Macy's parade not what it used to be?

[Richard-SSV]

So I've got my 5 year old all excited and ready to see some floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. We've been watching about 45 minutes and so far the only time they show the actual parade is when they're going to commercial. Otherwise, the entire broadcast is nothing but interviews from the stars of NBC's network shows mixed in with performances from Broadway musicals. Where's the F'ing parade????

This sucks!!!!

 

[Yooper]

So I've got my 5 year old all excited and ready to see some floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. We've been watching about 45 minutes and so far the only time they show the actual parade is when they're going to commercial. Otherwise, the entire broadcast is nothing but interviews from the stars of NBC's network shows mixed in with performances from Broadway musicals. Where's the F'ing parade????

This sucks!!!!

I think it's always been like that, to be honest. A long commercial for the network, with some of their "stars" from some TV shows.

I thought the Shrek singing was great, though!

 

[Mountainbeers]

Eh, I'm OK with it. I can see how a 5 year old would be disappointed though.

 

[BioBeing]

The floats are just getting to Macy's now, it seems. But there are bunches of commercials..

 

[uglygoat]

you mean tv is a big commercial?

 

[StAnthonyB]

So I've got my 5 year old all excited and ready to see some floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. We've been watching about 45 minutes and so far the only time they show the actual parade is when they're going to commercial. Otherwise, the entire broadcast is nothing but interviews from the stars of NBC's network shows mixed in with performances from Broadway musicals. Where's the F'ing parade????

This sucks!!!!

The Macy's Parade up until just a year or two ago was paid for by a single family and a little advertising here and there. The family has pulled all their funding for it due to their objection to what they feel to be certain political freedom/religious freedom issues which we are not allowed to talk about in the General Chit-Chat.

 

[david_42]

I have vague memories of watching it on our B&W TV in the fifties.

 

[kornkob]

I dont' think the parade changed. TELEVISION has changed. In fact the economic model of TV changed a lot of mediums.

TV, movies and even video games typically use a 7 minute model. Some sort of action, dramatic plot element or other 'consuemr response moment' happens every 7 minutes on average. That fits inside the 'commercial every 15' model of the TV marketplace that consumers have been trained to appreciate.

Talk about freedom and choice all you want as long as you are carefully inspecting your preferences for the influence of marketing shaping those preferences.

 

[StAnthonyB]

The television observation might be spot on. NBC acquired the rights to it when they gained control of Macy Media. Considering that some recent prime time programs consist of approx. 38% explicit commercial advertising with no mention made for implicit advertising (product planting and name dropping, etc.).

Also, the Parade has changed names three times now. The most recent of which was effected by NBC. And, this doesn't bespeak well in terms of longterm stable quality.

Many of the parades around here had to become 100% privately funded in order keep them free of outside influence/interference.

 

[Bobby_M]

I found it to be extremely lame. I wish one channel would cover it by putting an HD camera in a 3rd story window on a tripod and keep their hands off it for the 3 hours. In fact, they should make it a pay per view with no commercials. It would be the closest to actually being there. Now that I think of it, there must have been 100's of streaming webcams doing just that online... facepalm.

 

[Homercidal]

Didn't even watch it. We were driving to the in-laws. I'm not sure if my kids even know what it is...

 

[Domminigan]

I haven't had time to catch it in years, but it's a shame to think that I may never get to see it the same again.

 

[jvlpdillon]

For the last several years it has been that the parade is kicked off outside the Natural History Museum then an hour of bad lip syncing to Broadway shows, Up With People, and other non-parade garbage in front of Macy's. Then the parade actually makes it Herald Square where it runs for 2 hours. Just skip the first hour and tune in at 10.

If you ever get the chance to go in person do. It is a very different experience to see the balloons inflated the night before in Central Park. The crowd commentary is for more entertaining anyway.