design: Sophie Rogers
In the world of fame and fortune, it is no secret that people use their connections to get to the top of stardom. With the rising discourse of nepotism babies, it is frustrating and crazy to see just how many nepotism babies are dominating the entertainment industry.
When thinking of the celebrities that can be seen on the screen, radio, or red carpet, many don’t consider how they got to the level of fame. Being a child to famous parents, or a nepotism baby, is an attribute to fame that is highly considered right now.
Some obvious examples of nepotism babies include Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith; and Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. Some not-so-obvious examples include Dakota Johnson, daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson; and Kate Hudson, daughter of Bill Hudson and Goldie Hawn.
With already having famous parents, nepotism babies have connections to help them within the entertainment industry. This advantage above the average person is part of what makes nepotism babies so highly controversial.
This unfair advantage that nepotism babies are born into isn’t necessarily a negative thing against them because they can’t help who their parents are, but they can help what they do with the fame they are born into and how they acknowledge their advantage. Not everyone can call their parents’ friends and land themselves a television role or modeling gig, hence the obvious upper hand nepotism babies get.
Some nepotism babies have come to defend themselves, saying that they have to work harder than the average person to prove that they are deserving of their work—even though they have the connections of their famous parents.
In particular, Gwenyth Paltrow, daughter of Blythe Danner and Bruce Paltrow, said that “Once your foot is in the door, which you unfairly got in, then you almost have to work twice as hard and be twice as good. Because people are ready to pull you down and say you don’t belong there or you’re only there because of your dad or your mom or whatever the case may be,” according to Forbes. This concept of having to work harder to prove themselves is shared by many nepotism babies and is yet another controversial idea to the general public.
Even though there are surely people doubting the ability of nepotism babies in the jobs that they land and whether they are deserving of it or not, they already have a step up against a regular person trying to achieve the same job. Sure, nepotism babies might have to prove themselves worthy, but it’s debatable whether they really are working harder than others because they already have the connections to get ahead.
The largest example of nepotism running through a whole family is the Kardashian and Jenner family. Despite the lack of talent amongst most of the family, they are still some of the most famous and recognized individuals in the media.
An example of a nepotism baby that is often questioned in regard to their genuine talent is Brooklyn Beckham, son of Victoria and David Beckham, who posted photographs he had taken. One that stood out to the public was a photo of an elephant, which really wasn’t a good photo due to the dark shadow over the photo, making it hard to even see the elephant.
Nepotism babies aren’t all necessarily “untalented” as some may say just because they have famous parents. For example, Miley Cyrus and Gracie Abrams are both talented nepotism babies. Additionally, there are many untalented people who are famous without being a nepotism baby at all.
Nepotism babies are now poking fun at the title they are being called by the public and claiming ownership of it. Hailey Bieber, daughter of Kenya and Stephen Baldwin, was photographed in public wearing a shirt that read “Nepo Baby”, according to Vogue, adding to the discussion. Although her statement was intended to be powerful, it came across bland and lame.
Nepotism babies need to stop whining about being called nepotism babies by the public because that is quite literally what they are; it’s not a statement for or against their talent. They need to understand the clear advantages they have to get opportunities and jobs that the average person simply does not have the same access to.
