1397 – 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Recap
Tommen and Gregor and Ray and Ser Pounce will help me recap a parade that gave me a newfound appreciation for dancing in its many forms. Shout out to Hoda’s layering skills.
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Episode 1397 – 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Recap
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, balloons, floats, dancers, performers, marchers, cloggers, and all…anybody…parade viewers and people that are confused, welcome to Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to put you to sleep and keep you company with some holiDay Parade content, a lot of it, actually, 'cause it’s a long parade. It should carry you off into dreamland. If you're…welcome to Sleep With Me, by the way. This is a podcast that’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep. Tonight it’s with last year…coverage of last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Yeah, we’re a year behind. It makes it easier. Well, yeah, it’s a long parade, so…yeah, but it’ll put you to sleep.
I think this coverage will put you to sleep or keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. That’s my job, is just to be here whether you're listening to me or not, to be your friend in the deep, dark night. If you're new, we put out a lot of different episodes. We only put out a couple parade episodes a year, and only one Macy’s parade a year. So, it’ll be different, but it should…I don't know, see how it goes. We got plenty other episodes this holiday season, plenty episodes ready to go for you, and I’m glad you're here. Thanks for checking the show out. Regular listeners, welcome back. Super listeners, you're the ones we count on to keep the show going. So, if you are a super listener, these are the ways…you say, this podcast makes my life so much better; how can I help the podcast that helps me back? These are the ways you could do that.
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.
That could be thoughts on your mind, things you're thinking about, thoughts about the past, the present, the future, thinking thoughts, feelings, it could be anything coming up for you emotionally, like feelings related to those thoughts or feelings that are just left over, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, getting over something, work a different schedule, be in the middle of something. Whatever it is, I’m here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep versus putting you to sleep, which is a little bit different. But I make this show for two reasons.
One, you deserve a bedtime where you could get the rest you need so your life is more manageable, so that bedtime doesn't have to be such a struggle, such a rigmarole, that bedtime could be something you look forward to or at least feel neutral about. You say, well, at least I got that podcast, or that podcaster introduced me to something else that helps me fall asleep. So, that’s one of the reasons I make the show.
The other reason is I’ve been there, tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep, trouble waking up too early, all that stuff, and I just want to help you if I can, because I can…I mean, I know how it feels for me when I’m dealing with different things that get in the way of me sleeping and when I don't get…when I’m tired most of the day or I have a groggy feeling or whatever it is, the different things that come with not getting the rest I need, where my life is not as manageable. If it’s anything like that for you or if it’s different for you but it’s still not nice…you say, well, it’s different for me but it’s not pleasant; I can tell you that. I say, well, I still would like to help you if I can. What I’m gonna do is I’m gonna send my voice across the deep, dark night.
I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents. So, I’m gonna go off topic, I’m gonna get mixed up, then double back, repeat myself. This episode will feature different Sleep With Me guests that are…that come on the show, and they’ll be observing — pretty inaccurately, I’d say — the different parts of the parade. So, we’ll just see how it goes. What do you need to know? If you're new, welcome. This show does take some getting used to, and it takes so much getting used to that I have a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, for people that…it’s just not gonna work out at all. Like, if you say, okay, this is not gonna work out for me, check out sleepwithme…like, I don't like you or I don't think I’m gonna like you ever.
That’s totally fine. That’s why I have sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou set up. So, you could check it out, and….yeah, that’s what…yeah, that’s one of the reasons I make the show. What else do you need to know? Sorry, I confused myself there. What was I saying? Oh, if you don’t like…yeah, check out sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou. It has other sleep podcasts and sleepy stuff. But give it a few tries if you're new, and that’s not for my benefit. You got nothing to lose, and that’s what most regular listeners said; it takes two or three tries to get used to the show. Then after the second or third try, you're like, oh, okay, now I get it. So, give it a few tries and see how it goes…is just what most…'cause it’s like, at first you're like, where’s the sleepy stuff? I thought this was a bedtime story podcast.
You're gonna talk about a parade? There’s a butterfly that might be on here, or did you forget to have him on? I’d say, I did forget to have him on. But he had a episode earlier this year, so…oh boy, I gotta make an apology to Bernie the butterfly later. I forgot to have him on for parade coverage. But maybe I forgot. But yeah, so give it a few tries, see how it goes, 'cause this is a show that you kinda just barely listen to versus fully paying attention. It’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff versus putting you to sleep. It’s here to just keep you company and be a friend, like a friend on the phone, a friend, a roommate that’s…you say, hey, just tell me about that parade and the balloons. Was Bluey in the parade? Oh yeah, Paw Patrol, Bluey…yeah, there was Jolly Green Giant.
He’s got hair; it’s made of…I think his hair is…I don't know if he’s made of frozen vegetables or his hair is. Also, I believe he has a child. But I don't know…he’s part cruciferous, I think. He’s probably good…I’ve never seen any kale on him, thought. So, if you've ever wanted a friend to talk to you like that, that’s kinda what the show’s like, a little bit, 'cause my job is…it’s a podcast you don’t really listen to. Also, I’m not here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, which is different. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with the show. I’m gonna be here over an hour to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff, to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your neigh-bore, your bore-bie, your boreman, your bores, your Boris Borlaf, your best bore-friend f’eva, to keep you company whether you're awake or asleep.
Or, there’s people listening who can't sleep at all or need a break during the day, and that’s a different job. Your bore-friend’s just here to talk for your benefit and hang whether you want to hang with me or not. You say, okay, don’t pay him any mind. So, that’s what I’m here to do. So, a podcast you don’t listen to, it doesn't put you to sleep, most people don’t like it…oh, let me tell you about the structure of the show. I’m trying to do a little bit shorter intro 'cause this episode’s so long. But yeah, let me tell you about the structure of the show. So, we structure the show in a way to benefit the most people we can, but it is adjustable if you become a regular listener, depending on your preferences. Most people prefer an…a free, ad-supported version of the show, but that kinda depends on a bunch of different factors, right?
But this way it benefits the most amount of people; so new listeners can find the show and people that are just having a tough time temporarily or occasionally they need the podcast. But all of our versions start off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, okay, I could check that show out. Then, separate from the greeting, is support so that paying for the show is optional. Really, it comes down to the people that benefit for the most paying for the podcast, and then the sponsors keep it free for everybody else. So, if you're a super-listener, yeah, think about that. But if you're a new or occasional listener, don't worry about it. Then after the support, totally separate from the support, is a intro.
The intro is where I kinda unsuccessfully introduce what the podcast is, but it takes ten to twenty to fifteen to twelve to eleven, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen minutes or so, because the intro also eases you into bedtime, gives you a buffer between getting ready for bed and being in bed and falling asleep, like having a wind down. So, the intro…some people listen to it while they're getting ready for bed, some people are in bed getting comfortable, but a lot of people are chilling out, doing some sort of bed…wind-down activity or bed-down activity so they can ease into bedtime. If you find you don’t like the intros, we have a separate podcast in podcast apps called Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me that just has the bedtime stories.
But for most people, they like this intro 'cause, I don't know, it’s where we hang out and chill together, and every intro is different but it follows a familiar structure. So, I don't know, just kinda see how it goes. But you could also listen to Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me in any podcast app. Then after the intro will be some support, and then we’ll be talking about the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and running through it, and believe me, I miss a lot, but a lot…there’s so much going on that it gives me plenty to talk about. So, I think that’s it.
I’m really glad you're here. I work really hard; so do a bunch of other people on the show, because we yearn and strive to help you fall asleep, particularly this time of year. It’s a tough time to sleep. Thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, guests, travel, work schedules, temperature, going through stuff, getting over stuff, being in the middle of stuff, that’s a part of this time of year. So, I’m really glad if we can help you out. If this podcast makes your life better on a regular basis, these are the ways you could support the show back. Thanks.
Alright everybody, this is Scoots here, and this is our coverage of the Macy’s parade. We do…this year we’re doing the 2024 parade just 'cause we never…and otherwise it just takes too long. I don't even know…at some point…I don't even know where we are. I just know the 2024 parade…I have access to it. We watched a few times…and so, we're gonna run through it. It’ll be guests like Ray, the Gregor, Tommen, Bernie the butterfly, and myself. I don't know if I’ll be covering the parade at all. Yeah, I guess we’ll be doing it double time. So, take it away, Tommen.
Oh, hello, everyone. My name’s Mikey, not Tommen. Once I was a boy named Tommen, and I lived in a land called Wisderos. But Scooter came and took me and Ser Pounce…say hello, Ser Pounce. Meow. Oh, Ser Pounce would like to cover the parade in kiss…cat kisses, wouldn't you, Ser Pounce? Meow. Yes. So, I’m…I get to set up the parade here. No Butter this year that I remember from Scooter’s notes. Now, this starts with a show, and Scooter said this is a famous actress who started the show, but I don't have it in front of me…because I can't read Scooter’s handwriting. It kinda starts with the Macy’s Gift Guide, kind of like a commercial. I got to give…ninety floats and balloons and something to a rainy parade. Welcome. Let’s have a parade.
