Fred Rogers, the cherished host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, has been thrust into the center of a modern culture war.

A decades-old video of his song Everybody’s Fancy has gone viral, and not everyone is singing along.

“Boys are boys from the beginning,” Rogers croons in the clip. “Girls are girls right from the start.” The song’s lyrics, teaching children about biological differences, have sparked outrage online. Critics labeled the video “upsetting” and even slapped a “trigger warning” on it.

Dividing Social Media

Social media users are split. Detractors called Rogers’ message outdated and harmful, while his defenders claim the backlash is ridiculous. “Soon they’ll be saying, ‘Mister Rogers is worse than Hitler,’” one supporter joked.

“It’s another attempt to cancel a beloved icon,” another added. “They’ve done it to Dr. Seuss; now it’s Mister Rogers’ turn.”

An Old Interview Adds Fuel

Making matters worse for critics, another clip resurfaced from a Tonight Show interview with Johnny Carson. Rogers explained the song’s purpose: to assure children they wouldn’t “turn into” the opposite sex. “We laugh about that now,” Rogers said, “but it was a real concern for kids.”

Carson quipped, “You thought you might become a girl, or a girl might become a boy?” Rogers confirmed, “Exactly.”

A Battle Over Legacy

The debate has reignited questions about how past cultural icons are judged through a modern lens. Some argue Rogers’ message is a relic of its time; others see it as a defense of biological reality.

“Mister Rogers wouldn’t survive today’s cancel culture,” one commenter wrote. Meanwhile, critics claim the outrage is less about the man and more about the broader societal clash over gender and identity.

An Icon in the Crossfire

Fred Rogers built his legacy on kindness and understanding, but even his soothing songs aren’t immune to today’s polarized debates. The video’s virality proves one thing: even decades after his passing, Mister Rogers is still making people talk—and, perhaps, question their neighbors.

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