I guess I’ve watched the Macy’s parade on television every year of my life. I remember how much I disliked it when they began stopping the parade in front of Macy’s for a performance rather than just having the people perform on floats as they moved by. Yeah, I resist all change.
But today is the worst. They’re cutting away from the parade completely to show performances in a studio! What’s that got to do with the parade? Have they lost their minds completely? WTF?
And where’s Underdog?
I had to work, so I didn’t watch the parade live. But I just skimmed through some of it on videocassette. I was confused by when you said they “cut away from the parade completely to show perfomances in a studio.” I was confused by this, and assumed that perhaps the performers who appear on floats had to do their act indoors due to the weather. But, perhaps you are confused as to how NBC’s coverage goes:
At 9:00 am Eastern, the Parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West. However, NBC’s coverage area is outside the Macy’s building at 34th Street and 7th Avenue. Since it takes a while for the parade to reach the area, the first hour is filled with performances from Broadway musicals outside the Macy’s building. In the second hour (10:00 am Eastern), the parade makes its way to the Macy’s building. Each float and marching band pauses in front of the Macy’s building so the performers can sing or play for the cameras, then the parade line-up continues. Unless there was some sort of bizarre change later on and they actually did go indoors, I am assuming you confused the outside of the Macy’s building for the inside of a studio. On the floor was a green tarp or something with a red star and the words “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” Is that what you saw on the floor of this “studio?” If so, then it is actually the outside of the Macy’s building.
As for Underdog, he hasn’t been in the parade since 1985- which is rather strange, since his show went off the air in 1973. I guess he was still well-known to children at that point, although they probably know of him know only from the recent Disney movie.
No, a country music band, Rascal Flats and a country music female singer were both shown in studio performances. I think they said from Nashville, and maybe even pre-taped, not that it makes any differnce. It just seemed odd and didn’t have anything to do with covering the parade.
I barely glance at it nowadays. All those plastic smiles that seem more like grimaces, and the obviously lip-synched music. So phony. But my wife marched in it 30+ years ago with her high school band (had to be up at 4am to get in position in time, and her lips nearly froze to her flute along the route); she’s still got a soft spot for it and always makes sure to take a look.
Well, it turns out I was tuned to CBS not NBC. I had no idea that both networks were covering the thing. My relatives set me straight and saved the day by taping the NBC coverage, which we watched together later this day.
So, basically, [Emily Latella] “Nevermind.” [/Emily Latella]
If you ask me, the Macy’s parade lost its charm once Don Pardo stopped doing the intro at the very beginning. “Our regular programming will not be seen today so that the National Broacasting Company can bring you its annual coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!” Now when Don Pardo said that, you knew it was an event.
We watched a bit on it on NBC, but eventually got bored with all the talking heads yakking about themselves and turned it off. Just show us the fucking parade! How hard is it? Just point the cameras at the floats and the balloons and the bands! Let us hear what the bands are playing. And if you must talk, keep the camera on the parade while you tell us something interesting about what we’re watching. Don’t cut away to an interview with some b-list actress on a TV show I’ve never heard of. Don’t tell us about your childhood or your favorite Thanksgiving memories. Don’t tell us how great the parade is when all we can see of the parade is a little sliver in the distance behind your smarmy mugs! Just show us the fucking parade!
For some reason it bothers me that so many of the balloons and other parts of the parade are promoting something (a movie in the case of the Shrek balloon, a toy in the case of the “Healthy Mr Potato Head” balloon or a TV show in the case of the Dora the Explorer balloon).
Now I fully recognize the irony and stupidity of complaining about the increasing commercialization of an event created by a department store specifically for commercial reasons. But I’m annoyed and saddened by the fact that every book, movie or television show aimed at children is a property to be exploited in as many ways as possible.
As long as I can remember it was always that way with the balloons. Except for that dinosaur (which was ancient when I was a kid). There was Popeye, Underdog, Felix the Cat, Bullwinkle, Snoopy, and Kermit, among others.
To call this a parade is a sham. It’s a series of stage performances with the Macy’s storefront being the stage. I watched for a few minutes this morning to see if maybe it had once again reverted to an actual parade - sadly it’s just gotten worse 
I’ll save my TV parade viewing for the Rose Parade
If you’re there, somewhere along the route, it’s a parade. If you’re at home, then yes, it’s a cobbled together mess.
I was so happy to see a Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends float, I forgave everything else. I just wish they’d made the song a Blue/Cheese duet instead of giving it all to Cheese.
I like fishy crackers.
This is the Foster’s float’s second year. Last year, the featured song was The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” as performed by Bloo, Wilt, Coco, and Eduardo.
This sounds like the first hour of the parade, where the parade hasn’t entered Herald Square yet. Besides the Broadway performances, the time is filled with interviews with NBC stars as well as other little pieces such as Matt Lauer tracing the parade route by helicopter. Once the parade hits Herald Square at 10:00, the routine becomes pretty standard: Meridith and Matt (and sometimes Al) introduce the float/balloon/marching band we’re going to see, then the camera cuts to it. Once the performer on the float/marching band is finshed playing or the balloon rounds the side of the Macy’s building, we cut back to our hosts, who introduce the next feature, which we then cut to. Repeat until Santa arrives.
For some reason, I enjoyed this parade more than I did last year’s. I’m not sure why.
Aw, man!
Here is the Foster’s float as it appeared in the 2006 parade.
Awesome, mobo85! Thanks!
(Especially since one of the first thoughts I had about that song was “Hmmm, I wonder how they handle the line ‘I get high with a little help from my friends’”!)
Rascal Flatts are not a country music band. They are a pop band who realized they had a better chance of sales if they got played by country stations and would do better on the country charts.
Ah hell. I know I am fighting a losing battle. But there is nothing country about them.
SWMBO dotes on the Macy’s parade. I hide in the back room with the door closed until it’s over.