Two cut red ribbon…no Al, no Amy Kule, no other…no CEO of Macy’s, it looks, actually. Now, this is interesting because I’ve never opened the parade before, and I guess this is why it’s my year. Now, it used to be…Scooter was a big fan of Amy Kule — K-U-L-E, by the way, if you want to look it up — creative director of the parade. Then at some point the Macy’s CEO took over. I mean, we don’t have anything to say about it other than the fact he looks very much…very similar to a director of a show, a fictional show, based on my existence. So, that’s just a small world, I’d say. Ha, ha, ha. Okay, so, the Macy’s Gift Guide is running, and they have a curator, as well. Oh, the balloons are going by. Friends and neighbors…ninety floats, ten bands, thirty Rockettes, 600 things, 1,200 dancers…no, don’t say…oh, he doesn't like it, either.
Oh, he has the gold thing. Okay, so, they do a segment. Now they're cutting the parade. Matt Bush…Alison Brie, Scooter. I couldn't read what it said. Let’s have a parade. The confetti’s going. There’s the Macy’s dancers. There’s applause. Very rainy, but it doesn't look cold, which is…I mean, I’m sure it’s somewhat cold. Oh, very gold…oh, this…I forgot; this is another thing that was great, this number. Okay, so, they have this gold mirror and then Billy Porter appears from behind the mirror. Then there’s segment after segment of dancing; first, puffy-coat dancers dancing with Billy, Billy Porter. Okay, now he’s walking, talking…now red-coated dancers, raincoats, shiny raincoats, and a marching band. They're talking, he’s singing…now roller-skaters with earmuffs spinning around him.
Oh, there’s confetti on the ground. Now red vests with red hats…oh, now all the dancers are there together. Here’s the marching band…the parade thing when you lead a parade. Oh, gospel singers, stilt-walking friends, and…yeah. Oh, and there’s other…parade-made…what are they called? I don't know their title. You know…oh, this is the 98th. Now we got…okay, now we have previews of everything, and they're all projected on walls. Yeah, we're just watching that. I’m gonna turn it over to Ray in a second, 'cause we got the Broadway…cover the Broadway segment. But right now…oh, Tom Kenny from Syracuse. I know that was supposed…oh, here we go; Jennifer Hudson and the one-and-only Santa Claus. Oh, then Rockettes…okay, we have Rockettes. Behind the Rockettes are Hoda and Samantha, and Hoda’s holding an umbrella for both of them.
They're both in jackets and they're saying, what a great job…Billy Porter, Alison Brie, and…everybody’s ready to go. A lot of…wow, everybody that’s in camera view now has a red…what are those things called? Poncho, a red poncho on. Then clear ponchos if you're off camera. Clear ponchos? Probably $50, I’m just guessing. Ha, ha, ha. Okay, we see Columbus Circle, 59th Street, Central Park…this is a parade route that you've never experienced before. They're very excited. Cozy PJs…Tom Turkey…who’s on Tom Turkey, Hoda? Oh, I don't know. Who is on Tom Turkey? Let’s zoom in. Is that Al Roker on Tom Turkey? Yes, it is, Al Roker and someone else. I think it’s Charli D’Amilio and Al Roker together, waving to the crowd. Al’s reading…Al’s gotta work, though. I mean, right now he’s gotta read…he’s got cue cards that are waterproof. What a pro. Thanks, Tom. Thanks, Charli. We’ll see you soon. Now, first up, Alicia…oh, take it away, Ray.
Hello, hello, hello, everybody. This is your friend Ray, your neighbor Ray. First we see a behind-the-scenes with Alicia Keys and the music. Like, they're working on it. Or, I don't know…because…we're working off of Scooter’s notes. I think she was saying, we're gonna be in the parade. We're gonna be the opening musical. Isn't it exciting? Yeah, Alicia Keys announcement…Scooter, that looks like…A-M-O-N-T. Amont. In the crowd, Samantha and Hoda…tons of cool cat…oh, this group has cool cat hats. Ponchos…and then…at first, Scooter said, wait a second, there’s extra mics in the crowd. Is that a worker? ‘Cause to the right of Hoda is a young person with a mic. We said, huh, is that someone that works there in case one of the mics goes out? But, no, they do a little crowd work.
They're talking about…hey, you can watch this with a second audio channel if you're watching it live, which we are not. Don't worry, we're gonna see some Broadway performances from…sorry, I switched from…I had to take it back over from Ray. Sorry, Ray. I don't even know what happened. I think…okay, so, they're interviewing someone from Kansas. Oh, this is…I’ve been watching the iconic parade. I actually brought my own poncho. Well, that’s a great poncho. Then they have this thing where they're trying…this next…they try to get somebody to ask Jimmy Fallon a question, but he’s…I don't know, he has sunglasses on and a really nice raincoat. He gets interrupted by someone, and they're trying to stay on time. They say, don’t you love this parade, Jimmy? He says, oh, do I.
The energy, the holiday fun…I’m gonna be in it later with The Roots, you know? Happy Thanksgiving. By the way, we have another person…oh, you have a new album out, a holiday season album with guests Justin Timberlake, Megan Thee Stallion, Weird Al…wow, we’ve gotta listen to it, Scooter. We're really excited. We have someone with a question and…but he runs off, or he can't hear them. ‘Cause they say, what’s your question, Jimmy? He says, I can't hear you, and then he heads off. So, she did not get to have a question answered. But she says, hey, who would you invite over for Thanksgiving? Then Hoda says, of course he’d invite me and Samantha over. Oh, then we get the Tom the Turkey float again with Al and Charli. Charli, you're gonna be singing in this parade later, correct?
Yes; I’ve been watching my whole life. You're in…and Juliet? Correct. This is exciting stuff. She says, yes, it is, Al. It’s exciting to be with you, and it’s also really hard to stay balanced on this float. Okay, so now we have the Thanksgiving Day exclusive Grammy winner, Alicia Keys, and her thing is double…H double hockey sticks’ Kitchen, the musical, with the cast. Okay, so, it open…oh, sorry, Ray. Oh, that’s okay, that’s okay, Tommen. You're doing a great job. So, yeah, first we get…usually this is…the first third of the parade is the…HK we could just call it, instead of just hockey sticks. So, this one…we get a full cast performance. So, we have…I don't even…one, two, three, four…at least twenty-five people, maybe, dancing, and people playing drums, and a live band, even, on two stages in the background.
We get a good number here. Then they go to the crowd, then they cut back, and then there’s a piano on there. So, the lead goes from leading to playing the piano, and the piano just kind of appeared there, which was amazing. So, we get a very Alicia Keys moment, and…no idea whether it’s acting or real, which is okay. That’s probably good. Then we have a hug at the top of the stage. It’s raining. These people are dancing and singing their hearts out in the rain, which is…they say, we got a Broadway show to do here. Can we risk slipping? But I think it’s probably…well, I just don't know. They do a lot of crowd…switches to the crowd. But wow, this show…oh, let me pause it here. Can I pause it?
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. Then…oh, maybe thirty-two? Thirty to thirty-two depending…it’s paused on the internet there…and then four band members. So, wowee. That’s impressive. We go back to Hoda and Samantha. They're like, holy moly. National tour starts 2025, which is the year we're recording, the end of 2025 here. They say, Al…oh, by the way, it’s the 98th Macy’s parade right here. Let’s go to commercial. Then we come back and we see Al. We miss Butter. No Butter. I don't know if there’s been ever…what year was Butter in the parade?
Does anybody remember? Was Butter in the parade twice? But Al’s walking. He’s got really good boots on. Man, we’ve been in Columbus Circle quite a few times in the…twice in the last year, maybe three times in the last two years, maybe four. Just 'cause there’s a TKTS window not that far…also, by the way, that building there, the mall, is a good place if you gotta use the potty. You say, I don't know where I’m gonna go potty. Go in there to go potty. Okay, now we got Samantha and Hoda, and they say, okay, let’s…what are we gonna do here? We hope everybody’s having fun. Oh, they're with…they interview two Rockettes. I really like the outfits; striped…what are those called? Not checkered. We see them doing a rehearsal. But they have white, kinda puffy headbands, and then they have…what are those called?
Not checks; squares, green-and-red-striped dresses, white background. They're kinda like coats with squares that are green and red stripes. Now they're…oh, now…oh boy, so then we go to the next musical, which is a circus musical. We gotta get to Scooter’s notes here. Is this a real…? Circus Vazquez, Scooter. This is a real circus, not a…it’s a musical circus. So, we see all sorts of performances. Does this mean the Big Apple Circus…was it not in it? Holy cow, there’s…oh wow, that was a Slinky. That was a quick number, though. They throw it right back to Hoda and Samantha. Hoda says, okay, now we got…Sleep Becomes is the next musical we got here. But first, wait ‘til we come back. We kinda see some…so, it’s just…okay, it’s like, whatever time it is in New York now. I guess it’d be like, 9:30 there.
