I’m too old for this parade…

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CatastropheWife@reddit

I'm just happy I still recognize most of the characters, and even a lot of the pop singers... wait a minute... they are targeting middle aged people with this music aren't they?

[-]

Maybe they're targeting the middle aged crowd so we feel the spirit and go out and put some miles on our credit cards. Who knows. It is disappointing the artists always have to lip sync in the parade. It's understandable, but still a bummer. I skipped watching this year. I'm not into it anymore.

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Glittering-Show-5521@reddit

Yeah, I don't think I could ever watch it again. I guess I'm not really into marching bands or anything anymore. Otherwise, none of the music was my cup of tea including the country (that's a much longer story), but I do respect Russell Dickerson and Laney Wilson for not lip syncing. They were among the very few who did not.

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

There were about half of them that weren’t looking like they were lip syncing.

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jmsaxy@reddit

I JUST said this to my husband. I realized the music was for us…. We’re old!!!

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ThepalehorseRiderr@reddit

The grocery store be playing some bangers nowadays!

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sunshineparadox_@reddit

My mom got me good a while back.

“Mom they played Snow Patrol at the airport and Death Cab at Food Lion.”

“What’s worse than having your favorites from your 20s played at the airport and grocery store? Your children’s favorites being played at the airport and the grocery store.”

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goofytigre@reddit

Depending on the day or even time of day our local grocery store/chain plays different genres/decades of music. I can tell when their radio algorithm is expecting xennials to be shopping because they play 90s pop/r&b/grunge. If I go earlier in the morning, during the week, they'll play a lot of 60s, 70s, and 80s pop/soft rock for the boomers, GenXers...

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Ok-Potato-4774@reddit

Someone at the Ralph's store where I shop has good taste because I heard REM and The Sundays.

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UnklVodka@reddit

Every time I walk in I’m singing until checkout. Baaaad jams getting played these days. Heard Lenny’s it ain’t over til it’s over while shopping with my 3 year old and she loved it too.

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Kellzy1212@reddit

I work at Petco and our playlist has a ton of 80s and 90s bangers. Duran Duran, Cure, Depeche Mode. I love it.

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Soma2710@reddit

I also used to work at Petco. Hope you like Christmas music, bc tomorrow it’s nothing but that until the 26th!

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Kellzy1212@reddit

They mix it up these days, 50/50ish. The week of Christmas is goes higher usually.

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New_Stats@reddit

Ugh. I can't go into a Kohl's for a whole month. Have you heard their Christmas music playlist? It's so bad. It's all the classics but done in a unique way so it sounds ✨ super stupid ✨

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

Same with the dental office.

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itadapeezas@reddit

They do!! I can't believe it. I find myself singing to myself while shopping.

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Atillion@reddit

We have the most spending money as a whole

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Prinessbeca@reddit

That's terrifying since I have approximately no dollars.

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Atillion@reddit

Same. I have no idea how my kids are going to survive this economy in decline if we don't do something to right the ship.

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Garpocalypse@reddit

Not old. Relevant. Be glad for that.

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RogerClyneIsAGod2@reddit

And then there's some KPop kid or group, or some country singer & I'm all "Who?"

Honestly LOVED Mr. Fantasy for his probably inappropriate stuff & climbing the float.

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FoppyRETURNS@reddit

How many new artists could they even replace them with 20 years from now?

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ShivvyMcFly@reddit

Lol we just had the same conversation in our house

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sunshineparadox_@reddit

Today my MIL explained to me who Bad Bunny was and I gave up. Two years ago my then seven year old asked how I knew who Rihanna was. (Kiddo why..) I’m not even trying to dunk on currently relevant musicians or dismiss their impact on culture, because they clearly have done something meaningful to relate to so many and bring people together. I’m just kind of a washed up punk ig.

Kiddo thinking I wouldn’t know who SHE thinks are important was a bit of a sting, but I get it. I do keep tabs on the music and movies she finds important, because she’s important. I hope she knows that. (I tell her!)

