6 Shows And Movies About White Women Who Just Can’t Stop Lying
The “white woman who scams people” trope has never been so alive and well in pop culture.
In 2022 alone, the genre – yes, it’s a genre now – produced no less than four juicy pieces of entertainment. Though there was a slight fallow period in good scammer content afterwards, the drought ended this year with Apple Cider Vinegar. But before I get to her, I thought I’d recommend some other good series and movies about sociopathic white ladies who ruined the lives of everyone around them. There’s just something compelling about watching a privileged con artist drain people’s bank accounts only to drown in her own lies. Is it schadenfreude? A sense that justice has been restored? Whatever the case, I just love watching a delusionally confident woman say unhinged things for 60 to 90 minutes, and for that reason, I will recommend the following vessels of entertainment.
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (Netflix)
Vague, alliterative title aside, this docuseries has it all: a fake vegan; an influencer getting what they deserve; a white lady with a vaguely Eastern European name. Also, Sarma Melngailis, who this docuseries is about, possesses the following bio on Wikipedia, which is tbh aspirational: “American chef, cookbook author, businesswoman and convicted criminal.” Oh, have I not mentioned that she’s a convicted criminal? She laundered millions of dollars from her vegan restaurant into her scammer husband’s bank account so that he could create an elixir of immortality … for her dog. Technically, her husband was the scammer here, but Melngailis happily went along with it. Can you say “complicit?”
I Care a Lot (Netflix)
Rosamund Pike playing an icy blonde lady with great taste? While it sounds like the prequel to Gone Girl, it’s actually a dark comedy about Marla Grayson, a fictional heartless diva who scams elderly people out of their life savings. As long as you don’t imagine that any of the seniors in the movie are your grandma, then it’s great entertainment … But who am I kidding? You will hate Marla Grayson. Well, a little bit, at least. Pike makes her terrifyingly compelling, despite her obvious flaws. Still, you will feel satisfied when all the elder abuse blows up in her face.
The Dropout (Hulu)
Ah, Elizabeth Holmes—the patron saint of unsettling voices. If you ever wanted to see how a turtleneck-wearing blonde with a God complex could convince the entire world that she had revolutionized medicine, nay, life, then The Dropout is your show. Amanda Seyfried absolutely nails Holmes’ dearth of charisma, making the show compelling even when the story drags. That said, watching this scam unfold is both infuriating and gripping, especially when you realize how many people
believed that Holmes’s “revolutionary” blood testing technology was real. It’s a miracle she didn’t scam her way into becoming President, but of course, that would be unheard of in America.
Not Okay (Hulu)
In Not Okay, Zoey Deutch plays the worst kind of influencer: both
talentless, shameless, and willing to fake trauma for clout. Well, I technically I just described a lot of influencers, but just take my word for it that Deutch’s fictional character is the worst. On top of that, the movie lightly satirizes our society’s obsession with online fame and performative victimhood, making this scam story surprisingly relevant. In any case, the character gets exactly what she deserves, which is just…chef’s kiss.
Apple Cider Vinegar (Netflix)
Imagine if Gwyneth Paltrow tried to convince you that her gold-covered vagina eggs could cure cancer. That’s this series. Apple Cider Vinegar follows a real Australian wellness influencer, Belle Gibson, who lied about having brain cancer so that she could sell overpriced apple cider vinegar as a natural alternative to chemotherapy. The worst part is that she begins to believe in her own lies, even though she neither has cancer nor the cure. Of course, the woman’s luck runs out; this is based on a true story, after all. Watching Gibson’s empire crumble feels great, especially if you’ve ever seen an influencer peddle snake juice on TikTok or Instagram. Also, Kaitlyn Dever is terrific as Gibson, and delivers a perfect Australian accent despite being from Arizona.
Inventing Anna (Netflix)
“I do not have time for this … I do not have time for you!” That was
this series. Julia Garner as Anna Delvey, the OG lying white lady, is literally a meme. If you haven’t seen this show about a real-life fake German heiress who lived like a socialite despite being broke as they come, then you are a broke-ass amateur. Sorry, just quoting the show. You’re probably a perfectly lovely person.