Okay, this is Broadway Cast. Sleep Becomes Hers…got Michelle Williams and…I’m sorry, I can't keep up with Scooter. But so, first, two of the leads are under umbrellas, talking. They set it up. Then we have Sleep Becomes…so, it’s very sleepy, right? So, we have this beautiful dress. I’ve never seen this movie, though, Sleep Become…a lot of purples, beautiful lavenders and purples, and also something that kinda looks…I don't know. It’s…almost looks geode-esque, part of the dress. I’m just trying to see what I got. Anna Gasteyer loves the parade. Maybe that’s later, Scooter. Circus…oh, yeah…oh, very geode…in crowd, very geode…love the purple. Does she have something on mic? Oh yeah, so it’s like…I couldn't tell if the lead singer…if she’s holding perfume or a mic.
But I think perfume is a part of the musical or the plot, maybe. But she’s holding some kind of prop, but it could be a microphone or maybe something else. We don’t know. I don't know. Then…oh, she puts her finger to her lips in a thoughtful way at the end there. That was great there. Okay, so, then they're talking. A couple of legends…Jennifer Hudson…is Jennifer Hudson in there, to? Wow. Michelle Williams and Jennifer Hudson in the same musical. Oh, then we see Reba. Grand Ole Opry 100. Happy holiday show. Scooter, are you sure that was Reba? Scooter doesn't know. Okay, we got Al; he’s out there. He’s doing some talk…walking and talking. Hi, how you doing, kid? Yeah, pretty great. Great to see you. It’s raining, huh? Yeah, but what are we gonna do? Well, I don't know. There’s leaves on the ground.
Now I’m happy. Okay, now we're here with the cast of The Outsiders. They even say, you're gonna be singing in the rain there. They say…okay, Sky Lakota Ranch…that’s the names. But yeah, they're interviewing about how cool it is to be in this iconic musical on Broadway that was based on the iconic film based on the iconic book. They say, we're gonna do your musical when we come back here. So, yeah. Confetti, leaves, dancing, Charli…that must be later, right? Ponyboy Curtis, a story about friendship…a Tony winner for Best Musical, The Outsiders. Oh, wow, he starts in the crowd, Ponyboy. He’s literally sitting with the kids and acting, and he’s singing and talking to them. I think 'cause he’s…and he has his notebook there. He gives a high-five to somebody. Oh, he does a little bit more crowd work.
Now he’s out on stage. Then the rest of the cast comes out. I think we got the…what are they, the Preps, the other ones? But they're doing a little dance-off. This is like a episode of Sleep With Me now. There’s a car, a classic car, there’s tires used as also mini-stages. Right now it seems to be peace and love, mostly, but…and dancing, but not offensive dancing. Maybe there will be. Okay, now…yeah, now we just have dancing for the joy of dancing. Oh boy, more joyous dancing, maybe expressing yourself as well…and there’s the Preps or whatever dancing, and…oh, some sort of…I don't know what you call that…and some…that’s not disco dancing 'cause disco wasn’t around at this time. Dancing on the car…and Ponyboy…and I’m not super familiar with the story.
I mean, I’ve obviously experienced it before, but…oh, now he’s got a jean jacket on. Holds up his drawing; says, I’m Ponyboy. Everybody says, great job. Then we go to Hoda and Savannah. They say, okay…they go, Al? Now Al’s with Anna Gasteyer. Scooter’s notes are…oh, there it is right there, wheel-riding. They were riding on the wheels there. Pony in crowd…she loves the parade. They're right there at the parade turning point. So, I say…Al, great look. So, Al…and they say, don't worry, we got you official seats. Oh, now…they go to the official seats now, which I guess means that…does that mean that the official…what do you call it? The part of the parade is over…where the…? Scooter’s not helping me. He’s just looking at me, nodding. He’s saying he doesn't know because he doesn't know the future.
But right now Al and Anna are talking. Then they cut to commercial there. Then we got dancing horses. Al’s interviewing people. Confetti, leaves, dancing, Charli D'Amelio, Tom Turkey, something about Ferris? Morning bird…maze official…let’s just see what Scooter’s notes say here. Okay, so, yeah, don't worry, Al, we got you a seat. Okay, so, I see that part there. Oh, yeah, they're headed up to the official seats. So, a lot of…what do you call…? Out-of-the-book Disney theme parks. There’s a lot of kinetic motion up until this part of the parade, where the kinetic motion of the parade starts. Hoda had on two jackets. Very smart with the rain. Oh, no, three, and then…good layering by Hoda. What an example-setter. By the way, Hoda, great job setting…showing us how to lay our clothing. I’m not being facetious, either.
You say, okay, if Hoda can layer clothing, then maybe I could think about layering clothing, too, instead of just saying, nah, I’ll just be cold or hot. No, layer your clothing. Then you don’t gotta…you could take it on or off. Okay, now the parade is officially starting here, and it’s really kicking off. Oh, then we have the leaves…Dancing Leaves with Charli D'Amelio. Okay, so, these are the Macy’s Dancing Leaves, and confetti. Oh, she’s dancing with them. Wow, okay. Okay, so, she’s kicking it off with them. Okay, she’s in somewhat of a leafy outfit. Wow, a lot of confetti and Tom Turkey there, and then people dressed as…I mean, in turkey-esque outfits. Oh no, there’s people dressed as turkeys, officially dressed as turkeys. Tom Turkey floats…Tom Turkey’s moving his head and his mouth and his eyes.
There’s people on the float dressed as leaves even with kinda acorn hats. Wow, that Tom Turkey float looks great. The last time I remember last year’s parade, it was Mario Lopez on there, but maybe that was another year. But I think we watched them out of order. Then the Macy’s band, Great American Marching Band, comes on. But now they're saying…now they're trying to keep time, so they're like, keep it up, keep it up, there. What else do we got here? I’m getting ready to turn it over to the Gregor. But Gregor’s only making a brief appearance, right? So, the Gregor will take over next. The marching band has a whole number with the Macy’s All-Star Cheerers. Stuart Minion…bane in something…I’m trying…Scooter does put a lot of work into taking these notes. That’s Minnie, so I don't know what Stuart is.
Minnie’s everybody’s favorite sweetheart with polka dots. Oh, she has to be low because of the rain and the wind, probably. So, it’d be a cool time to see the parade when Minnie’s so low. She’s kinda flying over everybody there. Not bad, you know. They're saying, Minnie, that’s nice. Santa, right now, is two hours and twenty-four minutes away, but not on this show. They're doing a quad-cam, so…and then they cut back. We see Po, we see Gogu, I think. They got the Santa countdown, but that includes commercials, right? Santa’s two hours and twenty-one minutes away by…with commercials. That’s a long time. Okay, they're talking about Sesame Street. Okay, so, Sesame Street’s the first up. Take it away, Gregor.
Thank you, Ray. We got Big Bird. The cast of Sesame Street…Lea Salonga singing…sing out…sing…so, sing a song. It’s really nice, all the Muppets singing together, singing with children, singing with adults, and saying, hey, we're all together here. We treat each other with dignity and respect. Also, Lea Salonga has nice earmuffs on, and a umbrella. Big Bird has a raincoat, which I like. I say, that’s a nice raincoat. Okay, next up is…oh, indigenous people’s…this is a beautiful dancing ceremony. Indigenous Enterprise is the group that’s performing. No rain protection, but they don’t seem to need it, either. They do great spacing. Beautiful dancing, beautiful…the designs that they're wearing are also beautiful as well. Then they go. Next up is Minions. Oh, that’s Stuart Minion and Banana.
Not…bana. Banana is what was next. Balloons…then we have flamingo, a rocking flamingo. Cole Escola is on the rocking flamingo, and…with a…what do you call that? That’s for the Bronx Zoo. A hundred and twenty-five years for that. So, take that, Macy’s 98th. Ha, ha. I’m just kidding. On that is one of my favorite Tony winners, Idina Menzel, and…doing a number from a new album. My Great Escape, is that what it says, or is that something else? But I really like this number. I always like Idina Menzel, and sometimes I forget that she’s…performances are so transcendent that I forgot, in the past times, that it was performance. Finally breathe some air so I could sleep…but, you know, now iconic because they make movies based on her and Kristin Chenoweth’s performances in a musical.
They say, well, we could make movies now. They're prepping the film. So, now we get Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande behind-the-scenes. Then we have bowling pins and a bowling toy, which is a advertisement for bowling. Never seen this bowling toy before, but it’s getting ready to bowl. I don't think it really will. It’s like a child puppet. Then we got the Marching Buckaneers from Tennessee. They come on and they do a number. Maybe they were playing My Great Escape? No, that was Wicked Preview, Macy’s Spirit of America. Hoda and Savannah love it. That’s what we have coming up that Scooter’s predicted. So, yeah, this band is going. They're doing a great job. They open up their own banner that says, Happy Thanksgiving. Okay, everybody, that’s great. Okay, and then they talk about bread and confetti.
