The 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

[wiley207]

Muppet-wise, from what I heard, so far it's going to be the Sesame Street Float again, and the Kermit the Frog balloon.
I don't know if they're going to have Kermit himself at the parade though. Even though during the opening (when they play that stock marching band rendition of "New York, New York") they say "The CAST OF SESAME STREET! ...and the Muppets," they are only just referring to the Sesame Street Muppets, not the Muppet Show-cast Muppets (they never did that before, when they'd say "THE CAST OF SESAME STREET!" people would know this would include the SST Muppets...

 

[Drtooth]

You know what really honks me off? Seems that Macy's isn't doing the big balloon tie in plush anymore, and just putting scarves of AFLAC duck. Now, they're cute and I love ducks and all, but I really liked the big tie in plush. The Kermit was one of the best Kermits I've ever seen. I'd compare it to the Fisher Price, and that's the best Kermit plush ever. Not to mention the great Grover plush, the fabulous Scooby-Doo, and the last one they did, a wonderful Smurf that the Jakks Pacific plush paled in comparison to.

 

[wiley207]

The sad truth is, Macy's doesn't seem to care much about the balloons anymore, at least the NBC broadcast. When they announce the parade line-up, they just save the balloons for last (but before Santa, of course.)

 

[Drtooth]

It always seems to be the celebrities on various levels of "we'll never see them again after this broadcast." Plus, I swear the floats are just as bad as the balloons almost a decade ago, when they were all corporate mascots from none too popular companies instead of cartoon characters. I mean, there was an Ask Jeeves balloon at one point. All the floats are commercials for something, and other than the Sesame Street one, they are no longer cartoon based.

 

[CensoredAlso]

All the floats are commercials for something

Bingo! It is Television, lol. And remember even the floats and balloons of cartoon characters are actually commercials to sell a TV show (and a toy line, don't forget the toy line! )

I read that when the parade first started back in the day many of the balloons were recreations of actual toys you could buy at Macy's. It's always been about that.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Yeah, I've noticed the overcommercialism of the Macy's balloons for years. It would be great to see characters who are established pop culture icons back in the parade... seems like Kermit is the only one left in that regard (why oh why is there no Bugs Bunny balloon in the parade?). But you know, you just have to grin and bear it.

That said, why hasn't Hasbro dipped into making a Rainbow Dash balloon yet?

 

[CensoredAlso]

It would be great to see characters who are established pop culture icons back in the parade.

But see even those would be commercials.

That said, why hasn't Hasbro dipped into making a Rainbow Dash balloon yet?

Is it just me or has Hasbro often been absent from these things? I don't recall too many of their cartoons/toys having floats even years ago. But correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[Drtooth]

That said, why hasn't Hasbro dipped into making a Rainbow Dash balloon yet?

Yeah, I'd rather an Optimus Prime, though. Didn't they have Mr. Potatohead at one point? he's my favorite Hasbro toy. But I hate that Nintendo sponsors a Pikachu balloon instead of a Super Mario one. I'm glad Sega brought Sonic back. But for a while, all the balloons were C-list corporate mascots (Cheese-a-saurus Rex, anyone?)... seems they've stepped off on that, and we're getting cartoon characters. Current ones, but we're getting cartoons back. I'm surprised that Marvel/Disney didn't bring Spider-Man back. And I miss the Scooby-Doo one. What, they used that once?

 

[wiley207]

And I miss the Scooby-Doo one. What, they used that once?

They used it in 2005, 2006 and 2007. And each time, they played the theme song to "What's New Scooby-Doo" underneath. Could this mean the original "Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where Are You?" theme could be NO MORE in the future?

It's sort of akin to replacing the original Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies "Merrily We Roll Along" theme in a similar occasion with the late 1960s "klunky" version of the Looney Tunes theme music...

 

[SuperGzilla12]

Yeah, I've noticed the overcommercialism of the Macy's balloons for years. It would be great to see characters who are established pop culture icons back in the parade... seems like Kermit is the only one left in that regard (why oh why is there no Bugs Bunny balloon in the parade?). But you know, you just have to grin and bear it.

Me want Barney back... ME WANT BARNEY BACK!!!

That is all.