I Think The Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Has Officially "Jumped The Shark!"

[Brian Damage]

It’s safe to say Kanye West will be the biggest name performing at the 84th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and as such, we hope he’s planning a big surprise … like performing in front of a giant helium balloon of himself. (Don’t even pretend that wouldn’t be awesome.) The other celebs spending their day in front of 3.5 million spectators in Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers nationwide include, in alphabetical order: India.Arie, Big Time Rush, Betty Buckley, Ann Hampton Callaway, the casts of Broadway’s American Idiot, Elf, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, the Big Apple Circus, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Miranda Cosgrove, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Gloriana, Michael Grimm, Arlo Guthrie, Keri Hilson, Eric Hutchinson, Juanes, Victoria Justice, Gladys Knight, Mannheim Steamroller, Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih, Power Rangers Samurai, Joan and Melissa Rivers, Crystal Shawanda, and Jessica Simpson. New balloons will include: Diary of Wimpy Kid‘s Greg Heffley, Kung Fu Panda‘s Po, Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai and Kiki, Kool-Aid Man, and Virginia O’Hanlon, the 8-year-old who, in 1897, famously wrote a letter to The Sun newspaper in New York asking if there is a Santa Claus. (She’ll get to escort Santa Claus down the parade route.)

New floats will include: “Snow Queen,” on which Joan Rivers will assume the title role while Melissa Rivers and her son Cooper play the Snow Princess and Jack Frost (we’re not even joking); “Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure,” on which Dora the Explorer and her friends teach their pal Swiper about the true spirit of the holidays; “Elves Raise the Roof,” on which elves inspired by OfficeMax ElfYourself will bust a move; “Home Baked Goodness,” on which a giant cast iron stove top will overflow with “scrumptious cupcakes, gingerbread men and cookies” made with a pinch of Morton Salt (they best spice that float up); “Mount Rushmore’s American Pride,” on which the landscapes of South Dakota will be represented (doesn’t sound that exciting, but a creative marketing move by the state’s office of tourism), “On the Roll Again,” on which a family of ducks heads to a Homewood Suites By Hilton (kids do like ducks); and “Top Hat!”, on which a 12-foot tall top hat will serve to celebrate the Apollo Theater’s 75th Anniversary.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/11/02/ka...3A+PopWatch%29

[MrCleveland]

Will Macy's still have room for Snoopy, Garfield, or Woody Woodpecker?

[ponytail]

I'm not a fan of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I just don't care for the balloons. I do love the Rose Bowl parade!

[old grouch]

I only watch the Macy's Parade for the floats. When the cast of the latest Broadway show starts singing and dancing, I usually flip the channel.

[angiefan]

I always loved the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,84 years,huh? 150? of the store itself. I wonder what Macy's store will sell this year.One year it was Horton,the elephant.

[D-Dey]

Looks like one of the few good things about it this year will be Victoria Justice.

[Hawkee]

I think when Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade jumped the shark was when Robin Hall retired and Amy Kule became the new executive producer of the parade replacing Robin Hall and ever since she began the parade producing duties the parade started going downhill and has continued to since and I cannot figure it out? A second thing I noticed about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is in their floats and balloons is that they seem to attract the toddler and infant crowd by having Sesame Street and Barney floats and children's music artists and balloons of Big Bird and Barney and other Sesame Street character balloons and they should do away with these balloons and floats and add balloons and floats that appeal to older kids and teens rather than infant and toddler based balloons and floats. Another thing I have noticed is that every year Macy's has a new character balloon or float they release a plush character based on that character and I cannot see how these holiday plushies sell every year and every time I would go into Macy's I would see bunches of holiday plushies on sale after Christmas and nobody would buy them and the same thing with their musical snowglobes too. When I watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades on Youtube and I see Al Roker be a cohost I think he secretly wants to be the main parade host along with Savannah Guthrie to replace Hoda Kotb because I think Al wants to be the new Willard Scott and him and Savannah Guthrie would be a great team like Katie Couric and Willard Scott were in the 90's parades. What I also think caused the parade to jump the shark is the fact that they have started the parade with these intros of NBC sitcom stars singing songs and I think it's way too much and also they have commercial breaks with stars like Howie Mandel Heidi Klum Terry Crews Sterling K. Brown Bill Hader Seth Meyers and other celebrities talk about Thanksgiving traditions and family life and this takes up space. And they stick holiday movie previews too in the parade and you sit through them until the parade returns from a commercial break and I can't figure out how they do this? But the thing I cannot figure out is why when The Rockettes appear they recycle the same music but the dancing and outfits are different and I think The Rockettes need to be improved on this. Lastly I cannot figure out and I have mentioned this subject many times on different threads on the parade is why they treat Santa Claus like he's the main event in a boxing match or a WWE wrestling match and they always have a singer like the late Tony Bennett or Mariah Carey or Andrea Bocelli sing Christmas songs to welcome Santa Claus and when Santa Claus appears they have ruined it by having Santa Claus wave and jump up and down like he's getting picked to play Let's Make A Deal and then the parade is over and to me Santa Claus should be retired and be replaced by The Rockettes instead and that would be how the parade would end in my eyes. I don't know how Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade gets huge ratings every year but they should improve it a whole lot better

[Bonniegirl]

I think the Macy's Thanksgiving parade is still such a nice sweet tradition. Glad it is still on. Maybe not as good as it was back in the day? But still sweet, wholesome and enjoyable ! Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without it !

I'm busy cooking and really can't sit and watch, but I put it on and listen , the kitchen isn't too far from the living room and pop in there sometimes to catch a look at it !

And I love the National Dog show that comes on after with John O'Hurley . Glad that became a Thanksgiving tradition too!

[Hawkee]

I used to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades as a family tradition until the 2020 parade when Macy's started going downhill with the Thanksgiving Day Parades and I still cannot figure out how NBC still gets good ratings for this parade or how it has survived 98 parades all this time? Why I think Macy's keeps having this parade is so they can promote the store with sales and what I think also has kept the parade alive is that it's a promotion for New York City Tourism and Broadway shows and to get people to see The Radio City Rockettes holiday show at Radio City Music Hall. I also cannot figure out in this year's upcoming parade why the top balloon character for this year is Disney's Minnie Mouse. Is Macy's planning to do something with Minnie Mouse for Christmas? Looks surprising to me that Macy's is doing this in the parade this year. I also think why Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade went downhill is that they also have started to promote new NBC and Peacock shows by airing promo ads and sticking the stars of the new shows in the parade just so they can promote the new show. But I think ever since the 2020 parade this is a huge sign that the parade has gone downhill other than NBC switching the start time for the parade from 9AM to 8AM last year. Why people have to get up at 8AM just to see the parade now is weird and one of the worst decisions NBC made last year