Of course, performers at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade lip-sync—singing live in front of millions, while battling unpredictable weather and competing with noisy floats, isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Yet, from the cozy thrones of their couches, pre-gaming with pumpkin spice lattes and gearing up to devour mountains of turkey, viewers at home transform into armchair critics, dishing out ruthless verdicts on lip-syncing parade performers with the precision of a carving knife.
For instance, last year, despite the rainy weather and frigid temperatures, viewers took to social media to complain about alleged lip-syncing from performers like Billy Porter, Alicia Keys, and a cavalcade of Broadway stars.
“This has to be the last year of Lip Synching at the Macy’s Day Parade it has hit an all time low!” one outraged TV viewer insisted on social media.
“The lip syncing in the Macy’s Parade performers is the worst. I’d rather hear a breathless struggle performance than this,’ another fan parade connoisseur wrote alongside a GIF of a bemused Michael Scott from The Office.
The lip syncing in the Macy’s Parade performers is the worst. I’d rather hear a breathless struggle performance than this. pic.twitter.com/BBbWNYouVA
— Kam Walker (@KamWalker) November 28, 2024
“I miss when performers had to actually perform,” a third parade lover whined, hopelessly confused that this is how it’s been done for decades.
Unsurprisingly, this year was no different…
See some of the annoyed reactions to the 2025 parade below:
Want to join or critique the lip-syncing fun? The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs twice on NBC this Thursday, Nov. 27. The live broadcast began at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC with an encore airing at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
If you don’t have an antenna to watch the free NBC broadcast, you can also find it on most cable/satellite providers. Alternatively, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, will be simulcasting the coverage.