This American Life - 216: Give the People What They Want

Broadcast on: 12 Jul 2002

from W.B. E.C. Chicago and Public Radio International. It's this American life, and I wear a glass. All right, you're gonna flip your collar up. All right, that's gonna look real nice, don't you think? You're gonna look nice? You're gonna sharp. The groom's ready, the bride's ready. They have never kissed. Not even one time. She only asked him to marry her two weeks ago. (somber music)

In the March, flower girls, three bridesmaids, three groomsmen, a gray-haired pastor who's done this dozens of times. The groom who's done the bride since fifth grade, and finally the bride. They both just graduated from high school this month. We're in Davenport, Iowa. Our guests may be seated. A truly blessed, happy occasion brings us here. I hope that your hearts are happy. All of this is fake. Absolutely, completely fake. Every single part of it. We're in a home for elderly people with Alzheimer's and the staff are staging a phony wedding because, wow, it makes the residents feel good. They enjoy picking out hats and jewelry to wear. They enjoy talking about their own wedding, those who still remember them. They've also took confusions and perceptual problems and they cannot tell that it is fake. At a wedding, we all love a wedding, don't we? Ashley William Post. Over on the side, two old women whisper excitedly about the bride's dress, a woman in the first row cries. There are three men who stare straight ahead into space not registering anything, but nearly everybody else is much more bright-eyed and engaged than usual. The caretakers all say, this is Judy Rader. It's amazing, all these people are patients and usually can't focus on the same thing at the same time. You saw me be clear. They're looking at the minister, which again, they're focusing on the person that's delivering the speech, which oftentimes isn't. In fact, it all looks real enough. The pastor's homily, the vows, the rings.

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