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Caftancatfan@reddit

These are fun oldies to the kids. My daughter’s school’s cheer team did a routine to “Tambourine” by Eve (one of the best ever rap tracks.)

She and I used to play a game in the car where she had to guess which nineties era rapper was currently playing. So kids know this stuff through their parents.

Tangentially: She’s a music kid, and I have heard “Creep” by Radiohead at multiple performances.

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akm1111@reddit

And sometimes we pass stuff from our parents to the kids. My 23yo knows a bunch of 60s & 70s songs. I texted my mom the other day that kid has learned the words to "Somebody's Knocking" now.

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CrotalusHorridus@reddit

Don’t you dare call us middle aged

I’m in my prime.

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Indubitalist@reddit

Somehow “prime aged” ends up sounding worse.

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EllaPlantagenet@reddit

gif

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trashboatfourtwenty@reddit

It is a compliment, the fact is most of us will not live another 40 years!

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stavago@reddit

gif

Pinky promise?

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trashboatfourtwenty@reddit

gif

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quintk@reddit

I just started blood pressure medication. I go to the doctor regularly so I know I just jumped from 120/75 to 140/100 in less than a year with no changes to diet or medication. I’m not thrilled about that

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trashboatfourtwenty@reddit

The good news is, unless you can't take the normal stuff, beta blockers are a very easy drug to take with no ill effects forever (outside of aerobic concerns I suppose). I have been on an -olol for a decade+ thanks to heredity and exercise like normal

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MaeBelleLien@reddit

I don't think that's true, honestly.

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trashboatfourtwenty@reddit

Oh, I mean people at least 40 years old. You know, life expectancy and all that.

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beachbummeddd@reddit

Yea it’s a parade for old people. Young people don’t wake up on thanksgiving morning and think “time to put on the parade!”

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

I loved watching the parade as a kid.

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mediocreterran@reddit

We have the disposable money right now. We’ve been targeted for the last decade.

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

I’m spending way less on Xmas and Thanksgiving this year than I have in previous years. I have 4 kids. I used to get each a book, a game, pjs, multiple toys, a stuffed animal, gift card, candy and stocking stuffers. It was nothing for us to spend $1500+ cash on Christmas. This year we cut our grocery list and menu in half for Thanksgiving. I’ve spent less than $600 on a family of 5 for Xmas gifts this year. The higher cost of utilities, insurance and groceries have taken so much money.

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20-20-24hoursago@reddit

Y'all are getting disposable money?!

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amindfulloffire@reddit

Yep. I watched the beginning of the 1996 parade today and it's really no different. The music guests for that year were Kenny Rogers, Vanessa Williams and The Captain and Tenneille!

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GalaxyRedRanger@reddit

I mean… they brought back Pac-Man!

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EnlightenedDragon@reddit

That was a really good one tbh.

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AlchemistMustang@reddit

1000% for us! And I love it!

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nopeofnopenope@reddit

They’ve got the Boomer brand loyalty on lock. They’re moving on to get us. What they don’t get is we’ll never have the same standard of living as them.

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

Every minute I see of this, I realize the more I become my parents. As my co-worker would say, “Christmas in hell”

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Gwarnage@reddit

When Ciera came on I thought "isnt this is a song about fucking?".

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InternetConfessional@reddit

I'm completely obsessed with Mr. Fantasy now.

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

Is he worth looking up?

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InternetConfessional@reddit

If you like 80s pop vibe and strangeness then yes. He only has 2 songs so far. My favorite part is he is likely the musical alter ego of some actor my daughter likes. I love me a musical alter ego. Its giving Chris Gaines

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Icy_Tiger_3298@reddit

I beg your FINEST pardon, but Where The Wild Things Are is NOT stupid.

Let the wild rumpus begin!!!!!

