"Call me basic, but I love waking up on Thanksgiving morning and watching the Macy’s parade. Without fail, I’m enthralled by the pageantry and comforted by the tradition: the floats, the crowds, the Broadway dance numbers. Santa Claus.

The last few years, though, one element has bothered me.

“Look who we have here — USDA Forest Service’s most-loved ambassador, Smokey Bear, towering above the parade,” Savannah Guthrie, one of the anchors of NBC’s “Today” show, told viewers during last week’s broadcast. “For nearly 80 years, this American legend has been helping protect our forests and grasslands. And he’s returning to the parade with his ever-important message — that nearly nine out of 10 wildfires are started by humans, and they can be prevented.”

Turning to “Today” weather anchor Al Roker, she asked, “Hey Al, what do you think Smokey would say about that?”"

Sammy Roth reports for the Los Angeles Times November. 30, 2023, in his Boiling Point column. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Smokey Bear Is 75. Is It Time For Him To Retire?" (HuffPost) [3]