9:14 AM PT -- Guess what ... all the hubbub about the Sexy Mister Rogers costume might've pissed off a ton of people, but it didn't bother the group of people who might matter most -- the guy's own family.
The late Fred Rogers' son, John, tells TMZ ... his dad probably wouldn't have been upset or outraged at the costume, which he calls "silly" and "ridiculous." He says he thinks it's strange that someone would wanna dress as that for Halloween -- as the costume doesn't even slightly reflect Fred's real-life work and legacy -- but adds the Rogers' have a good sense of humor, and if dad was alive ... he'd get a chuckle out of it.
There you have it, folks ... Sexy Mister Rogers is literally no big deal.
The model turning Mister Rogers into a Halloween hottie with a new costume says the icon's hometown is pissed she sexed up his trademark look, but she insists Fred really was sexy ... in his own way.
Dessie Mitcheson -- who posed in the Nicest Neighbor Costume for online retailer Yandy -- tells us she's been hearing an earful from folks in Pittsburgh, which is near where both she and Fred were raised.
No passes for the hometown girl, though ... she says some folks have made it clear she's not welcome back after all the outrage from people there. Dessie admits she knew there'd be some type of reaction from the costume, but says she was NOT expecting this amount of backlash right off the bat.
Then comes an interesting question from our photog ... is Mister Rogers actually a sex symbol? Or is the guy just too family-friendly to raise the issue? Dessie's addressing it head-on and says everyone's who's pissed is forgetting the sexiest thing about Fred.
That being said, the costume comes with hand puppets and whatnot -- so yeah -- it gets kinda weird.
Originally Published -- 12:30 AM PT