371: Scenes From a Mall
Dec 26, 2008
This American Life spends several days in a mall in suburban Tennessee, to document life in the mall during the run-up to Christmas. Also, a rift in a national association of professional Santas—the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (yes, there is such a group).
Note: this is the 2010 version of an episode that originally aired in 2008. A few stories have been re-arranged and some content updated.
- In a part of the mall no shoppers ever see, there's a snug, dark little room with 43 TV screens, one for each of the cameras in the hallways and parking lots, the roof and the loading dock. We hang out with the security people who work in there, seeing what they see. (7 minutes)
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In-depth interview with . . . the Galleria.
