Thursday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade generated plenty of buzz on social media. As Americans across the country tuned in to the annual festive event, which looks a little different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, chatter on social media eventually turned away from Al Roker and the infamous Butter Man (aka Pastor Donny Willis) and to former Today anchor Matt Lauer.
Although Lauer had once been a staple of the annual event, which is now entering its 94th year, 2020 marked his second year in a row that he has been absent. Lauer was fired from Today in November of 2017 after being accused of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” Although details of the allegations were initially unclear, Ronan Farrow reported on the allegations in his 2019 book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, in which former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils accused Lauer of raping her at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lauer has since denied the allegation as “categorically false.”
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Since those allegations and his firing, Lauer has mostly been living life out of the spotlight. He resurfaced in May and was again seen on a yacht date with a mystery woman in July. He was not, however, been spotted among his former Today show co-hosts Thursday morning, something that prompted plenty of discussions on social media. Keep scrolling to see the Lauer discourse taking place on Twitter.
Where’s Matt Lauer? #MacysParade
— Proud Deplorable Chump 🇺🇸 (@_wlk21) November 26, 2020
Does Matt Lauer miss not anchoring the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade
— Cmdr Benjamin Sisko (@bholcomb) November 26, 2020
Do you guys think Matt Lauer watches this in his underwear with a 5 o’clock shadow like “fuck” #MacysParade
— Mama Segs (@MilwaukeeKate) November 26, 2020
How come Matt Lauer doesn’t host the #MacysParade anymore?
— TedInJest (@TedInJest) November 26, 2020
Controversial tweet: What happened to matt lauer hosting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade? Bring him back!! #Thanksgiving2020 #Thanksgiving #MacysParade #MacysThanksgivingParade
— Nicholas Baddog (@BaddogNicholas) November 26, 2020
NBC should have a #MacysParade float filled w executives that knew about Matt Lauer & did nothing
— Andy Doherty (@AllThingsAndy) November 26, 2020
The parade just isn’t the same without Matt Lauer secretly harassing Mrs Claus in the finale. #MacysParade #MacysThanksgivingParade
— Tennis C Williams (@StateOfTennisC) November 26, 2020
If wanting Matt Lauer to have to announce the Macy’s Parade for no one from a Motel 6 at gunpoint forever is wrong I don’t want to be right
— Pinko Punko (@PinkoPunko) November 26, 2020
My favorite tradition is to wake up really early on Thanksgiving morning, flip on the TV and watch Matt Lauer host the Macy’s parade. And I’m not going to let a virus stop me from doing so this year. #thankful
— Reed (@RLCUS1) November 26, 2020
I did not expect to see a giant inflatable Matt Lauer at the #MacysDayParade on NBC. Yikes!
— Paul Carlson (@paul__carlson) November 26, 2020
so is Matt Lauer gonna host the thanksgiving parade again or
— Ben Ratner (@BenMakesTV) November 26, 2020
Please don’t take this as an endorsement of this guy, but I do kind of miss nihilistic, contractually obligated Matt Lauer making no secret of the fact he would have rather been literally anywhere else in the world.
— SportsAngle (@SportsAngle) November 26, 2020
