History Heartwarming / MisterRogersNeighborhood

--> '''Neighbor Aber''': She's always doing something, isn't she?
--> '''Lady Aberlin''': Yes, and sometimes, she scares people.
--> '''Neighbor Aber''': And tigers.
--> '''Lady Aberlin''': Exactly.
--> '''Neighbor Aber''': But I don't think she wants to be mean.
--> '''Lady Aberlin''': Oh, I don't either.

* Here he is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q defending PBS]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upm9LnuCBUM him accepting his Lifetime Award,]] and him [[http://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/mrn/episodes/1765/index.html saying goodbye.]] All good for rewatching whenever your faith in humanity is waning.

** Actually, during the show's first three seasons, Mister Rogers occasionally shared duets of "Tomorrow" with Chef Brockett, at least one time with Officer Clemmons and Bob Trow each, and a few times with his son Jamie Rogers. (This was discontinued after 1971.)

* Despite Lady Elaine's mischievous behavior, she does genuinely care about her Neighborhood friends and has her sweet moments.

** Website/FourChan is known for being very politically incorrect and to make fun of everyone and everything. But if you insult Mr. Rogers, More often than not, ''[[EveryoneHasStandards they will ban you]]''.

* [[https://imgur.com/gallery/Ru3w7vI#iSbbkWS This parody comic]] of Mr. Rogers having a quiet chat with {{ComicBook/Thor}}, which was based off an edited screencap of Mr. Rogers holding Mjolnir and asking "Pardon me, young man, is this yours?", surprising the God of Thunder by lifting Mjolnir effortlessly.

For all intents and purposes, Fred Rogers was a walking, talking [[SugarWiki HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming Moment]]....

For all intents and purposes, Fred Rogers was a walking, talking [[HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming Moment]]....

For all intents and purposes, Fred Rogers was a walking, talking {{Heartwarming Moment}}s....

For all intents and purposes, Fred Rogers was a walking Heartwarming Moment....

For all intents and purposes, Fred Rogers was a walking version of a Heartwarming Moment....

** 4chan is known for being effectively a pit of pure, festering evil. But if you insult Mr. Rogers, ''[[EvenEvilHasStandards they will ban you]]''.

-->'''Mr. Rogers''': But you know, sometimes life is a lot like that... something that may be very easy for one person... [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped might be very difficult for another]]. Have you found this to be true?\\

* A minor one but anyone who has browsed the internet will tell you that the comments section of almost anything is ripe for arguments, insults, bizarre logic, and [[{{GIFT}} attracts many terrible elements including threats]]. Yet in the (since-removed) video where Fox commentators try to make Mr Rogers seem like he was bad influence for children, almost everyone is united in defending him and saying what a positive impact he had on their lives. Mr Rogers: The man so nice and beloved that even the internet can't find anything bad to say about him.

* Episode 1210 starts on a dour note, with Mr. Rogers glum over a parking ticket he had gotten. Due to not having change for the parking meter (he only had a dollar), he rushed into a drug store to get change (it took four minutes due to having to wait in line; he didn't feel it was right to push through), and when he got out, he saw that a cop was writing up the ticket. Even after explaining himself, [[{{Jerkass}} the cop]] [[KickTheDog told him to take it to the judge]]. But, after explaining himself to the audience, and a round of "What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel?", Mr. Rogers decides to go to the traffic court to plead his case... and comes away from it with just a warning; [[PetTheDog he didn't have to pay the fine.]]

* His visit to the set of ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk'' was heartwarming. To add bonus points, Fred Rogers shaking hands with Lou Ferrigno in full Hulk make up. To an adult watching this show, it's no big deal since it's two actors shaking hands, and one is dressed up at the time. But to any kid watching this, rerun or no rerun, it's Mister Rogers and ''The Hulk'' shaking hands, Rogers showing no fear of him whatsoever.

--> '''Daniel Tiger''': You're part of my family no matter what you are. That's the way it is with a family of friends. They don't look alike. They feel for each other.

* [[https://imgur.com/gallery/Ru3w7vI#iSbbkWS This parody comic]] of Mr. Rogers having a quiet chat with {{ComicBook/Thor}}, surprising the God of Thunder by lifting Mjolnir effortlessly.

