The Method Behind the Magic: the Death of Mr. Rogers

Read Mr. Cheek’s commentary on Mr. Rogers here.

Okay, things that don't have to do with yawn-inspiring business or anything remotely-related to Iraq doesn't get to me too quickly here in Bangkok, but I have finally found out about the death of Mr. Rogers. How very sad. It's one of those moments where death's icy realization washes over you. “He will never be here again. No children alive now will be able to see him, experience him. I just kind of assumed he’d always be around.” Okay yeah, luckily there are 30 years of reruns, but I guess it’s just not the same.

The sad thing about Mr. Rogers is that he’s a magical, warm, and fascinating man when you are in diapers. As soon as you “grow out of” him, which doesn’t take long, he becomes the subject of playground ridicule. Young kids mimic, “Won’t you be my neighbor?’ and the taking on and off of various articles of clothing. I feel ashamed to admit that he goes from demigod, to a joke in just a few short years.

Years later in high school, I took a class in Psychology. I was fascinated with the subject and I was fascinated with the teacher (a Zen-like man who taught four days a week and then actually flew to Columbia University once a week, EVERY week, to work on his PhD in Psychology). He asked us to watch an episode of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I taped it and watched it. So, a few days later when he asked who had done the assignment, I raised my hand. He immediately called on me and began what was a fantastically frightening and exhilarating hour of focus on me (in high school, it always feels awkward to have so much attention placed on you). Really, he was just using me as a source to bounce off of, and throughout the hour, he slowly deconstructed each segment of the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood hour. He revealed how every layer was backed by careful childhood development research, and Mr. Rogers’ own two PhD’s in the area (is this true?? I looked for proof on the website but couldn’t find it). Every movement had a purpose, every phrase had a goal. All was geared toward the child, his/her individuality, development, and self-worth.

WOW!

It was an amazing day in my life. Suddenly, I had rediscovered the (Method to the) Magic behind Mr. Rogers. He was a genius! He was loving! He was thoughtful! He knew what the fuck he was doing! I felt shame for all the years I had laughed at his old-fashioned and “dorky” ways. I even had a very un-high school-like thought of looking forward to a day when maybe my own children could watch Mr. Rogers (and I could watch it with him/her, caressing my little secret of what was really going on). Now, I’ll have to be happy with three decades of reruns. Thank god for television. Thank god for Mr. Rogers.