Many Ways To Say I Love You | Dr. Francois Clemmons on Cosmic Fatherhood + Fred Rogers

Modern Dadhood | Unpacking Fatherhood + Parenting for Dads (and Moms!)

For those of us who grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Fred Rogers taught us many lessons via his cast of characters in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe; the most prominent of which is that there are many ways to express your love and appreciation for someone. One member of that cast in particular, Dr. Francois Clemmons ("Officer Clemmons" on the show), carries forth that message even today. Dr. Clemmons joins us to discuss his "cosmic father, cosmic son" relationship with Fred Rogers, spreading love and kindness through music, and how paternal love can flourish even in the absence of a biological relationship.

The guys kick off Episode 101 of Modern Dadhood with a short therapy session where Marc vents about the illnesses that have run rampant in his home and the unfortunate passing of the Checket family dog. The guys quickly celebrate crossing the 100 episode threshold, give major thanks and props to audio engineer + mixer Pete Morse, and let the audience know about the passing of Aram Delgado, the son of the late Modern Dadhood guest and Sesame Street star Emilio Delgado.
The guys transition to their recent conversation with teacher, actor, singer, and "cosmic father" to many, Dr. Francois Clemmons. For decades, Dr. Clemmons played the beloved character Officer Clemmons on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and in the early days, he quickly developed a professional relationship and close personal friendship with Fred and Joanne Rogers. Dr. Clemmons joins us to talk about his lifelong desire to be a father, and how he has achieved that despite not having biological kids of his own. He also shares about experiences working with Mister Rogers, including the famous scene where the two men bathe their feet in a kiddie pool on a hot day. Other conversation topics include:
• Fred & Francois' mutual love of studying and discussing the Bible
• Francois' sexuality and how it was handled on and off the show
• Life lessons that Francois learned from his time on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
• Francois' passion for mentoring students in a fatherly manner
• The Harlem Spiritual Ensemble
• The historical significance of the most famous "Officer Clemmons" scene
• Francois' ability to identify cosmic parents around the world
• And more!
LINKS
Dr. Francois Clemmons (homepage)
Most Famous Officer Clemmons Scene (with commentary)
Won't You Be My Neighbor documentary (Netflix)
Francois Clemmons' GoFundMe
Aram Delgado GoFundMe
Red Vault Audio
Caspar Babypants
Spencer Albee
Modern Dadhood (website)
AdamFlaherty.tv
Stuffed Animal (Marc's kids' music)
MD (Instagram)
MD (Facebook)
MD (YouTube)
MD (TikTok)

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