1034 – 2021 Thanksgiving Day Parade

Episode 1034 – 2021 Thanksgiving Day Parade

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER:    Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, my patron peeps, and all balloons everywhere…parade floats and parade totes.  Totes at parades.  Totes…you could say Scoots is totes about parades right now, ‘cause it’s time for Sleep With Me, patrons.  Thank you so much for making this possible, for your support.  I hope I could be here to support you getting the rest you  need.  Thanks, patrons.

 

INTRO:    [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing?  Trouble getting to sleep?  Trouble staying asleep?  Well, welcome.  This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep.  We do it with a bedtime story.  Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press play.  I’m gonna do the rest.  What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake.  It could be thoughts you’re thinking about, thoughts on your mind, past, present, future.  It could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally that you’re experiencing.  It could be physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, travel.  You could be visiting or you could have visitors.  Or whatever else is going on, whatever’s keeping you awake.

 

Whatever it is, I’d like to take your mind off of that and keep you company so that you can fall asleep.  I’m here to help.  Now, if you’re new, a new idea that I may have…may not have followed through on; sleepwithmepodcast.com/new.  No, no; sleepwithmepodcast.com/…sleepwithme…actually, I don’t know.  I had it written down and I guess I’ll lean into my mistakes.  Episode…new listeners…episode guide…sleepwithmepodcast.com…the good thing is I can change it around, so I’ll come up with something here, even…episode guide, member guide, new listener…it’s not that…for the time being, let’s go with sleepwithmepodcast.com/new.  It’s supposed to be starter…I can’t remember what we called it.

 

I was talking with Charlotte and I said okay, what…and then I said oh yeah, that’s a great idea.  Sleepwithmepodcast.com/new; if you’re new to the podcast, that’ll give you kind of a overview and some…a listener guide or something.  But I did get mixed up.  Whatever’s keeping you awake, I’d like to keep you company and take your mind off of that.  The way I propose to do it is to send my voice across the deep, dark night.  By the way, you could just visit that website tomorrow.  Maybe I’ll even…it’ll even exist.  I’m gonna send my voice across the deep, dark night.  I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents, which means I’m gonna go off-topic, I’m gonna get mixed up, I’m gonna have imperfect sound to my voice, all to take your mind off of stuff and keep you company while you drift off.

 

The reason I make the show is for you.  If it…now, hopefully the show helps, but when I say I make the show for you, it’s because you are important and your sleep is important, and you deserve a good night’s sleep.  You’re the most important person here, and I want to remind you of that because you deserve a bedtime that feels restful, that doesn’t feel like it’s rigmarole-based, that you could look forward to, a bedtime you don’t dread.  I hope I can provide that, but at least I can remind you of that.  If you already don’t like this show or…another website, but it’s sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou.  That one I’ve been saying for a while, so easier to remember.

 

That has other sleep podcasts and stuff, because your sleep is important whether this show helps or not, though this podcast does take a few tries to get used to.  It’s reported by hundreds of thousands of regular listeners, that they said took two or three tries before I got used to the show.  Took five times before I realized this podcast doesn’t make any sense in a good way.  But the first thing I always want you to know is you’re important and you deserve a bedtime that feels good.  I know…the other reason I make the show is ‘cause I know it feels.  I’ve been there in the deep, dark night, tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep.  So, if I can help you when you’re dealing with something I can relate to, that’s important to me, too.  So, those are two important things.

 

A few other things I want to let you know about is one, this is a podcast you don’t really listen to, which can be really hard at first if you’re new or you’re skeptical or you’re doubtful.  You might be waiting for it to start, waiting for me to get to the sleepy stuff or do some sort of countdown or have some wind chimes or mystical music.  This show is more you’re mystified than it’s mystical.  I mean, it’s based on a important thing; you getting the sleep you need, but it’s more cloaked in mist.  Like, it’s more of me wandering around in mist or wandering around the game of Myst or wandering around looking for…where’d I put that box?  I thought I owned the game Myst.  Oh no; that’s Riven.  But what about Myst?  Don’t I own that?  Then I get Myst and Riven mixed up.

 

I say, wasn’t that gonna come back out on Game Pass or as an app or…?  Then I say oh, wait a second, I’m doing a sleep podcast intro.  So, when I say this is a podcast you don’t really listen to, it takes some getting used to to say oh, you just kinda talk in the background and I could kinda listen to you, but you’re really just here to keep me company, make the deep, dark night feel less lonely, and to give me some other thing other than what’s keeping me awake, to…you say oh, I can just kinda barely pay attention to your voice.  Yeah, I can kinda follow you as you look around your apartment for that old game box that you haven’t had in thirty years, though there’s zero chance of you finding it.  Then you remembered that Myst was probably only twenty or fifteen years old.  So, just a teen, Myst.  Just don’t forget it.

 

Don’t get it twisted.  Myst; I’m just a teenager, maybe, or I could be twenty-one or twenty…maybe…I don’t know.  Myst; no idea how old I am.  I can’t count on Scooter for remembering.  Oh, also, I was once a computer game, if you’re wondering.  But also, I’m…right now I’m an apt metaphor for Scooter and how you just kinda barely pay attention to him, just like you were watching the mist is how you listen to the show.  Or fog; you say oh, that mist doesn’t look half-bad.  Not really taking any shapes, but I don’t mind the shape it’s in.  So, that’s the show.  You barely listen to it.  Also doesn’t put you to sleep; I’m here to keep you company while you drift off, to be your companion, your bore-bae, your bore-bud, your bore-sib, your bore-bestie, your bore-bruh, your neighbor, your bore…your bore-bor, all so that you could fall asleep while I do the talking and keeping you company.

 

Now, if you can’t sleep, I’m here to the very end to keep you company.  I’m here to keep you company whether you’re listening to me or not.  That’s the great news.  So, those are things that are important.  Also, I like to go over the goals of the podcast and the structure of the podcast ‘cause those are kinda intertwined and it can really throw new people off.  Once you get over the big humps of this is a podcast you don’t really listen to, it doesn’t put you to sleep, it’s got creaky, dulcet tones, a lot of pointless meanders, never gets started, once you get past all that, then there’s the structure which again, if the structure isn’t for you, check out the shows at sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou.  But the structure serves a very specific purpose.

 

There’s a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and that’s to…so you feel seen and welcome, hopefully, and you know oh, okay, this podcast can be a little bit silly.  It’s seeing me, it’s welcoming me in, but it’s also a different taste than something straightforward and serious.  Then there’s support, support for the podcast ‘cause I want the podcast to come out twice a week for free on…and on every platform, and that makes that possible.  Then there’s support for listeners if you’re having a tough time right now for communities around the show.  So, that’s the support, and then there’s the intro.  The intro goes from, I don’t know, six or eight minutes into the podcast ‘til about twenty, twenty-five minutes into the podcast, and it’s where I introduce the podcast every single time, a thousand times at least now.

