Key Insights
Why did Sean Cole start speaking with a British accent at age fourteen?
Sean Cole was fascinated by British TV shows and characters, particularly Lady Harriet Makepeace, who seemed superior and removed from American culture. This fascination led him to adopt a British accent as a way to escape his reality and feel connected to a different identity.
How did Sean Cole's use of a British accent affect his interactions with others?
Sean Cole's use of a British accent became so ingrained that he spoke with it from morning to night, affecting his interactions with friends and family. His mother eventually took him to a therapist to address the issue, but Sean's belief in his British identity persisted.
What was Joel Lovell's motivation for lying about his parents being vegetarians in college?
Joel Lovell felt out of place among his peers who came from more prestigious backgrounds. To fit in and create a more interesting persona, he lied about his parents being vegetarians, which he believed suggested a leftist, academic, and critical lifestyle, distancing himself from his working-class upbringing.
How did Joel Lovell manage his vegetarian persona in college?
Joel Lovell struggled to maintain his vegetarian persona, often eating iceberg lettuce and chickpeas. He occasionally sneaked out to eat meat, feeling a sense of illicit pleasure. He also adopted a distinct style of dress and speech to reinforce his new identity.
What was the telemarketing scam that David Diamond was involved in?
David Diamond was involved in a long-running telemarketing scam where he and others convinced people to invest in various fraudulent schemes, such as 900 number businesses, online shopping networks, and internet service providers. None of these investments yielded any returns, and the scammers pocketed millions of dollars.
How did the authorities catch David Diamond?
The authorities caught David Diamond by setting up a sting operation. They used a real victim, known as a 'mule' who would buy anything over the phone, and had an FBI volunteer pose as this victim. The volunteer recorded calls with Diamond, eventually leading to his arrest.
What was Shalom Auslander's plan to improve his family situation?
Shalom Auslander's plan was twofold: he aimed to win his school's Blessing Bee to make his mother proud and to sin excessively in hopes that God would punish his abusive father. He believed that by winning the bee, he could elevate his family's status, and by sinning, he could invoke divine retribution against his father.
How did Shalom Auslander's plan unfold during the Blessing Bee?
Shalom Auslander's plan to win the Blessing Bee was complicated by the intricate rules of the competition, which required knowledge of various blessings for different foods. He managed to advance but eventually lost when he was disqualified for claiming that the room smelled like feces, which technically was a loophole in the rules prohibiting blessings in certain conditions.
Chapters
- Sean spoke with a British accent from age 14 to 16.
- His mother took him to a psychologist to address the issue.
- Sean's belief in his British identity was so strong that he argued with the psychologist.
Shownotes Transcript