Oh, Wonder Bread, there’s a Wonder Bread float. It floats on by with The Temptations on there, and they're all in red, looking very tempting with the Wonder Bread and singing. Then…oh, we just have number after number here. So, The Temptations…yeah, really, they have umbrellas and…but they have New York caps on. Not everybody does. Everybody’s dancing, and the bread has cloud planes, planes that look like clouds. Then they move on. Then Ronald the Donald is there with Grimace and the Ham-Taker, and some people driving a shoe car. He’s in a shoe car. Then he’s also…the balloon…he says, by the way, pay tribute to my balloon…holding a heart, because you know you love me. I’m Ronald the Donald. Look above me; I’m followed by…you can create a icon of me.
Then we have a Spirit of America cow-style float, cow…Western-wear outfits, and Dasha’s on there. Dasha’s tossing their hair around, saying, yeah. We haven't got to point where we’ll do holiday songs, though. So, it’s just singing right now. But Dasha says, oh boy, where’s a will, there’s a way. So, let’s keep on dancing. You know what I’m saying. So, that’s Dasha, and Dasha’s laughing; that’s funny. No…Dasha has a raincoat but no umbrella. Then we have…this is the Spirit of America Cheer, Macy’s Spirit of America Cheer, 600 young people dancing and cheering their hearts out. Oh, and that's where Hoda and Savannah, they're dancing along with it. Wow, it’s so much in sync. They have good camera angles there. Like, they had a side camera angle that showed all the pom-poms from the side.
Now we're seeing…oh, there’s…Hoda’s really getting into it. Did they just have a sign that said, H-O-D-A? We love Hoda. I couldn't see what that one said. To go, I think, maybe. I don't know. They say, what a great job. Then we have Bluey. Bluey is…Bluey and friends. They have a car. They drove all the way from Australia in a balloon. Bluey also has a red balloon. Bluey says, yeah, I flew all the way here. Boy, am I…boy, is my helium tired. I got all the way here, and it’s raining. Hello, Earth. Good to see you. I’m Bluey. Then we have a Kinder float, which is creating Kinder toy…Kinder treats, maybe in kindergarten. We’ll get more of it. Hardy, har, har. Tiler Peak and…not sure I could read that. Tiler Peak, maybe, is the singer.
I don't know. I’m waiting. Alex Warren, he’s singing a song, playing guitar. No jacket, Scooter pointed out. Dancers…no jackets? Oh yeah, there’s romantic dancers that are just in romantic dancing outfits. Impressive. Okay, and then…oh, I’ll take…I was just told by Ray; I’ll take this to the commercial…to the next commercial, though, right? Okay. So, I’m taking one more segment. Flower Power Marching Band…and they're doing a polka-dotted Yayoi Kusama. We saw that Yayoi Kusama’s exhibit recently, and these are very yellow polka-dots. The Flower Mound…Flower Power from Flower Mound High School.
Then some visitors coming in…it’s Spongebob and his best friend, Gary, but also the most famous person from Syracuse, New York, in the parade, Tom Kenny, one of the…maybe the most…you got some other quality, famous people, but Tom Kenny’s in the top…gotta be in the top five. Not to offend…Scooter’s probably not in the top twenty. Maybe top twenty. That’s okay. I mean, Tom Kenny…I mean, you got Tom Kenny, you've got the Baldwins, Vanessa Williams…so, it’s no offense to Scooter. Dora…oh, Dora’s back. We missed her. That’s what Hoda says. Dora’s back on the air. There’s Dora’s balloon. Dora’s balloon made eye contact with me, 'cause they have it lowered.
From YouTube is Natti, Natti Natasha, all the way from YouTube here to sing to us today, Natti Natasha, doing a song in the rain on the float for Dora the Explorer. Syracuse’s own Tom Kenny, balloons, dancers, Natti Natasha. She has an umbrella, of course, too, staying dry. Her dancers also do not have jackets. So, hopefully they switch them in and out or something, or maybe it’s just 'cause it’s late in the parade and maybe they have some warm place? Oh, I’m gonna do one more segment because I’m getting to the…I’ll be at the halfway point of the parade. So, okay, one more segment. We got the man…the web-based being, the web-based hero, and we go to a Bollywood performance here from the Peacock Clad Group. Aum Dance Creations…and we’ve got people dancing.
Oh boy, and then also non-jacketed…adults and children together. Yeah, they're really dancing it up, and in the rain is what is most impress…well, it’s also impressive is they had enough time. Okay, then we have cute hatchlings, dino hatchlings, and then the Sinclair Dino, who has a Parasaurus on their back, like a city bus and a cab together, the most famous ones in the parade since the sixties. It’s actually a separate balloon holding on tight, maybe. That’s the dino. We get a nice shot of the crowd, and then we have Greg from The Kid. Greg’s been journaling since 2007. Nineteen books, very popular books…and then there’s a block of cheese, a queso, a mouldy queso. He’s pointing at it and saying, huh…and the people pulling the balloon are waving, and they seem to be enjoying themselves well.
He’s kind of curled up. Like, he’s jumping. So, again, being these…these balloons these low…wow, very shiny shoes on the balloon. Then we have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, heroes in a half-shell. TMNT. TMN…TMNT. Back again, time after time. This is Tales of TMNT, and they have quite a big band. They're a famous band…on their float, singing Why Can't We Be Friends? The band is called, What’s It Good For? We're good for singing and entertaining. That’s what we're good for. Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends with turtles? Hoda and Samantha are singing along. There’s lots of kids in the float. It’s very nice and cheery, and…very nice. Everybody’s saying, yeah, why can't we be friends? Everybody should be friends. So, with that, I’m gonna turn things over to whoever’s coming next. I guess Ray, and Ray will take it over from there. Thanks, everybody.
Alright everybody, Scoots here. I’m just firing up the Macy’s…round two, second half of the parade. Oh boy, who doesn't love a parade to put you to sleep? Alright, we got this thing on mute, right? Okay, 112…so, this is…Wimpy Kid’s passing by right now. I’m getting my notebook ready. Alright, so, let’s see where we left off. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, maybe? Wow, it’s really rainy. Just picking up where Ray and everybody left off. This is Scoots here. I think I’ll take it home, not…me and Ser Pounce. Right, Ser Pounce? Meow. Yeah, Ser Pounce is kinda sleeping. Right, Ser Pounce? Meow. Yeah, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ forty-year anniversary. Yeah, W…like, what’s it good for? What’s…W…what’s another reason it’s good for? This song, Why Can't We Be Friends, and dancing with the things?
Next is…according to my notes, is Rachel Platten, Platten? Great outfit, I said. Smoke…Roa’s earmuffs? That can't be correct. But let’s see how I’m wrong. Paw Patrol, Marshall…desalination…Amherst, Everlasting Love…okay, here’s a marching band in red. Oh, Al’s back. Al seems to be in a different chair, though. Huh, interesting. I didn’t notice that. Or maybe I just said, don’t comment on it. Only an hour and a half more of this parade, technically an hour…yeah, an hour and fifteen minutes. But yeah, we're gonna hit well over fifty minutes. Maybe I’ll…okay, so, who’s up? Rachel Platten, and the Rao's homemade thing. That’s what it is. We don’t get any…I don't think we get any holiday songs until the last hour. But Rachel’s done with people pleasing, which is smart.
Oh wow, great dancers, again without any…I’m hoping it’s warm out. I would presume…oh yeah, a lot of fog effects or smoke. Rao's…oh, Roa’s, I put, R-O-A, 'cause I do have dyslexia, though. Great earmuffs; okay, that’s confirmed, too, and Rachel saying, yeah…I like the…what is that, a plaid, right? Not tartan plaid, but something else. The dancers really worked hard. Yeah, there’s Paw Patrol, super popular. That’s Marshall, Marshall Brave or Marshall the Brave, maybe? I don't know. I don't watch…I mean, I’m an adult; I watch…I’m childish, but I don't watch Paw Patrol. Not because I have anything against it. I like how his paws are moving. Okay, then, yeah, University of Massachusetts Band…Natalie Cole, Everlasting Love. Run…Ron…oh, Ron…? No, I don't know what that says. It’s something.
Then Peach, metastray to pickle…Ariana, Love Island…media…Say You Love Me. Let’s see if any of that’s accurate. This is fun. How inaccurate are Scoots’ notes? Okay, so, that’s a Peacock preview I’m seeing. Herald Square…oh, Peacock, a twenty-six…tall bird for the Peacock channel. On the peacock is peacock streams. You can see streaming peacock…oh yeah, a viral hit, Ariana…maybe from Love Island? Madix or Maddox…and she’s singing. So, this was the hit of the summer. Not this summer; another one. Some people were…on the float weren't waving ‘til the camera was on them. They're like, by the way, you're supposed to be waving. ‘Cause they were…I think 'cause they were enjoying the music and the crowd so much. This also has a dance group that doesn't have any rain gear.
