The release of the Netflix television series Inventing Anna earlier this year sent many viewers back to the frenzy surrounding the real-life Anna Sorokin case in 2019. A con artist who defrauded New York socialites under the name Anna Delvey, Sorokin was considered more of a celebrity than a criminal in the publicity around her crimes. Instagram accounts promoting the outfits Sorokin wore to court, as well as fan accounts, all bestow Sorokin with the attention that initially drove her to her crimes, and its prevalence – to this day – is as baffling as it was 3 years ago.

Unlike the current media coverage downplaying the severity and lack of guilt Sorokin feels towards her conviction, Sorokin has proven that she does not deserve the public’s sympathy. Interviews immediately following her time in prison directly reflect the absence of remorse she has regarding her crimes, with Sorokin outright denying her frauds despite her guilty conviction for grand larceny. Like so, Sorokin basks in the spotlight that surrounds her, regardless of its connotation. That being said, the most peculiar aspect of Sorokin is not necessarily her frauds themselves, but what transformed Anna Sorokin into Anna Delvey, and how this monster became a national icon in pop culture and media.

First and foremost, mainstream culture glamorizes female figures in the media who conform to the privileged and savage trope. The most prominent characters representing this image include Regina George from Mean Girls and Cher Horowitz from Clueless. Though many factors propelled these characters to fame, there is an obvious commonality binding them together: they are girls with a defining visual aesthetic who lack empathy for anyone but themselves. Pop culture has been glorifying pretty girls who are ruthlessly mean ever since the 1990s.

Unsurprisingly, the visual representation of the aforementioned female persona in the media is very singular: donning expensive apparel and possessing Caucasian qualities. Anna Delvey surpassed both criteria of the privileged, mean girl demographic. This partially answers the question regarding how Anna Sorokin, a young girl who had lived a humble life until then, convinced numerous socialites that she was an heiress; unfortunately, Anna looked and acted the part immaculately. This raises the question of whether a Black or Hispanic woman living in the United States (U.S.) would have been as successful at pulling off such a grandiose act throughout four years. What primarily created Anna Delvey may have been Sorokin’s twisted intentions, but what helped maintain her status in society were such racial prejudices and favoritism in the media.

Naturally, the public is inclined to define visual stereotypes for different groups of society. This tendency, combined with hindsight bias, spews the perfect recipe for Anna’s triumph. For example, a feature commonly highlighted about Anna is how she may not fit the cliché image of a rich socialite. Many who encountered Delvey claimed to believe she must have been unthinkably rich for her to care so little about her appearance. Yet, these presumptions were made after they had heard through word of mouth about Anna’s riches. Most likely, these witnesses would have already been persuaded of Anna’s wealth regardless of what image she resembled: people believe what they want to believe and create their justifications following the conclusions they have made.

Despite how the current media is rampant with stories demonizing Anna or legitimizing the public’s empathy towards her, there is a lack of discussion surrounding how Anna Delvey is the amalgamation of social consequences resulting from lookism and capitalism. Indeed, Sorokin was the sole mastermind behind her frauds, yet it was society that ultimately encouraged these plans.