The Sly Voice

What I found most interesting about Junod's piece on Mr. Rogers was that his own voice began to be influenced by Mr. Rogers', thus showing the true influence that Mr. Rogers really had on the lives so many people. In the beginning of the profile Junod describes his childhood rabbit and the specific instance where he learned to pray. He then continues on in this very matter-of-fact way where he describes Mr. Rogers' morning swim routine and the beginnings of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Continuing into the profile, Junod's voice begins to change. It moves from factual and adult-like, and begins to flip-flop into a child-like wonder. The first instance of Junod's childish voice comes out after Mr. Rogers asked if Tom had any special friends growing up. Tom replies with Old Rabbit which we were immediately introduced to at the beginning of the essay. Just before Rogers' question Tom had a very distant and professional tone, and "it was just about then, when [Junod] was spilling the beans about [his] special friend". Throughout the rest of the essay Junod continues in this pattern of trying to stay professional, but every so often the child that Mr. Rogers' influenced comes out.

Junod notices that Mr. Rogers has a distinct voice, literally. He describes Rogers voice as "the famous one, the unmistakeable one, the televised one, the voice dressed in sweater and sneakers, the soft one, the reassuring one, the curious and expository one, the sly voice that sounds adult to the ears of children and childish to the ears of adults". In this exact sense where children hear the adult but adults hear their childhood is how Mr. Rogers has influence over Junod's own voice.