 

Unsuccessfully, kind of, but for a purpose.  ‘Cause most people say, when…is this podcast just thirty minutes of you talking, then it starts?  I say no, it’s always going.  Never started, always going.  So, the intro is a show within a show, so it serves a purpose of welcoming the new listeners and then me trying to…I say well, I could do that on a website too, but I already forgot what I was gonna say, so we’ll leave that for later.  But it’s also, for regular listeners or even new listeners, it’s a part of people’s wind-down routine.  A lot of stuff around sleep is not straightforward, but I think there’s a pretty big consensus that having a wind-down routine, having a period of transfer between when you’re awake and when you’re asleep is very important, and it’s also enjoyable.

 

I’ve found that having a wind-down routine is one of those things I enjoy so much, I’ve…I start procrastinating on it.  You know you enjoy something and it’s good for you when you procrastinate.  But it is really something I enjoy, and it helps…for me, get a good night’s sleep for the most part.  Doesn’t work every time.  But it gives you some space between being awake and being asleep.  So, some listeners get ready for bed, some people do something relaxing.  Other listeners are in bed getting comfortable.  A smaller percentage of listeners are falling asleep or skipping ahead.  But at first, just kinda see how it goes and see if you can use the intro as part of your wind-down routine so that you could go into bed for a smooth landing.  So, that’s why the intro goes on and on and on.  It’s a show within a show.

 

Feels like it’s never going, but it always is.  Always going nowhere; Sleep With Me podcast.  So, that’s the intro.  Then between the intro and the story will be more business.  That’s how we come out twice a week for free.  Then there will be our story.  Tonight will be a recap of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it’ll be a lulling recap.  It’ll have a lot of the popular characters and guests from the show, and it’ll be full of tangents and boring analysis so you could sleep to it, but you could pay attention if you need some company.  Then the podcast ends with thank yous and goodnights.  So, that’s the structure of the show.  It’s why I make the show.  I’m really glad you’re here.  I really work hard on this show and I really yearn and I strive, and I really hope I can help you fall asleep.  Thanks again for coming by and here’s a couple of ways I’m able to do it for you for free twice a week.

 

Hello, hello, hello everybody.  This is your friend Ray here with the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  95th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We’re doing a recap.  I’ll be here with Bernie the Butterfly and a few other friends doing some summaries.  It starts out with a little bit of a segment; we see Willard Scott, we see Pink Panther, Diana Ross…it happened very fast, so even some black and white balloons, a alligator, roller skaters, people waving, happy children, Smokey the Bear…oh, Snoopy.  Yeah, Rockettes, Bryant Gumbel, I think there.  Some hockey players…Peeper Bill, and then we go…oh, was Diana…was that last year for Diana Ross, or two or three years ago?  Ray loses track.  Last year…I think it was last year with Jimmy Fallon and Savannah when it was raining?  I don’t know.

 

Ray does not remember, but you could always check the archives.  Laylon, Savannah and Hoda arm-in-arm walking the routes.  They didn’t have a comedy open with Jimmy Fallon or anybody else.  They had a shot of New York City, and then Savannah and Hoda walking past the front of Macy’s together, arm-in-arm, which I thought was sweet.  Who needs…I mean, no offense, but who needs comedy when we have someone to set the place at the table for us with Hoda and Savannah?  Especially Hoda because she was almost dancing.  She brings energy.  They had matching white gloves on and they’re getting ready.  Of course they throw it to Al at some point.

 

Oh no, first…there’s a bit of a…now, this is an advantage as things get platformed, but…so, they do have your normal Broadway numbers, but this time they brought in a Broadway number from the Annie, Annie Live!, which is gonna be on NBC.  This show will come out after it already happened.  So, we get…the performers come outta there; Daddy Warbucks and Annie.  Then some dancers that I guess are the staff, and a limousine.  What do we got?  Annie Live!, Toja at last…Together at Last; that’s what they sing.  His singing is very Sinatra.  There’s great dancing.  There was one dancer standing in back, but then she started dancing with someone.  Oh, she did a solo?  Is that what that says, Scooter?  Scooter does everything…and then they do tapping.  Anything, anything, anything.  Then they hug.

 

Let me see if I could turn on the captioning here, because that might help me.  No captions available for this video.  Holy moly.  Okay, well, okay.  I guess I won’t be turning them on, then.  But so, right now they’re singing and dancing.  It was delightful.  I’m just trying to look here, sorry.  This is Ray’s first…it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these.  Scooter, I got a couple…I need a little hand, here.  Oh, boy.  Okay, well, I couldn’t get it to work.  But so, yeah, they start dancing.  Car solo, taping…anything, anything song will come out.  The sun will come out.  So, they did a medley.  Penguins…oh, there’s a Penguins fan in their car window at one point.  Someone in a pen…but now she’s…the…Annie’s singing The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.  We see a Pittsburgh Penguins fan…is squared up in the window.

 

Also a happy girl in a turquoise winter coat…jacket.  Great build at the end; holy singing.  Then a overhead cast shot, then we go….a shot of the cast, then we go uptown to Al.  The 77th dancers cheerleaders…oh, he’s at 77th Street, I think.  Now we get Jeff Gennette who took over from Amy Kule, who we…I mean, no…Jeff’s doing better.  He does look a bit like one of the directors…creators of Benny…Mr. Benioff.  I mean, he strikes me a little bit as a Benioff.  Just looks a little similar; that’s what I always think.  I say, is that David Benioff?  I say no, that’s Jeff Gennette, the CEO of Macy’s, and he’s getting better…I don’t know if this is his third year, because I can’t remember those things.  We do miss Amy, though.  But he had a good smile.  This is seraph and late…leaf reindeer.  So, I remember the leaf reindeer.

 

Oh, scarf, that says.  Thousands of Macy’s colleagues working on this parade.  There’s people with gold sticks.  He says, are you ready?  Ready, Jeff?  Al is so good.  Five, four, three, two, one; let’s have a parade.  Al marches off.  Then we have the teaser telling everybody who’s coming.  Kelly knitting…Jamie…lots of Jolly Green Giant.  Celina Smith; that was Annie.  Santa Claus and other people…I don’t know if Jeff really looks like David Benioff here when I’m looking at it playing.  Also, if you have a chance to rewatch this, the leaf reindeer have great masks on.  I love the mask usage.  Oh, those are…those gold sticks, Scooter, are…what do you call those?  Launchers of…confetti launchers.  They have leafs…oh, people have leaf aprons, or maybe the leafs are how they store the confetti.

