If you can’t figure out what you enjoy more–watching reality TV shows or shopping–then you must read this blog. I just found out that someone has come up with a way that you can get fixes for both–at the same time. It’s a reality TV show about shopping. Well, not exactly about shopping. Rather, it is a show that takes you behind-the-scenes at the United States’ largest department store, the nine-story Macy’s, in New York’s Herald Square.
It’s an eight-show series called “Unwrapping Macy’s” and it is set to air on the WE network beginning tonight. This is by no means a review of the show (I haven’t seen it); rather I’m interested in telling you why I plan to watch the first episode. For starters, I love the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Love may be an understatement. Growing up I used to watch the parade religiously. In fact, when I was eight-years-old I vowed I would someday host the parade. Later, I found out that job was reserved for the hosts of the “Today” show, hence the beginning of my quest to become television news anchor. Alas, I got as far as local news anchor, but it seems the job as parade host has eluded me. But, I digress–back to the show.
The series will provide never before scenes of what it takes to pull off the massive Thanksgiving Day parade. In addition, it will offer glimpses into a celebrity’s perfume launching and follows store employees as they cope with the job of having to interview a bunch of people whose ambition in life is to be an elf in the store’s elaborate Santaland. So don’t look for dirt from the customer complaints department or staff members moaning about their bosses. Rather I get the feeling it will combine the entertainment of shopping (minus the dent in your wallet) with the enjoyment of watching others cave or soar under the stress of working in the Macy’s environment.
Personally, I think the show is a perfectly timed venture given that Macy’s has just acquired a massive amount of other department stores—including Marshall Field’s which has been an institution in the Midwest for decades. At this point there are probably few people who have not heard of Macy’s and with this new series I’m sure the store will gain more attention. So, as I bid farewell to my local Marshall Field’s, I will be interested to see if the Macy’s hype is all that.