Who are ‘Annas’ — Comments on 2022 Netflix Show ‘Inventing Anna’
To describe someone who lives in a dream, ‘Anna Delvey’ is the best example. However, different from most other people who live in their dreams, Anna has made the ‘dream’ into reality.
Journalists and media producers adopt rose-tinted glasses to attract readers. This flamboyant article in The Cut [link]has all the hallmarks of the magazine's storytelling style. The Netflix show ‘Inventing Anna’ goes beyond this, with even more drama.
Netflix’s 2022 show, Inventing Anna, begins with a journalist’s vision of ‘Anna Delvey’ and ends with ‘Anna Delvey’s court statement.
There is a lot to take away from this show. It made me question Anna’s identity, who invented her, and what the different roles of the journalist and the lawyer were. In society and at work, we all wear different hats according to the roles assigned to us, and it’s this construction of identities that fascinates me in Inventing Anna.
Everybody was involved with Anna benefits in some way or another. Anna is, but a 25-year-old girl with no background, no degree, dreaming of her living life on her own terms. Succeeding in this requires acquiring criminal records: one count of attempted grand larceny, three counts of grand larceny, and four counts of theft of services.
And she is doing well. This person has made a fortune by selling her story to Netflix and she is probably having a good life, better than most ordinary people. How can someone with a comprehensive criminal record do well nowadays? Well, in Anna’s example, she made three decisions that made her who she is today.
The more I look into Anna’s story, the more I thought that maybe she is not living in a dream, but she knew how to make dreams come true by making ‘smart’ decisions at the right time.
Anna may not have become Anna if she chose to plead guilty after she was caught. This is what most people would do when they were caught. If Anna made the same decision, then she would not be as famous as she is now. This is a life-changing decision that she made for herself, going to the trial.
In the Netflix show, a journalist approached Anna and asked her not to plead guilty: she should go to Court so that the journalist could write her story. In the journalist’s eyes, Anna is the source of a good story that can be published on the front page of a magazine. In exchange, the journalist assured Anna that the article will make her famous. This is no doubt a selfish offer based on the journalist’s personal interests. If Anna sought proper legal advice, her lawyer would probably suggest that she should prioritize an option that could minimize her charges and jail time, including the time she has to spend in custody before the trial is over.
(Note: The journalist in the show went above and beyond her ethics, if there are any, rather than record and polish the story, she assisted and participated in it.)
In short, Anna took the offer from the journalist. A reasonable person may not have done that, exchanging your freedom for a story. Anna may have known that she would have a longer sentence at that time, or she did not understand what she had signed up for, or she knew that it was worth it. The decision made, her story begins. This is the real beginning of her story, what she had done before going to trial is only the background of her success.
The second important decision for Anna — what to wear at trial — is way more important than anything else: no dress, no trial. This is a snapshot of how her opinions differ from those of her lawyer, regarding what strategy they should apply in her case. At least, a lawyer would suggest she show more respect to the Judge rather than keeping all parties at the court waiting for her new dress.
How she dresses in the courtroom surely is a statement about how she presents herself and her attitude. In the show, it is a conflict between her and her lawyer whether she should be presented as a smart businesswoman or a con artist. (Ethical issues may arise if the lawyer acts against the client’s instructions and also if discovery documents are leaked to the media.) Normally, a defendant wouldn’t upset the court because the clothes don’t suit her. You can say she’s crazy. However, it is a way to attract media attention and she was successful.
The third decision that made her who she is today, was also a smart move. She sold her story to Netflix and worked as a paid consultant during production. Committing crimes is never a good start, but she turned them into real assets. She’s entitled to her success and financial well-being, however, she may have come about it. Her visa issues and other issues are still continuing. But she is Anna.
I am glad to see that she was guilty of most of her charges, and she did pay the price, her jail time, for it. She is different in the sense that, normally, people don’t spend beyond what they can afford. She may just believe that she can somehow get away with it using other rich people’s embarrassment.
From my limited exposure to the ‘rich world’, I can confidently say that there are so many ‘Annas’ who exist at different levels, owing to countless debts, and still manage to get away with it. There are also a lot of ethical issues in this show arising from both the lawyers’ and the journalists’ behaviour. And in an ideal ethical world, there shouldn’t be any.
What did I learn from Inventing Anna other than being impressed by her life decisions? It is probably a good idea to have the ability to distinguish what is dream and reality, especially when other people tell you their vision, and then ask you for money. I will lend my money/pay for things wisely.
(First published on 8 March 2022, edited on 19 Oct 2022 and republished on 20 Oct 2022)
