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Nice guys finish first: The enduring pop culture influences of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'

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Nice guys finish first: The enduring pop culture influences of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'

Everyone knows Mister Rogers. Everyone loves Mister Rogers. Sometimes, in a roundabout way, those who parody Mister Rogers are among those who respect Fred Rogers the most.

How else to explain the enduring references to America’s Favorite Neighbor in pop culture? From “The Simpsons” and “Breaking Bad” to “The Golden Girls” and “Saturday Night Live,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” is recognized for its warm, embracing good nature.

That is why “MRN” is such an easy target. There are too many to name, but let’s start with possibly the best known: Eddie Murphy’s “SNL” sketches, “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood.”

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Few comedians were hotter in the early 1980s than Mr. Murphy, who had big-screen hits with “Trading Places” (1983) and “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984). In a 1983 “Robinson” sendup, Mr. Murphy enters a dilapidated apartment set. He’s wearing a yellow cardigan and red Puma sneakers and talks about his visit to a grocery store.

Merry music tinkles in the background as he invites viewers to join him in learning words such as “nutrition” and “shoplifters.” He offered to help a lady carry her bag of groceries to her car and just kept going.

As he removes the items, he points out their food value and even does an exercise in comparison shopping: “This turkey has the same amount of nutrition as a T-bone steak. But if you compare the two packages like I did” — here he reaches behind his back and pulls a cellophane-wrapped package from the waistband of his pants — “you’ll see the steak fits under your clothes a whole lot easier.”

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On the run once again after his landlord begins threatening to call the police, Mister Robinson packs up. As he heads out the window, he’s singing “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll come back home tomorrow when the coast is clear.”

Some other “Neighborhood” references:

• In an episode of “The Simpsons,” Homer pledges $10,000 to a public television drive with no intention of following through. He is chased through Springfield by an angry mob of PBS personalities, including Mister Rogers, who declares it’s a beautiful day to do bodily harm to Homer.

In another, Bart and Milhouse watch TV and discover Mister Rogers is drunk.

• “Family Guy” is an animated series known for over-the-top stabs at parody. In one 2000 episode, little Stewie dreams of destroying the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, as well as Mister Rogers. The show’s creator and chief voice actor, Seth MacFarlane, reportedly is a big fan of “MRN.”

• In “SCTV’s” classic “Battle of the PBS Stars” (1982), Martin Short as a diminutive Mister Rogers takes to the boxing ring against John Candy’s Julia Child. Eugene Levy is spot-on with Howard Cosell’s play-by-play: “He’s hitting Child with the lovable King Friday, and the French chef is down!” 

• On a 1996 episode of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” Fred Rogers portrays a visitor named Reverend Thomas. Not a parody but notable for his only time acting as someone other than Mister Rogers.

• Early in a 1987 episode of “Perfect Strangers,” Balki (Bronson Pinchot) enters singing the theme song from “MRN.” Then, he says, kindly, “Can you say ‘Good morning?’ ”

• Not to be too on the nose, but who wouldn’t connect “The Golden Girls’” sweet, goofy Rose Nylund (Betty White) to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”? In the 1986 season one finale, “The Way We Met,” gruff Dorothy (Bea Arthur) has a not-meet-cute with Rose.

“Oh it’s been such a lovely day,” Rose says. “Mr. Sunshine really gave us one of his biggest and brightest smiles. I feel like putting my arms around Mother Nature and giving her a big kiss. Hi, you must be Dorothy.”

Dorothy says, drily, “And you must be Mrs. Rogers.”

• Five high school students — a jock, a geek, a burnout, an outsider and a princess. All in detention one Saturday morning. Love it or hate it, 1985’s “The Breakfast Club” is a John Hughes classic. When lunchtime approaches, the princess (Molly Ringwald) brings out a bento box of sushi. The outsider (Ally Sheedy) pours the contents of Pixy Stix onto her sandwich. The burnout (Judd Nelson) makes fun of the geek’s (Anthony Michael Hall) brown bag lunch.

Soup, apple juice, a PBJ with the crusts cut off …

“Well, Brian,” he says, “this is a very nutritious lunch. All the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mister Rogers?”

“Uh, no,” Brian replies. “Mr. Johnson.”

Maria Sciullo: msciullo@post-gazette.com or @MariaSciulloPG.

First Published: February 19, 2018, 11:30 a.m.

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