In the Loop: June 25, 2009 Archive

The man who wanted to be the next Mr. Rogers

Posted at 12:01 PM on June 25, 2009 by Sanden Totten (0 Comments)

Michael Kinsell had a dream. He wanted to be the next Mr. Rogers.

(Michael Kinsell ties his shoe. Photo courtesy of the Children's Media Foundation.)

Michael jumped into the limelight last year when he announced a gala event to be held in a suburb of San Deigo. Hollywood's biggest stars would be there. Famous musicians would perform. Everyone would honor the life and work of the late Fred Rogers, and then, Kinsell himself would be announced as the next man to wear the famous cardigan sweater.

But there were a few problems. No top tier Hollywood stars had agreed to come. No performances were lined up and Michael Kinsell was not about to host a show on PBS. But some how, this optimistic 18 year old entrepreneur managed to string along a handful of people, promoters and reporters . . . at least for a little while.

Dru Sefton spoke with Kinsell a number of times over the last few months. She covered the story for Current.org. I spoke with her the other day to get her take on what motivated Kinsell. Was he running a scam? Did he believe his own story? Sefton says she still doesn't know. In her 30 years of reporting she has never met a man like Kinsell:

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