Given the latest The 1975 release and the subsequent Matty Healy obsession that soon overtook me, I had the interesting experience of finding out that he is one of the many nepotism babies working in the industry. Needless to say, I was floored. I’d never heard about his familial connections until I stumbled upon an article that tied Halsey’s song “Colors” to the British singer, where the line “You’re mother only smiled on her TV show” was the main indicator. I came to find out that his mom was on Celebrity Big Brother UK. Why had I never heard about this before?
A nepo baby is the cute little term given to the children or relatives of already established and famous families, giving them a leg up in their desired industries. These kids are given a leg up from any kind of competition and are able to focus solely on their passions rather than focus on providing for themselves.
While nepo babies are controversial, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad at their craft. I, for one, have come to love Gracie Abrams, daughter of famous filmmaker J.J. Abrams. It’s undeniable that her songwriting skills are sublime, and her songs, like hit single “Feels Like,” make me feel any and every emotion. The problem comes with audiences feeling a little cheated that they are supporting someone that already has money and everything they could’ve ever wanted. Personally, I’ve come to terms with it, as this is how the industry has been running since it’s very start. Please, let me enjoy my Gracie.
I hear all about nepo babies through Twitter, and the discourse usually involves a lot of the same artists time and time again. Kendall Jenner is the main culprit that comes to mind. Rather than claim her nepo status, Jenner continuously runs away from this title with incessant claims of hard work or independence from her family. Which is, you know, a little silly considering she is a core family member in one of the most (if not THE most) famous families in the US.
While I do think that Kendall’s weird defense mechanism is, well, weird, I can’t help but look at the other main nepo babies and notice something a little striking: the ones often on my timeline are women. Maude Apatow, Billie Lourde, Gracie Abrams, Emma Roberts and more fall under the nepo umbrella. Where are the men? Where are the comments under Matty Healy’s post with the same accusations of his silver spoon?
For crying out loud, Timothee Chalamet is even a nepo baby, and I’ve never even heard about it once in all of the thirsty posts on my timeline! Jake Gyllenhall, public enemy number one, has a director father and screenwriter mother. While Maude Apatow is bashed for her star-studded family in all Euphoria discussions, show creator Sam Levinson’s nepo baby status is never mentioned.
It’s no secret that Hollywood runs on nepotism. It seems that nearly every prominent actor, singer or model knows someone or has some kind of connection that has contributed to their success. And it is completely valid to want fairness in entertainment since it is understandable to want people to earn their way to the top instead of inheriting it. But if we’re gonna be critical, let’s at least be fair in criticizing both men and women. Let’s stop being hypercritical of women and recognize our unconscious biases when we point fingers.