I like Johnny Costa but always found Mr. Rogers himself creepy and never more so than when he was singing.
... I guess that proves you can't please everyone.
Mr. Rogers is literally seen as the incarnation of wholesomeness, part of the holy secular trinity of positive male role models with Levar Burton and Bob Ross.
You might consider not casting aspersions based on absolutely nothing. If there were any allegations of creepiness they'd have come out by now, so like... Keep his name out yo mouth.
Treating children as people with basic love and respect is all that he asked for, and all that he demonstrated.
Also, in what way did Fred Rogers demonstrate "attraction" to children?
Are there bad guys in the world? Yes. But not nearly so many nor as brazen as everyone wanting to yell their story in your ear would have you believe.
Furthermore it induced a few interesting replies about his style of looking directly into the camera and long-takes, and parasocial relationships (to be fair, it also induced a single reply with someone implying that while Mr. Rogers probably isn't a pedophile, "better safe than sorry").
As an aside, I'm somewhat surprised nobody's mentioned the puppets yet; lots of people find puppets creepy.
That’s pretty passive aggressive. Wouldn’t you be offended if someone said that about you? “I never said you were stupid, I just /think/ of you as stupid.”
Secondly, we are talking about a performer while performing[1] Sharing personal reactions (both positive and negative) to public performances is, IMO, well within the bounds of polite discourse.
1: This is harder to distinguish when the actor's name is "Fred Rogers" and the role is "Mr. Rogers," but the original comment referred to "Mr. Rogers" rather than Fred Rogers and used the phrase "especially while singing," so I think it's a safe assumption here.
You're worried about the world being too kind and positive? You shouldn't. There are enough people actually doing things worthy of scorn -- enough to wear out your keyboard -- without besmirching someone for the flimsiest of reasons.
I'm _deeply_ uncomfortable with eye contact, and find Mr Rogers to be deeply disturbing to watch. And being able to _talk_ about that without it being implied that it means either of us are bad people is an important lesson.
"I was not emotionally equipped to watch Mr. Rogers; I had a very hard time dealing with the feelings that arose when I watched that show".
I can also understand how someone could find the direct, intense way he communicated with the camera uncomfortably intimate and offputting (even though it was an important part of his success). That's OK.
Like who is this guy who always wanted to have a neighbor just like me. and always wanted to live in a neighborhood with me. And with all the eye contact, it doesn't feel like a hypothetical you, it feels like me. Stranger danger signs.
I mean, watch this episode[1], and tell me that opening monologue doesn't feel creepy?
When I was young, this show felt a lot different than some of other shows in terms of speaking to the audience directly so much. Plus, it didn't have a cool pinball animation, I'd rather watch Sesame Street and learn my numbers, thanks ;)
and that's the difference, as I think he explains in his statement to the Senate Subcommitte on Communications in 1969
It's the most profound kindness I've ever seen practiced as a way of being.
So, yeah, it's a little uncomfortable.