Remembering Fred Rogers...

[leliebel]

wolfy I think the misunderstanding is based on that some people, including me, see this thread as a memorial too, if your reaction was posted in another thread I'm sure it wouldn't be taken quit the same way...

 

[Rowlf the dog]

Wolfy,
I am sorry but you are wrong Mister Rogers never, ever talked down to children, in fact that was his whole gig he used big words and would ask "Can you say equilibrium?" because he knew that it is a proven fact that people store words in their long term memory by saying them out loud and if you had a doctorate like he did you would know that.
Why would you even tell a five year old about Jim Henson dying. He had no need to know that! I think you need to take a sensitivity course and parenting lessons. Do yourself a favor and stop defending yourself you only make it worse and get people angrier.

 

[wolfy]

Why would you even tell a five year old about Jim Henson dying. He had no need to know that! I think you need to take a sensitivity course and parenting lessons. Do yourself a favor and stop defending yourself you only make it worse and get people angrier.

Boy, Rowlf, you are something.

Did I SAY I told my son that Jim had passed on?

No. He was watching Saturday morning cartoons on television and the news came on and a reporter announced that Jim Henson had died.

Does this mean that the news reporter should go and take a sensitivity course and parenting lessons? Perhaps, if it wasn't their job to tell the world that the man had died...

Stop defending myself? You mean stop telling people that they are misunderstanding what I am saying? Then how can I get them to know that I have nothing against Mr. Rogers, personally, I just never cared for his show?

I stated in my message that I probably was spewing sour grapes about the fact that the area I live in has/had gone overboard in their stories and memorials and such for the gentleman, and I felt that, considering Jim Henson was such a MAJOR pioneer in Public Television and children's programming, Jim didn't get half the publicity when he passed.

Someone stated that Jim had a large memorial service in NY and in England, but I had never heard about it where I lived at the time. Perhaps the people in the media in my area at the time didn't feel that it was necessary to place Jim's memorial service in our paper, or on our news, as it wasn't pertinent to our area.

Seeing that I now live in an area where Mr. Rogers is from, the media and such here feel that it IS necessary to report every little thing that was said or done by the gentleman in his lifetime, and by almost anyone who ever came in contact with him who still lives in or is now famous that is from this area.

I just felt it was a little overboard, all right? I am entitled to my opinion, which I clearly stated I was expressing.

I will NOT talk about this any more, especially when I am told that I need "sensitivity classes and parenting lessons" from someone who probably doesn't know what the heck they are talking about in the first place. Do you have children? Do you have MY child? I didn't think so...
wolfy

 

[Rowlf the dog]

I have two sons, one is graduating High School and going on to College and the other is in grade school. My wife is a teacher and I am positive that I am old enough to be your father as well. I come from NY and my wife has family in and is from Pennsylvania. You say your expressing your opinion but you present it badly. I still think " If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all" would have been your best course of action. Since you felt compelled to complain because Pennsylvania was making such a fuss, you should have realized that some people would think that the fuss is warranted and would respond. As I said I was not a fan I am none the less appalled by your attitude that he wasn't important enough to make a fuss over and that you state that he talked down to children. Not true,never happened, period the end.
Yes you are entitled to your opinion no matter how erroneous it is.

 

[leliebel]

can't this be posted in another thread, this is like figthing at someones funeral... I do believe in freedom of speace, but I also believe that there are times where everyone should just shut up. Take it somewhere else, make a whole ranting thread for all I care...

 

[Chilly Down]

Well, this was SUPPOSED to be a thread honoring a great man's memory. Rowlf, I don't see why there was a need for name calling. And while I disagree with Wolfy's opinion about Mr. Rogers, it is her opinion and she is entitled to it. It's not a fact as you keep insisting it is.

Wolfy, I was only trying to discuss with you, not argue with you, and I'm sorry if you took offense at anything I said.

Incidentally, just a general FYI note: Jim's funerals were not televised. I guess they didn't want it to be a media circus. The news media was allowed to take a few clips which have surfaced over the years, but no one has the whole thing on tape.

I didn't realize they were televising Mr. Rogers' funeral. I guess they expect it to be less of a media circus, at least outside Pittsburgh.

 

[Rowlf the dog]

I didn't call anyone any name and I went back to read what I wrote to be sure. I don't know what you mean, but I apologize for upsetting anyone.

 

[Chilly Down]

Name-calling was perhaps the inappropriate term -- I meant the comment about Wolfy's parenting skills seemed a bit much. Anyway, I think she's left the thread, and I'm not mad at you, just concerned that we get along. So let's just drop the whole thing.

 

[FellowWLover]

I can't comment on the value of the media coverage surrounding Mr. Rogers' death, but I will say that it is not my opinion that he talked down to children. His mellow manner and quiet speech might seem "slow" or as if he was toning things down for the kiddies, but in fact, it was just the opposite. He really communicated with children and treated them as equals in conversation which is rare to find in media or in real life.

 

[Chilly Down]

Hear, hear!