So, a lot of dance groups…oh, the peacock turns its head, even. What is…Everlasting Love…run-throughs? Maybe they had to run through there. Kylie Minogue’s coming up soon. They just…Kylie’s in the audience, or…that’s exciting. Kylie Minogue doing her own…she has her own stage. She’s performing right on the street, like Broadway. 8 million records…she’s got her own red table, umbrella that matches her dancers…very cool, very cool. Six dancers…man, really well choreographed. I mean, and they didn’t know they would have to hold umbrellas. Oh, there’s six dancers on…main dancers, but there’s also a lot of other…more dancers, more dancers. I don't want to say other dancers or secondary…oh, wow, the stage lights up with neon. But yeah, put that double exclamation point.
Around the rim of the stage…Savannah’s having fun. Al and Hoda are like, wow, what a performance. Right now we're getting the dancing, we're getting the singing, Kylie…and, wow, yeah, great coordination. I like the red table. Very…I guess very Macy’s. And the other dancers…oh yeah, Savannah was…yeah, they're really moving and grooving. I don't know if this was a new director this year of the telecast, or, I don't know if…what you call it, but a lot…wow, they're really dancing along with it, all three of them. Now, this is two-time Oscar nominee, style art icon. She has flowers for Hoda 'cause it’s her last parade, maybe? This is Hoda’s last parade? Flowers for Hoda; that’s one of my favorite short stories I haven't written yet. Flowers for Hoda.
So, they're talking about the movie that was coming up at this time. It hadn't been out yet. Worldwide sensation…the movie called Not So Nice All the Time. It also has other names and…based on the Broadway musical. Part 1, and then Part 2 will also come out. Cast a spell with some promos here, maybe is what that said. Hoda’s touched. Cynthia, she sticks around or makes a comeback. She’s a big fan of the parade, and kinda seems like she’s a big fan in a good way of a lot of things, 'cause later she comes back…okay, yeah, there’s our preview of the movie. This was early on, you know? So, this is the first half, and this is when the movie was even…I think even more successful than people anticipated, and I knew it was gonna be successful. I really hoped it would be. Okay, now we go to another float.
It’s the passing of the torch, the Freedom Float. WNBA, New York Liberty players, world champions, and also a…oh, the Liberty mascot and a band, I think, 'cause it looked like there was…there was music, for sure. What do we got? Cast a spell…mace and T…? There’s a web-based being. He’s coming in. He’s saying, better check your stockings…soon be there. He looks good, I put. Then Sioux Falls, they play…Sioux…Lincoln Sioux Falls Band plays Empire, State of Mind, and New York, New York. Yeah, Lincoln band from Sioux Falls. Great…Sioux Falls is where I had a vehicle break down a long time ago, and the people were very helpful. So, Sioux Falls has a great place in my heart. Okay, on stage while Sioux Falls plays? Oh, that’s just members of the Lincoln High School Band. On an apple?
Then we have a Disney cruise with Mickey and friends, and all the stars are there. One Piece…then we have the New York Safety Squad playing The Final Countdown. Then something gummy…Horatio gummy bear? Or Naruto and gummy bears? Then a mini-balloon…yeah, Mickey, Aladdin, and Jasmine, Minnie…what else do we got? Pluto…what do they call that? The Fab 5. I think they have the Fab 5. Toys “R” Us is in Macy’s. Something comes out…we’ll get to it, though, on something. Spirit of America Dance Stars, Po from Kung-Fu Panda 4, then we have…Wednesday flied? Wormsday flied…awesome…? Bishop Briggs…wins down…Patty…Patty Blanco? I don't know. Has holiday directions…preview of Scene 2…Dragonball’s 30th, Riverdance 30th…the new generation.
So, Dragon Ball Z and Riverdance are the same age. Never would have guessed that. But Dragon Ball Z is just like, yeah, this is 30. Riverdance 30: The New Generation. Kalahari float has Coco Jones…kids are on the float. The crowd loves Coco Jones and the Kalahari float. Oh, there’s the gummy bears one. I don't know what my question was. Oh, the bear; there’s the bear. The gummy bear bear balloon; that was probably what I was talking about. So, that was impressive to me. Jonesborough High School comes next…Danny’s or Denny’s…Jolly Green Giant, Walder Hayes and family…fancy life…guitar-playing dino and a magical unicorn. RSVP today. It’s a great party. Oh, this is the Toys “R” Us thing. Right now, her latest album, Paradise. Chloe in New York…she comes out. Great hat. Chloe…it’s just Chloe.
It’s not Chloe…she’s in New York. Okay, what else do we got? Jolly Green Giant, Jenny…old turkey, T-Pain and Green!! Double exclamation point…matches the float. Smokey Bear? 375 members of this marching band…that’s wild. Peanuts and Snoopy and something else on Peacock, maybe? Rockafell…Rockettes…different than the interview outfits, I want everybody to note. There’s Spirit of America Cheer for Brat Summer, which has passed. Oh, wow, this was after Brat Summer. This was in November, huh, of 2024. 2024, right? No; 2025 you'll be hearing this? No, no, 2024. Yeah, 2024. Yeah, 2025 is the year I’m in. Wow. So, this was in November, huh? Man, what…but great dancing there. Spirit of America Cheer…I think that’s what that was. 600 dancers; that’s quite a feat, quite a lot of feet, and it’s raining.
There’s Po flying back to new heights. Po…we all know Po. Jerry, Matthew something…Holland sing…back something…blue-and-pink marbles…something cut short? Gabby’s dollhouse with a real-life Gabby…universal something, Santa teaser, Macy’s train, Jimmy Fallon, Hey Rudy, Elf on the Shelf…okay, here’s…oh, Wednesday float…a hundred hours to complete the Wednesday float for Netflix. 2025, Season 2 is coming out. Bishop Briggs…and they have Wednesday dancers. So…oh, wow, great look. Whoa, man, that would be fun to be a dancer in that one. Really great float. Really great dancers.
That looks like…I really like that all the floats had…I mean, maybe I just forget this every year, but their own…and I wonder if they cast that just with New York City dancers or if they do have to cast even a wider…'cause they need so many dancers. Hopefully they're all paid. I don't know. I mean, I would hope so, though. It’d be a great way for them to make money for the holidays. There’s Grogu…Goku; sorry, and…with perfect hair. 40th anniversary…by the way, Scoots, is it the 40th anniversary of the new generation of Irish step-dancers? That was Riverdance? It is. They came back right after the commercial, tap, tap, tapping away. That’s thirty years of that, too.
This is the new gen…it would have been…in my opinion, it probably would have been two generations, but I don't know how that’s defined, anyway. Avon Marching Band is later after Elf on a Shelf. There’s also a Lego float. Kylie Cantrall…some kind of bobsled, Hallmark Channel with Dan and Shay; they…something about holly and Christmas. Two Hallmark house sevens? Lake Hamilton Marching Band…great something…? Oh, this is the Kalahari float, so I’m way ahead, which is good. Wow, there’s a lot of dancing going on in the Kalahari float. So, we go back to that. Great colors. A lot of kids on there. We're still in the pop-music phase. We haven't gotten to the holiday-singing phase, to be not a middle man but a better man. A lot of applause. A lot of things from…cheering from the crowd.
Super Bowl halftime show…this band was in it. Goodwin Jonesboro…Goodwin must be one of the directors. Wow, they…some of the band members had to sit on the ground even though it’s soaking wet and it’s raining. So, that’s asking a lot. Maybe they had given it up for…this is their moment, right? So, they're going right now. Looking ahead…Dan and Shay, Lake Hamilton…I don't know what that says. Pillsbury dough person…balsam hall tree…maybe a glitch there, 'cause we see Al chilling? I don't know what that is. Elf on a fox? I don't know what that means, either. Here’s a veggie…veggie, veggie…not veggie, veggie, fruit, fruit; it’s veggie, veggie Green Giant. Is this the one with Dan and Shay? This is another Walker Hayes and family.
He’s talking about whipped cream…so, not going home to Alabama…so, not a holiday song yet. I think we're still…oh, wow, we're under an hour. Twenty…thirty-nine minutes left in the parade without commercials. So, I guess that’s close to an hour, though. Okay, so, that’s going. B Street Oreo Shakes…Baby, Come Home…so, who…? I don't know who sings that. Elf on a fox…Santaverse…husband and wife? Jenny O. turkey with T-Pain is next. I like that Jenny O.’s hat moves and then there’s something under it. Man, T-Pain’s got this coat on. Perfect for the weather. Again, layering…and, what else do we got here? Central Park, quick…Macy’s chair, Sebastian, Santa Claus is enough to…tomorrow…? WSO 35A Union Band? Jennifer Hudson?
Dancers…Dear Jinglebells, Merry Christmas, Peace and Goodwill on Earth, Snow and Confetti, Cynthia’s back…quite wonderful. Flower, flower…timpty…diner’s 3 song…something. I don't know. Okay, let’s get back, 'cause I think that’s probably the end of my notes. Maybe there’s one more page. Santa Claus…Eliza Cole, Mrs. Claus…something. Okay, this is a band from Carolina coming in, and they're playing. They're trying to keep everybody moving now 'cause they know Scoots…University of South Carolina’s band. They're doing some dancing as well, cheering, band playing…what are those things called? Baton-twirling, directing, and marching off. There’s the Peanuts. Wow, Lucy’s really moving. They have…even though they're…they have ponchos on. How did they get their…?