 

I wonder if I could watch this…if I’ll see the confetti come out of the confetti launcher.  She just looked down at the confetti.  She double-checked her queue.  Oh, there’s a bunch of confetti launchers.  Oh boy, yeah, there they go.  So much confetti.  Oh, boy.  They also have confetti launchers on the sides.  Well, maybe that wasn’t confetti.  I don’t know.  Lots of…okay, so then they go to an ad, then they go to where the celebrities…rock…I love what everyone loves; family.  He was dressed, like Scooter put, a classical B-A-D double-S printer.  Elizabeth Berkley, she talks by Raul…Jenny…I don’t know.  I can’t read the writing.  Oh, I can’t read this.  I don’t know.  I can’t read his writing.  That’s fine, though.  Then we have the balloon lineup.  Live audience shenanigans?  Balloon lineup, live audience shenanigans?

 

I don’t think that’s what that says, either.  Let’s take a look here.  Macy’s newest…oh, so they go to Al again and he’s…he interviews the handlers of this…this puppet balloon, Tiptoe.  It’s a soft reindeer puppet, white…oh, they all have white overalls on, except for one person who…here’s the Rock talking…Kyle Richards…I don’t know.  I don’t know what Scooter…oh, we see a lineup of all the balloons here in a row.  The bowling balls, Baby Oso, Snoopy…can’t tell what that next one is.  Is that Dragon Ball Z?  Then Spongebob, then something purple with big eyes.  I don’t know what that is, either.  I think that is Dragon Ball Z.  Then Al interviews the handlers of Tiptoe, the puppet.  They’re so excited.  Eleven-person team.  She’s a wild one, they say.  I don’t know if it’s a balloon or just a puppet.  No…I don’t know; can’t tell.

 

They also had someone there, like a…I don’t know.  There was another person there kinda helping or watching.  Leaking…oh, there was this Santa Claus special effects.  They say, we got Santa Claus on here, and they do special effects.  They were actually…the Santa Claus effects were good.  The other ones, not so good, ‘cause Hoda says something, then we hear Santa’s bells.  Special effect pretty well done.  Magic is on our way.  44 degrees.  Then they do Moulin Rouge.  Let’s see, we got…who’s covering Moulin Rouge?  Thanks, Ray.  It’s me, the Greggor.  It’s ten Tony’s, 1899, Paris.  Natalie Mendoza is Melody, Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, Holly, opral cloves, gloves…opera gloves, Ray.  Scooter’s writing is hard for me to read, too.  Oh, Scooter also said where do I get a sleeveless tux with opera gloves?

 

Material Girl, All the Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).  They sing Brick House, Flap Dance, Diamond…back into Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.  Very good dancing on this, Ray.  Back to you.  Thanks, Greggor.  Then we do more stars talking.  Oh boy, I wish…we don’t have the closed captioning, but…so, I’m gonna have to paraphrase it here.  Normally I would try to quote directly, but Sterling K. Brown; holy moly.  Plant a seed of grace and gratitude and lift it up.  It was beautiful.  I’ll tell you what time to check, so…you got it taped; you just go look at this and you’ll be inspired for…I mean, holy moly.  Talk about gravitas.  I mean, I said…Chrissy Metz goes, then Sterling K. Brown.  Let’s see what time that’s at; 20:47 into it.  She goes…bone-chillingly inspiring.  Macy’s balloons, brutes on bikes…oh, then another show.

 

I’m gonna send it over back to the Greggor to cover.  Thanks, Ray.  Next up is six…the Six Wives of Henry VIII, maybe.  Scooter did not put it.  Five hundred years…it’s…Scooter, this…Ray, sorry; this was good.  I would like to see this musical because it’s creative, especially because Girls5eva performs later in the parade.  These Six Wives of Henry VIII are kind of like a rock band/pop girl power cast.  Pure pop girl power, I think Savannah said.  They have a backing band.  Diamond behind…dance, dance behind…no, that says divorced…lost their head…they got a haircut, passed onto the big farm.  Divorced, got a haircut, and made it.  They’re live; New York, make some noise.  Everybody knows we used to be Six Ex Wives.  We are one.  Also, we see the Wimpy Kid at some point.  That’s good, Ray.  Back to you.

 

Oh, thanks, Greggor.  Then we have a Sing 2 teaser, then we have come home…huh.  Oh, these are all ads.  Then we’re back at 6th Avenue with the array cam.  It was like your friend Ray, I guess.  Ray on the array cam.  Al…let’s see, come here…oh no, so Al has a helmet on.  He’s in his Roker Cycle.  As always, Al is bringing the energy.  He’s high for…he has gloves on.  He has his queue cards which he’s reading from while he’s on a bike high-fiving people.  I’ve never seen anything like this.  This is like a five-tool player in sports.  I don’t know what sport that is.  They say, that’s a five-tool player.  Al is a five-tool player, meaning he’s skilled…he brings the energy.  I mean, I…like I said, somebody’s…I don’t know.  I was just so happy to see Al.  Savannah loves it.  Al’s got the good energy.  Then I’m gonna send it back to the Greggor.

 

Thanks, Ray.  We did the Wicked setup.  Unlikely friends…they set it up.  They sing One Short Day, which takes place in Oz.  Costumes for this were brilliant, Ray.  I know…I have a long history with Wicked.  I’m a big fan.  Emerald City…also you get a couple spoilers from people that don’t know Wicked or the book.  I read…Scooter read us the book The Wizard of Oz.  So, everyone has their glasses on.  At some point, our heroes put their glasses on as well.  Fans…neon…oh, neon colors, gowns, green glasses.  A Wizzle Mania sign.  Amazing dancing.  I love how big they had a cast, too.  Three tags…doll dancers…long needs…love the huge cast.  I don’t know what that means though, with Scooter.  Two guest, best friends…the wizard will see you now.  So, yeah, go…I’ll send it back to you, Ray.  Thanks, Greggor.

 

So yeah, Al’s in his cycle; he’s happy, he’s waving.  Then we do more stars.  We see it from Kelly Clarkson, Scott Evans.  Do more for your fellows.  Don Johnson, give back.  Stephanie McMahon, Chris Redd.  Oh, I see; I’m watching it…there was the Three Stooges dancers at the end.  Scooter’s…someone said those were Ozians or something.  They look like…they have extendable necks.  Sorry, Greggor.  You didn’t have the tape running in front of you.  A little bit tougher job than your friend Ray.  But yeah, we hear from some of the stars.  Then, I’m just trying to skip the commercials here while I’m…I’m here to comfort you and put you to bed, eh?  Kelly Clarkson…other people, then we see a dino.  I don’t think…I think that’s the apatosaurus, not a brontosaurus.  Al says it’s 44 degrees.

