Americana - Fizzical Attraction 1942
by Mike Savad
Title
Americana - Fizzical Attraction 1942
Artist
Mike Savad
Medium
Photograph - Hand Colored Photo
Description
Hand colored photo from 1942
Original title: Soft drink and beer signs at beer parlor near camp
Photographer: Arthur Siegel
Location: 4000 J. Maddy Parkway, Interlochen, MI
It started with one, a limited-edition root beer girl with a wink that just wouldn't quit. He said it was for the decor. Ambiance. Branding. But now there are forty-seven.
Forty-seven perfect, laminated smiles lining every inch of the cafe. Some double-stacked. Some duct-taped where no sane person would look. He calls them the collection, says it like a prayer.
He's given them names. Not the model names, his names. Daisy by the fridge. Lola near the register. Cherry stands guard by the men's room like a bombshell on duty. He doesn't throw any out, not even the sun-bleached ones. "They've served," he says, like they're veterans of some fizzy war.
He sleeps in the storage closet, says the dining area "too crowded with guests." You ask about the soda, but he's busy polishing a cardboard shoulder, murmuring, "She always knew how to sell it." He speaks in jingles now. They say he lives alone. He'd disagree.
Each standee is placed with care, behind doors, over the fryer, nestled between crates of syrup. No dust. No disorder. The cola girl by the sink knows his secrets. The lager twin in the corner never judges.
He doesn't date. Doesn't need to. Not when he's surrounded by women who never leave, never argue, never stop smiling. Life-size. High-gloss. Perfect.
It's no longer a cafe. It's a shrine. A cardboard theatre of affection.
And for him, every day ends in a standee ovation.
Uploaded
May 24th, 2025
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