What's with the Thanksgiving parades?

We tuned in at the very end of the Macy's parade yesterday. We saw a lot of singers who were too young for me to recognize, all of whom were lip syncing to their recorded music. We saw Kermit the frog from many angles, and we saw a couple of marching bands. We also saw a lot of commercials.

And we heard the commentators yak yak yak over the soundtrack. At times, they were so excited that they shouted.

Why is this? Do the commentators feel that "parade sounds" are dead air? Is what they say so incredibly relevant to the parade that our lives can't go on without knowing that this band earned its way to New York by selling calendars and pulling weeds? Or that Kermit weights over 300 pounds? Are factoids more important than entertainment?

Why can't we have a passive parade experience?