The MACY’S Thanksgiving Day Parade has been dubbed a “circus” after protestors interrupted it and the iconic event’s hosts acted strangely, leaving viewers disappointed.
Viewers who watched the 98th annual parade live were quick to point out gaffes by celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Al Roker as the festivities continued on a rainy day in New York City.
Pro-Palestine protestors disrupted the dreary parade for the second year in a row, disappointing spectators and leading to multiple arrests by the New York Police Department.
Furthermore, the cold weather trapped paradegoers in the rain, as balloons and floats appeared to float closer to the ground than usual, and technical issues caused awkward pauses during live performances.
The rain, however, did not deter Fallon, host of The Tonight Show, from wearing sunglasses as he kicked off the gloomy procession by riding on one of the iconic floats for the tenth time, despite previously telling People that he had golfer’s elbow from waving in the three-hour parade.
“Sunglasses in the rain is the most Jimmy Fallon that Jimmy can Fallon,” one viewer commented on X.
“That is taking the circus to a whole new level,” another said.
Fallon later wished the audience and viewers a prosperous Thanksgiving, but his microphone appeared to be off.
He appeared alongside The Roots, performing a cover of the hit song Hey Rudy.
He was one of several celebrities accused of lip syncing.
“Mic is barely near his face,” one viewer stated.
“Jimmy Fallon with the worst case of lip-syncing ever,” a second added.
“He even spoke after the song ended, despite his microphone not functioning.”
The parade was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Hoda Kotb from the Today show.
This is Kotb’s final Thanksgiving Day Parade as a Today show host; she announced in September that she will be leaving the show after six years as a co-anchor.
ROKER’S MIC ISSUES
But it wasn’t Kotb who drew everyone’s attention; viewers were outraged when Roker, 70, appeared to forget to speak into his microphone correctly, despite hosting the parade since 1995.
“Al Roker has been on TV my entire life and still can’t talk into a microphone lmao,” an individual wrote on X.
“How is it that Al Roker has been doing this parade for 79 years and doesn’t know how to use a microphone?” Another person joked.
“Someone tell Al Roker to hold the mic closer to his mouth when [he] speaks,” another member suggested.
Roker was also called out for accidentally revealing a major spoiler about the Wicked film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
He asked Idina Menzel about her cameo in the film, and she chastised him for spilling the beans, saying, “You are not supposed to tell anyone about the cameo! “The secret has been revealed.”
Others were more sympathetic to Roker, describing him as a national treasure on social media.
‘NONSTOP PERFORMANCES’
The parade featured star-studded performances by Menzel, Jennifer Hudson, and Ariana Madix, who viewers quickly accused of lip-syncing.
Viewers slammed the broadcast for airing so many interviews and performances while they begged for a glimpse of balloons and floats.
“The #MacysParade should be showing the balloons, the marching bands, and the Rockettes,” a critic said.
Thanksgiving Parade Performers
This year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a star-studded lineup. Here’s a list of who will appear.
THIS year’s Thanksgiving Day parade features a star-studded roster. Here is a list of who will appear:
- Jennifer Hudson
- Kylie Minogue
- Billy Porter
- Loud Luxury
- Cole Escola
- Bishop Briggs
- Kylie Cantrall
- Chlöe
- Dan + Shay
- Dasha
- Jimmy Fallon & The Roots
- Coco Jones
- Walker Hayes
- Ariana Madix
- Joey McIntyre
- Idina Menzel
- Natti Natasha
- T-Pain
- Rachel Platten
- Lea Salonga
- The Temptations
- The War and Treaty
- Alex Warren
- Sebastián Yatra
- Charli D’Amelio
- Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia
“Why has it been non-stop Broadway performances?” You see a balloon for 10 seconds before the commercials.
“Make the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade Great Again.”
Another outraged viewer demanded that the parade “do better.”
“The parade is terrible. My child was thrilled to see it for the first time, but we’ve only seen a few seconds of floats,” the X user continued.
“Instead, it’s a bunch of interviews people don’t care about followed by 5 minutes of commercials.”
“So, where is the actual parade? What about the balloons, floats, and marching bands? “So far, NBC has been showing Broadway musical performance after performance and a lot of commentary, but very little of the actual parade,” another wrote.
Another criticized NBC’s show as the “absolute worst ‘parade’ coverage I have ever seen.”
“You get 15 seconds of the parade, followed by 5 minutes of host talk and a sideshow. “We tuned in to watch the parade,” they added.
The parade features 34 impressive floats and 22 massive balloons, including the parade’s first Minnie Mouse balloon.
The massive Bluey balloon even reappeared after popping and deflating during yesterday’s pre-parade inflation.
