As everybody is aware of, the Thanksgiving vacation wouldn’t be full with out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It has grow to be an annual custom for thus many households who both watch from the consolation of their very own houses or head to New York City to view the frilly floats, large balloon shows, and star-studded performances in particular person. While the parade at all times has its beautiful and jaw-dropping moments over time, it additionally has had its fair proportion of fiascos and wild stunts which have gone viral — whether or not it’s an epic lip-sync fail or one thing as lovable as a dabbing performer.
Related: Mariah Carey & Martha Stewart Politely Beefed Over Christmas Vs. Thanksgiving!
So take a scroll down reminiscence lane and take a look at a few of the most memorable moments which have come out of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade throught the years! Ch-ch-check it out beneath:
Al Roker Vs. The Butter Man
In 2019, TODAY present anchor Al Roker went viral when he received into somewhat tiff with a person dressed as a stick of butter. Yeah, you learn that proper. The drama began when the man – whose actual title is Donny Willis – stepped into one of many host’s photographs through the parade. Al instantly shoved him away, saying:
“I hate to butter you up, but you gotta move on. Get out of here, ya butter! Ah! I can’t believe it’s not butter!”
Later, the butter man tried chasing Al down as soon as once more whereas he was driving in a motorbike sidecar to supply a avenue view of the crowds and festivities in NYC. The 68-year-old couldn’t resist throwing some slight shade at Donny, commenting:
“And that’s why everybody loves clowns”
At that second started Al and the butter man’s rivalry! You ch-ch-check out the hilarious feud (beneath):
.@alroker known as in to speak about his hilarious “feud” with the stick of butter mascot at Thursday’s #MacysParade. pic.twitter.com/dGppVVcYbb
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2019
A yr later, the 2 males reunited (beneath), this time on friendlier phrases and with loads of puns:
“Butter is back and better than ever. Donny Willis is reprising his role, and when I say role, I mean ‘buttered roll.’”
Spider-Man & Uncle Sam Get Intimate
Talk a couple of hilariously awkward second! Back in 2012, whereas they had been inflating the balloons and getting them prepared the evening earlier than the 86th annual parade, the gang caught the Spider-Man and Uncle Sam balloons in an NSFW place. What can we imply? Well, by some means they managed to get actually shut collectively, and Spider-man’s face received actually aware of Uncle Sam’s butt. Yeahhhh… You’ll need to ch-ch-check it out for yourselves (beneath):
Spider-man offers America one thing to be grateful for. #HappyThanksgiving #Thanksgiving #Happythanksgiving2019 pic.twitter.com/2sZdW2btS3
— Gilbert Gottfried (@ActualGilbert) November 28, 2019
As you may think about, the intimate scenario had lots of people snapping pictures and speaking on social media!
Rita Ora’s Lip Sync Mishap
It isn’t any secret that many singers normally lip-sync on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (aside from Kelly Clarkson) as it may be extraordinarily chilly and a logistical nightmare because the floats transfer all through the parade. For celebs, lip-syncing isn’t a foolproof answer and could be a little laborious to drag off on reside tv. And nobody is aware of this higher than Rita Ora, who utterly missed her cue to start out her track Let You Love Me through the 2018 parade and spent the complete efficiency utterly out of sync. It was to the purpose that she appeared like she didn’t know the phrases! Ch-ch-check it out (beneath):
the Rita Ora lip sync that wasn’t even shut pic.twitter.com/HSD3Z6eWkL
— j.d. durkin ???????????? (@jd_durkin) November 22, 2018
Oof! Unsurprisingly, individuals quickly brutally ripped into her on social media for the lip-sync mishap – main celebs like John Legend to come back to her protection:
“Fun fact. We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don’t have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance. Hope y’all enjoyed it anyway. Know that if you come to my shows, the vocals are 100% live!”
The 31-year-old then responded:
“Fun fact @johnlegend thank you for clarifying what I was about to also tweet. It’s annoying for us but anyway! All my shows are 100 percent live always have been! When you come to a ORA show get ready! Back to holidays! Have a good one guys! 🙂 X”
Macy’s additionally needed to apologize for the tech points on the time, saying:
“During today’s NBC broadcast of the #MacysParade several recording artists experienced technical difficulties that negatively impacted their performance. We apologize and want fans to know these issues were out of the artist’s control.”
