The new Mister Rogers statue on the North Shore (donate, money)

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by neurodistortion

Well like creepsinc said, who wouldn't be? Teachers that have to be around little children 10 hours a day would feel worn out too. Doesn't mean the teacher would look less upon the kids.

The teachers dont' sing "won't you be my neighbor on TV." Just imagine having to tell a child it's just television, Mr. Rogers doesn't really want you to be his neighbor.

[greg42]

It's pretty hard to believe that Fred Rogers was a bad neighbor. But then, you might be amazed how many around here can't believe that Jerome Bettis was an a$$ about handling a book signing for fans (and that's just one example of his that I have specific knowledge of). So I guess it's kind of the same thing. Some public figure held dear really isn't that lovable all the time. Even Mr Rogers needed some downtime. Why he would not choose to live somewhere more private if he really didn't want to deal with neighbors, that's a little more puzzling, but there could be reasons.

I don't see my neighbors that much, though. I don't know what they really think of me, and I don't really care, I guess, past the point of some effort at not letting the house/yard look like total crap (which is as much for me as it is for them). I mean, I'm outside at times, mowing my lawn, shoveling my driveway, whatever it is given the time of year. But it still is often weeks between the times that our timing is right even to just say hello. The houses aren't far apart, but I think part is what happens when there are no sidewalks. Plus there's about 50 feet from each house to road (which is a good thing here as it's a 35mph through road).

So, taking that back to the original negative remark, I don't know what is "neighborly" to my neighbors, and I wouldn't be surprised if they thought I wasn't neighborly. I think there are wildly different interpretations of what neighborly would mean. As for the contract, if it had to do with the TV show or his production company, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he was a perfectionist about it. And really, with Mr Rogers, if he wasn't just like his TV persona, I could see that being interpreted as rude by a lot of people.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

Who wouldn't be? He was allegedly human.

Spot on.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Hopes

The teachers dont' sing "won't you be my neighbor on TV." Just imagine having to tell a child it's just television, Mr. Rogers doesn't really want you to be his neighbor.

I think you are being bit heavy-handed here. Celebrity is tough. The people themselves change, but they are expected to stay at some stage their whole life. I am sure it became tedious as hell to be perpetually affable and patient. He created an archetype no mere mortal could fill, but in the land of make believe, kids can enjoy it.

As an example of fame that no one would want, what if you saw David Soul (aka Hutch from Starsky and Hutch) cruising down the street in the Burgh, would you stop him and expect him to sing an a capella version of his hit "Don't Give Up on Us Baby?" For his sake, I hope he has moved on....

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Neighbors see one another on a regular basis. Their impression was that Mr. Rogers was perpetually worn down and annoyed by the children who adored him.

I can imagine he would...it is NOT easy to entertain kids 24/7 a day. I mean Mr. Rogers made a career of it, and probably loved to 'entertain', but I'd imagine every single parent with kids would QUICKLY interrupt anything and everything he was doing all day long to 'make sure' he personally entertained their kids with the same energy that he put into TV everyday.

Plus if his neighbors observed this, it has an implication that people were bringing their kids around to interrupt/disrupt him all day long at his house.

[Tinare]

I thought it was bad form to speak ill of the dead. And I'm not sure what it accomplishes?

[Chichappens]

Teachers are not celbrities...Mr Rodgers was a household name and also known in other countries....Sure there were times when people hounded him to the point be became distant...It's also possible the neighborghs did not see a Fred Friendly side since he may have over worked himself and did not enjoy the show as much as we think and the money was what kept him going........He was type cast and if he left the show he did not have any other opertunities in show business.

I don't always agree with Hopes...but,honestly I can't see Hopes making this story up for the sake of it...I do think that he may have a different fred rodgers persona after work...Rememberr the man is a actor and actors can turn it on or off .

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by greg42

Why he would not choose to live somewhere more private if he really didn't want to deal with neighbors, that's a little more puzzling, but there could be reasons.

He had enough money that he could have lived in a Fox Chapel home with acres between houses, but he chose to live in the city. It is perplexing.

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

but I'd imagine every single parent with kids would QUICKLY interrupt anything and everything he was doing all day long to 'make sure' he personally entertained their kids with the same energy that he put into TV everyday.

Plus if his neighbors observed this, it has an implication that people were bringing their kids around to interrupt/disrupt him all day long at his house.

That's not the case. It's the neighborhood children, not imported children. The immediate neighbors---like children next door.

The neighbors weren't dragging their children to him. The children would be playing in the yard next door and simply wave excitedly saying "Hi, Mr. Rogers!"

On a good day, he completely ignored them.

Originally Posted by Tinare

I thought it was bad form to speak ill of the dead. And I'm not sure what it accomplishes?

I'm holding back. I know some things I would never post here.

Originally Posted by Chichappens

Teachers are not celbrities...

And most teachers still manage to be polite to children they run into outside of school. As a child, a few teachers lived in my neighborhood. They weren't rude to us.

[Chichappens]

Hopes ....regarding the teachers....they are not going to be noticed, stop as often an attacked by fans like a celeb ............ i use to see my teacher and run the other way....lol........ did not want her talking to me or my family...............also these kids and adults are strangers...the teachers are dealing with actuall students and parents they know........BUT he should have been a lot nicer to his neighborhs who he new and the children he new in his neighborhood..........no reason for that.

[Chichappens]

I dont know a lot of Fred...did he have children? Never seen or heard about them...Did he donate money to charities after this death? Did PBS preserve his studio?