Fox News blames Mr Rogers for entitled kids.

[Rageaholic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29lmR_357rA

This is a few years old, but I rediscovered this steaming pile of bull that fox news made up about Mr Rogers. In summery, they say that Mr Roger's positive message toward children may be to blame for children feeling entitled. Aside from the fact that it's probably the bad parenting and the litigious generation to blame, I have to say, WTF?

He gave children an encourging message, unlike anything these douchebags made up. This kind of thinking makes me sick. You take any positive message and diss it in favor of "everything has to be tough!". And while it may be true you have to work for things, the kind of thinking taken to extreme is far more damaging than anything Mr Rogers ever said.

[anakhouri]

That's really ugly. Mr. Rogers told children they were special and helped them understand things by speaking to them at their level.

Entitlement comes from parents telling children they are perfect and can't do anything wrong, that they have rights but don't have to take up the responsibilities that are the other side of those rights. Mr. Rogers never said anything of the sort. He taught responsibility as well as self-esteem.

I do believe in letting children know they are special and loved. My mom teaches 1st and 2nd graders in a psychiatric facility (!) who have never been told either. You can let a child know they are secure without turning them into raging entitlement whores.

[crashhelmet]

Wow... That side of the aisle can't make up their minds on what their opinion of Fred Rogers is. This report blames him for the wrongs of the world and yet there are numerous email chains circulating about how he was such a great patriot, war hero, and Christian that we all need to model ourselves after him. Unless you believe the rumors that he was a convicted child molester and created his TV show as a result of having to perform community service.

R.I.P. Brother Rogers, OAS AAS LLS!!!!

CH

[HYHYBT]

Just for the record, he didn't serve in the military either

[draggar]

I grew up on Mr Rodgers and I don't feel entitled in any way.

[blas87]

On TMZ they were talking about Mr Rogers being a Vietnam sniper?

[Wingates_Hellsing]

I couldn't find anything corroborating any sort of military career on his part, although he was rather outspoken against the Vietnam war, which would be motive for those who disagreed with him to attempt to paint him as being a hypocrite.

I seem to remember him as being just kindofa nice guy who wanted kids to be themselves and learn and stuff. But it just goes to show that if you throw a stick you'll hit something someone has a problem with.

[crashhelmet]

He's a Brother in the Fraternity I'm in, so I know quite a lot about him. He never served in the military. He went to Rollins College outside Orlando and earned a degree in music in the early 50s. After that, he went Seminary school and then shifted into Television. He later finished his seminary work and was ordained, but stayed in television instead of becoming a preacher/pastor/whatever. He worked in television up until the day he died from cancer in 2003.

So many rumors have circulated about him it's quite entertaining and you wonder what drove these people to create them.

Some rumors that I've heard:
Wore long sleeve sweaters to cover multiple tattoos on both arms
Marine Corps Sniper in Viet Nam
Navy SeAL in Viet Nam
Create children's show as community service act for child molestation charges (That one really made sense)
Died from AIDS
Flipped off the camera at the end of his last show

CH

[HYHYBT]

He was working in US television from before the war began until after it ended.

[Racket_Man]

He was working in US television from before the war began until after it ended.

yeah I thought so too as I distinctly remember him being on national PBS when I was a child in the late 60's. from the bio program they ran after his death I seem to remember him being on a local PBS channel in the late 50's. I watched him as a child and as an adult after my daughter was born. HMMMM I do not consider myself entitled. just got the positive message he was putting out there

In 1954, he began working at WQED, a Pittsburgh public television station, as a puppeteer on a local children's show The Children's Corner. For the next seven years, he worked with host Josie Carey in unscripted live TV, developing many of the puppets, characters, and music used in his later work, such as King Friday XIII, and Curious X the Owl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers

[lordlundar]

I...
but...
they...
he...

WHAT!?!?

Two questions here:

1. What in the hell are they smoking to have come up with this piece?
2. What in the hell were the producers smoking to have allowed this piece to hit the airwaves?

[tropicsgoddess]

That's really ugly. Mr. Rogers told children they were special and helped them understand things by speaking to them at their level.

Entitlement comes from parents telling children they are perfect and can't do anything wrong, that they have rights but don't have to take up the responsibilities that are the other side of those rights. Mr. Rogers never said anything of the sort. He taught responsibility as well as self-esteem.

I do believe in letting children know they are special and loved. My mom teaches 1st and 2nd graders in a psychiatric facility (!) who have never been told either. You can let a child know they are secure without turning them into raging entitlement whores.

Yes and Thank you! I agree 120% with you on this. Fox news spews nothing but verbal diarrhea and lies. Teletubbies was full of garbage for a kids show...babbling aliens and a sun that coos and gurgles like a baby....wtf is that?!!! Sesame street and Mr.Rogers, now those are classics and great childrens shows that break things down to a child's level no matter how serious the topic may be (i.e. death, etc.).

[Amanita]

I remember Mister Rogers Neighborhood from when I was a kid! I remember they dealt with issues like death, divorce, and a good many other topics, but they did so in a way that kids could understand, without coming across as condescending or preachy.
I remember the episodes where the kingdom of make-believe dealt with divorce- Prince Daniel had a classmate whose parents were getting divorced, and when his parents argued, he was worried that they would be next.

I remember having to get stitches in my right eyebrow when I was five years old, after a classmate tried to pick me up and hug me, and wound up dropping me into the corner of a metal-topped table. Hoo boy, was I a mess! I still have the scar, BTW. I remember coming home from the ER feeling pretty crappy, and turning on Mr Rogers. At the end of the show, Mr Rogers ended with his famous words "And remember, children- I like you just the way you are."
That struck me- that even with my stitched up face, Mr Rogers liked me, no matter what. Even with the stitches and bandages, he still liked me. That's a good thing for kids to hear, IMHO.

[Adoyle90815]

What were they smoking? The reason kids are entitled is because of parents trying to be their best friend, instead of a parent, and telling them that they can do no wrong, and they can have anything they want. I'm also one who grew up with Mister Rogers, and his shows dealt with issues that kids face, such as death, divorce, and that disability is nothing to be ashamed of. I guess according to Faux News, the Presbyterian church must be a "liberal" church as Rogers was a minister of that church.

[smileyeagle1021]

Two questions here:

1. What in the hell are they smoking to have come up with this piece?
2. What in the hell were the producers smoking to have allowed this piece to hit the airwaves?

No there are three questions, the third question is, Why the hell aren't they sharing whatever it is that they are smoking because that must be some pretty good shit