Mr Rogers

Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood was a 30 minute children’s TV show that broadcast in the United States from 1968 to 2001, a whopping 33 years, in which time creator, host and the show’s composer Fred Rogers produced 912 episodes over 31 seasons - an amazing 456 hours of content, 19 straight days of children’s tv programming. The show was aimed for 2 to 5 year olds and despite running for 33 years, garnered little success outside of the US.

Mister Rogers found novel, unique and relatable ways for children to learn about many different topics. He spoke directly to the camera taking the viewer on tours of factories, demonstrating experiments, crafts, and music, and interacting with his friends. Also, Rogers tried to help children learn about difficult emotions such as anger, fear and jealousy, and didn’t shy away from death, divorce or war. Famously, in 1969 when the United States was torn by racial segregation, Rogers included François Clemmons as a friendly neighbourhood policeman, Clemmons becoming the first black actor to have a recurring TV role.

One of the things that Rogers was best loved and is best remembered for was his kind and caring manner. Rogers always believed it important to be himself, allegedly remarking "One of the greatest gifts you can give anybody is the gift of your honest self. I also believe that kids can spot a phony a mile away."

Despite production ending in 2000, and being permanently removed off the air in 2008, five years after Rogers’ death, the show continues to be loved by subsequent generations and has gained worldwide fame thanks to the internet. YouTube has hours and hours of Mr Rogers content, uploaded by fans, and video streaming platform Twitch have run streaming marathons; in 2017 they streamed a 18-day long marathon, and then in 2018, to celebrate what would have been Rogers’ 90th birthday they streamed 90 episodes over a 45 hour period.

It seems that Mister Rogers’ fame has spread from the United States online as adults of my generation find solace, from these complex and difficult times, in the words once intended for 2 to 5-year olds. I think one of the things that really helps people was Rogers’ ability to address complex and difficult feelings in delicate and easily processed ways.

Let me give you an example: he once said "In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers." It’s simple, actionable advice to complex yet every day problems.

Probably the most famous quote of Rogers’, which has now become a meme which pops up whenever there is some great moment of difficulty and anguish: a mass shooting, a terrorist attack or a pandemic; It went viral after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 and was circulated widely after the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.

 It’s his heartwarming advice to look for the helpers. It was his antidote to the frightening, worrying, disturbing photos and videos that accompany difficult news headlines.

The quote is this:
"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world."

This delicate but ingenious way of translating the complex adult world into terms that children can understand. At the same time, as before, it’s actionable - there’s something to do. And what’s more “Look for the helpers” is a tactic that diverts a child’s distress toward safety.

But it was exactly that. It was aimed at helping children through distressing times that they couldn’t understand. For us adults, there’s a lot more to be done.