My husband has to watch the Macy's parade every year.

[luvs2sing]

This is the first time I haven’t been in the kitchen during it. Am I right in thinking this is a mess? Parades are floats and marching bands. In 20 minutes, I have seen exactly one marching band in the background where some other guy is talking. I have seen a song from a Broadway play, a music video in Nashville, a bunch of random prerecorded people who I guess are celebrities of some sort, talking about Thanksgiving, oh..and I have seen close to a dozen commercials. I don’t know what the f**k this is, but it sure as hell isn’t a parade.


Rant over..maybe..

[MANative]

1. All "pre-show" stuff.

The actual parade started at 10:00, arriving at the 34th St location. They stuff the pre- show with ads.

[luvs2sing]

3. I just saw a marching band!

I’m all verklempt. Didn’t realize it didn’t start till 10. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

[House of Roberts]

2. It is my personal tradition

to not watch parades on TV.

[luvs2sing]

4. I'm a marching band geek.

So I like them. But on TV, not so much.

[Hortensis]

17. :) That's a nice thing to be, this kind, and long may it continue to be.

[hlthe2b]

5. I rarely do. I decided to this year because it is nice to see the return of some things w COVID-19

BUt honestly, while I enjoy the faces of kids watching and the seeming enjoyment of the crowd, the inane parade chatter by the hosts gets old really fast. Honestly, it is so scripted in frequently cringe-inducing ways.

But I do celebrate with those able to participate--especially the marching bands from all over, so I'll watch a little while longer.


Honestly, though, I admit to sticking with it just to hear the previously announced FOREIGNER perform...LOL

[hydrolastic]

31. I used to watch the macy's Day Parade at my Grandmothers house.

I now realize it wasn't the parade i miss. It was being at my grandmothers house that was the real treat.

[underpants]

6. Jill Biden is on Cooking channel with Trisha Yearwood

I’d forgotten about the parade. In deep red Georgia visiting relatives

[bedazzled]

7. It is a commercial with commercials!

I will admit I am down on it. My mom took me when I was five. All I saw was the back of people's knees so I am now averse to parades in general.

[a kennedy]

8. I know......I like the Broadway shows.....BUT THEY DO NOT BELONG IN A PARADE. 😡 😡 😡

Bands, marching anything…….and the huge balloons. Come on…….

[onenote]

9. Are you watching now?

Balloons and a marching high school band in the last few minutes

[a kennedy]

10. Yes, on NBC.

[onenote]

11. Floats balloons marching band in last few minutes

[a kennedy]

12. Just saw POTUS call Al Roker......now singing.....

[onenote]

16. Weird. That happened over a half hour ago

Are you watching a delayed broadcast?

[a kennedy]

28. CBS started their broadcast one hour earlier then NBC did......I just was not in the mood

for that woman on CBS……so I changed to NBC and their broadcast is an hour behind, and now some really cute country singer is on….hubba, hubba.

[ChazII]

15. +1 When the main focus became the Broadway shows instead of

the marching bands and floats I lost interest in viewing.

[onenote]

24. The "main focus" is not Broadway shows.

The parade starts at 9 am as does the broadcast. But the parade doesn't reach the location where the broadcast occurs for a while, so that 'pre-parade' time is filled with a few (three)Broadway performances and a few other recorded segments until the floats, bands, and balloons arrive, which take up most of the rest of the time between 10 and noon.

Pre-Parade Acts

SIX the Musical, will perform “Ex Wives”
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, will perform "The Sparkling Diamond"
Wicked, will perform “One Short Day”
Carrie Underwood, will sing "Favorite Time of Year"
NBC's Annie Live!
The Radio City Rockettes


https://macysthanksgiving.fandom.com/wiki/The_92nd_Annual_Macy%27s_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade_Lineup

[ChazII]

32. Thank you. I am living in

the past when I was able to view the parade on my black and white television set. The early 60s to early 70s is when I looked forward to the parade. Thank you for your correction and may you have a peaceful Thursday.

[onenote]

35. Thanks. And best holiday wishes to you!

Oddly, just a short while ago, my wife and I were discussing watching the parade on 19 inch black and white TVs!

[WhiteTara]

13. mine is wanting to see the parade

what channel is it on?

[onenote]

14. NBC

[WhiteTara]

19. when does it start?

[onenote]

21. Broadcast started at 9. Goes until noon.

Not sure if its shown on delay in non-East Coast time zones.

[brooklynite]

18. Allow me to explain...

The parade starts at 9 on the Upper West Side. It takes an hour or so to March down ti Macy’s. To fill the time, they schedule theatrical and musical numbers in front of Macy’s until the parade arrives.

[onenote]

22. was about to post the same information: the Broadway performances are "pre-parade"

[Buckeyeblue]

20. You are correct...it is a mess

My wife likes to watch it. I sat down and watched for a few minutes but it's not my thing.

[RussBLib]

23. yeah, more parade, less self-promotion please

they spend so much time talking to actors who have a show on CBS that you miss most of the parade. Is it so hard to just air the band for 1 minute? so far, they only showed one marching band, the Macy's band, of course.

and hey, let's get the hosts to pitch this and this product. money, baby.

[Danmel]

25. It is virtually unwatchable

Endless promotions for NBC shows and sales pitches.
We live in NYC burbs and went to the parade the in 2001 after the attack on NYC. You can't watch this on TV, or just doesn't work.

[FakeNoose]

26. You are correct - this is how they did it last year too

They hardly show any "parade" any more because last year there were no people lined on the streets, and very few marching in bands or in costumes. This has taken all the fun out of it, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe this year there might be some people lined up on Fifth Avenue or along the parade route, but we won't see them on the tv screen.

Covid has kept the people home, but NBC still does this massacre of the "parade" for the ad money. They can't walk away from the ad money.

[Greybnk48]

27. Turn on CBS. More parade, less ads. Kevin McCarthy cut the ribbon to start the parade on NBComcast

as Al Roker said "Go for it, Kev!" We turned to CBS at that point.

I flipped back twice, and saw a pre-recorded bit with the Rock telling about his Thanksgiving as a kid (I watched that because I like The Rock, don't judge). The second time it was a musical number from Wicked.

[Sibelius Fan]

38. Er, that was Macys exec Jeff Gennette who cut the ribbon to start the parade.

Roker said “Go for it, Jeff.”

[a kennedy]

29. I would so love for some billionaire to step up and buy all the advertisements not show them

so we could all enjoy a parade or spectacle that is the Thanksgiving Parade with NO ADVERTISEMENTS OR CLIPS FOR WHAT’S SHOWING ON THEIR DAMN NETWORK. JMHO. 🦃

[luvs2sing]

30. YES!

[Sibelius Fan]

33. I watched the live stream on Global News. The camera was set up at 76th and CPW

All the bands played, and I got to hear them. No announcers. No commercials. Just like standing there on the street. And all in real time (we have a 3-hour delay on the NBC presentation here in CA). I loved it.

[DoBotherMe]

34. So did I

It was great, no blabbing, no commercials. Just a nice sunny morning view of fun!

[bahboo]

36. first hour sucks....then the good stuff....

listening to Nanci Griffith with the sound off the tv. Then will settle in with coffee followed by bubbles, for the actual parade.

[PJMcK]

37. I watch the Macy's parade most years

My wife is a character actor on one of the most popular floats, (I’m not allowed to say which one). The kids and the dog get lots of camera-time. I’m always proud of her.

Of course, since she’s working today, I’m making dinner. This year, we’re having duckling.

Otherwise, parades bore me.

[BannonsLiver]

39. Imagine being triggered by a Thanksgiving parade.