Oh, I was like, how did they get their ponchos over their heads? Then it became obvious. There’s Scout Snoopy with Woodstock, and Snoopy’s moving. Very…there’s the Rockettes; they're coming up. Forty minutes, according to the official clock. World-famous Radio City Rockettes. So, they come out. They perform. A weird cut to another float, but that’s fine. They get their moment. They're also…I hope it’s warm because…holy moly. I mean, I assume they don’t need my…they definitely don’t need my help with these parades. They say, Scoots, we got…we actually…we’ve done this for, whatever, ninety-eight years or something. So, they don’t need my advice, though I’m happy to give it. Happy to give it…I’m happy to give my two cents even in a sleep podcast or a slip podcast. Still…Rockettes still dancing away.
So, again, I think if you have Macy…the Macy’s things or the things that are connected to Macy’s, maybe they get a little bit more…I thought…maybe…I thought they all did…oh, wow, they're doing the line…the leg-kick line now, and that’s it. I don't care how many times you see it…wow; I think Al says that. Okay, here’s the candy tree or candy float. BRX…Brox, I think. I’m just reading the generated things. Who do we got on here? Jingle Bell…from the film Jingle Bell, here is Joey McIntyre. I didn’t…I must not have been able to read my writing…a new kid, Joey McIntyre. He’s in sky blue and pink. It matches the float just like T-Pain did. He looks very distinguished. I would say…I don't know…he could be…can we get him as…in some sort of leadership role somewhere?
I’d vote…say, new kid most likely to be in a parade right now. Okay, there’s Gabby, a Gabby balloon, Candy Paws…that kinda rhymes with Santa Claus and Candy Paws, and there’s real-life…the actress who plays Gabby is also there. So, that’s what real-life Gabby meant. Then we got some drumming. Oh, this is a Universal Orlando preview. So, their holiday parade, 'cause that has balloons, which…I haven't gone in a while. Like a year, maybe? Eh, maybe a year. Still walking and waving…really nice. Then a train, Santaland Express. We got a band on that. Oh, that’s where Jimmy Fallon is. I don't know if part of The Roots is on there or the rest of them are on another part of the train. Oh, there’s Elf on a Shelf and some sort of polar bear dancing together. They're talking…this song’s about Rudolph.
I guess the Elf on the Shelf…is that part of the Santaverse? Is that a thing or are they trying to make it a thing? I didn’t practice that with my daughter. I mean, 'cause I just don’t have…I never could have committed to it. But people were explaining to me recently…like, give me all the rules of Elving on the Shelving. It sounds like it’s really good. Hey Rudy; I think that was the name of it. Classic holiday movies…here’s Avon…oh, this band is…what’s the artist? Did they say it? Another marching band dressed as art. Maybe a Lichtenstein? Lichtenstein? Roy Lichtenstein? I don't know. I’m probably wrong, but…that’s Avon High School. They have frames, even, and they're swaying. Oh, we get a skycam. Jennifer Hudson’s coming.
They also have a preview for the Purina dog thingamajig, and…100%-imagination Legos coming up next. So, this was before I did all these Lego episodes where I…you say, you don’t know your pip from your whatever. Okay, so, we have the Lego float…advanced…kind of like…what’s that…? Starlight Express-type outfits. That’s Kylie Cantrall. They don’t have…what are those called? Roller skates on, but it kinda has that look to it. Now, this is a holiday song. Snowflakes, green…make sure the lights are right…red, red, Christmas…so, seasonal songs towards the end of the parade. Everybody’s cheering. Oh yeah, then in a…Pokemon…Pikachu is in a sled, a bobsled. People love Pokemon. Pikachu…I like saying Pikachu. Pikachu’s got a scarf on. Counting it down.
Fifteen years of Hallmark movies mega-calendar this year…and that’s Dan and Shay, I think, on there. They make a heart with their hands. Oh no, Jonathan Bennett and Christina Mason…oh no, and Dan and Shay. Dan and Shay are in kinda…they're singing another…I don't know if it was one of their own holiday songs or…they're in single-tone suits, one green and one maroon. A lot of dancing. This is the TV calendar float. They got dancing toy soldiers in blue. Don’t come a-rocking when the Hallmark Channel’s float is rock…don’t come a-knocking, right? It does seem to be bouncing. Now it’s moving on. It’s officially good to be Christmas or whatever, a country debut. Jon Shultz Lake Hamilton High School Band comes through next.
They have sweaters on. Looks like they're getting rushed 'cause, yeah, we're getting towards the end of the parade here. Pearcy, Arkansas? What do we got? On my time we got fourteen minutes, but on their clock it’s different. But I almost…now I’m watching in normal speed. Oh, they have their own little quilts. There’s the Pillsbury dough person. There’s an icon if you've ever seen…if you ever wonder what an icon is. The Pillsbury Doughboy is icon-esque. 250,000 crescent rolls could fit in that balloon. Here comes Jennifer Hudson soon, they promised once again. Stick around. Okay, Balsam and Hill float is up next. It’s got dancing ornaments and gifts, but they're kinda so restrictive. The dancing is not great. A little hiccup, they said. Incredible band, but…so, I guess they're trying to buy time. Al’s just chilling.
Okay, now I see. He’s just a little…like, that’s fine. It’ll work out. So, now they show stuff from the Santaverse, which is Elf on the Shelf. I don't know, Macy’s must know that…and some Arctic fox. They’d like to go through the Northern Lights. Yeah, they talk about the Elf on the Shelf and…world. They all say, hey, let’s take a break. We’ll come back. Back to the Balsam and Hill float…and now we're gonna get it going. We're trying. Church bells are ringing, and it’s Peace and Treaties who’s singing. Entreaty to peace, a peaceful way…they have a little choir on the second floor, some Newsie-type kids or Dickensian kids, then we got the Central Park float. Now they really gotta get it moving, though. Central Park scene, gothic bridge, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Macy’s mission, and Sebastian Yarta? I’m sorry, Sebastian. I’ll get it here.
Oh, they're kinda singing together. Sebastian Yarta singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town all as a group. So, that’s…I think this is the Macy’s Employee Choir, which is great. I always like seeing them. A lot of times they were in a tree-type thing. Yeah, he’s gonna check that list. He’s gonna check it twice. He’ll find out Scoots has been doing this episode for what feels like years. But we're almost there. We're almost home. Now we got the West Virginia Band and Mountaineers, RC…359-member ensemble. These bands are huge. I just wonder how they organize even rehearsals. I think maybe I talked about this, but I was just thinking about it. I was asking somebody in person; I said, well, how do they even organize a rehearsal with 350 people, 360? Amazing. Amazing to me. So, they're dancing.
They got…they have cheering, they have baton-twirling, flag-waving, drumming…and, again, a preview for Jennifer Hudson. I think she gets her own stage. Oh yeah, she does. She’s got gifts. She also has a circular stage. She’s got a band and backup singers. Emmy, Oscar, Grammy, and Tony…right? Emmy, Oscar, Grammy…that’s like the…whatever the thing is, like the World Cup or something. Oh wow, she’s got dancers in front of her, too, in tuxedos. You haven't heard Jingle Bells like this. She comes out and we get a lot of dancing, a lot of leading, got…oh, she has a umbrella and they're holding a umbrella for her. Red gloves on the main dancers with matching flowers and the umbrella and her…I mean, red’s obviously a holiday color, but it’s popping. Yeah, put your hands together and celebrate this one, right?
Everybody’s saying, yeah, let’s celebrate it, hey. Let’s celebrate the season. Jolly…pick me up. You know the feeling. Come grab my hand and hold me tight. Rocking around the Christmas tree. Goodwill towards people…I see the shine of light…and she’s sparkling, too. Holy cow. So, Jennifer is…she must be the closing act before Santa Claus, I’m guessing, the last performance. She has her own circular stage, which was different than Kylie Minogue’s. Also, I gotta give props…or, I’m assuming. It looks different than Kylie Minogue’s stage. So, I say, great job investing in that. Oh yeah, a lot of confetti coming down. A lot of confetti on Jennifer. Then Cynthia’s with…she’s like, I want to see Jennifer Hudson, so thanks for having me back. So, everybody’s happy. Everybody…the crowd’s happy.
