Mister Rogers talks to the US senate.



In 1969, Mister Rogers [wiki] appeared before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. His goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in response to significant proposed cuts. In about five minutes of testimony, Rogers spoke of the need for social and emotional education that public television provided. He passionately argued that alternative television programming like his Neighborhood helped encourage children to become happy and productive citizens, sometimes opposing less positive messages in media and in popular culture. He even recited the lyrics to one of his songs.

The chairman of the subcommittee, John O. Pastore, was not previously familiar with Rogers' work, and was sometimes described as gruff and impatient. However, he reported that the testimony had given him goosebumps, and declared, "Looks like you just earned the $20 million." The subsequent congressional appropriation, for 1971, increased PBS funding from $9 million to $22 million.


Click Play or go to Link [YouTube] . Found at VBS (recommended by VBS creative director Spike Jonze).

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What a wonderful post. Mr. Rogers was truly a brillant human being. It's funny how I can still watch his program and feel as if I did when I was small. His sincerity is something you never see today. I can't stress how profound it must be to a child to feel as if someone out there thinks they are special. Rest in peace Mr. Rogers!
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Huh, reminds me of that comic after he died with the angel congratulating him. Or Eddie Murphie meeting him after his SNL run and Eddie reportedly tearing up when Mr. Rogers said that he thought the parody sketches were funny. Quite a guy.
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