Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
Children born into nepotism, commonly referred to as nepo babies, have taken up the internet by storm as people realize how many of their favorite actors, singers or models have gained fame through their parents.
New York Magazine’s newest cover gained attention as it analyzed how many up and rising celebrities have actually gained success through the parents or family connections.
It’s been common knowledge that it’s ‘who you know rather than what you know’ that makes the world go round. Even if it’s not the case all the time, it’s the case a majority of the time.
Nepo babies are a unique case. They have the connections at birth – endless possibilities to how their life can end up. Will they follow into their parent’s footsteps or fumble the bag?
Regardless, their bloodline will follow them whether they fail or succeed. Their life is broadcasted to the public for a single post, tweet or selfie. As Nate Jones put it, if they fail at one thing, they have the world’s most comfiest safety pillow to fall back against and then try again.
“From my experience nepo babies can’t be put into one single category,” said television producer and creative executive Craig Bland who has worked with a handful of nepo babies. “After all, nepo babies are people too.”
“Having worked with a range of famous offspring from the Kardashians to Nicole Richie to Brody Jenner, all I can say is that some are really hard working and others struck me as lazy and entitled,” Bland said. “But the majority, at least from my experience, were smart enough to work with and build upon what they were given. Are they advantaged? Yes. Are they all the same? No.”
To be fair, there’s not an issue with needing a helping hand every once in a while but to deny that your connections and upbringing did nothing to contribute to your success is a bit faulty.
It’s a slap to the face for those that don’t have that safety cusion to fall back on. It also emphasizes the different world that nepo babies live in.
To criticize nepo babies is a double edged sword. On one hand, their life experiences seem magical, ethereal and absolutely out of reach. Yet, they’re still human. Humans with really rich parents and probably even richer grandparents.
Sometimes it feels like the criticism of nepo babies stems from jealousy, maybe even resentment for a life only the top 1 percent can have. Or, it’s just a fun way to pass time as celebrities lose that humanity aspect as they stray further and further away from the life of someone in the 99 percentile.
“I understand they get opportunities a lot of people don’t have but they were brought into a world where they had the talent around them,” said junior English literature major Brandon Moreno. “If they’re talented it can show it but it’s not necessarily a fair thing.”
Wherever the criticism stems from, it is the very thing that keeps nepo babies relevant besides the fact that they’re children of very famous people.
Whether you love them or hate them, nepo babies are here to stay.
Cindy Rivas Alfaro is a journalism sophomore who can be reached at [email protected].
