Thanksgiving Day Parade: Remembering That Time Joker Had a Float & Sang

For many, checking out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (or any of its local equivalents) is a sort of staple for Turkey Day. The annual event has been charming fans of all ages since the 1920s, which means that quite a lot of celebrities and popular characters have graced the parade route. A recent viral video highlights one of the most bizarre and delightful examples of that in recent memory. The video, which was shared by Twitter user @DinosaurDracula, shows a clip from the 1989 Macy’s Parade, which featured an appearance from the DC Comics villain The Joker. The schtick takes the general idea of the parade scene in Tim Burton’s Batman, which had come out earlier that summer, to an even more ridiculous level.

The video sees the Clown Prince of Crime (who is played by a Jack Nicholson stand-in) belting out an upbeat musical number, which simultaneously announces the Joker’s symbolic presence and dives into why his backstory is so tragic. The song then dives into a bizarre medley of impressions, ranging from Dudley Moore to Arnold Schwarzenegger to (coincidentally) eventual Joker star Robert De Niro.

Hey, at least he’s not singing “Send in the Clowns”.

It’s safe to assume that Joker won’t be making an appearance in this year’s Macy’s festivities, especially after an R-rated take on the character hit theaters earlier this year. This year’s parade is set to feature an array of new and returning floats and characters, including Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Sinclair Oil’s DINO, The Elf on the Shelf, Goku, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch from his most recent animated feature film, Jett by Super Wings, Olaf from Disney’s Frozen 2, PAW Patrol’s Chase, plus Pikachu, The Pillsbury Doughboy, The Red Ranger, Ronald McDonald, and Trolls.

“Spectacle is synonymous with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and each year we aim to create an even bigger one than the last, with incredible must-see entertainment for millions of spectators nationwide,” said Susan Tercero, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Featuring an amazing line-up of high-flying character balloons, jaw-dropping animated floats, world-class marching bands and performance groups, artists covering a variety of musical genres, and of course, the one-and-only Santa Claus, we are ‘Parade Ready’ and can’t wait to take to the streets of New York City to once again herald the arrival of the holiday season.”

What do you think of Joker’s performance in the 1989 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!