The John Denver "sniper" story is a typical example of the "he's not what he seems to be" legend type, tales of contradictory excess generally applied to celebrities who entertain children or otherwise have a cloying public image that show them to be the opposites of their public images. (Other examples include radio host Uncle Don and singer Mariah Carey.) Thus John Denver, known to the world as a gentle, nature-loving pop singer, is transformed into his antithesis: a professional killer. (As is Fred Rogers of television's Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He too is rumored to have been a sniper, with even his penchant for long-sleeved cardigans ascribed to his hiding tattoos from the eyes of curious little tykes. Like Denver, Rogers never served in any branch of the military. He is an ordained minister in the United Presbyterian Church.)