In 2022-23, Jules and I were living in a rented condo in Middlebury, VT, while looking for a home to buy somewhere in the area. As of mid-July 2023, nothing had quite met our needs or our budget. Some had met one or the other, but many more met neither. One such home was Francois Clemmons' place.
Who the heck is Francois Clemmons? He's the one on the left.
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| Officer Clemmons (left) and Mr. Rogers get their feet wet—in the same pool (GASP!). |
OK, so...back to the story. When our realtor started to show us Mr. Clemmons' home, which is in a very nice, um...neighborhood...she asked us, "Did you ever watch Mr. Rogers?"
"Sure," Jules replied.
"Uh...no, but of course I know who he was," I said. "Why?"
"This home is owned by Francois Clemmons, who played Officer Clemmons on Mr. Rogers."
I had no idea who Officer Clemmons was, but Jules said she knew.
And then we were entering his home. Which was full of...photos and posters and memorabilia depicting scenes from Mr. Rogers, showcasing Mr. Rogers, celebrating Mr. Rogers, commemorating Mr. Rogers...
If an object was ever made anywhere, at any time, of any material, with Mr. Rogers' image on it, Mr. Clemmons had it hanging on a wall, sitting on a shelf, or situated on a piece of furniture in his home.
In some cases, of course, the photos and posters and memorabilia depicted Mr. Rogers with Mr. Clemmons—especially the image of the two of them with their bare feet in the wading pool.
Which is fine—albeit just a bit over the top, for my tastes.
"Over the top" also happens to be an apt description of the house in general, which was over the top full of...what appeared to my undiscerning eye as junk. We're talking a borderline hoarder here. What had happened to this relatively famous TV personality, who had been a regular guest on one of the most revered and successful children's programs of all time, to make him fill his home with memorabilia and junk?
Or maybe the question is, what happens to anyone to make them fill their home with memorabilia and junk?
Social scientists might have an answer to that question, but I don't. However, I do know this about Mr. Clemmons: He was the guy who not only symbolically broke racial barriers by sharing a wading pool with Mr. Rogers, but also challenged Mr. Rogers' bigotry.
"Wait," you say. "Mr. Rogers? Bigotry?"
Yep. Mr. Rogers was a bigot. Specifically, he had issues with Francois Clemmons' sexual preference. To Mr. Rogers' credit, however, he did ultimately come around to a more...enlightened point of view. Here are the sordid details, according to Wikipedia:
While attending Oberlin College, Clemmons realized that he was gay, but remained closeted, fearing disapproval from his religious family and the community. In 1968, Fred Rogers told Clemmons that, while his sexuality did not matter to him personally, Clemmons could not be "out" and continue appearing on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, because of the scandal that would arise. In the late 1960s, Rogers and others suggested that Clemmons get married as a way to deal with his sexual orientation, which he did. His marriage to his wife Carol did not work out, and Clemmons divorced in 1974 so that he could live openly as a gay man. Rogers remained personally supportive of Clemmons, but required him to avoid any indication of his homosexuality on the program, such as the earring he began to wear as a signifier. Rogers later revised his counsel to Clemmons as countless gays came out more publicly following the Stonewall riots in 1969. Rogers even urged Clemmons to enter into a long-term, stable gay relationship, and he always warmly welcomed Clemmons' gay friends whenever they visited the television set in Pittsburgh.
Ain't redemption grand?