Quite wonderful, she says in an English accent. Quite wonderful. Then we see Flavor Flav in the audience. I say, wait a second, that’s Flavor Flav over there. What are the odds? Then we have…this is the Santaverse or whatever. We got that famous other…Sprinkles or something. I forget what it was called. I remember it was the first year in the parade; the most moveable dancing balloon. I don't know if…it’s not called Sprinkles, though. Then they have another set of dancers, but all the confetti’s on the ground. Somebody’s singing, or it’s just music, because they're singing Happy…I can see…Happy Holidays. Maybe this is just the Santaverse dancers. More crowd shots of people happy, and…oh yeah, and there’s Santa. That was Santa’s dancers. Santa’s dancing. Emmy winner Liza Colon…and Santa. There’s Mrs. Claus and it’s snowing. Oh, there’s dancing trees, clapping, and the credits run as I carry you off into dreamland and say, goodnight, everybody. Thanks.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)
-
Seasonal / Macy’s Parade
2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/macys-thanksgiving-parade-2024-tv-ratings-1236073896/
https://www.today.com/life/holidays/blog/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-2024-live-updates-rcna181218
Late Night Albums
https://tscpl.org/articles/the-music-of-late-night-bandleaders
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/jimmy-fallon/jimmy-fallon-on-his-first-comedy-album-in-12-years
https://thepeachpitch.substack.com/p/album-review-jimmy-fallon-holiday?utm_medium=web
Death Becomes Her
https://www.tdf.org/on-stage/tdf-stages/meet-the-man-behind-the-fx-in-broadways-death-becomes-her/
https://variety.com/2024/legit/reviews/death-becomes-her-review-broadway-musical-1236216493/
Layering clothing
https://www.olsenfashion.com/blog/mastering-the-art-of-layering/
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/layering-basics.html
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Balloons, floats, dancers, performers, etc
Some holiday parade content
This is a long parade, heads up
Coverage of last year’s parade
PLUGS
Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline; Referral Program
SPONSORS
Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods; Everyday Dose
INTRO
Feelings related to thoughts
I’m here to keep you company, not to put you to sleep
I’ve been there
The different things that come with not getting the rest I need
Many SWM guests will be here to inaccurately observe the parade
sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
Oops, I forgot to have Bernie on for parade coverage
Oh boy, I’ll be hearing about that
I’m just here to be your borefriend
Explaining the show structure
Believe me, I miss a lot in this parade recap
Thanks for coming by
I’m keeping this short because the episode is so long
It can be hard to sleep at this time of year
STORY
Coverage of the 2024 Macy’s Parade
I don’t know if I’ll be present at all, actually
Tommen aka Mikey steps in
Say hello, Ser Pounce
No butter this year, alas
It starts with a show
A famous actress, but I can’t read Scooter’s handwriting
Macy’s Gift Guide
No Al, no Kuhl, no Macy’s CEO!
I loved Amy Kuhl
The CEO looks a lot like the director of a fictional show (based on my existence)
Oh, it’s Alison Brie!
Very rainy, but it doesn’t look too cold
Billie Porter appears from behind a mirror
Puffy coat dancers
He has that thing you wield when you lead the marching band
Oh, this is the 98th parade, okay
Oh, Tom Kinney from Syracuse, well well well
Hoda and Samantha emerge from behind the Rockettes
Everyone on camera is wearing a red poncho
Behind the camera is clear ponchos
Who’s on Tom Turkey? Is it…Al Roker?
Charli D’Amelio and Al Roker together
Waterproof cue cards, what a pro
Take it over, Ray
Behind the scenes of the Alica Keys musical
What’s up with these extra mics in the crowd?
Tommen took over by accident
Jimmy Fallon has sunglasses on (and a really nice raincoat)
Jimmy Fallon has a holiday album out?
Al interviews Charli D’Amelio
It’s hard to stay balanced on the float
Alicia Keys sings selections from Double H Hockey Sticks, the Musical
Ray thinks its’ a pretty good number
The piano just kind of appears there
Dancing and singing their hearts out in the rain
Risking slipping
There’s a lot of switches to the crowd
Can I pause this?
30 to 32 cast members
Wowee, that’s impressive
National tour starts in 2025
What year was butter in the parade? Does anyone remember?
We’ve been in Columbus Circle quite a few times lately
NY Potty Recommendations
Interviewing 2 Rockettes
Squares that are green and red stripes
Is this a musical circus?
Circus Vasquez
What happened to the Big Apple Circus?
Sleep Becomes Her, the musical
I’ve never seen this movie
That dress is very geode-esque
I can’t tell if she’s holding perfume or a mic
Wait Michelle Williams and Jennifer Hudson are both in this?
Was that Reba??
Here with the cast of The Outsiders
Oh wow, Ponyboy starts in the crowd
Wow, they’re really doing a dance-off
This is just like an episode of SWM
Not offensive dancing
More joyous dancing
That’s not quite disco dancing…
I’m not super familiar with this story
Al is with Ana Gasteyer
Ana Gasteyer loves the parade
Confetti, leaves, dancing, Charli D’Amelio, Tom Turkey, something about Ferris
There’s a lot of kinetic motion
That’s some great layering, Hoda
Okay, now the parade has officially started
Macy’s Dancing Leaves accompany Charli D’Amelio
Oh, wow, she’s dancing with them
Turkeyesque Outfits
Wow, that Tom Turkey float looks great
The Great American Marching Band is keeping time
Stewart Minion Ban in Something
Believe it or not, Scooter does put a lot of effort into these notes
Minnie is flying low because of the wind
Santa countdown: 2:24
We see Grogu
Gregor is here
Talking about Sesame Street
A beautiful Indigenous dancing ceremony
Next up is the minions
Stuart Minion and Ba-Na-Na
Cole Escola is on the Rockin’ Flamingo
Idina Menzel is doing a number from a new album
BTS on Wicked
An advertisement for … a bowling toy
The Marching Buccaneers from Tennessee
The band opens up their own Thanksgiving banner
Oh wow, a Wonder Bread float featuring the Temptations
Ronald the Donald, Grimace, and the Hamtaker
Driving a shoe car
A westernwear float
Great camera angles there
H-O-D-A T-O G-O
Bluey flew all the way here from Australia
A kinder float
Tyler Peak is the singer?
Alex Warren
Dancers but no jackets
A Yayoi Kusama style outfit
Flower Power style
Spongebob shows up
Tom Kinney has to be one of the most famous Syracuse people
Scooter’s maybe in the top 20
Oh, Dora is back!
Natty Natasha is here all the way from YouTube
The web-based hero
A bollywood performance
Greg, the journaling kid, and some queso
TMNT is back!
A quite famous band is on this float
What’s It Good For? (the band)
Okay, time for Round 2
Scoots and Ser Pounce will take it home
TMNT 40 Year Anniversary
Rachel Platten has a great outfit
Paw Patrol Desalination?
Al is in a different chair, huh
I don’t think we get any holiday songs until the last hour
Again, just great dancing
I like that plaid
I don’t have anything against Paw Patrol, but I don’t watch it
Let’s play “How Inaccurate Are Scooter’s Notes?”
A preview for Peacock
Kylie Minogue is here!
Wait, this is Hoda’s last parade?
Cynthia Erivo is here
Flowers for Hoda, my short story
Talking about the musical, Not So Nice All The Time
It’s weird watching this preview after the wild year Wicked had
New York Liberty players!
New York Safety Squad is playing the “Final Countdown”
Naruto Gummy Bears
Po from Kung Fu Panda 4 is here
Patty Blanco?
Dragonball Z and Riverdance are both 30 years old
Jolly Green Giant
T-Pain in green!
Wow, this was after brat summer
A real life Gabby in Gabby’s Dollhouse
A Wednesday float
It would be fun to be a Wednesday dancer
I hope all these dancers are paid
There’s Gogu
It’s the 40th anniversary of Riverdance!
Avon Marching Band
Kaylee Kantrell
Some kind of bobsled
Elf on a Fox, what does that mean?
Walker Hayes and family
No holiday songs yet
Jenny O Turkey with T Pain
Great layering from T Pain
University of South Carolina band
Plenty of baton twirling
There’s the Peanuts gang
How did the Peanuts get their ponchos over their heads?
Rockettes are here
A weird cut to another float
I hope it’s warm
The parade doesn’t need my advice, of course
They’re doing the leg kick line, wow!
Brach’s Candy Float
Joey McEntire!
Can we get Joey McEntire in a votable leadership position, please?
Is Elf on the Shelf part of the Santaverse?
I’ve never elves on the shelf
This band is dressed like Roy Lichtenstein art
A preview for the Purina dog thing
This was before I did all the Lego episodes
Pikachu in a Bobsled
15 years of Hallmark movies
We’re nearing the end
The PIlsbury Dough Person – the definition of an icon
A little hiccup in this next band
Al is chilling during a technical snafu
These bands are huge. How do they even rehearse?
They’re previewing Jennifer Hudson really hard
Red gloves on the main dancers
Holy cow, she’s sparkling
A lot of confetti coming down
Why is Flava Flav in the audience??
Santa is dancing
Liza Colon is there, dancing with Santa
Goodnight
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1397
Title: 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Recap
Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline; Referral Program
Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods; Everyday Dose
Notable Language:
- Puffy coat dancers
- Very Geode
- Turkeyesque Outfits
- H-O-D-A T-O G-O
- Paw Patrol Desalination?
- Naruto Gummy Bears
- Patty Blanco?