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

I was waiting to be called out. There was a LaBuBu or whatever float before Shaggy…tell me LaBuBu did not rip off Where the Wild Things Are

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

They should just call them Wild Things

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CoffeeJedi@reddit

I found some live streams of people on the street. You could actually see the bands and floats without any of that Broadway crap.

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knosmo78@reddit

Listen. Give us Xennials our moment please.

Just don't forget to turn down.

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Frankfusion@reddit

Turn down for what?

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fanofoddthings@reddit

This is a weird parade this year. I'm confused why they dragged half the people out here they did. And who tf is Mr. Fantasy? Is he trying to be prince?

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InternetConfessional@reddit

Hes the forgotten love child of Prince and Criss Angel

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NewRecommendation287@reddit

It feels like a weird infomercial. I thought these parades were mostly HS bands and Christmas themed floats and songs or am I not remembering correctly?

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

Every float had a sponsor that was emblazoned on the side. They sure as fuck made it known that Ram trucks were pulling the floats. As if you can’t tell by the shape. I felt like there were less marching bands this year. But there were a ton on commercials so who knows what got cut during those breaks.

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fanofoddthings@reddit

Used to be. Not sure what this is.

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natali9233@reddit

He looked like he was trying to channel Noel Fielding.

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LegitimateBlonde@reddit

See my comment above! I asked my much younger brothers - he’s a TikTok famous guy (who isn’t?) and likely is KJ APA from Riverdale

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Peanut083@reddit

Speaking of Tik Tok famous, I was trawling through RedBubble earlier looking for funny t-shirts to give as Christmas gifts and came across a ‘six-seven’ shirt. I rolled my eyes so damn hard and resolved to never tell my 10 year old niece that such a shirt exists. I heard her in the background of a Facetime call between my husband and his sister last week calling out ‘six-seven’, and it sounded unironic. Shudder

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jesusmansuperpowers@reddit

He’s the guy from the song by Steve Winwood. Otherwise I refuse to know the answer

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Hot_Frosty0807@reddit

Dear Mr. Fantasy was Traffic, but Steve Winwood was in Traffic, so you're technically correct. (Which, I am told, is the best kind of correct.)

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Coca-colonization@reddit

I feel like it’s been this way for a long time. A hodgepodge of new country artists no one has heard of, kid show actors that Disney/Nickelodeon are trying to make into pop stars, and washed up singers who had a top 40 hit 40 years ago.

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DisraeliEers@reddit

You're not going to get super famous people to give up their holidays.

So it's kid stuff + random washed up performers for the parents.

Simple formula, works every year.

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Coca-colonization@reddit

Right. That was my point. It’s people that need the marketing.

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Sausage_Queen_of_Chi@reddit

Chicago has a Thanksgiving parade too, sounds like it’s more wholesome 😂

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worksnake@reddit

I have my memories of watching it when it was meaningful to me, and I cherish those. I guess I've made peace with the idea that it's not going to be like that again. Can't tell if that's healthy emotional management or unhealthy retreat into the past. Probably the unhealthy one if I'm being honest lol.

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Indubitalist@reddit

I feel like this is end-stage MTD Parade for this reason. They realize they are preying on nostalgists at this point so they’re going for broke with the ads and the product placements. They have already lost or are turning off anyone who isn’t watching because it rekindles fond memories of the past.

They had a moment in the parade today where they turned welcoming a musician to the stage into a commercial script for Xfinity. It was absolutely shameless. I feel like Hoda Kotb deserves an Emmy for keeping a straight face delivering those lines.

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imtooldforthishison@reddit

This is going to sound wild, but I have a feeling when I have grandkids I am probably going to reinvest in it. I feel like you kinda have to have the i have littles mindset and my little is 6'1 and 19 with a beard. But off I go now!! To give him the Transformers Christmas tree of his dreams!

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worksnake@reddit

Very adorable.

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Chief_Br0dy@reddit

My wife loves it. I borderline can’t stand it.

No one is going to give a shit about K-pop demon hunters this time next year.

