CNN
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One of the surest paths to success in showbiz is to become the child of someone who is already famous and successful.
These descendants are called nepo babies (nepo = nepotism) and have not so secretly infiltrated a myriad of beloved pop culture properties. Who was your favorite Stranger Things character? Was it Robin? Nepo-chan. Favorite feline antihero in The Batman? Well, she’s Nepo’s baby. Some news if you like the Riddler in that movie – his real-life partner is also Nepo’s baby.
It should come as no surprise that these famous and successful people were the children or relatives of other famous and successful people. It’s hard to forget who they’re related to when it seems like.
However, the term “nepo baby” is relatively new and evokes feelings of guilt and anxiety. The latest issue of New York Magazine featured dozens of Nepo babies. put some of them back in diapers in the star-studded maternity ward for its cover.
The issue blew up like a bomb, shocking readers by listing famous bloodlines and including a surprise Nepo baby or two. Some fans defended their idols. Others praised the magazine for its audacity that could alienate countless celebrities.
Nepo Baby leads beloved streaming series and earns award notifications. They have appeared on Broadway and spearheaded major fashion campaigns. Some are widely loved. There’s also Chet Hanks.
Simply put, according to Nate Jones of New York, “Nepo’s baby is physical proof that meritocracy is a lie.”
“Nepo babies” refer to successful adult children who benefit from nepotism in industries such as entertainment and adjoining fields (fashion and media being the other two big fields). Unlike “Nobodies” with no bootstraps or natural talents, Nepo babies start with the advantage of their parents’ connection.
This year’s Nepo Baby Buzz kicked off after the second season of the controversial HBO blockbuster Euphoria aired.Several Young viewers were shocked to find out Its cast member Maude Apatow is the daughter of director Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “This Is 40”) and actress Leslie Mann (“Knocked Up,” “This Is 40”). . “Euphoria” director Sam Levinson is himself a “Nepo Baby”. He is the son of successful director Barry Levinson, who co-wrote the HBO film The Wizard of Lies before directing Euphoria.
These connections have spooked some young TikTok users and launched an investigation into other relatively unnoticed Nepo babies. (Many of the most famous Nepo Babies reached their peak of fame before Gen Z was old enough to be remembered.) These videos popularized the term “Nepo Babies.”
The Nepo Baby controversy reached new heights in November when Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, who would also appear in the Sam Levinson series, denied the term in an interview with Elle. did. Your family is more important than the people throwing you into things. You might step in the door, but you’re still just stepping in the door. I still have a lot of work to do after this. ”
Critics flew in, including supermodel Vittoria Ceretti, who worked for fashion houses such as Chanel (who Depp had modeled for since he was a teenager). “I have a lot of nepo baby friends that I look up to, but I can’t stand hearing you compare yourself to me,” Ceretti said in an Instagram story. I wasn’t born on a comfortable, sexy pillow, and I know it’s not your fault, but please understand where you’re coming from.”
All of this inspired Vulture, the pop culture category of New York magazine, to launch an end-of-year series about Baby Nepo. This included an exhaustive taxonomy of famous children (and the lesser-famous children of super-famous parents).
Vulture’s expanse revealed that Nepo’s baby universe is vast and potentially limitless. Maya Hawke is a descendant of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, while indie darling Riley Keough is Elvis’ granddaughter. Long-established Nepo Babies including Zoe Kravitz (Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet), Kate Hudson (Goldie Hawn and stepfather Kurt Russell), and Gwyneth Paltrow (Blythe Danner, directed by Bruce Paltrow) There are also many
A few entries on the list were surprising: Two of the three members of “Please Don’t Destroy,” NYU alumni who create digital shorts for “Saturday Night Live,” are “SNL” producers. is the son of Sisters Rooney and Kate her Marla are two members of her NFL Founding Family. Also, “Fantastic Beasts” actress Katherine Waterston, most recently “Grace and Frankie” Sam She is Waterston’s British-accented daughter.
And some are so talented and established that Nepobaby’s reputation no longer matters. Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Janet Lee and Tony Curtis. Dakota Johnson’s goodwill has been passed down through generations. She is the granddaughter of ‘The Byrds’ icon Tippi Hedren and the daughter of ‘Working Girl’ Melanie Griffith and ‘Miami Vice’ Don Johnson. and an Oscar winner/gay Icon Laura Dern is the daughter of two Oscar nominees Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern.
Vulture also spotted some interesting Nepo baby trends, eight of which appeared in Quentin Tarancinto’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” according to the outlet. All three of Streep’s daughters are actresses who have appeared on HBO. Several other Nepo babies appeared in her HBO’s “Big Little Lies” featuring Alexander Skarsgard of the Skarsgard family. (HBO, which shares parent company Warner Bros. Discovery with his CNN, is apparently Nepo Baby’s primary employer.)
Indeed, the star’s “stand” that Vulture stressed was for coming out to endorse their idols, defending them for using their fame, and pointing out family histories that Google can (Note: “Stan” is another term for “avid fan” popularized by Eminem, whose daughter Hailey is also on the list of Vultures. She hosts a podcast. are available.)
Daughter of actress Eve Hewson (“Bad Sisters,” “The Nick”) and Bono, murmured I mock the article several times. “Goal for 2023: To be successful enough to be recognized as Nepo’s baby,” she wrote before realizing she was mentioned in the infographic.
When then: “Can all Nepo babies unite and dress up as a giant baby for Halloween?”
The article reminded me of some of the nepo babies’ reactions mentioned when asked about their privileges. Recognizing that the pedigree “will definitely give you a great advantage in this life,” said Maud Apatow, “you’ll get a chance for free…the chances won’t be endless.” , the label made her “sad,” but “[she]clearly understands[she]is in a very fortunate position, so she tries not to give it[to her].” said.
Some critics pointed out Some of the content included in Vulture editing is stretch: Phoebe Bridgers, for example, was included in the “industry babies” as the “daughter of a set builder,” next to young Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges, whose father was a film director and grandfather was an HBO executive.To Several Bridgers’ fanit seemed unnatural to compare the two stars’ industry ties.
Most of the nepo babies selected by the vultures have not responded to the spread and disturbance. After all, many of them are so famous that you can avoid getting involved in trends like this entirely.