27:46,762 --> 01:27:50,230
holding up signs saying,
"god hates fags."

1544
01:27:50,232 --> 01:27:51,865
And I went and talked to them

1545
01:27:51,867 --> 01:27:54,635
because Fred would have it
no other way.

1546
01:27:54,637 --> 01:27:56,737
I said,
"are you condemning Fred?

1547
01:27:56,739 --> 01:27:58,538
"Are you saying
that he was gay?

1548
01:27:58,540 --> 01:27:59,940
Wh-what's... what's happening?"

1549
01:27:59,942 --> 01:28:02,309
And they were saying that,
"no, no, he just...

1550
01:28:02,311 --> 01:28:04,211
He-he tolerated gays."

1551
01:28:04,213 --> 01:28:08,982
And so they were... they were
intolerant of the tolerance.

1552
01:28:08,984 --> 01:28:12,119
And the thing that... the thing
that struck me that day,

1553
01:28:12,121 --> 01:28:14,221
uh, more than anything else

1554
01:28:14,223 --> 01:28:15,989
was the children
that were there.

1555
01:28:15,991 --> 01:28:20,060
Children that had been drafted
into doing this work,

1556
01:28:20,062 --> 01:28:22,329
into standing there
with their parents

1557
01:28:22,331 --> 01:28:24,798
and holding up signs
and screaming.

1558
01:28:24,800 --> 01:28:29,670
And those kids
looked so unhappy.

1559
01:28:29,672 --> 01:28:33,140
Those kids looked so exhausted.

1560
01:28:33,142 --> 01:28:35,409
Those kids looked
so ill-treated.

1561
01:28:35,411 --> 01:28:37,144
It was just heart-breaking.

1562
01:28:37,146 --> 01:28:40,314
And I... and I knew
that if Fred had seen that,

1563
01:28:40,316 --> 01:28:42,683
that that's where his heart
would have gone.

1564
01:28:59,600 --> 01:29:01,768
I can't think how he would feel

1565
01:29:01,770 --> 01:29:05,605
about the things
that have come out

1566
01:29:05,607 --> 01:29:10,777
that seem to set us back
so far.

1567
01:29:10,779 --> 01:29:13,480
And I wonder
if he wouldn't simply

1568
01:29:13,482 --> 01:29:16,350
put down his tiger
and just stay home,

1569
01:29:16,352 --> 01:29:19,119
forget about even trying.

1570
01:29:19,121 --> 01:29:22,322
He's not a person
who would have given up,

1571
01:29:22,324 --> 01:29:24,458
but this is daunting.

1572
01:29:26,461 --> 01:29:30,330
I... I think he would be
trying to mend...

1573
01:29:30,332 --> 01:29:32,599
Mend the...

1574
01:29:34,802 --> 01:29:36,903
...the split.

1575
01:29:39,140 --> 01:29:43,477
He would be trying
to find some way

1576
01:29:43,479 --> 01:29:46,513
to find something positive.

1577
01:29:46,515 --> 01:29:48,382
When I was a boy

1578
01:29:48,384 --> 01:29:50,650
and I would hear
about something scary,

1579
01:29:50,652 --> 01:29:52,252
my mother would tell us,

1580
01:29:52,254 --> 01:29:54,821
"always look for the people
who are helping.

1581
01:29:54,823 --> 01:29:59,826
You'll always find somebody
who's trying to help."

1582
01:29:59,828 --> 01:30:01,528
I think there are
a lot of people

1583
01:30:01,530 --> 01:30:03,430
out there like Fred Rogers.

1584
01:30:03,432 --> 01:30:06,466
A lot more than we really
want to believe.

1585
01:30:07,902 --> 01:30:10,670
In response to the question,

1586
01:30:10,672 --> 01:30:13,173
"what would Fred Rogers do?"

1587
01:30:13,175 --> 01:30:16,910
It's not a question
that you can answer.

1588
01:30:18,112 --> 01:30:20,680
The most important question is:

1589
01:30:20,682 --> 01:30:23,016
"What are you going to do?"

1590
01:30:23,018 --> 01:30:26,052
From the time
you were very little,

1591
01:30:26,054 --> 01:30:31,425
you've had people who have
smiled you into smiling,

1592
01:30:31,427 --> 01:30:35,729
people who have talked you
into talking,

1593
01:30:35,731 --> 01:30:39,366
sung you into singing,

1594
01:30:39,368 --> 01:30:41,868
loved you into loving.

1595
01:30:41,870 --> 01:30:45,205
When he was
giving speeches, he would say,

1596
01:30:45,207 --> 01:30:49,976
"now, think about somebody
who's helped you along the way

1597
01:30:49,978 --> 01:30:52,145
"for one minute.

1598
01:30:52,147 --> 01:30:55,048
I'm going to time you."

1599
01:30:55,050 --> 01:30:57,717
Let's just take some time

1600
01:30:57,719 --> 01:31:01,788
to think of those
extra special people.

1601
01:31:04,826 --> 01:31:06,159
Hmm.

1602
01:31:06,161 --> 01:31:10,130
Some of them may be right here.

1603
01:31:10,132 --> 01:31:13,400
Some may be far away.

1604
01:31:13,402 --> 01:31:16,736
Some may even be in heaven.

1605
01:31:16,738 --> 01:31:18,972
No matter where they are,

1606
01:31:18,974 --> 01:31:22,442
deep down,
you know they've always wanted

1607
01:31:22,444 --> 01:31:25,011
what was best for you.

1608
01:31:25,013 --> 01:31:29,816
They've always cared about you
beyond measure

1609
01:31:29,818 --> 01:31:33,153
and have encouraged you
to be true

1610
01:31:33,155 --> 01:31:35,555
to the best within you.

1611
01:31:47,935 --> 01:31:49,102
Thank you.

1612
01:31:50,137 --> 01:31:52,038
My mother.

1613
01:31:52,040 --> 01:31:53,707
How I got to this point,

1614
01:31:53,709 --> 01:31:56,510
because it was
my grandfather's doing.

1615
01:31:56,512 --> 01:31:58,979
There was this woman
named viola

1616
01:31:58,981 --> 01:32:01,281
who used to take care of me
when I was little.

1617
01:32:01,283 --> 01:32:02,916
She was our babysitter.

1618
01:32:03,784 --> 01:32:06,019
I thought about Fred.

1619
01:32:07,021 --> 01:32:08,021
How about you?

1620
01:32:09,056 --> 01:32:10,590
Yeah.

1621
01:32:11,459 --> 01:32:13,026
Mm.

1622
01:32:26,140 --> 01:32:27,741
Thank you.

1623
01:32:59,841 --> 01:33:02,375
Please welcome
Jeffrey erlanger.

1624
01:33:05,346 --> 01:33:07,847
Oh, my.
akumenang.com

1625
01:33:07,849 --> 01:33:09,416
Hi.

1626
01:33:09,418 --> 01:33:12,352
I am so glad to see you.

1627
01:33:12,354 --> 01:33:14,287
-Thank you. You, too.
-Oh!

1628
01:33:15,423 --> 01:33:17,591
What a surprise.

1629
01:33:42,784 --> 01:33:45,952
You help to make each day
a special day

1630
01:33:45,954 --> 01:33:49,222
by just your being yourself.

1631
01:33:49,224 --> 01:33:51,825
There's nobody else
in the whole world

1632
01:33:51,827 --> 01:33:53,893
who's exactly like you.

1633
01:33:53,895 --> 01:33:58,898
And people can like you
exactly as you are.
akumenang.com

1634
01:33:58,900 --> 01:34:02,268
You are special.