Could Duluth lose Christmas City status?

Well, Merv is long dead and we had a good run. It might be time to sit on our hands and give someone else a turn. Once you start phoning it in, it might be time to pass the nicycle.

It's over. Hello Kalispell, Mont.

[img]http://www.perfectduluthday.com/wp-content/uploads/comments/Kalispell-City-of-the-North.jpg[/img]

There is Christmas-tacky-yet-delightful, and then there is just plain tacky.  We do not deserve Christmas City of the North status anymore if we are just phoning it in.

Next thing you know the weather guy will be inside too.*




*I don't find it awful they were inside. I find wearing jackets to make you think they were outside offensive. You either are or you're not.

Greenscreen makes everything better.

If the flaming-baton girls are going to man up and do their thing in leotards and tights, the friggin' announcers could at least step outside.

I feel that the overall production value has gone severely downhill over the years. The on-street coverage felt like a shaky cam movie and the announcement/parade timing was all over the place. I'd love for another news station to give it a shot some year and give it the love it deserves.

Oh no. Look what has happened to I-Falls when they lost their "Ice Box of Nation" status to "The Cold Spot" -- Embarrass, MN a few years back. How embarrassing. No more Diehard battery commercials.

Before the criticism gets too harsh, it should probably be noted that the parade is a product of KBJR, going back to when it was WDSM. There is no parade without KBJR.

Christmas City of the North Parade v2, a product of WDIO?

It was pretty obvious that the announcement timing issue were related to the fact that they were inside.  And the green-screen quality wasn't great, either.

I don't mind if they're inside, but if it affects the broadcast quality, then that seems dumb.  Production value from KBJR seems to be lacking in most things, though.  Their hockey coverage on My9 is horrible.

Have they addressed this at all? I don't think people would have minded quite so much if they would have said "hey, we're inside, and this is why ..." instead of just pretending to be outside. I can't imagine they thought they were fooling us when they weren't even wearing gloves/mittens or hats, so it made no sense to ignore the fact that they were inside.

Since we don't even have a "midtown" to be nicicle in, I doubt we ever held the title in the first place. (Unless Merv was referring to the Midtowne Manor assisted-living facility in the West End. Hmm.)

This was the 9th year that our band of merry mischief makers has inserted a guerilla entry in the parade, and we faced unprecedented opposition. A wee man with a big clipboard actually shouted "They don't have a permit! Get them!" (The police officers he was addressing didn't bat an eye.) Apparently we had made a mockery of the Assistant Coordinator of the Orderly Adherence to The Rules one too many times. They also cut the take so we wouldn't be on TV for the first time. We really work it: fire spinners, puppets, dancers, costumes, kids... and the crowd LOVES us! Yes, I know rules are there for a reason. But I think somebody at the station ought to evaluate what makes the event joyful and entertaining. It's not the posers if front of a green screen.

Owls Club needs your support for "Best in Show" float.

This made Huffington Post today.

HAHAHAHA now that is funny. I love Barbara Reyelts's comment that, since they did not say they were outside, that this subterfuge isn't a technical lie.  Now that's top notch journalistic integrity.

*xmas city music* ... And on the TV things are really farcical ... *end music*

Worth noting was their advanced use of twittertech too. Couldn't agree more on this one. Step it UP!

The only people impacted were the ones watching it from inside.. pot, meet kettle.

Kevin Jacobsen addresses "Paradegate."

Sometimes, the worst thing you can do when you've made a mistake is try to explain.

Boy is that true R Guy.  Something about admitting failure to others unleashes instinctual rage from the simian portions of our ancient-brain.

No matter how bad you fucked up, best to pretend nothing happened and all is hunky dory.  Let's call that Halliburton for now. 

Oh for Kalispell.

This is worse than when they faked the moon landing.

I can't believe this!  They have resorted to a fake representation.  I used to march and play my brass instrument out in that cold and they can't even sit outside with some heaters and do the broadcast!  It makes me embarrassed to have been born and raised in Duluth.