16Jul/1020
Temper
by Jeff
Image text: Mr. Rogers projected an air of genuine, unwavering, almost saintly pure-hearted decency. But when you look deeper, at the person behind the image ... that's exactly what you find there, too. He's exactly what he appears to be.
Hello neighbors...
Mr. Rogers is awesome!
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July 16th, 2010
Okay, so what is the joke here…?
July 16th, 2010
I’m thinking its more making a point that Mr.Rogers doesnt get truly angry. Anyone else agree?
July 16th, 2010
I was wondering what the joke was, too, and was hoping explainxkcd would explain it. :/
(Hi, I’m from the UK. Not everybody’s a US citizen.)
July 16th, 2010
It’s likely related to Mel Gibson – he’s a famous movie star, idol to millions .. who happens to be a misogynistic anti-Semite abuser when no one’s looking. Unlike Mr. Rogers, who was good through and through; not just when the cameras were rolling.
July 18th, 2010
After doing some research, I think Kimli is correct. Mel Gibson is portrayed on screen as a heroic, caring, loving man, but recordings made when he thought no one was listening are painting him out as all the things Kimli said plus more.
There are not, and could never be, any such recordings of Mister Rogers.
July 16th, 2010
Thanks for this brief explanation. I confused Fred Rogers with Fred Astaire and his wife with Ginger Rogers, Astaire’s romantic interest on film but never his wife.
For our friends abroad, Fred Rogers was a famous children’s television personality in North America, and he was best known as the host of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighbourhood”. As Kimli alluded, some celebrities show their dark sides offscreen–not so with Fred Rogers, who was apparently always a nice guy. I didn’t know that.
July 16th, 2010
Yeah what ever happened to the good in depth-explanations? There should be a reason to come here. It used to be…
July 17th, 2010
I’m with Goblin, get more indepth.
July 17th, 2010
American here – Mr. Rogers used to be the host on Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood, a children’s show on PBS (the government channel, equivalent to BBC in the UK or ABC in Australia). He was famed for how gentle and kind he was, and how he always had something nice to say. You can look up videos of him on Youtube, and he’s always a nice guy. There’s even footage of him arguing with congress for more funding for children’s programming on PBS – it’s the nicest, most polite argument I’ve ever heard.
Just about everyone loves him in the US. You can walk up to pretty much anyone on the street under the age of 40 and they’ll go on and on about what a nice, wonderful man he was, and how he always made them feel special. There’s even a famous urban legend (i.e. fake story) about Mr. Rogers’ car getting stolen, and when it got on the news, his car was back in his driveway with a note saying, ‘Sorry Mr. Rogers, we didn’t know it was you’.
I don’t know if any other country has an equivalent person. All I know is, if I ever have kids I’m getting all his shows on DVD – I don’t think a generation should have to go without him.
July 19th, 2010
I’ve even seen “Neighborhood” outtakes where he’s trying to put up a tent, and patiently describing his actions even as the tent fails to deploy. Time and again, Mr. Rogers attempted the actions that should have resulted in a, “pop-up” tent. Time and again, the tent swiveled and swerved and generally refused to deploy. Long past the point when most would have grown frustrated (at best) infuriated (at worst) Mr. Rogers was trying his best and (even when the tent sent him spinning) laughing at his inability to make it work.
Just one of the most well-adjusted human beings ever to walk the earth. We loved you, Fred. Thanks for everything.
July 17th, 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Rogers
Mr. Roger’s was a true gentleman, and because of his nearly perfect persona, he was often the butt of jokes. Saturday Night Live had many profane skits with Mr. Roger’s type characters.
Everyday, during the opening of the show, he would take off his jacket and put on a cardigan sweater (buttons up the front) which his mother made for him. That sweater is now in the National Museum.
July 18th, 2010
Thank you EXPLAINxkcd for NOT EXPLAINING one of the few jokes on xkcd that I don’t even begin to get, being not a US citizen (you know, like most of the world…). I’m now deleting this site from bookmarks. All the best.
July 18th, 2010
Good riddance. . . Name (required) If you ever grow a pair, come on back and leave your name.
July 19th, 2010
I share your feelings, I said a few weeks ago that it’s dumb not to explain jokes on a site that advertises itself as a place to explain jokes.
Jeff likes to half-ass things if he gets it, and doesn’t like to share his knowledge. There is a new other “Berg” who is much better, and so hopefully he takes over and steps in when Jeff doesn’t want to explain something. Keep your hopes up!
And P.S.: I have been on the Internet for a LONG time (fuck yeah eWorld and Prodigy and even the Mosaic browser!). You definitely will come back to this site, because you’ll be checking to see if anyone is replying to your comment. So lol @ “im now deleting this site”, because I know for a fact that you are reading this.
July 19th, 2010
Can someone bring back Berg? Berg always provided huge explanations, which would allow us to fully understand the joke. I have no idea why Jeff decided to crap out again.
I am hoping this is related to the Mel Gibson incident. Recently, about a week or so ago, an ex-girlfriend released an audio tape (with no video, just audio) of actor Mel Gibson arguing with her. He basically called her every single name and insult he could think of.
On the outside, Mel Gibson seems like a totally calm guy, telling jokes, and smiling for the cameras, in addition to being a really good actor. The recently released audio tape shows that off camera, he’s misogynistic and hates women.
Fred Rogers was an America children’s show host. He is also a totally calm guy, telling jokes, and smiling for the cameras.
What the joke here in this comic shows is “I wonder if Fred Rogers is exactly like Mel Gibson off camera”. Instead, this comic shows that during an argument with his wife, he is…… just as sweet as he is on camera. He doesn’t yell at her, call her names, or insult her with reckless abandon. Insetad he is appreciative of her, puts his anger aside, and reminds her that she is a sweet woman.
The image text further’s that point. Mr Roger’s is a saint on camera, and he is a saint off camera.
Now we don’t know if that is a fact, or simply the author’s own opinion on Mr. Rogers. Regardless, it is very refreshing to think that it is possible to meet someone so nice on both the outside AND inside.
July 19th, 2010
Hey, uctriton00 and others thanks for the explainations above, XKCD dude: you duche, explain the jokes! i mean really how hard is it to write a paragraph?
July 21st, 2010
The site didn’t need to do more than provide the image text to “explain” the joke, because it truly isn’t a joke at all (unless you consider the “punch-line” of the contradiction in character funny; one expects a “dark side” to be revealed in the private moments of a public figure but in this case it is in fact NOT there). I would say the cartoon is more an homage to the man (perhaps brought about from the recent news of other seemingly nice/good celebrities caught at their worst in their private moments – aka Mel Gibson).
July 24th, 2010
The only problem with this explainxkcd post is the lack of explanation about who Mr. Rogers is, for those who didn’t grow up watching him.
August 5th, 2010
Hi
I know this mean much
but I am from Malaysia (a country known for people living in the tree, and build emotionless car – Jeremy Clarkson) and I know who Fred Roger is.
My flow on how i know,
Watch Family Guy > Saw Stewie tangle with Fred’s playworld, and fight or something > a year later saw this comic > remembered about this fella > and, here is the most important point, @#$%@#$ GOOGLE THE NAME and piece together the info
I only come here for the obscure ones
so if this is too much for you, then might I suggest that xkcd is NOT the comic for you
August 5th, 2010
my first line should be
“I know this DOESN’T mean much”
English not my first language, you see
and dang this Dvorak !!! (There, another x-reference to search out, if you’re that type)