At least Rita tried!
Miss Piggy Saves The Day!
Who would have thought we’d see Miss Piggy save somebody? But that’s what occurred one yr on the parade! During the 2016 present, Miss Piggy from The Muppets and singer Tony Bennett had been performing a duet collectively of Santa Claus is Coming to Town on a float. Just as their quantity was wrapping up, the float instantly lurched ahead, inflicting Tony to lose his steadiness and practically fall off the ledge. However, Miss Piggy rapidly sprung into motion, catching and steadying him earlier than a catastrophe occurred! Ch-ch-check out the scary second that had everybody’s hearts practically on the ground (beneath):
#BreakingNews: #MissPiggy saves #TonyBennet‘s life. #MacysParade #Thanksgiving pic.twitter.com/yGOnmXCNGX
— Alexis Ramsey (@alexismramsey) November 24, 2016
She can add nationwide hero to the resume! LOLz!
Barney Balloon Murder???
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade isn’t any stranger to having some balloon blunders ever because it was first held on November 27, 1924. But one failure almost definitely left many individuals traumatized. Back in 1997, the Barney the Dinosaur balloon was stricken by robust gusts of wind making it laborious for handlers to manage the massive determine. At one level, the inflatable hit a lamppost, inflicting it to pop. The parade employees then continued to wrestle to handle it, so cops finally needed to stab it with knives… proper earlier than the crowds very eyes.
Twenty-five years later, the second went viral on TikTok when individuals began reacting to the results of googling “what killed Barney the Dinosaur.” What they mostly discovered on the time is an Independent article discussing the brand new documentary, I Love You, You Hate Me, which discover why the character of Barney turned a goal for hate. But the road that appeared within the Google seek for the article states:
“In November 1997, Barney the Dinosaur was stabbed to death by the New York City Police Department.”
@talialopes_ uhhh ???? #fyp
Confetti Nightmare!
Not each second on the Thanksgiving Day parade is all enjoyable and video games! In 2012, viewers members seen there was one thing bizarre concerning the confetti when it began raining down through the occasion. What was flawed with it? Well, it turned out that a few of the confetti was shredded confidential paperwork from the Nassau County Police Department!
According to WPIX, individuals discovered scraps of paper displaying social safety numbers, incident reviews, license plate numbers, telephone numbers, addresses, and even one thing about Mitt Romney’s motorcade when he went to Hofstra University in Nassau County for the ultimate presidential debate on the time. Wild! At the time, a spokesman for Macy’s, Orlando Veras, informed CNN that the corporate had no concept how the essential docs had been used as confetti, saying they solely utilized “commercially manufactured multi-colored confetti, not shredded, homemade or printed paper of any kind in the parade.”
So how did the top-secret docs find yourself getting used as confetti? WPIX reported sources talked about a police worker who attended the parade had introduced the shredded paperwork and different papers with him for his family and friends to make use of and throw through the parade. What a reckless and silly transfer from this employees member!
Rick Astley RickRolls America!
Remember that point everybody received Rickrolled by Rick Astley through the 2008 parade? For those that don’t have any clue what Rickrolling is, it was mainly a web based prank the place social media customers would publish a hyperlink that unexpectedly re-directed different customers to a video of Rick’s 1987 track Never Gonna Give You Up. Thus, the time period Rickrolling. And in 2008, the singer determined to get in on the viral development by Rickrolling the parade himself.
While characters from the previous Cartoon Network youngsters’s present Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends carried out through the parade, Rick interrupted the efficiency to sing the observe. At the top of the quantity, one of many puppets yelled:
“I like Rickrolling!”
See the epic second (beneath):
Kinky Boots Performance
Billy Porter and the solid of the award-winning Broadway musical Kinky Boots – a present a couple of shoe manufacturing facility proprietor and drag queen who group as much as assist save the household enterprise – carried out the finale track, Raise You Up/Just Be, on the 2013 parade. You can watch the stellar efficiency (beneath):
KINKY BOOTS:
• Thanksgiving Day Parade Performance
• “Raise You Up/Just Be”
• Featuring @theebillyporter @starksands @TheAAshford @whaleheart1 @LenaRockerHall @ANDYjKELSO & solidHappy closing, @KinkyBootsBway! You might be missed!pic.twitter.com/0BL9qdlAPH
— BroadwayTube (@BroadwayTube) April 8, 2019
Ah-mazing!!!
