In December, New York magazine declared 2022 the “Year of Nebo Baby” and published a short excursion Category of sorts. But talk of celebrity favoritism has followed us to 2023; See, for example, Articles that Continued Death of Lisa Marie (daughter of Elvis) Presley.
Referring to the 54-year-old Presley, or for that matter, the 73-year-old Jeff (son of Lloyd) Bridges might sound dismissive. Supposed to. subtitle of “Head to the Hollywood Nepo-VerseHe epitomizes this air of cognitive cynicism: “The actors, singers, and directors who happen to be the children of actors, singers, and directors. “
As a show, these are very nice things, like a plot board covered in circles and arrows and post-it notes that reveal these rich just happen To have wealthy parents.
What Nebo’s baby conversation reveals isn’t that people pass on their advantages to their children—we’ve learned that—it’s that the rest of us think it’s unfair.
Some Famous People They emphasized that, in fact, this is fair, because what they are passing on is not an advantage – it is a “family business”. response Asked about the appearance of his son Truman in his new film, Tom Hanks told Reuters: “We have four children, all very creative, all involved in some kind of storytelling, and if we were a plumbing supply company or if we ran a florist’s shop down the street, the family was The whole thing is going to put itself out at some point in time, even if it’s just stock at the end of the year.”
Definitely. But the plumbing supply business is not a popular career path that offers continuous employment opportunities to only a lucky few. You’ll never hear of people waiting tables or carrying espresso until they’ve had a big break in their plumbing supply.
On the other hand, leisure professions (at least the more visible ones) should be “stormed”, because most of us are locked up. Or if it’s not locked, at least the door to Hollywood success will be closed.
A famous name can unlock it. Lily-Rose (Johnny’s daughter) Depp Argues, “You may get your foot in the door, but you’re still getting your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.” Well, yes, but in a business where success often depends on lucky hacks and breaks, no one should underestimate the importance of this elemental advantage.
To her credit, Allison Williams (“Kneader” and “Girls” star; daughter of news anchor Brian) doesn’t underestimate. she Tell New York Magazine, “All people are looking for is an acknowledgment that it’s not a level playing field. That’s unfair. Period, end of story, and nobody really works that hard to make it fair.”
Oddly enough, while we debate whether or not celebrities have achieved their success, no one seems to care much about some egregious examples of nepotism in other areas, such as the suave young Englishman who literally inherited his royal jobthe president who ran his administration Like a family business and the CEO of the company That owns the magazine just published a cover feature on the new kids.
A new report found that college football coaches often Bring their relatives on staff (which leads to an underrepresentation of blacks). A sociological study revealed that the sons of lawyers are likewise They are 17 times more likely to become lawyers (which leads to an underrepresentation of working-class people).
If we get so upset at the thought of Lily-Rose Depp’s foot in the door, where’s the viral outrage over the fact that so many elite colleges publicly valid Children of their graduates in the admission process?
Some of us may still be under the illusion that sheer talent can replace structural inequality. For all we know, we still want to believe in a world where greatness breaks out. A world where the first door closes and the second closes, but If you could dance like Gene Kellyand the third remains open.
And perhaps some of us would rather eat the new kids of Hollywood than think about the ways in which we share and profit from inherited wealth and privilege. I’m thinking of my Ivy League parents here – I went to the same college as my dad.
How many of us have newborns?
In response to criticism of Nepo, self-proclaimed “OG Nepo Baby” Jamie Lee (daughter of Janet Lee and Tony) Curtis complained on Instagram, “Not a day goes by in my career without me being reminded of being the daughter of movie stars.”
Well, if that means she never forgets the benefits she inherited, then I guess that’s a good thing. And not just for celebrities.