The Parade and Cultural Values

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a parade of America for America. As it seeks to entertain an American audience it is filled with sights and sounds American that its audience will recognize, identify with and enjoy. Inspiration for each new parade feature is informed by societal sensibilities existing at the time, sensibilities with which the parade’s captive young audience should be imbued as budding members of American society. Thus, American cultural values become manifest in the parade.

As is the case with popular culture and current events depicted in the parade, the cultural values reflected in the parade are particular to the time at which they appear. In 1931, the parade’s first Balloonhead family comprised Mama, Papa, and Baby balloonheads. This trio presented a model of the quintessential nuclear family that was accepted as the norm in America through the 1950s. [1]

The portrayal of certain cultural values, such as patriotism and democracy, has remained constant throughout the parade’s history. Numerous times over the past seventy-nine years of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades Uncle Sam has been marched down Broadway, the national anthem has been played at the culmination of the parade, or a float of colonial dressed persons carrying the flags of each of the United States has advanced down the parade route. If nothing else, the parade is always patriotic.

Though the parade proudly celebrates American patriotism, in 1926 the Allied Patriotic Societies voiced their disapproval of the parade’s interfering with Thanksgiving Day worship. To avoid conflict, the Macy’s parade start time was pushed forward from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The parade continued to be held at the later time for the next couple years. Over time, however, the parade gradually returned to its original time and by 1965 the parade was being held even earlier, at 8:45 AM. Of course the other Thanksgiving tradition that has come to interfere with parade time is football. One can speculate that the sliding back of the parade’s start time coincided with a secularization of the Thanksgiving holiday as the prevalence of televised football grew.

Peaking in the latter half of the 20th century, the nation’s increasing concern with social consciousness has had an impact on the parade.

In 1968, members of the Citywide Coordinating Committee of Welfare Groups, speaking out against New York’s Commissioner of Social Service, Jack R. Goldberg, petitioned Macy’s for permission to participate in the parade. But Macy’s, true to their prerequisite for appearing in the parade, said the group must entertain the children. Unable to be a part of the parade, the group handed out leaflets during the event and at one point breached police barricades in attempt to march a banner down the parade route. Three demonstrators, all in their twenties, were arrested for disorderly conduct. [2]

Maytag's float of 2002

Health and environmental consciousness have appeared in the parade with increasing frequency in recent years. In 2002, at the conclusion of a draught-ridden year during which many municipalities were compelled to enforce water conservation, Maytag Appliances sponsored a "Mother Earth" float. The float was intended to promote the practice of water and energy conservation through its high-efficiency Maytag Neptune Washer which conserved more water and energy than the average washing machine. Accompanying the float’s water-urn-bearing Mother Earth sculpture was the classically trained baritone pop-star, Josh Groban. [3]

Smokey Bear balloon, 1975

Though Smokey Bear, fire safety’s popular mascot, appeared in the parade as a giant helium balloon in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, it hasn’t been until recent years that the parade has included characters promoting health and environmental consciousness. In 2000 the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service sponsored a troupe of public awareness advocates. The “Fight BAC” character reminded children that it is important to keep food safe from bacteria. Smokey Bear™ reminded children to practice fire safety with “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires” and “Remember Our Friends In The Forest.” Power Panther™ advocated energy conservation, WoodsyOwl™ reminded children not to pollute with the slogan “Give a hoot. Don’t pollute” and “Lend a hand—Care for the Land,” and Thermy™ the thermometer informed children about the importance of cooking food at the proper temperature with “It’s Safe to Bite When the Temperature’s Right.” [4] BAC, Power Panther™, Smokey Bear™, Woodsy Owl™, Thermy™

Harvey Fierstein as Mrs. Claus

In 2003, Harvey Fierstein's appearance in the parade as a cross-dressed Mrs. Claus attested to maturing cultural values concerning sexual orientation. Fierstein, starring in the Broadway musical Hairspray that year, rode on a float dedicated to the play cross-dressed as Mrs. Claus. However, parade representatives made it clear that Fierstein would not be portraying the parade’s official Mrs. Claus who accompanies Santa on his float. This affair demonstrated that today’s society is increasingly more accepting of homosexuality, but that homosexuality and cross-dressing are still too controversial for the parade to publicly condone.

Mr. Potato Head, c. 1950s

Health awareness played a bigger role in the 2005 parade when former pipe smoker, Mr. Potato Head, complete with sneakers, baseball cap, and water bottle appeared as a proponent of having a healthy lifestyle. The new helium balloon, Healthy Mr. Potato Head, was sponsored by the United States Potato Board in an effort to advertise the nutritional benefits of potatoes. [5]

Healthy Mr. Potato Head, 2005

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[1] "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Let's Talk Lift," NYC Tourist.com, n.d. <http://nyctourist.com/macys_news_balloons.htm> (September 2005).
[2] "Good Grief! Snoopy Makes Macy's Parade," New York Times (1857-Current file), Nov 29, 1968, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2002), 48.
[3] "Press Release from: Maytag Corporation," CSRwire, 12 November 2002, <http://www.csrwire.com/article.cgi/1395.html> (November 2005).
[4] "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade November 23, 2000," FSIS, n.d. <http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/thermy/paradepix.htm> (November 2005).
[5] "Healtht Mr. Potato Head Races to Join the 79th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," LexisNexis, 11 August 2005, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=c695c78d8c968966f967735318539978&_docnum=1&wchp=dGLzVlz-zSkVb&_md5=d7b86660c828c21f9ff4bb9240ecfabf> (November 2005).
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[Images]
Fife and drum corps, et al.: courtesy of <http://www.fifeanddrum.org/towpath/Macys.html>
Maytag Float: courtesy of <http://www.bodybagcatholic.com/archives/cd11-29-02.htm> (©2001 - 2004, VigilanceVoice.com, All rights reserved)
Smokey Bear Balloon: excerpt from: Richard Severo, "Rain Thins Crowd At Macy's Parade," New York Times (1857-Current file), Nov 28, 1975, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2002), 77.
FSIS troupe: courtesy of <http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/thermy/paradepix.htm>
Harvey Fierstein as Mrs. Claus: courtesy of Shannon Stapleton <http://www.suprmchaos.com/bcEnt-Fri-112803.index.html> (©  2003 suprmchaos.com)
Mr. Potato Head, c. 1953: courtesy of <http://www.mrpotatohead.net/1950/19503.htm> (Mr. Potato Head is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc.©Hasbro 2005. All Rights Reserved.)
Healthy Mr. Potato Head, 2005: courtesy of <http://www.mrpotatohead.net/world/world.htm> (Mr. Potato Head is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc.©Hasbro 2005. All Rights Reserved.)