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PuppyJakeKhakiCollar@reddit

Something I was listening to announced a KPop Demon Hunters movie was coming out in either 2026 or 2027, I forget, and the guy said he didn't know why they were waiting so long for a release because, like most fads, people will have moved on long before then.

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FoppyRETURNS@reddit

K-Pop Demon Hunters defines 2020s pop culture. The Gen Alpha nostalgia reddits 20 years from now will reminisce fondly.

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Shabbadoo1015@reddit

I was obviously fine with the performers. Though I take some issue with some folks calling some of the performers washed upped. Maybe not charting at the moment. But if they’re still making music and still out there performing, they aren’t washed up.

My only issue was some of the lip syncing was terrible. Nowhere near convincing.

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UnfortunateSnort12@reddit

Damn dude. You can hit the mute button for any questionable songs, and why you got to throw the shade at the where the wild things are characters. Not our time, but it was my daughter’s first play, so she’d love it, and there’s a soft spot in my heart.

Anyways, be thankful, don’t go all boomer like they did.

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LegitimateBlonde@reddit

My 20/22 year old brothers and I always do a group chat for the parade. “Who is Mr Fantasy?” “tiktok prob guy from riverdale” “why is kool spelled k?” “It was the 70s.” I look forward to it every year lol

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Sharp_Reputation3064@reddit

So wholesome 😊

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GISReaper@reddit

Needed more floats, less performances. It's just not fun anymore. Commercials every 4 mins, stupid hosts sans al roker.

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

I didn’t even know the other hosts.

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Kinc4id@reddit

Asking as a European: Which parade?

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QuackBlueDucky@reddit

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Runs down 5th Avenue in NYC and is a long standing Thanksgiving tradition. Starts with a giant "Tom turkey" float and ends with Santa Claus. Usually before the parade there will be several performances from Broadway shows and the Rockettes (all music is pre recorded as is necessary for the situation). Has lots of marching bands, dance teams, cheerleaders,(mostly featured HS teams), large balloons (often popular kids TV show figures) and floats. On the floats they have short obnoxious pop star performances. Floats and balloons are typically sponsored (Green Giant, Pillsbury, Lego, Bronx Zoo etx) so it's a parade of thinly veiled ads. Fun to watch though.

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

Today was its 99th year.

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

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Money_Magnet24@reddit

Reintroducing 90’s fashion and music is what the folks at CERN are doing for the exact reason the project exists. Which is for the Hadron Collider time machine to reset Gen X and Xennials back to their youth and we all wake up with our current memories in 1995. 30 years ago.

They’re preparing you. “We fucked up, these kids need to vote for Al Gore, and never Republican”

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

I’d legit cry if I woke up to it being 1995.

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Peanut083@reddit

You lie! 1995 was not 30 years ago!

I don’t want to believe that 1995 was 30 years ago.

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sweetbirthdaybaby333@reddit

YES. And also we need to keep Ralph Nader from entering politics

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LACna@reddit

I actually have an honest legit belief that CERN fucked up a few yrs back & created an alternate timeline that we're currently living/trapped in.

Ut's really the only explanation for the current shithole world we have.

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screamingcatfish@reddit

Too many commercials on the NBC broadcast…ugh.

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GentleFacePalm@reddit

The whole parade feels like a commercial

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GentleFacePalm@reddit

Right, always been a commercial...but this year feels more obnoxious, more forced. Maybe its just my growing anticonsumerism as I age.

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

Every float had a sponsor emblazoned on the side

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moxvoxfox@reddit

That's... what it is. It's never not been a commercial. But I enjoy the tradition.

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ObscuraRegina@reddit

Astronaut: always was

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browneyedgirl1683@reddit

My kids are so amused by the idea of them. Everything they watch is on streaming channels, so we've been getting questions like what did we do during commercials when we were a kid.

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Peanut083@reddit

We went to the toilet. That is what we did during the commercials.

