Nepotism Babies at Their Finest
Courtesy of Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Maya Hawke pictured between her parents Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
February 26, 2023
Nepotism is the practice of using one’s power or authority to favor one’s friends, family, or relatives, typically in the job market. Therefore, a nepotism baby is a child who is famous or has success in their profession due to family connections. In simpler terms: a child who is famous thanks to their parents’ fame. One famous example of this would be Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis.
“Nepo-babies” typically get a bad rep, as they often come off as undeserving and ungrateful. This may stem from the fact that they do not have to work nearly as hard as others to get to where they are today. Industries famously favor people with highly respected parents in hopes that giving respect to their children would allow them to gain respect from the parents. Many industries are monopolies, so to have highly respected individuals on their side brings power and strength to these businesses.
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Of course – as most of us would – many of these children simply used their connections to their advantage, but some children often abuse this power and some even deny it. We must be graceful with these kids; however, as Minchae Kim (11) states, “They cannot help being born into fame. Whether they use their fame wisely or not is a different story.” After watching interviews with celebrity nepo-babies, it seems as though nepo-babies like to give off the impression that they have had no help and are 100% self-made, while we all know this is simply not the truth. Luckily, a few stars stay honest and admit that they did have help in getting to a certain point in their career. Maya Hawke, daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, responds back to Jimmy Fallon after he mentions she deserves to be where she is. “I mean I don’t know about that,” Maya says, insinuating that she realizes her parents have had an influence on her career. “I called my mom to ask for advice today about coming in to talk to you… that’s what I do, I get to ask for advice, it’s a big luxury of mine.” Maya understands that she is fortunate and has gratitude for her upbringing. Furthermore, she talks about something she is passionate about and infers that with great power comes great responsibility… Seriously though, with her power and influence, she plays a major role in what happens in the world, as do other influential personalities.
Nepotism babies are bound to happen; the spotlight or power can be intriguing, and if you have the resources, use them! However, nepotism babies must remember that they are where they are today because of someone else’s blood, sweat, and tears. It is not true to say that they have not put an ounce of effort into their careers, but life sure is a bit easier when you have a leg up. It is essential to recognize the power, the responsibility that comes with it, and where that power came from.
Tiana Salisbury • Mar 9, 2023 at 7:34 AM
Interesting article! I think it’s important for nepotism babies to do their best to achieve fame on their own. Even though they can use the resources of their parents, they should use their own talents to get where they are.
Rishika Puri • Mar 2, 2023 at 7:27 AM
I like how this article also covers the struggle of nepotism babies and the hate they can face just for being the child of a celebrity… It’s probably because some people just stereotype them as spoiled brats. But I like the article since it talks about all points of view without any bias or judgement which is usually what people tend to do.