My favorite TV show, Arrested Development, features a main character who is probably the youngest and definitely the only con woman we have seen so far this semester, Maeby Funke. At just 14 years old Maeby learned that she could earn money much faster than working at her family's banana stand by lying and conning. First, she posed as her imaginary wheelchair-ridden "sister" Surely Funke and raised money for a mysterious terminal illness she called "BS." After her first con went off without a hitch and surprising success, Maeby's next con took place at a major movie studio while she was tagging along with her aspiring actor father to an audition. Maeby cleverly conned her way into a job as a movie executive which she held down for the next year, during which she produced several films. Her lies were only exposed when her cousin sent invitations to her 16th birthday party to everyone he found in Maeby's address book, which was filled with movie executives and celebrities who had no idea that the movie executive they'd worked with for the past year was only half the age she claimed to be. Afterwards, she briefly held a job at another movie studio until it was discovered that she had no high school diploma.
The following clip shows how Maeby would deflect any comments in conversation that could expose her true age. Her signature catchphrase "marry me!" became a running gag throughout the show because of how often Maeby would need to use it on her clueless coworkers complimenting her youthful appearance.
This all might have been avoided if Maeby's plan to become a devout Christian hadn't quickly gone awry due to a simple misunderstanding....
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