In this episode, we oscillate between antebellum steamboat grifters and prosperity gospel televangelists to unpack the archetype of the American con man: a self-made myth-maker cloaked in charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. We discuss itinerant preachers, LA hypebeast cyber-apostles, Herman Melville, identity theft, April Fool’s Day, man-on-the-street content creators, jewelry dropshippers, and more, tracing the legacy of scammers through primary sources from 1850s op-eds to influencer snark pages.
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