 

Could not ask for a better day.  We see clowns.  We don’t see…no appearance from Butter at all this parade.  Al does cross paths with an intense clown, and then he was FaceTiming.  I really thought he was gonna FaceTime with Butter.  This was a missed opportunity.  Maybe the person who played Butter was not available.  But I hope people on social media at least said where’s my Butter?  Where’s my Butter with Al?  There’s a fireman but he’s not…no offense to the fire clown, but he’s no Butter.  I mean, how good do you have to be that BTS makes a sound…a song about…?  Oh, that’s not the same Butter?  Oh, okay.  Well, they…I don’t know.  It might be.  But then Al takes the FaceTime call from President Biden and Dr. Biden, the first lady.

 

I don’t know if that was…I mean, obviously it was prepared, but I don’t know if it was live or not.  Either way, again, a five-tool player.  Who takes the call in the street from the president of the United States?  Al Roker does.  He has to be on camera the whole time.  He’s doing all…no offense to the president and Dr. Biden, but for entertainment purposes, Al’s having to do all the work.  So, if you watch him on mute like I’m doing now, you could see it.  Back…always up, pal.  He does compliment Al and his energy.  Santa’s coming, Mr. President.  Where’s Butter?  Savannah…another great coat.  Savannah’s got a two-toned gold, and I’d say a rose color.  My gift; seven trains of gravy.  Inescapable.  Pre-recorded.  I don’t think any of that’s correct.  I think this is a music video.  Is that what’s next, is…?

 

They’re setting it up.  Oh yeah, so this one’s a pre-recorded video.  They do these from time to time.  I don’t know if they do one every year.  This is Carrie Underwood.  Oh, it’s like, it seemed like it was on a car commercial set.  I mean, no offense, but that’s what the set looked like, ‘cause we’ve just been adjusted to that.  But she did a wonderful job, and a wonderful…just a little bit…this is not the parade for me; this is like a parade segment.  Okay, she’s still singing.  She’s singing her heart out.  I mean, that’s good, and we’ll be listening to the album over the holiday season.  It’s just one of those things; I’m like, technically I’m not sure if a pre-recorded segment…there’s the Rock.  I don’t remember that balloon, seeing it during the parade.  So, we…I don’t know if we have that.  That’s the Rock in a holiday sweater.

 

Young Rock.  Oh, ‘cause it’s not real, I don’t think.  Well, that’s a little bit troubling because…huh.  Yeah, I don’t think that’s a real balloon.  So, unfortunately, NBC seems to be pushing it a little bit too far with…I mean, if you’re gonna put…have a balloon of the Rock, just get a balloon of the Rock.  Don’t make a fake balloon.  I’m sorry.  I just…then they have an…this was a bit of a downtime.  Then they do something with more effects, then we…they have the Olympians talking about the holidays, so a bit of a…I mean, there is…you gotta really…I guess they expect you to be distracted while you’re watching this, anyway.  So, let’s see.  Pre-recorded car commercial, then we go…then we see Grogu and Snoopy, Vernon Day…oh, so that’s all the Olympians, Vernon Davis.  Then ads with clowns.

 

Oh no, Al; he’s back on the street here.  He’s talking to people.  He’s walking, working it.  Al with the crowds and fake ball.  I don’t know what that is.  Gobbler…fake fireworks.  Oh, then they do a beautiful segment here for Willard Scott, which ironically…Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald.  He kisses Al and they send him love, and you could tell…Al even says he was a mentor to me.  So, shout-out to Willard Scott.  Eleven years he hosted.  Kisses Al.  Then what do we got next?  Mario Lopez looks good, Scooter put.  So, it must have been another host segment with other people from Saved by the Bell, I believe.  Then Bill…oh, Bill Nye.  34th Street.  Hun…Hoda, Savannah…let’s see, there’s Andy Cohen; he’s got a gold roller skate behind him.

 

Oh, so then we have another promotional segment for Annie Live!.  Again, I understand this, especially it’s their parade.  I wonder if you pay to be in the parade.  I would assume you do at this point, for a float.  But this was a nice segment just ‘cause they were talking more about working together and how exciting it is to play Annie and how much Selena Smith’s enjoying it and how much a pleasure it is to work with her for Harry Connick Jr.  He’s got a…I don’t know if he has a bald cap on or his head is shaved, but he looks interesting with that look.  But she’s wonderful.  I am a big fan of Annie, so I’ll check it out.  Okay, then we have Dream Come True, Love the Look and the Do, then we have Jeff…Jeff Gennette’s in the background.  He sits very straight up.  He’s…very good posture on that Jeff Gennette.

 

I’m watching him right now; he has the best posture I’ve ever seen.  So…and then Rockettes, they kinda do a Busby Berkley thing.  Greg, you have any other comments about that?  Yes, that’s good.  It’s a white Christmas.  Big band of jazzy-style…very shimmery, very Busby Berkley, like you said.  They do great moves side to side as well.  The overhead shots…because they don’t know if they’re gonna be shot straight on or overhead, and they’re switching different angles.  Back to you, Ray.  Thanks, Greggor.  So yeah, then we go to a commercial.  We come back.  This is the first 6,500 marchers, three miles they’ve gone so far, so they are warmed up.  The parade starts to go through.  We get motorcycles…merch is Dawsey, lots of confetti.  I don’t know what that means, Scooter.  Let’s see, I think…oh, the Macy’s dancers.

 

Lots of confetti, like a tornado of confetti.  Wow.  Gobble Tom Turkey, Macy’s stars.  So, I think the first marching band…there’s really good xylophone.  We couldn’t figure out if it was taped xylophone or live parade xylophone because of the mixes they do.  But either one, whoever decided to put that xylophone in there should get a raise.  Tom Turkey spews confetti.  Gold balloons, those Macy’s star gold balloons.  This was interesting; they had the Ann Richard’s School of Young Leaders in Texas Marching Stars.  They are a marching band.  They do Girls Just Want to Have Fun.  They were dressed warmly.  Discover the…oh, then we have Ada the Scientist.  That’s our first big balloon that’s real, unlike the fake Rock balloon…that they should have a real Rock balloon.  Oh, this is great.  Yeah, Ada the Scientist.

 

There’s a pumpkin behind her, I just saw.  Discover the facts.  Put knowledge into action.  Then we have Green Giant.  Oh, sorry, I gotta send it over to…sorry.  I’ve been stepping on my other host’s toes.  Let me send this over to Bernie the Butterfly.  Yeah, Bernie the Butterfly heres.  How’s yous doing?  Yeah, we got a Green Giant with Little Sprout, Jimmie Allen singing there, and he does the song Freedom Was A Highway.  They cut him…they cut over him.  Little Sprout gets a lot of things, but I didn’t like…Bernie the Butterfly did not like it because they cut his song, but they did that repeatedly.  I guess they needed to stay on time.  But yeah.  Then we come back…thanks, Bernie.  We come back from a commercial.  We have the First Peoples; they do a blessing and a performance.  I don’t know if they had any land use.

