Having spent a lot of time reading and watching American
content creators, I have heard many a story about the man named Fred Rogers.
And as an outsider looking in, his place in nostalgic history always seemed
like an anomaly to me. When childhood entertainers like Rolf Harris and Bill
Cosby were being exposed as utter human garbage, Mr. Rogers kept coming up as
one of the few nostalgic icons that was still good. And not just good, but a
kind of good that warmed its way into the hearts of an entire generation.
While Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is a well-worn television
staple in the U.S., I over here in Australia never really experienced any of
the man’s work. I mean, how good could this guy possibly be? A lifelong
Republican, a religious minister who cared about making connections with
children… maybe it’s just my cynical side peeking through, but how could this
be the background of a man this
beloved? Well, through the lens of They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead director
Morgan Neville, I got my answer. Holy hell, did I get my answer.