- Pikachu in a Bobsled
Notable Culture:
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
-
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Macy’s Gift Guide
- Alison Brie
- Billie Porter
- Tom Kinney
- Rockettes
- Hell’s Kitchen musical
-
- Alicia Keys
- Jimmy Fallon
- & Juliet musical
-
- Double H Hockey Sticks, the Musical
- Sleep Becomes Her, the musical
- Ana Gasteyer
- Reba McEntire
- Grand Ol’ Opry
- The Outsiders
- Singin’ in the Rain
-
- Mario Lopez
- Sesame Street
-
- Lea Salonga
- Cole Escola
- Bronx Zoo
- Idina Menzel
- Wicked
-
- Wonder Bread
- The Tempatations
-
- McDonald’s
- Bluey
- “Hot To Go”
- Yayoi Kusama
- Spongebob Squarepants
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
-
- What’s It Good For? (the band)
- Paw Patrol
- Rachel Platten
- Ariana Maddix
- Kylie Minogue
- Flowers for Hoda, my short story
- Not So Nice All The Time, the musical
- WNBA
- New York Liberty
- Naruto
- One Piece
-
- Kung Fu Panda 4
- Dragonball Z
- Riverdance
-
- T-Pain
- Brat
-
- Gabby’s Dollhouse
- Wednesday
- Peanuts
- New Kids on the Block
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Lego
- Pokemon
- Hallmark
- Pilsbury Dougboy
- Flava Flav
- Liza Colon
Notable Talking Points:
- Feelings related to thoughts
- I’m here to keep you company, not to put you to sleep
- I’ve been there
- The different things that come with not getting the rest I need
- Many SWM guests will be here to inaccurately observe the parade
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Oops, I forgot to have Bernie on for parade coverage
- Oh boy, I’ll be hearing about that
- I’m just here to be your borefriend
- Explaining the show structure
- Believe me, I miss a lot in this parade recap
- Thanks for coming by
- I’m keeping this short because the episode is so long
- It can be hard to sleep at this time of year
- Coverage of the 2024 Macy’s Parade
- I don’t know if I’ll be present at all, actually
- Tommen aka Mikey steps in
- Say hello, Ser Pounce
- No butter this year, alas
- It starts with a show
- A famous actress, but I can’t read Scooter’s handwriting
- Macy’s Gift Guide
- No Al, no Kuhl, no Macy’s CEO!
- I loved Amy Kuhl
- The CEO looks a lot like the director of a fictional show (based on my existence)
- Oh, it’s Alison Brie!
- Very rainy, but it doesn’t look too cold
- Billie Porter appears from behind a mirror
- Puffy coat dancers
- He has that thing you wield when you lead the marching band
- Oh, this is the 98th parade, okay
- Oh, Tom Kinney from Syracuse, well well well
- Hoda and Samantha emerge from behind the Rockettes
- Everyone on camera is wearing a red poncho
- Behind the camera is clear ponchos
- Who’s on Tom Turkey? Is it…Al Roker?
- Charli D’Amelio and Al Roker together
- Waterproof cue cards, what a pro
- Take it over, Ray
- Behind the scenes of the Alica Keys musical
- What’s up with these extra mics in the crowd?
- Tommen took over by accident
- Jimmy Fallon has sunglasses on (and a really nice raincoat)
- Jimmy Fallon has a holiday album out?
- Al interviews Charli D’Amelio
- It’s hard to stay balanced on the float
- Alicia Keys sings selections from Double H Hockey Sticks, the Musical
- Ray thinks its’ a pretty good number
- The piano just kind of appears there
- Dancing and singing their hearts out in the rain
- Risking slipping
- There’s a lot of switches to the crowd
- Can I pause this?
- 30 to 32 cast members
- Wowee, that’s impressive
- National tour starts in 2025
- What year was butter in the parade? Does anyone remember?
- We’ve been in Columbus Circle quite a few times lately
- NY Potty Recommendations
- Interviewing 2 Rockettes
- Squares that are green and red stripes
- Is this a musical circus?
- Circus Vasquez
- What happened to the Big Apple Circus?
- Sleep Becomes Her, the musical
- I’ve never seen this movie
- That dress is very geode-esque
- I can’t tell if she’s holding perfume or a mic
- Wait Michelle Williams and Jennifer Hudson are both in this?
- Was that Reba??
- Here with the cast of The Outsiders
- Oh wow, Ponyboy starts in the crowd
- Wow, they’re really doing a dance-off
- This is just like an episode of SWM
- Not offensive dancing
- More joyous dancing
- That’s not quite disco dancing…
- I’m not super familiar with this story
- Al is with Ana Gasteyer
- Ana Gasteyer loves the parade
- Confetti, leaves, dancing, Charli D’Amelio, Tom Turkey, something about Ferris
- There’s a lot of kinetic motion
- That’s some great layering, Hoda
- Okay, now the parade has officially started
- Macy’s Dancing Leaves accompany Charli D’Amelio
- Oh, wow, she’s dancing with them
- Turkeyesque Outfits
- Wow, that Tom Turkey float looks great
- The Great American Marching Band is keeping time
- Stewart Minion Ban in Something
- Believe it or not, Scooter does put a lot of effort into these notes
- Minnie is flying low because of the wind
- Santa countdown: 2:24
- We see Grogu
- Gregor is here
- Talking about Sesame Street
- A beautiful Indigenous dancing ceremony
- Next up is the minions
- Stuart Minion and Ba-Na-Na
- Cole Escola is on the Rockin’ Flamingo
- Idina Menzel is doing a number from a new album
- BTS on Wicked
- An advertisement for … a bowling toy
- The Marching Buccaneers from Tennessee
- The band opens up their own Thanksgiving banner
- Oh wow, a Wonder Bread float featuring the Temptations
- Ronald the Donald, Grimace, and the Hamtaker
- Driving a shoe car
- A westernwear float
- Great camera angles there
- H-O-D-A T-O G-O
- Bluey flew all the way here from Australia
- A kinder float
- Tyler Peak is the singer?
- Alex Warren
- Dancers but no jackets
- A Yayoi Kusama style outfit
- Flower Power style
- Spongebob shows up
- Tom Kinney has to be one of the most famous Syracuse people
- Scooter’s maybe in the top 20
- Oh, Dora is back!
- Natty Natasha is here all the way from YouTube
- The web-based hero
- A bollywood performance
- Greg, the journaling kid, and some queso
- TMNT is back!
- A quite famous band is on this float
- What’s It Good For? (the band)
- Okay, time for Round 2
- Scoots and Ser Pounce will take it home
- TMNT 40 Year Anniversary
- Rachel Platten has a great outfit
- Paw Patrol Desalination?
- Al is in a different chair, huh
- I don’t think we get any holiday songs until the last hour
- Again, just great dancing
- I like that plaid
- I don’t have anything against Paw Patrol, but I don’t watch it
- Let’s play “How Inaccurate Are Scooter’s Notes?”
- A preview for Peacock
- Kylie Minogue is here!
- Wait, this is Hoda’s last parade?
- Cynthia Erivo is here
- Flowers for Hoda, my short story
- Talking about the musical, Not So Nice All The Time
- It’s weird watching this preview after the wild year Wicked had
- New York Liberty players!
- New York Safety Squad is playing the “Final Countdown”
- Naruto Gummy Bears
- Po from Kung Fu Panda 4 is here
- Patty Blanco?
- Dragonball Z and Riverdance are both 30 years old
- Jolly Green Giant
- T-Pain in green!
- Wow, this was after brat summer
- A real life Gabby in Gabby’s Dollhouse
- A Wednesday float
- It would be fun to be a Wednesday dancer
- I hope all these dancers are paid
- There’s Gogu
- It’s the 40th anniversary of Riverdance!
- Avon Marching Band
- Kaylee Kantrell
- Some kind of bobsled
- Elf on a Fox, what does that mean?
- Walker Hayes and family
- No holiday songs yet
- Jenny O Turkey with T Pain
- Great layering from T Pain
- University of South Carolina band
- Plenty of baton twirling
- There’s the Peanuts gang
- How did the Peanuts get their ponchos over their heads?
- Rockettes are here
- A weird cut to another float
- I hope it’s warm
- The parade doesn’t need my advice, of course
- They’re doing the leg kick line, wow!
- Brach’s Candy Float
- Joey McEntire!
- Can we get Joey McEntire in a votable leadership position, please?
- Is Elf on the Shelf part of the Santaverse?
- I’ve never elves on the shelf
- This band is dressed like Roy Lichtenstein art
- A preview for the Purina dog thing
- This was before I did all the Lego episodes
- Pikachu in a Bobsled
- 15 years of Hallmark movies
- We’re nearing the end
- The PIlsbury Dough Person – the definition of an icon
- A little hiccup in this next band
- Al is chilling during a technical snafu
- These bands are huge. How do they even rehearse?
- They’re previewing Jennifer Hudson really hard
- Red gloves on the main dancers
- Holy cow, she’s sparkling
- A lot of confetti coming down
- Why is Flava Flav in the audience??
- Santa is dancing
- Liza Colon is there, dancing with Santa
- Goodnight
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