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Al Roker's weight loss has been well-documented, but fans watching the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade wondered if he had lost more than just some pounds. Seated in the booth next to Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie — his "Today Show" co-hosts — Roker looked inexplicably short. Even though the NBC personality is only a couple of inches shorter than his co-hosts, during the parade Roker looked not only six inches shorter than Kotb and Guthrie but considerably tinier.
What Al Roker do to deserve this? pic.twitter.com/s9RncDdVHN
— Sean Tierney (@seandtierney) November 28, 2024
Predictably, the size disparity caused viewers watching the broadcast from home to chime in. "Why are they doing Al Roker dirty like this and making him look like he's 3 feet tall?" one X, formerly Twitter, user asked. "They left Al Roker in the dryer too long!" another joked. "Someone get Al Roker an encyclopedia to sit on our something my gosh," suggested one viewer. Previously, Roker had poked fun at his height when sharing before-and-after snaps alongside his son on Instagram in March 2023. One photo showed the veteran TV host posing with his son in 2014, and the more recent pic showed that his son now towered over Roker. Roker even jokingly called himself "#PollyPocketDad" in the caption.
Unfortunately for Roker, his seemingly diminutive height was not the only aspect of his appearance that people clowned him for during the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In an attempt to cover up from the rain, Roker opted for a jacket and hat combo that some fans believed made him look like the killers from both "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Jeepers Creepers." Meanwhile, other X users joked that Roker looked less sinister and more akin to Indiana Jones. The wardrobe and staging blunders were not the only issues that made people mock Roker during the parade.
Al Roker struggled with his microphone
Al Roker was not solely confined to the booth during the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; he also went out in the street as rain cascaded down. Even though Roker is a seasoned weathercaster, he seemed to struggle with not only the elements but also his microphone. Multiple viewers noted that they had difficulty making out what Roker was saying. "Al Roker has been on TV my entire life and still can't talk into a microphone lmao," one X user commented. "I feel like Al Roker is drunk as hell. Will someone please put a mic on this guy's coat," another added.
All these on-air mishaps occurred only a year after the long-time host returned to his duties at the Thanksgiving Day event. Health problems caused Roker to miss the 2022 parade, as he was recovering from blood clots. When he returned the following year, Roker expressed his excitement. "I am so thankful to be anywhere this year, but especially here," he said during the 2023 telecast of the parade, per People. Leading up to the broadcast, Roker spoke about his health issues while appearing on the "Your Mama's Kitchen" podcast. "It was no secret. I had a severe medical issue, and to be completely [honest], I almost died," he said, adding that missing the parade showed him just "how important" that event was to him.
Years earlier, Roker's life was in fake danger in one of his most viral parade moments. At the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Roker was attacked by villainous creatures and saved by the Power Rangers. "Take [Matt] Lauer, he's much more important!" Roker yelled while under siege by the Power Rangers villains. Clips of the exchange have been shared countless times on social media over the years.
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