 

Like, I don’t know if they did a land use acknowledgement, because we don’t have the…what do you call it?  Closed captioning.  But yeah, so that was a nice little segment there.  That’s been the second or third year they’ve done that that I’m appreciative of, saying okay, let’s at least having a blessing of some of the indigenous peoples.  But I did not…I’ll be honest, though, I did not get a chance to read about it to get proper background.  It looks like the main performer was Siobhan Juanita Brown.  They had three layers of people there talking, and then the honor clan mother, Carol Wyn.  Then they cut to Savannah and Hoda, but I don’t know what they’re saying.  What do we got here?  Oh, pirates in a new…oh, new float.  Oh, sorry, go ahead, Tommen.  It’s Mikey.  Thanks, everybody.  This is Mikey here.

 

There’s pirates with a new gravy boat from Heinz Homestyle Gravy Pirates.  They’re launching confetti as well.  You could fight dryness by pouring it on thick, and giant…one person’s holding a giant ladle.  Then we have Hampton University, a celebration of finally avenue and Sarah Wad.  I don’t know what any of that means.  Then Ryan from Ryan’s World…balloon; red, blue cape.  A celebration of family is what that says.  It took me a minute.  The Hampton University Marching Force.  Beautiful performance though, especially because they were so coordinated and really…dancing but they had…I don’t know if there’s…flag-wavers, they had…I don’t know what those…baton twirlers and throwers, and marching, dancing…so many.  Then the Ryan from Ryan’s World balloon.

 

Oh boy, I just…Ray, I’m sorry, I hit the wrong button.  That’s okay, Greggor.  It’s Mikey.  Oh, sorry, Mikey.  So, this is Ray here.  I’m back.  Yeah, Mikey hit the wrong button on our thing, so I’ll be figuring this out here.  We got some ad running, but I’m not sure what the ad is for.  But yeah, let’s go to…let’s go back to Bernie the Butterfly.  Ray, it’s Bernie the Butterfly here.  How’s yous alls doing?  Next up was a gold turkey from Jenny O.  Twenty-nine dressing dancers.  St. John’s is what it says, but they’re the three tiers of dancers.  Then, I don’t know what St. John’s says, but some of this is from Scooter.  Maybe they said TikTok or…oh no, from TikTok.  This was a good performance; holy cow.  Great jacket, too.  Tai Verdes.  Verdes.  Tai Verdes.  A-OK, two, four, six, eight, who do we…A-OK.  I liked this a lot.

 

I really like the lyrics, I like his moves.  His energy was high.  He was having fun and the dancers were coordinated, so whoever did this planning of this float also did a grade-A job.  Making…oh, making lemonade.  It is okay.  Oh, then Papa Smurf’s behind him, kicking up his heels.  Then we go to a commercial.  Back to you, Ray.  Thanks, Bernie.  Yeah, then we’re at 42nd Street.  45th…oh no, 45th season.  We’re at 52nd Street.  See us coming together.  Only Pulitz, la la la low.  All in winter.  Oh, so no; this is the Sesame Street.  I’m sorry.  So, this was a really good one.  I guess I get to comment on this.  This was a good performance of Sesame Street.  Just the puppets; no human beings.  I mean, you know what I mean.  But normally they’ll have some cast members, and they were introducing some of the new characters, but this was a great song; all…La, La, La, La.

 

A lot of the songs had really good hooks on this parade.  See Us Coming Together…only puppets.  Oh, that’s what that says.  All in…oh, all in winter clothes, and even Oscar at the end is not enjoying it, so this was a great one.  Then we have…oh boy, Scooter, you’re not making it easy on any of us.  Powell…oh, Paw Patrol, Chase.  So, we have Chase from the Paw Patrol, and…flying above.  No job is too…no job’s too big, no dog too small.  That’s the Paw Patrol.  Their film came out.  Then I’m gonna send it back to Greggor.  Oh, thanks.  We have another really good performance here after Chase.  Chase has a siren or something on Chase’s shoulder.  But then the next thing was this beautiful, beautiful dancing performance, ballet and dance combined.  First Hoda and Savannah set it up.

 

I want to say they’re beautiful flowers on the set.  They were autumn-colored flowers and roses.  But yeah, then next up was a beautiful dancer from the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance.  Again, everybody was masked.  There was fans.  There was popping colors.  It’s just something that swept me away from the parade, actually, in a good way.  Thanks, Ray.  Thanks, Reg…Greggor.  That was really good.  Next I’m gonna send it to Tommen here with the next one.  Oh, thank you.  Next up was Blue who’s been in the parade since 1999 as a balloon.  They had all the hosts; Josh, Steve, and Joe singing.  I see the Wimpy Kid though, so I don’t know.  Scooter might have missed a page here, Ray, because the next float is actually Wimpy Kid.  Oh, Greg the Wimpy Kid.  Yeah, we missed that, but I’ve got it.  Don’t worry, Ray.

 

He’s a little bit deflated.  Sixteen book…big shot.  It’s out in sixty-five languages and a new film, but he needs some air.  Then we had Blue’s Clues.  They were dressed in purple, green, and blue.  Hoo, hoo, can’t spell Blue without you.  Another one with a good hook, as we’ve been saying, na na na na na na.  Wow.  Leave it all to you.  Then there was a commercial, so I’ll throw it back to you, Ray.  Thanks, Greggor.  Then we had a cheer spirit of America cheer, five hundred strong, and something about Macy’s.  Let me get to the tape here.  Spirit of America cheer.  They’re doing it in front of Macy’s.  I think they’re sponsored by Macy’s.  They have M’s on.  Then the big hip-hop hooray, Big City Cheers! float.  Big City Cheer!, is that what they are?  I thought you said that was the cheer of America’s…so then there’s a float as well?

 

Oh yeah, with the Big City Cheer! float with Miss Camille Schrier and Miss America 2020.  Then I’m gonna give it back to Bernie.  Thanks.  Bernie the Butterfly here enjoying the parade.  We had…after the Big City Cheer! float we get a Foreigner with a gospel choir.  Also note that they had probably the best-dressed dancers, the most elaborate costumes; robots and dolls.  This was a dollhouse-type float.  None of us knew the Building 51, and it felt like Area 51 over here ‘cause I said Foreigner’s back in the charts?  But that’s what they said at the top, so I don’t know if this is a re-release or…I mean, Scooter listens to yacht rock and Brene Brown listens to yacht rock, but I didn’t know it was back.  Maybe just with this choir, they put out a new album.  But it was nice, it was nice.