!!In general
* Here he is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q defending PBS]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upm9LnuCBUM him accepting his Lifetime Award,]] and him [[http://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/mrn/episodes/1765/index.html saying goodbye.]] All good for rewatching whenever your faith in humanity is waning.
* When he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999, the person inducting him was Jeff Erlanger, a quadriplegic child who appeared on his show 18 years earlier. When he rolled on stage, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcNxY4TudXo you see the absolute joy in Rogers' face at the surprise]]. His actions? He gave Erlanger a hug and said "I'm so glad to see you." The clip is a must see; Rogers doesn't even bother with the stairs as he climbs on stage, almost on the verge of tears of joy, to say hello to Erlanger.
** As someone said in the comments to the video, while it could be seen that rushing the stage at your own tribute is wrong, "when Mr. Rogers does the wrong thing, it turns out to be the right thing for the right reasons". After all, Mr. Rogers isn't "rushing the stage", all he is thinking is that he wants to say hello to a friend he hasn't seen in 18 years!
* When his car was stolen, it was immediately returned when they realized whose it was, with a fresh coat of wax and a note of apology attached. [[http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/rogerscar.asp Possibly.]] While it's probably an urban legend, what's so heartwarming is that it's not at all difficult to think it could be true about him.
* While on a packed subway going home, someone recognized him and everyone started to sing his theme song.
* The story this [[http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewshortstory.asp?id=9402 former employee relates]]. Many of the men working for Mr. Rogers would make fun of him behind his back [[RealMenHateAffection for being too soft and the like]] - but in private, they would sneak into where he was rehearsing and privately ask for personal advice ranging from impotence to marital troubles... all while talking to his puppets, at that. On top of that, he ''never'' showed any sign of having had those conversations with them, as a way to respect their privacy.
** A bonus story from one of his employees comes from an early 1990s issue of ''Model Railroader''. An employee built a smaller scale model of Trolley and modified the model town from the opening credits to include a track to run it on. This was all done without permission, and the show ran on the adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". He demonstrated his modification in front of Mister Rogers without telling anyone else in advance; Rogers loved it instantly.
* A story widely told is that a fundamentalist priest/pastor/whatever called on Mr. Rogers to castigate a nearby group of homosexuals. Without missing a beat, Rogers turned to said people and said "God loves you just the way you are." He was an ordained Presbyterian minister (although he didn't preach--after his ordination, he was charged with continuing his television work) and belonged to a More Light congregation, a movement within the church dedicated to greater inclusion and participation of LGBT persons.
** Cast member Officer Clemons (Francois Clemmons) talks extensively about his homosexuality in the documentary about the show and how he knew Fred had finally accepted him for who he was during the 2nd "foot wash" appearance in 1993 when Fred told him "I am so proud of you, Francois". This was, notably, after Mr. Rogers had given him advice on [[TheBeard marrying a woman to keep his sexuality secret]] - Rogers [[https://hornet.com/stories/mister-rogers-gay-activism-quiet/ realized his mistake through his continued friendship with him]], urging him instead to find a man who'd make him happy. And in Clemmons' last episode of the show, [[https://www.npr.org/2016/03/11/469846519/walking-the-beat-in-mr-rogers-neighborhood-where-a-new-day-began-together he saw Mr. Rogers looking directly at him when he delivered the closing line]].
--->''Clemmons asked him, "Fred, were you talking to me?" "Yes, I have been talking to you for years," Rogers said, as Clemmons recalls. "But you heard me today." "It was like telling me I'm OK as a human being," Clemmons says. "That was one of the most meaningful experiences I'd ever had."''
* Doubling as a TearJerker, in the late 90s up until his death, Rogers faced mass protests against him, suggesting that he had poisoned a generation of children [[SpecialSnowflakeSyndrome by implying that they were all special, because it meant they wouldn't work hard to achieve anything in life]]. He responded in his commencement address to Dartmouth that being special doesn't mean that. It means ''you don't have to do anything sensational in order for people to love you.''
* Fred Rogers wasn't particularly known to like parodies of his program. But he liked Creator/EddieMurphy's parody so much (recognizing that it was being done [[AffectionateParody out of affection]]) that he even visited him on the ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' set, to tell him that he liked Murphy's parody.
* A minor one but anyone who has browsed the internet will tell you that the comments section of almost anything is ripe for arguments, insults, bizarre logic, and [[{{GIFT}} attracts many terrible elements including threats]]. Yet in the (since-removed) video where Fox commentators try to make Mr Rogers seem like he was bad influence for children, almost everyone is united in defending him and saying what a positive impact he had on their lives. Mr Rogers: The man so nice and beloved that even the internet can't find anything bad to say about him.
** At present, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29lmR_357rA this YouTube video presenting Mister Rogers in a bad light]] stands at 1.9 million views with only about 1,300 likes and over ''34,000 dislikes''. Oh, and it's also unwatchable, because [[KickTheSonOfABitch PBS filed a copyright claim against it.]]
*** The comments sections for most shows, as noted above, are full of snarking, ShipToShipCombat, people insulting the characters, writers, and each other, MisaimedFandom...look up a clip of ''Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,'' and it will almost exclusively be people singing his praises.
** 4chan is known for being effectively a pit of pure, festering evil. But if you insult Mr. Rogers, ''[[EvenEvilHasStandards they will ban you]]''.
* [[http://www.fredrogers.org/frc/news/mister-rogers-message-one-year-anniversary-9-11 His words in the wake of September 11th]]. Doubles as TearJerker.
