RateItAll: The Opinion Network

He was after my time as a kid as I was out of college when his long running television show started. I really don't see how he was controversial one way or the other.

I always enjoyed the urban legend that he was a sniper in the army and had killer tattoos on his arms. Snopes.com does a good job squelching that rumor.

Rumors persist that Mr. Rogers was a sniper with 30 or so kills and the sweaters he always wore were to cover the tatoos, but I still haven't seen any real evidence to suggest that this could even be possible.

Not sure why someone would want to attack him. He was a nice man who loved children. always seemed so gentle and kind. Never heard anything bad about him.

Mr. Rogers was a good hearted man who loved children, what's wrong with that? ...................................... FRED MCFEELY ROGERS (Mister Rogers). Born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S., 20 March 1928. Educated at Dartmouth College, 1946; Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, B.A. in music, 1951; Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Bachelor of Divinity, 1962. Married Sara Joanne Byrd, 1952, children: James Byrd and John Frederick. Assistant television producer and network floor director at NBC, 1951-53; program planner, producer, writer, and performer at noncommercial station WQED in Pittsburgh, 1953-62; producer and television host for the Canadian Broadcasting Company in Toronto, Ontario, 1962-64; producer and host of PBS show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood since 1967; produced and hosted Old Friends, New Friends, 1979-81; producer of videocassettes for CBS, 1987-88; hosted Fred Rogers' Heroes, 1994; president of Family Communications, Inc. Member of the Esther Island Preserve Association; Luxor Ministerial Association; board of directors of the McFeely Rogers' Foundation; honorary chairman of the National PTA, 1992-94. Honorary degrees: DHL from Thiel College, 1969; HHD from Eastern Michigan University, 1973; LittD from St. Vincent College, 1973; DD from Christian Theological Seminary, 1973, Washington and Jefferson College, 1984, Westminster College, 1987; LHD from Yale University, 1974, Lafayette College, 1977, Washington and Jefferson College, 1984, Linfield College, 1982, Duquesne University, 1982, Slippery Rock College, 1982, University of Southern California, 1985, MacMurray College, 1986, Drury College, 1986, Bowling Green State University, 1987; DFA from Carnegie-Mellon University, 1976; MusD from Waynesburg College, 1978, University of Indiana, 1988; LLD from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 1985, University of Connecticut, 1991, Boston University, 1992, Moravian College, 1992, DHL from University of West Virginia, 1995. Recipient: Peabody Awards, 1969, 1993; Emmy Awards, 1980, 1985; Ohio State awards, 1983, 1986; ACT Award, 1984; Christopher award, 1984; Educational Press Association of America's Lamplighter award, 1985; Children's Book Council Award, 1985; Gold medal at the International Film and TV Festival, 1986; Parent's Choice Award, 1987-88, PBS award in recognition of 35 years in public television, 1989; Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill medal, 1994; Joseph F. Mulach, Jr. award, 1995.

Even as a young child I was aware of how oily and effeminate Mr. Rogers seemed to be. I was also fairly sure that cool people didn't speak that way. Mr. McFeeley (or however you spell it) is a pretty amusing name in retrospect, even ignoring the obvious connotations. But other than that, all the puppets were stupid (especially that annoying meow meow cat) and Mr. Rogers was creepy and patronizing and wore shoes about the house. I still think it was better than most of today's childrens programming, but that's pretty far from being an endorsement.

Most people who rate Mr. Rogers positively are rating their nostalgic memories of early childhood, not Mr. Rogers himself. UPDATE: Just off the record, I don't hate Mr. Rogers, a little odd, but nothing to hate here. By the looks of the unhelpful rating I got here, it seems to me like I trampled on one of the sacred cows of RIA.

I don't understand the controversy. He seemed to genuinely care about children and they in turn must have liked him or the show would have been cancelled. I feel like I'm missing something.

The paranoia this sweet man inspires is nothing short of amazing. I suppose we live in a jaded age. He was able to communicate with children on their level, without using a lot of bells and whistles. I know his show is certainly superior to such moronic pablum as Barney and Teletubbies.

This guy just always made me nervous.......

A vaguely creepy figure, that always made me think he had short eyes. This is a typical example of how, for some people, death puts a subject beyond criticism. I've seen numerous comments to the effect that how dare you say anything bad, he's dead, let him be in peace. By this logic, we should be nice to Hitler.