 

Then after that was I Want To…oh, that’s what they sang, I Want to Know or…yeah, I Want to Know What Love Is, right?  Then we had Boss Baby, Ready for Work.  It was Boss Baby’s second year, but it hadn’t been in the parade since 2017.  Then we had…have Macy’s Marching Band.  Fifties awesome.  I don’t know what that note means from Scooter, but I’ll try to figure it out here.  There’s Boss Baby.  Oh, they’re dressed as red…no, they’re dressed like a marching band.  Maybe they look a little bit like a band from Music Man.  Very large band.  Fifties awesome.  I don’t know what that means, Scooter.  Oh, they have cheerleaders, drummers.  Strike Up the Band is what they’re playing.  Toy soldiers with alumni from the past fifty years.  But I said, but the parade’s only forty-nine years old, or forty-seven.  I’m not even sure.

 

Then I’m gonna throw it to Mikey, who’s gonna talk about the next thing.  Oh, thanks, Greggor.  I mean thanks, Bernie.  Next was Tony the Band Leader which is a…not a giant balloon; a smaller balloon, but real.  A bear and a band leader who apparently is part of Macy’s new IP push with that Tiptoe and Tony.  Macy’s seems to be developing their own IP.  Maybe he even has a special.  Then it got even more surreal; they were selling…they were giving away free NFTs.  Then after a commercial, we came back and they had three triplet dinos, with the dino from the…whatever you call that…energy company.  Seventy-two people that dino and his versions of it have been in the parade since 1963.  105…185 something.  Then we have the Union High School…I don’t know.

 

I can’t read this, so I’m gonna send it back to Ray.  Oh, thanks, Mikey.  I don’t know what this says.  Oh, wait; that was something about it.  The Union High School Decibel Drive, Oklahoma.  Hats off.  Union High School, Tulsa Oklahoma Bands.  They have to run into place like a lot of the bands do.  They’re really good at doing that.  Oh, but they have Oklahoma dancers that take their…they have hats and everything.  They’re really into it, so that was nice.  Hats off.  Mr. Raismonds…Mr. Raisinscout…dashing bird land.  Oh no, this one’s for Bernie.  Thanks there, Ray.  Yeah, we had Mount Rushmore, not Mr. Raisin, Scooter.  We had the…a Black Hills, we have a country singer here, Chris Lane.  I Don’t Know About You.

 

At first I wasn’t…there’s a lot of country, and Bernie the Butterfly, I’m into boy bands, not exactly getting what I wanted, unless you consider Foreigner a boy band.  I mean, I was pleased with the TikTok Verdes, but this was pretty good.  At first I didn’t want to like it, but I said he’s into it and he’s having fun, so I let my preconceived notions about country music go, and I said oh, he’s doing a nice job.  He’s playing to the audience.  He’s there for them.  Then there was Smokey the Bear.  Oh, did I…?  Also, I was wondering though, not in a judgemental way; is…does country have autotune?  Is that a thing?  Then South Dakota dancers, they were good.  He was good at waving and emphasizing.  Do I kiss on the first date?  Bernie does not.  I mean, I would; I’d like to kiss a bottle of Gatorade.

 

Smokey the Bear; since 1944, and Al comes on the set there and says only you can prevent forest fires.  Then we see some clowns and we go to a commercial.  Okay, thanks, Bernie.  Then when we come back, we got the Papa Smurf there, and Fusion House Control.  Oh no, this is the Fashion House coach, a purple carriage.  A lot of good waving and clapping.  A dinosaur cutout with gold and a purple hat.  People had gold cards.  Oh, this was…so this was the singer…multiple…oh, multiple hair flips.  What I want, not when I want it.  Kim Petras, kinda like a more over-the-top Madonna-type song.  I want someone else to buy it.  Third time…Bleen from the Donger role.  I don’t know what that means.  But I don’t know, I thought…Pete…the crowd was loving it.  Again, the kids sitting in the front, they were cute.

 

Oh, next up is…is that Dragon Ball Z?  I think I’m wrong.  I can’t understand any of Scooter’s writing.  Third time blue from Dragon Ball.  Okay.  Then Bonjouro Louisiana…oh no, Bayou…Louisiana Office of Tourism.  Bernie, you want to take this one?  Oh yeah, my pleasure, Ray.  Thank you, because Jean Baptiste was on the ground in the crowd.  This was one of the highlights of the parade.  Great float, great dancers, well-organized.  The float had a gator or a croc with a opening mouth.  A little bit of Bourbon Street; they had stilt walkers, they also had clowns kinda separating their thing with the next one.  Baby Grogu was in the background.  But this was one of those great performances because again, if someone’s into the performance and into the crowd and doing a good job…on the ground, though.

 

This one, he spins around, he does a little Hammer-type dance, even.  He picks up the sack…saxophone, hands off his mic to one of the dancers, plays the saxophone, takes the mic back.  It was great.  Definitely worth a rewatch, oh boy.  Again, very well-choreographed.  Some of these, I think…I don’t know how that works, if the show pays the choreographer or each float does it.  But again, oh boy, this was as good as…I think, my opinion, as the Broadway…one of the Broadway performances.  Okay, well, that’s a big…oh wow, he’s…easing…oh, the audience was so into this, and his face is…he knew he was on camera, again.  That’s not a skill everybody has.  So, dancing, sax, and mic hand-off.  Rolling along, ball…oh, then they say roll along, have a ball bowling.  Signature hairstyle and outfits…find your lane.

 

Let the good times roll.  Oh, one of the pro bowlers has the signature hairstyle and a outfit.  2,000 bowling centers across the country.  Then next up is a scientist.  I think Cassandra?  Let me see.  Scooter’s notes are very, very hard to read.  But this, Bernie, was the closest thing to a boy band we got with the stem float.  Women of Stem, from Olay.  So, do you want to talk about it?  Yeah, Bernie the Butterfly here.  You know, you can’t have BTS in the parade every year.  You could, you should, but I realize that BTS is very busy and very huge.  So, instead we got a pretty good…I mean, not a boy band.  I prefer boy bands.  Also…so, that’s just Ray’s…Bernie’s preference.  I don’t know, Ray…I would say Ray would prefer it, too.

 

Sorry, I’m looking…one of the cool things about this float though is the sparkling lights in the hair of the scientist astronaut.  I’m watching this unfold.  Now, I like the little…they were…the band was working the crowd at first.  I also liked that some of the kids got helmets to hold, like they were an astronaut returning.  Yeah, we’re getting the band, they’re getting ready, they get in position.  I was not familiar with this group before this performance, and I thought it was a very good song.  Aespa was the name of the band, I think; A-E-S-P-A.  Aespa.  For sure, the…for sure…I don’t know what that means, but they sang the song Savage.  Oh my gosh.  They hit a nice segment with fast rhymes and they had a good dance, good…gimme, gimme now.  Gimme, gimme, gimme now.  So again, I like the hooks.

