Thanksgiving approacheth

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is only hours away, and what a production. I don’t watch it as often as I did when I was younger, but it is a part of my childhood memories. A week ago I thought about the big, helium filled parade balloons (and I wonder how much all that helium costs) and all the people who hold onto the lines and walk the balloons down the streets. I’ve got to think they practice many hours, and I wonder if Macy’s hires as many of the same people as they can who have worked with the balloons in previous years.

I expect most (if not all) of you reading this have seen the parade, or parts of it more than once, and you know most of these balloons look like well known cartoon characters. Snoopy has been in the parade the most, I think five times, maybe six; and I think there was a Charlie Brown balloon once. I don’t know if any of the other Peanuts characters have been in the parade (I think they ought to at least have a Linus balloon, or maybe Lucy, Sally, or Peppermint Patty). And I remember once that Rocky and Bullwinkle were parade balloons.

Okay, I’ll admit I’m going to sound like an older guy here, but it seems like the balloons were better back in the 1960’s. No offense, but some of the more recent entries seem to lack something by comparison, and I’m not sure how to describe it. Hello Kitty? Pokemon? Nothing wrong with including those, but I can’t quite relate to them. I guess they’re not part of my personal pop culture. All of this is a long setup to the question I asked myself at the kitchen table a week ago…

Which new and different Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons would I like to see?

I’ve been pondering this on and off this week, and I couldn’t narrow it down to 10. Anyway, here’s my list in “top-ten-style”.


19. Bat Boy (Weekly World News tabloid)
Wait, cancel that; can’t have everyone running through the streets in panic.

Okay, let’s start over…


18. Reddy Kilowatt (Old advertising mascot)



17. Sharky (Eek! The Cat tv cartoon)



16. Happy Beaver (Pixar animator, Jeff Pidgeon)



15. Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo (Mystery Science Theatre 3000)



14. Trogdor (Homestar Runner - Strong Bad email Dragon)



13. Chicken Boo (Animaniacs TV cartoon)



12. Mr. Toast, Joe the Egg, and Shaky Bacon (Dan Goodsell's The Imaginary World)



11. Alfred E. Newman (MAD Magazine mascot)



10. Rat and Pig (Pearls Before Swine comic strip)



9. Mr. Peanut (Planters Peanuts advertising mascot)



8. Boris, Natasha, and Fearless Leader (Rocky and Bullwinkle)



7. Yosemite Sam (Warner Brothers Looney Tunes)



6. Pinky and The Brain (Animaniacs / Pinky and The Brain TV cartoons)



5. Howland Owl and Churchy LaFemme (Walt Kelly’s Pogo comic strip)



4. Fester Bestertester (Don Martin books)



3. The Geico Gecko (Insurance advertising mascot)



2. Foghorn Leghorn (Warner Brothers Looney Tunes)



1. Bubs, Strong Bad, and The Cheat (Homestar Runner – Strong Bad email Colonization)