* Here's [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/5943 a whole list]] of heartwarming moments for Mr. Rogers. This is guaranteed to make you feel a little bit better about humanity.
* In [[http://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/press/19800900_gdpst/index.html this article]] for ''Guideposts,'' Mr. Rogers explains the origins of his CatchPhrase, "You made this day a special day just by being yourself." His grandfather said it to him word-for-word when he was eight, and Fred remembered it all his life. So when he got a job in children's TV, he wanted "to offer children the same kind of reassurance, encouragement and sense of self-worth." He succeeded.
* [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-moments-that-prove-mr.-rogers-was-greatest-american This]] Cracked article as well as the comments attached to it demonstrate the same love Mr Rogers always would have wanted for all of us. Even the comments section of that article qualifies. One user decided to troll the others. On a normal Cracked article, that'd be an idiotic thing to do. This time, though, this was the response:
-->You are unique and wonderful just the way you are. You deserve to love and to be loved, and nothing can ever change that.
* A comment in [[http://redd.it/1c2gvm this reddit thread]] about why Mr. Rogers always announced out loud that he was feeding his fish (because he got a letter from a blind girl who worried they weren't being fed when she didn't hear him say it).
-->It's funny how Mr. Rogers's words end up carrying through to your adulthood. I was once had a co-worker who was being a total jerk to everyone. When he turned on me, I let him have it! I said, "[[DisappointedInYou You are not acting like the person Mr. Rogers knew you could be.]]" He stood there flat-footed in shock. .... "Damn, that was harsh man." About 30 minutes later he personally apologized to each person, one by one.
** True or not, the fact that it's totally believable just indicates how much everyone loved Mr. Rogers.
* According to one story, Rogers invited his limo driver, Billy, to a dinner hosted by a network executive, so that he wouldn't have to sit and wait for two hours. Afterwards, he rode in the limo's front seat to talk to Billy, and when he learned that they'd be passing Billy's family's house along the way to the hotel, Rogers asked if they could stop over so he could meet them. The affair became an impromptu party. Neighbors brought treats and Rogers entertained them by playing jazz piano. A few years later, when Rogers learned that Billy was dying of AIDS, he took time to call him in the hospital.
* Creator/JoanRivers, famous for her sarcastic and often offensive humor, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Kp5YeqrlE interviewed Mr. Rogers]] and was quickly reduced by his kind and sincere words to a star-struck, tongue-tied, flustered {{fangirl}}.
* A Twitch chatter essentially summed up the entire feel of the Twitch marathon -- the fact that it could make a bunch of ''grown people'' feel welcomed and loved by the same man who made them feel such when they were younger.
--> When you permanently move to the land of make-believe back in 2003 but your show intended for kids makes a bunch of young adults on twitch feel loved again and realize they're important in 2017.
* If you really think about it, '''Everything''' about Mr. Rogers is this: He was a very nice and kind man who wanted to make the world a better place, and spent his time teaching children on his show at their level and understanding them, and incorporating morals of ''[[RousseauWasRight just being a good individuals]]''. There are others who even think it'd be impossible for him to ''ever'' be angry, and even when he did confirm once that he too does get angry, it was more to the fact ''other people are hurt''. There's a ''reason'' the world (and the ''internet'') worships him.
* His importance and influence within his home city of Pittsburgh is so great that he has a 10 foot tall statue dedicated to him, and his influence is felt through several buildings and museums through the city. WQED, where he filmed his show, is virtually a shrine to his legacy, and to make up for PBS no longer running episodes of the show, they frequently produce specials in his honor.
* The simple fact that the documentary based on Mr. Rogers' life, ''Won't You Be My Neighbor?'', has garnered near-universal acclaim from professional critics and audiences alike on websites like Website/RottenTomatoes and Metacritic, which is generally a rare occurrence in and of itself. The Rotten Tomatoes critics' consensus deserves a mention as well:
-->''Won't You Be My Neighbor?'' takes a fittingly patient and honest look at the life and legacy of a television pioneer whose work has enriched generations.
* Creator/{{PBS}}' documentary "It's You I Like" is also noteworthy. Among other things, it features several very blue comedians, including Creator/SarahSilverman, utterly dorking out about how much they love Mr. Rogers.
* [[https://imgur.com/gallery/Ru3w7vI#iSbbkWS This parody comic]] of Mr. Rogers having a quiet chat with {{ComicBook/Thor}}, surprising the God of Thunder by lifting Mjolnir effortlessly.
-->'''Mr. Rogers''': But you know, sometimes life is a lot like that... something that may be very easy for one person... [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped might be very difficult for another]]. Have you found this to be true?\\
'''Thor''': Uh, yes... yes I have.\\
'''Mr. Rogers''': Do you know why that is? I think that it's because everyone is special and unique in different ways. Just because someone has difficulty lifting your hammer doesn't mean they aren't talented in other ways. In fact, I suspect those individuals can probably do things that you and I would never dream of.\\
'''Thor''': That is true. You are very wise, Sir Rogers, I am humbled by your counsel.\\
'''Mr. Rogers''': And I am so glad you decided to visit today.