 

I liked that they picked a lot of songs with good hooks.  I just think that the energy of the performance was…maybe they could have had them a little bit higher on stage, because…I don’t know.  But I’m watching it again now.  This is my third time seeing it; I’m saying okay, well, they’re really in sync with the dancing.  So, I mean, maybe it’s just a little bit of a BTS…you know, thing, where Ann…again, this…their float was moving a lot of the time, and so, they did not have the same advantage as some of the other performers, where they had choreographed dancers with them.  So, I think it would have been a little bit better if they had had…whoever sponsored the float or was in charge gave them a whole crew, dance crew.  After that, we have Grogu, or as we know him, Baby Oso.  But this is a toy version of Baby Oso, Grogu, from Fun Papa.

 

Baby Grogu’s following along a ball, I guess the ball from the handle on the spaceship, though it’s detached from anything.  So, it doesn’t have a lot of…it doesn’t have as much context, ‘cause I said, is that supposed to be representative of an egg, of a frog being?  But then I said no, no, no.  So, that’s it.  I’m gonna throw it back to…oh no, there’s another band, so I’m supposed to stay here.  But let me see, ‘cause Scooter’s notes are like…you couldn’t even imagine.  Fun Papa…Oso…ball.  So it’s an ad, baby.  I love you.  Al…oh, Al is so excited.  He says, I love you, the kid.  Protect the child.  Then we have 190 people from Bransburg?  I don’t know.  Scooter’s…they’re doing a Cirque de Soleil song.  They’re very orange and autumnal colors.  They have flag-wavers with a little bit of a leopard print on their dress.

 

The band is…oh, Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg, Indiana.  Really good, though.  Really good performance.  Cirque de Soleil, I guess what they do…I didn’t realize this; the first two hours, they don’t really play very much holiday tunes, and then the last hour, that’s when they pack it all in.  Again, that makes sense ‘cause maybe you’d get fatigue, like holiday song fatigue or there’d be repeats, so I don’t know.  They go together in a nice shape, the marching band at the end, then Peanuts, Snoopy doghouse…fix O’Hall brain zoppa, Ram trucks.  Snoopy, eight…this is his eighth design.  Long nong…Peanut was…at some point Snoopy’s gonna actually go to space.  Oh, Charlie Brown’s hat’s very floppy over his face.  But I guess that’s a new style, which I don’t understand, ‘cause Charlie Brown’s head is kinda iconic.

 

If you say, what’s the most iconic thing about Charlie…?  Okay, his shirt, then his face, and then his head.  Okay.  Then we have Ovall’s raft, Zilo, shock flall, balloon ping, WTF.  Staw trages falcon…oh boy, this was…yeah, totally…so, it took me a second.  I can re-read Scooter’s writing, though.  Looks like Snoopy’s jumping, the balloon.  Oculus Rift.  This was ridiculous; no offense to the parade, but they had this…another special effect thing.  Again, I understand it; if you’re some sort of visual effects house, I’d go for it.  The Santa Claus special effect was excellent.  But they have a kid put on a Oculus Risk…Rift, then they have this strange fake balloon Star Wars segment with a porg, and it’s basically an advertisement.  But it’s one thing to have a balloon you had to pay to make…to have a advertisement.

 

Okay, I’m willing to do that, or I could see with the Rock, they say well, it’s our show.  But this is a fake balloon…two fake balloons.  Star Troopers are real.  Stormtroopers.  But then they have the Millennium Falcon come in.  I just don’t know about this.  I’d prefer…almost crashes into the butt of the Star Wars character.  Then they pick up the balloon and they take off, but none of it’s real.  You say okay, we’re just…we’re gonna cut out all the balloons and put in fake balloons.  Then there’s a real porg balloon, or is that a fake one, too?  I guess that’s fake as well.  So, none of us are fans of that fake…WTF, Scooter put.  Star trangen…falcon.  Where’s Han Solo?  I said hello, Han Solo’s gone forever.  Oh, then we have a Lego float.  Behold, brick…something.  Turkey dragon.  Six bricks of Legos can be like billions of something.

 

Sasharn…shan…color fran…be combined into 915 million shapes.  Oh, six bricks of Legos the same size and color can be combined into 915 million shapes.  Oh, that’s the math.  Then we have Zoe Wees.  This was…great coat.  I could have used…again, could we lift Zoe up one more level?  ‘Cause I think having the float down, it…I don’t know.  But Zoe did good working from left to right.  Again, did not have the advantage of having choreograph dancers.  I like how Zoe’s outfit matched Zoe’s hair.  What else we got here?  Her coat, great coat.  Good belting energy.  Great waves.  But again, they get cut off for Ronald McDonald who’s got a new balloon, the actual Ronald McDonald in rubber shoe cars doing a hand-heart.  So does Grimace.  Fifth Ronald balloon with a heart this time.

 

Cruising into Van Dimes…wish…make your wishes come true.  So, I don’t know what that means, either.  Oh, Jordan Fisher.  Oh, so this is this Disney thing.  Ray, you want to…?  Oh, Ray’s gonna have me take it.  So, we have Jordan Fisher; delightful, ‘cause we’ve seen him on some special.  He’s on a…fake…this is another new…now here’s the thing; these two companies compete with one another, which I think is interesting…with a Ronald McDonald balloon.  You humans, I mean, you crack me up with this stuff, the Ronald McDonald.  He’s holding the heart.  That’s pretty…that’s some funny irony to Bernie.  So, they have this Disney cruise ship.  You got Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, I don’t know if you got Pluto or Donald or Daisy there.  I’ll let you know.  They’re singing with Jordan Fisher.

 

It’s a Disney theme park type song; Sailing Together.  Counts…you can dream it, you can taste it.  Tiana’s there.  Who else we got?  Some other…I don’t know who else.  Oh, there’s people on the right side; I can’t even see them.  But you do have Donald, Goofy, and Pluto.  I don’t see Daisy.  It was a nice little song.  Jordan Fisher’s very good.  The cruise ship’s very cool.  I felt like it was nice to see Minnie singing.  I don’t know, I just saw two people up on a middle thing.  Oh, that’s Anna and Elsa I think there.  I like Jordan Fisher’s earrings, too.  Again, Jordan Fisher’s able to be pretty animated facially.  So, see, this is what I’m saying; how come…is this people just with acting experience or was there more direction?  I mean, I understand Jordan…’cause see, Jordan Fisher also has coordinated dancers things.

 

I say, how about everybody gets that?  I don’t get it.  I don’t think you’re doing good show for everybody if only half of the performers get choreographed dances.  Either do choreographed dances for everyone or no one.  I mean, yeah.  I guess that’s Ray’s thing, because it doesn’t give you a fair…I mean, Jordan’s doing very well and I guess because maybe Jordan Fisher I think maybe…I’d have to ask…Scooter’s daughter’s…probably does TV and singing.  Okay, but they just sing about going on a cruise.  A wish is all you need.  Oh, and I put ‘and a wallet’ over there.  Jordan belts it.  Confetti and ribbons, and then I’m gonna go back to you, Ray, for the next segment.  Oh, thanks, Bernie.  Yeah, I guess I do agree with you.  This is your friend Ray here.  We’re getting close to kinda getting through this.  This is one long parade.

