The Review

The Dropout

Listen Later

From Theranos to WeWork to the socialite grifter Anna Delvey, television these days is all about the art of the scam. Why are we so fascinated with the rise-and-fall stories of swindlers? What do these shows reveal about American culture at this moment? 

And with many of these shows following female scammers through the “Lean In” / girlboss 2010’s in particular, what should audiences make of that brief era of feminism today?

Sophie Gilbert, Megan Garber, and Shirley Li attempt their best Elizabeth Holmes impressions as they discuss the Hulu series The Dropout and the other scammer shows airing now. 

Further reading:

  • The Comedies That Understand What Peak Scammer TV Does Not
  • Netflix's Inventing Anna Writes a Check It Can't Cash
  • The Mueller Report, Theranos, 'Billions': American Scams

    • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    The ReviewBy The Atlantic
    • 3.9
    • 3.9
    • 3.9
    • 3.9
    • 3.9

    3.9

    137 ratings

    More shows like The Review

    View all
    Fresh Air by NPR

    Fresh Air

    38,430 Listeners

    The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

    The New Yorker Radio Hour

    6,881 Listeners

    The New Yorker: Fiction by The New Yorker

    The New Yorker: Fiction

    3,330 Listeners

    The Book Review by The New York Times

    The Book Review

    3,917 Listeners

    Selected Shorts by Symphony Space

    Selected Shorts

    2,891 Listeners

    On the Media by WNYC Studios

    On the Media

    9,238 Listeners

    The Political Scene | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

    The Political Scene | The New Yorker

    4,113 Listeners

    The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by The New Yorker

    The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

    2,130 Listeners

    The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

    The History of Literature

    1,122 Listeners

    Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

    Radio Atlantic

    2,380 Listeners

    The Atlantic Interview by The Atlantic

    The Atlantic Interview

    14 Listeners

    Galaxy Brain by The Atlantic

    Galaxy Brain

    1,080 Listeners

    The Al Franken Podcast by The Al Franken Podcast

    The Al Franken Podcast

    8,562 Listeners

    Floodlines by The Atlantic

    Floodlines

    3,397 Listeners

    Social Distance by The Atlantic

    Social Distance

    916 Listeners

    The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

    The Ezra Klein Show

    16,525 Listeners

    How to Age Up by The Atlantic

    How to Age Up

    1,432 Listeners

    NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

    NPR's Book of the Day

    678 Listeners

    Holy Week by The Atlantic

    Holy Week

    297 Listeners

    Critics at Large | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

    Critics at Large | The New Yorker

    663 Listeners

    Good on Paper by The Atlantic

    Good on Paper

    359 Listeners

    Autocracy in America by The Atlantic

    Autocracy in America

    1,425 Listeners

    We Live Here Now by The Atlantic

    We Live Here Now

    228 Listeners