Input | Output |
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Link | YouTube |
Published | 2022/07/27 |
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Status | article incomplete |
Beau says:
Beau points out the missed message of kindness and empathy in mocking Vice President Harris's self-description, reminiscent of Mr. Rogers's subtle methods of promoting tolerance.
Viewers
The full transcript provides a poignant reminder about the importance of empathy, understanding, and kindness in our actions towards others.
Well, howdy there, internet people.
It's Beau again.
My pronouns are he and him.
I'm standing in a shop wearing a blue t-shirt.
It depicts a scene with Mr. Rogers and Officer Clemens.
It's that iconic scene from the TV show
where they both have their feet in a kiddie pool.
It first went out at a time in the United States
when people had issues sharing pools.
It was a very subtle, yet very direct method
of encouraging tolerance, kind of a way to set the example
and hope that others pick up the behavior.
That's the idea behind it.
Vice President Harris introduced herself recently
in a similar fashion to the way I just did.
A clip of it wound up on social media,
and it went viral, people sharing it and mocking it.
And one of the things that I noticed
was that most of the people who were mocking it
were my age or older, people who would have grown up
on Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers, somebody
who encouraged you to always look for the helpers, right?
Thing is, he did a lot of weird stuff, too.
If you ever go back and watch the shows,
you will notice some odd behavior from Mr. Rogers.
One of the things he did that just seemed so odd
is when he fed his fish, he would tell you
he's feeding his fish while you're
watching him feed the fish.
It's weird.
It's weird.
Do you know why he did that all those years ago?
Because he got a message.
Dear Mr. Rogers, please say when you are feeding your fish,
because I worry about them.
I can't see if you are feeding them,
so please say you are feeding them out loud.
Signed, Katie, age five.
Father's note, Katie is blind, and she
does cry if you don't say that you fed your fish.
Harris was at a disability conference.
That's why she described what she was wearing.
It's a practice called self-description, I think.
I actually think it's that simple.
It's for the benefit of those people who have limited sight.
That's why that's done.
The conference itself being designed
to be as accessible as possible, this
might be Vice President Harris's way of, I don't know,
maybe setting the example, trying to be a helper,
sending a subtle yet direct message, that kind of thing.
If you did grow up on Mr. Rogers,
or you remember that show fondly,
and your first inclination upon seeing that clip
was to mock it, I think you missed the point of the show,
I'd bet Mr. Rogers would be pretty disappointed in you.
Anyway, it's just a thought.
Have a good day.
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