 

I may not even…I may just go independent of the tapes.  Then we get green, pink, and yellow dancers from Laura Davis Spirit of America Dance Stars, 600 dancers with masks on.  Then surf’s up, Kalahari Big Splash Colossal Wave Float.  Slide in.  Country-inspired rapper Nelly.  I said, I didn’t know Nelly was doing crossovers with country stars.  I just did not know.  But Nelly sings the song a little bit, but it’s a…it’s kind of a country hip-hop…different from another popular song, Lil Bit, from a New Yorker, 50 Cent.  Right?  50 Cent’s a New Yorker, right Scooter?  Scooter’s…didn’t write it down.  ‘Cause I said wait a second, Nelly’s gonna cover Lil Bit?  But it was a different song.  Now, Nelly’s on a bigger float.  So yeah, Nelly had what Scooter referred to as this glove buddy on the slide there.

 

Again, Nelly has a little bit more experience, so…and Nelly was a little higher up in the float, so while Nelly did not have the advantage of coordinated dance routines with supporters, he had his buddy kicking it back on the slide.  He had great layers, a beautiful coat, St. Louis hat.  Then he had these sea kids going down the slide.  So all-in-all, a great performance.  Then Spongebob came.  Al was doing Spongebob’s voice.  Someone said Al, you inhaling the balloons over there?  Then we had…oh, Spongebob has two new series coming out, then we had Spongebob horns with red…Rondald, real nod…metamorphosis.  This we’ll just do from the notes for the rest of the parade here.  So, Ray will carry you off with a little bit of Scooter poetry just because we’ve ran so long.  So, lunch…very high.

 

School parachute…butterflies, peacock, debut.  Just for the fun of it…bird’s eye-view.  Girls5eva.  Having fun.  Oh, what are the dot dancers with the solar panels?  Gonna be forever.  Gonna be five ever.  What do you get?  Oh, we’re gonna be forever.  What do you want?  Five…got smiles.  There was a witty lyric in the song, but I can’t remember it now.  But great energy from Girls5eva.  That’s the show we watch, or a program.  Jump rope cardio kids, jumping for joy for 2.8 miles, The Jumpers United.  End on my rope…NHL frozen fun.  Snowman goalie.  Kids on ice with skates.  Mickey Guyton…something.  Puck spins.  Roller skates.  Ain’t we all American?  30th anniversary of Sonic, the blue blur.  I said, where’s James Marsden?  Friends of one…friends of unknown, Entenmann’s Bake Shop; one billion donuts annually.

 

Fifteen times around the earth.  Andy Grammer; Feels Good To Be Me.  That is a big rolling pin.  I’m no good at being you.  Oh, ah, oh, ah, oh, ah.  Na, na, na.  So again, good hooks or good whatever.  Ice cream cone, cake…grey…Cracker Barrel store with something.  Merry Christmas…Tauren Wells.  Nice shine.  Scooter…like hair.  Oh, Scooter like hair.  New take…holiday songs.  Bert runs into spin.  Mission Viejo…half first flight.  Oh, half the kids were on the first airplane from Michigan to Viejo.  Thinking mustang…pure imagination with ball dancers.  Gracy Ko, winner of a scholarship.  Papa Smurf is back; first time in forty years on Nickelodeon.  Humor heart and high stakes.  Three apple, four stores.  Kinder Joy…Fantasy Factory, two times the joy…perfect gift.  Darren Criss, A Very Darren Christmas.

 

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.  He uses a kazoo.  He does great acting, obviously.  Darren Chris we’ve talked about on the show before.  He’s performing the whole time; eye rubbing, creeping down the stairs.  Happy hippo.  Balloon…then they have another Santa special effect.  Elf pets…Elf on the Shelf, elf story, secret elves, sneezer crack up.  Oh, somebody from the set…I think it might have been Hoda, was either sneezing or laughing.  Then the Poppin’ Fresh Doughboy; 150 years, 17,000 cookies per hour.  3D calendar countdown…Hallmark Christmas.  Small town Christmas…Rob Thomas.  Bike toy…blue toy soldiers.  This sounds a bit like other songs, like Do They Know It’s Christmas Time At All, I think?  Sanderville High School…something and a partridge in a pear tree.

 

Birds, dancers, partridge in a pear tree.  Balsam hill, deck the halls…that ornament…add…a cappella Toys “R” Us kid.  I guess that store’s back, the a capellaists or something.  Geoffrey the Giraffe…Toys “R” Us is back at Macy’s.  Pokemon for the 25th first time…oh, it’s the first time with Pikachu and Evee.  Or Evee.  I get those mixed up…in a sled.  What does that say?  Confection Christmas in town?  Square…thirty-five moves.  Loafin…Christmas in town.  But Kelly Rowland, The Most Wonderful Time of Year.  It was very good.  Dancing…Santa Land Express…1932 parade for the Universal Macy’s Parade.  Pulling Macy’s singing Christmas tree, colleagues…something verses.  They’re doing different verses of Christmas Waltz Medley.  Passes the train though, so the train was not pulling it.

 

We Wish You A Merry Christmas is kinda the…how they finish it in this medley.  Beautiful singing.  Cats walking tin-toe…dancing with polar bear.  Oh, that was that Tiptoe, the dancing thing with a polar bear and penguin friends.  Affears and all the feels they get.  Then we have the Million Dollar Band.  400 members; University of Alabama.  But they have to run.  They do Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  Talking Heads; 220 women, 180 men in that one.  Hoda’s happy about the bard’s grand finale.  Santa Claus about band country…Wendy scene…Mrs. Claus.  Santa and elf up top…oh, with mask.  The elf had a mask on.  Snow paper, Santa sleds.  This Santa stood…oh, Scooter put ‘it stands like Brian Cox’.  So cool.  Had magic combs in his belt.  Santa’s continuing dancing.  Savannah notes it.  So, they both got a kick out of how much this Santa put into the performance.  Happy holidays.  Santa’s still working it.  Blows a kiss.  End music.  Santa Claus, Santa Claus, Santa Claus, and that’s the end of our parade coverage, everybody.  Goodnight.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(www.leahtranscribes.com)

Notable Language:

• Live Audience … Shenanigans?
• Heinz Homestyle Gravy Pirates
• Great Belting Energy (GBE)

Notable Culture:

• Annie: Live!
• Six Musical
• Aespa Band

Notable Talking Points:

• Hoda was almost dancing
• Al Roker is like a 5-tool player
• Someone on set was either sneezing or laughing