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syntheseiser@reddit

Busta Rhymes on the TMNT float. This parade was specifically targeted to me.

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NotYourSexyNurse@reddit

I was surprised Mariah Carey wasn’t in the parade.

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noonesaidityet@reddit

Simple solution; bring back the He-Man float.

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camptastic_plastic@reddit

And the Barbie And The Rockers float. That one’s a classic.

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CunningPumpkin@reddit

Or Jem and the Holograms

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GalaxyRedRanger@reddit

The Pac-Man balloon said He-Man was too current.

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noonesaidityet@reddit

We have the parade on in the background while everyone is showing up, and I heard the Pac-Man music play. Instant pop from me, but some young whipper snapper asked what it was. They will be last in line for food.

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Drslappybags@reddit

That would be awesome.

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Barkerfan86@reddit

That would give them….. the power

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RainbowBrite1122@reddit

Were Mr. Fantasy’s teeth corn yellow on purpose? I have no idea who he is and if that’s part of his act 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Comfortable_Tale9722@reddit

This thread just cracked me up. I was WTF is this Mr. Fantasy and why is busta with my beloved teenage mutant ninja turtles. Also waiting for lil Jon to break into 3 6 9….

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Hot_Frosty0807@reddit

Senator Harris, Governor Walz...

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jonthecpa@reddit

Too soon, man, too soon. So much hype to be flabbergasted on election night.

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nikki_therese@reddit

Whoever invited “Mr. Fantasy” should be fired and maybe investigated.

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meowzapalooza7@reddit

I hated the way he was dancing with children just feet away lol

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highvibes19@reddit

Thank you! I was so annoyed with the song choices. Let’s keep it family friendly, geez!

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Important_Dot_4231@reddit

I'm with you, I shake my head more and more each year. No responsibility to what children are being exposed to.

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Bitey_the_Squirrel@reddit

I’m too old for this parade too. I remember when I was a young boy my father took me into the city to see a marching band.

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MahliSaia@reddit

IMO, the Macy's Parade peaked when Cartoon Network RickRolled the entire nation. It's all been downhill since then.

(I personally always thought RickRolling was funny, but then again, I have always genuinely liked "Never Gonna Give You Up.")

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Peanut083@reddit

I bought my younger son a “Things Rick Astley will never do:” t-shirt a few years ago for Christmas. He loved that shirt, but sadly had a massive growth spurt since then. Not so sadly, the shirt fits me and is now mine.

I also bought some RickRoll QR code stickers and stuck one to the back of my Nintendo Switch Pro Con so I could easily tell mine apart from my kids’ controllers. It took about 2 years, but my younger son got curious one day and scanned the QR code. I wasn’t at home at the time, but he FaceTimed me to let me know that I managed to successfully RickRoll him.

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MahliSaia@reddit

At my sister's wedding, my (now) brother-in-law had a little something he wanted to recite before the vows. Next thing you know, he's promising to never give her up, never let her down, never run around and desert her...

I was a bridesmaid, so everybody could see me cracking up.

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Peanut083@reddit

Oh, that’s gold!

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jjmawaken@reddit

I like things you don't have to think about

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PSN-Colinp42@reddit

I loved that Jewel lip synced to the original version of her song from over 30 years ago 🤣

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Kandlish@reddit

I noticed that as well. They didn't even use a fresh version or have other people on the float pretending to be the backup singers.

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exitlevelposition@reddit

Don't this hit make my people wanna jump, jump hits different.

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edwigenightcups@reddit

Okay, the bastards finally got me to google what K-pop Demon Hunters is. Great, good job. Fine. Whatever.

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GalaxyRedRanger@reddit

Someone explain to me how Debbie Gibson is still a stone cold fox. She was rocking that Serta float or whatever it was.

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LemurCat04@reddit

Ozempic. She’s lost quite a bit of weight in the last six months.

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Horse_Dad@reddit

Except now she sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks? Did someone speed up her lip sync recording?

