Mister Rogers – Garden of Your Mind
An evening pause: As a kid, I could never stomach Mister Rogers. The most I could ever watch him was about ten seconds before becoming totally bored. Thus, I was initially very doubtful about scheduling this video — until I watched it. It takes the things Rogers said and did and turns it into a really good rap video!
Hat tip Tom Wilson, aka t-dub.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Yeah–never could tolerate Mister Rogers myself. His character presents as creepy. (That’s about as precise as I want to get.)
Who remembers any iteration of this?
“Romper Room” with Miss Mary Lynn
(Circa 1967-ish)
https://youtu.be/WI8YXH4Q9IQ
8:24
I think that Mr. Rogers wasn’t intended for 20 year olds, Bob. :-)
Well, personally, when I was growing up I really liked Mr. Rogers. He was a gentle, calming, wholesome experience for me. Fred never struck me as creepy, in fact, if you learn more about what he did to create the show and how he stood up to government to get it funded, plus the respect from everyone that worked with him, you will find he is anything but.
wayne – I definitely remember Romper Room as I was actually on that program many times. Our family had a friend who was an ad exec and had ties to the local TV station so I was put on the show. Funny story: I was actually the safety lesson of the week on Romper Room. What happened was I was playing outside and got hit in the eye with a baseball and bat giving me a nice shiner. When I went on tv with the black eye, they made me the safety lesson. If that had happened in this day and age, I am sure CPS would have been called to investigate my parents.
I also did a few commercials for a local grocery store chain as well. Anyways, great memories from my childhood.
Fred Rogers was my favorite on morning TV as a child. He didn’t speak down to children.
“Romper Room” with Miss Mary Lynn
Yup.
“You can grow ideas in the garden of your mind . . .”
I grew up not liking Mr Rogers, but one day we watched him at my neighbor’s house. My neighbor had a alcoholic father who beat him and his brothers, a grouchy mother that we all called “Old Yeller” when out of her earshot, and an older brother who y physically bullied him constantly. Understandably, my friend was a pretty nervous kid.
The day I came over and we watched Mr Rogers was the first time I ever saw my friend calm and relaxed; he was about 10, but I remember looking at him and thinking that he was acting like a 4 year old who was feeling safe and protected. I didn’t grow up in the most peaceful household myself, but I didn’t have it as bad as my friend. I wonder how many other kids around the country found some needed calm with Fred.
Years later I read an interview with Mr. Rogers, in which he described listening to a pastor and being completely uninspired. He was shocked when a woman commented to the pastor that his sermon was just what she needed that day, and she was inspired. Fred said that this was one of the main things he learned about being a pastor (one of his other roles): you’re not necessarily trying to inspire or interest your whole audience, and if you bring comfort to just a few members, you’re doing something right. Having seen his show’s effect on my childhood friend, that message really resonated with me.
Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood: Summer
SNL Season 8
https://youtu.be/8EhgQsMsdsU
4:14
What’s My Line – Bob Keeshan
https://youtu.be/vqdDvYGYK-I
4:38
He helped folks make it past 9/11.
Things are so ugly today…it would break his heart.
I personally don’t remember Mr. Rogers neighborhood but my wife was raised on him and he was still on TV when my daughters were young.
I remember watching Brady Bunch, Gilligans island, Star Trek before my older siblings came home and would change the channel on our black-and-white TV that had only three stations available to it.
I do remember romper room… Or one similar that had a magic mirror?
The rumors of Fred being a sniper in the military are not true. He was a puppeteer after college before public broadcasting and never served in the military.
Max–
Gilligan’s Island Original Theme Song
(unaired pilot 1964)
https://youtu.be/qx7A4sxJi7c
1:50