** As someone said in the comments to the video, while it could be seen that rushing the stage at your own tribute is wrong, "when Mr. Rogers does the wrong thing, it turns out to be the right thing for the right reasons"

** Before she moves into the Museum Go-Round in episode #1004, she, along with Lady Aberlin, wishes Mrs. Frogg and Tadpole good luck as they prepare to move to Westwood.

** Before she moves into the Museum Go-Round in episode #1004, she, along Lady Aberlin, wishes Mrs. Frogg and Tadpole good luck as they prepare to move to Westwood.

* Doubling as a TearJerker, in the late 90s up until his death, Rogers faced mass protests against him, suggesting that he had poisoned a generation of children by implying that they were all special, because it meant they wouldn't work hard to achieve anything in life. He responded in his commencement address to Dartmouth that being special doesn't mean that. It means ''you don't have to do anything sensational in order for people to love you.''

* A minor one but anyone who has browsed the internet will tell you that the comments section of almost anything is ripe for arguments, insults, bizarre logic, and attracts many terrible elements including threats. Yet in the video where Fox commentators try to make Mr Rogers seem like he was bad influence for children, almost everyone is united in defending him and saying what a positive impact he had on their lives. Mr Rogers: The man so nice and beloved that even the internet can't find anything bad to say about him.

* Creator/{{PBS}}' documentary "It's You I Like" is also noteworthy. Among other things, it features several very blue comedians, including Creator/SarahSilverman, utterly dorking out about how much they love Mr. Rogers.

** Cast member Officer Clemons (Francois Clemens) talks extensively about his homosexuality in the documentary about the show and how he knew Fred had finally accepted him for who he was during the 2nd "foot wash" appearance in 1993 when Fred told him "I am so proud of you, Francois".