767: Temper

Temper

|< < Prev #767 (July 16, 2010) Next > >|

Title text: Mr. RogersLEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK LEOPARD SOYJAK 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.

|< < Prev Random Explanation Next > >|

Explanation

Actor Mel Gibson was the subject of controversy a few days before this comic came out because a telephone rant was taped and released to the public. He laughed off the call, saying simply "I have a bit of a temper."

Fred Rogers was a minister and television personality best known for his children's educational show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He's also famous for his testimony before the US Senate Communications subcommittee to secure a much-needed increase in funding for public educational broadcasting. He died of stomach cancer on February 27, 2003, but the legacy he left is substantial; to quote Wikipedia: "Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, some forty honorary degrees, and a Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, was recognized by two Congressional resolutions, and was ranked No. 35 among TV Guide's Fifty Greatest TV Stars of All Time. Several buildings and artworks in Pennsylvania are dedicated to his memory, and the Smithsonian Institution displays one of his trademark sweaters as a 'Treasure of American History'."

Part of what made Fred Rogers (and, by extension, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) so successful was the perpetually cheerful, genuine way he presented himself. He was always sincere, but he was polite and gentle in his sincerity. Additionally, in stark contrast to the celebrity stereotype, he was an enormously compassionate and kind-hearted person even when off the screen. People who knew him in real life often observed that the Mister Rogers shown on TV wasn't just a character, it was Fred Rogers himself - as the title text notes. This counterstereotype has fueled urban legends that he was a former child molester, that he served in the military and killed many, etc., none of which are true.

This comic subverts these false suspicions. Fred Rogers is fictionally recorded having a fight with his wife, but instead of a Mel Gibson-style explosive rage, he approaches it with a calm, diplomatic, and loving attitude consistent with his real personality. The title text does the same, setting up for a shocking reveal and failing to meet it.

Transcript

[A black frame with the text [NO VIDEO] in the center, speech is in bubbles.]

Voice: Sometimes, when we disagree, I feel frustrated. But I never forget how lucky I am to have you in my family.

Voice: Always remember how special you are.

[Caption below the panel]:

1981: An audio recorder on the set catches Fred Rogers fighting with his wife.

  Add comment        Create topic (use sparingly)       Refresh 

Discussion

A blade with no temper is a letter opener or a butter knife. One that keeps its temper perfectly is good enough for the best swords. -- Weatherlawyer (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

I think he is also referenced in what if 146, stop Jupiter. Should it be added? {{162.158.154.229 12:38, 3 April 2017 (UTC)}}

One time, someone stole Fred Rodger's car but gave it back and sincerely apologized once he realized whose car he stole. Or so I've been told. 162.158.78.196 (talk) 23:57, 5 April 2018 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

What about the controversy in which he told his wife to stay in the closet and not come out as gay?《プロキシ》(XKCD中毒者) 18:07, 24 October 2025 (UTC)

I see absolutely no credible (or even incredible) hint out there that echoes that idea. She survived him, and lived until 2021, plenty of time to have outed herself if she'd have wanted to. Meanwhile Fred Rogers identified himself as being platonically bisexual and seemingly happily married to Sara Joanne Rogers (neé Byrd), so it would seem even more unlikely to have persuaded her to have denied this, even to preserve his legacy. I call shenanigans on this suggestion, or you're thinking of two entirely different people entirely, or just an existing conspiracy theory that hasn't even been considered popular enough to spread.

But maybe I'm wrong, and my Google Fu has failed me (or been got at by the Mister Rogers Protection Agency!)... Please do add (however wrong it is) a link to what you mean, if it wasn't entirely your own invention. 2.98.65.8 19:15, 24 October 2025 (UTC)
        Add comment