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BarleyBo@reddit

I liked the rigatoni pony with the knight. Clever play on pasta night.

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General-Carob-6087@reddit

I’m still pissed that years ago they had Matthew Broderick there and he didn’t do Danke Schoen. I mean, it literally translates to “thank you” and he performed it in Ferris Bueller during a parade. All the elements were there.

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GalaxyRedRanger@reddit

Technically, Broderick didn’t do it in the movie either, so…

And I don’t think the parade organizers want to draw attention to the fact that they’re all lip syncing.

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General-Carob-6087@reddit

It’s obvious he’s lip syncing but it’s still a great scene.

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Comfortable_Tale9722@reddit

Can we just get riding the microphones? No one believes any of these people are singing.

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MajesticLow@reddit

For me it was the anchors saying the Whimpy Kid float was back for the 16th year, and me being too old to understand or care about the appeal of Whimpy Kid for the 16th year as well 😓

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quintk@reddit

It’s a family tradition for me/us. I don’t particularly love parades. But I also don’t particularly like turkey or mashed potatoes or stuffing.

I do love musical theater though so I enjoy the show promotions even if floats and pop stars and marching bands don’t do it for me

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Turbulent-Pea-8826@reddit

Parades have always been stupid

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FoppyRETURNS@reddit

My kids barely paid attention to it. It was just Boomer Bait except we're the boomers now.

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elkniodaphs@reddit

I had a sentimental reaction this year. I hadn't really watched the parade in a decade or more, but decided to watch this time. I was talking to a friend—there's something endearing about thousands of people coming together for tradition and happiness, even if the adult in me knows it's driven by an engine of contracts and licensing agreements.

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rjcpl@reddit

Stranger Things float blasting Foreigner was sweet

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

Celebrating 50 years….when none of the artists are the original artists

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junepath@reddit

I knew all of the floats but other than the millennial artists I have no idea who these people are.

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Kazarak_Starflower@reddit

But… but… DEBBIE GIBSON!!! 💖

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GatorFPC@reddit

I love it. Shaggy and Busta. This is the best parade ever.

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abmoonstar@reddit

It's pretty good this year! I listen to so much "old" music that my kids knew Busta as soon as they heard his voice lol. I feel like there's a little bit for everyone this time.

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Euphoric-Proposal-42@reddit

I love it too

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rjcpl@reddit

Should be an annual sacrifice of Barney.

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_TheHalf-BloodPrince@reddit

Haha, just tell ‘em “Kids, the leader of the band is tired this year, and his eyes are growing old. Maybe we can watch ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’ instead?”

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Positive-Pressure953@reddit

I keep it in the background and it fills the nostalgia void. Telemundo has had an amazing broadcast w/ none of constant side interruptions. I don't speak Spanish at all but I hear Snoopy or Luffy clear as day 😆 I'll pop over to see show performances and the good balloons while cooking and ignore the more obscure next gen stuff.

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SavingsLegitimate398@reddit

I actually want to see floats and marching bands. I guess I am that old!

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LACna@reddit

Wait is it all 90s/2000s rappers on the parade?! I may the recap watch then.

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muscratt16@reddit (OP)

Debbie Gibson just sang on a mattress float. Lots of 80’s songs too. With a horrible saxophone solo

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LACna@reddit

Perfect! Now I can embarass my nieces/nephews with "real music"

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Drum_Eatenton@reddit

I’m watching it and it’s still as boring as I remember from childhood

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Imnotonthelist@reddit

We put it on bc my partner always likes to watch it- I hate it. After less than 10 minutes he looked over at me and then promptly turned it off- apparently I was making horrified faces 😂

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Grendel0075@reddit

My oldest is autistic and obsessed with the parade, she gets pissed off if you're on your phone or doing anything but watching it with her and responding to her comments, my youngest couldn't even give a shit, even when it's some float or balloon like Bluey or Lego that she loves. The rest of us can't wait for it to end so we can get on with the day without a meltdown

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