While many viewers at dwelling had been dazzled by the viral second, others stormed social media to criticize the parade for letting the solid members carry out on the occasion and have actors in drag. Ugh. However, the performers refused to face for the hate and had the proper response to it! Rather than letting the controversy get them down, Billy and solid member Stark Sands went to Macy’s the day after their parade efficiency to do some Black Friday procuring. And the most effective half? Billy wore his iconic costume and Sands rock thigh-high stiletto boots! The musical co-creator Harvey Fierstein informed Page Six on the time:
“You have to start a dialogue. And you can’t have a dialogue unless someone says something first. It takes actual work to open up [people’s] minds.”
A rep for Macy’s additionally mentioned:
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has always spotlighted the best of Broadway since the ’60’s, and this year is no exception. As 2013’s Tony award-winning best musical, ‘Kinky Boots’ is not only a hit with Broadway fans, but Black Friday shoppers… Please have them call us and we’ll set them up with our personal shoppers.”
What a tremendous response from the solid!
Window Dancer
Sometimes individuals can’t assist however get swept up within the festivities! In 2019, one onlooker appeared to pause in the midst of cleansing to observe because the parade traveled down their avenue in New York City from their second-story window. But that’s not what caught everybody’s consideration! The particular person then started to maneuver side-to-side whereas the Black Eyed Peas carried out their track RITMO on a float.
Someone captured the lovable second on digicam and posted the video on Twitter. And unsurprisingly, it immediately went viral, and social media customers dubbed them the “window dancer.” Ch-ch-check it out (beneath):
Get it Window Dancer! #MacysDayParade #MacysThanksgivingDayParade #MacysParade pic.twitter.com/wibHPKdSQi
— Jack The Red-Nosed Clown ???? (@Mrfurious32821) November 28, 2019
Love it!!!
Dabbing Kid
This child stole the present in 2018! During Bad Bunny’s efficiency of Estamos Bien, one baby determined to not simply stand round and wave on the crowd whereas driving on a Sour Patch Kids float,. Nope. He opted so as to add somewhat extra spice to the efficiency by dabbing the complete time. And finally, a few of the different youngsters joined in on the enjoyable! It’s actually an lovable second. Watch (beneath):
Nutcracker Attacks Marcher!
One of the highest elements that trigger the Thanksgiving Day Parade to go awry? Wind. So when heavy winds determined to grace the celebration in 2019, you may think about how a lot of a nightmare it had been for everybody – particularly the balloon handlers. In truth, one employee that yr is aware of all too properly how a lot of a ache within the butt it had been!
While making its method down the streets of NYC, the nutcracker balloon began flying round as a result of robust winds, and handlers struggled to come up with it. That is when one particular person determined to be courageous and rushed to the huge inflatable to assist out. However, she ended up colliding proper into it and fell flat on her again. OUCH! Thankfully, she appeared to be OK as she instantly received again up and saved working after the balloon. See the painful second (beneath):
Strong wind gusts on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade blew a Nutcracker balloon somewhat too near the bottom, flattening one marcher. https://t.co/GWKPgDBZAJ pic.twitter.com/civntctOuu
— ABC News (@ABC) November 28, 2019
The Rock Meme Gets A Balloon!
In 2020, we had a reasonably scaled-down parade as a result of coronavirus – however there was one spotlight to the scaled-down occasion! What was it, it’s possible you’ll ask? Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson when he had his very personal balloon that depicted his notorious meme! You know, the enduring throwback image of him from the Nineties the place he wore a black turtleneck, silver chain, and denims, full with an arched eyebrow and fanny pack. And as you may think about, the balloon had everybody speaking on social media on the time! See it for your self (beneath):
Nothing higher than seeing a viral meme come to life!
We can’t wait to see what viral moments might come out of this yr’s parade! What is your all-time favourite second from the Thanksgiving Parade? Let us know within the feedback beneath!
[Image via MEGA/WENN, Joseph Marzullo/WENN, TODAY/Twitter]