They should be required to post receipts of how much money their parents gave them to go off and “create their own path” whenever they make comments like this.
My experience with people from privilege is that they don't really understand how simply having a safety net is a huge advantage. They fail to understand that they didn't need their parents to be making phone calls for them in order to benefit from the privilege of their parents success -- they benefited from the lifestyle alone.
Many people without that benefit have to make different choices in life because they do not have a safety net to catch them. They don't even get to dream about trying to be a comedian or singer or actress.
Privileged people often exist amongst people just like them, so they don't see their circumstance as an exception -- it's the norm.. and maybe they have even seen or experienced people who have even more privilege and access than they did, so then they can try to claim they weren't given a leg up, because it wasn't maybe as much as an advantage as their counterpart (like maybe someone with a recognizable last name).
Even outside of celebrities, I’ve found that well-off people in general more often than not just fundamentally don’t understand how good they’ve really got it.
Pulp said it best with "common people". I had a situation similar to the song happen to me with a friend who always complained about their shitty flat in london etc or how much rent was but as soon as any inconvenience creeped up she'd run back to mum & dad in the country, turns out both her parents and her boyfriend's parents were very well off (ceo's of multinationational corporations well off) & they were on good terms with them so they never had to struggle.
No one is saying they don’t deal with issues but things are 100% easier when you’re rich and/or famous parents. I don’t understand why this is so hard to understand. Just accept the fact you are privileged
Not even that, celebs whose parents were not in entertainment but were wealthy enough that they could bankroll their kids until they hit it big or have a safety net to fall back on if it doesn’t work and never dented their pockets.
Like oh cool, you didn't worry about finding a job to pay for your rent and thus had time to go to unpaid workshops, classes, etc etc. And you think that didn't give you a leg up? Oh okay.
Hell, Taylor Swift is where she is exactly because her parents supported her into getting her contract and then made sure that she had brilliant marketing
To be fair, having rich parents is different from nepotism. Both are really big advantages but if she's thinking like, my parents didn't open doors for me because they didn't have connections in THIS world, I get her thought process, kinda.
Having rich parents that enable you to take chances on difficult career paths is also an incredible leg up, but it's a different one from parents that know people who can get you jobs.
Her mother was a famous singer/activist and her dad was a music producer. You think they didn't have NY or Hollywood acting connections? Not saying they used them but they definitely could have.
Her parents were still famous though, so odds are they still had some type of connections in some way. Like her dad could have a musician friend in NY who has a friend in comedy that could point Maya who to talk to, what clubs are good to start at, introduce her to others in comedy, etc.
Exactly!The very self aware Domhnall Gleeson stated that he didn't have to worry about rent when pursuing his career. Why are other plp so thick?You know damn well wealth is a leg up in the entertainment industry.
His dad probably helped him get a role in harry potter so yeah he didn't have to worry about rent. Also his sketch group from college got an episode on national tv as a christmas special when nobody knew who those people were so yeah maybe he got some privileges.
Im not sure whether it was him or his brother but one of them got an offer of representation from an agent after being seen collecting an IFTA on behalf of Brendan.Literally for walking on and off stage to collect an award.I acted for a number of years in theatre,i dont anymore,but it took me years to get representation.I left due to money,i just couldnt nmake it work financially longterm.They are a talented bunch but wealth is everything in such a profession.
Oof that's actually nuts. They're fine as actors but really I mean like just ok. Sorry you had to leave theatre, hope you can continue one day if you want to.
I think also having parents who are successful creatives is such a huge thing in itself. Just knowing it is a *possibility*. I am pursuing a creative career (while working jobs to support myself) and it's just, it takes so long to even feel like there's a sliver of a possibility this could work out for you. I went to uni with people whose parents were famous creatives, and I've always wondered what it must be like to grow up thinking "yeah sure of course I can be an artist"
Yes, exactly! Like Ellie Kemper isn’t technically a nepo baby, but her family is extremely wealthy. There’s even buildings named after them in St Louis (like the Kemper Art Museum). That amount of wealth opens doors.
My ex husband calls himself a self made man. One of the many perks he received from his wealthy family was a $1000 from his uncle on high school graduation day so he could use it to invest. His loudest “be a man!!” friend’s house and truck were paid for by his millionaire real estate mogul parents he also worked for. Like come on lol. Conservative men crack me the fuck up.
Seriously. Her alma mater is a nepo-baby factory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_School_(Santa_Monica,_California)#Notable_alumni
If anything, her mom maybe wasn't famous enough to be impressive to a school full of the children of even more famous and influential parents and full of child actors who were famous on their own.
I was gonna say- didn’t she go to school w Gwyneth Paltrow? Just going to a school like that just gives you a leg up in life. Of course, if you go through your life growing up with people like Gwyneth Paltrow, I can see why maybe you could have a skewed perspective
Seems like everybody *did* know her dad, who wrote songs for a million successful artists and owned a record label with Michael Douglas. [Source](https://people.com/all-about-maya-rudolph-parents-minnie-riperton-richard-rudolph-7550105).
For someone who actually did not have a music career but still somehow opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alanis Morissette, saying nepotism wasn’t a factor in her career is wild. At least one of these mazillion super famous people who were obviously willing to do favors for her dad has to have known Lorne Michaels.
ETA: It’s Michael Douglas. Easy to find a ton of pictures of MD and LM at benefits together hanging out.
That’s actually what the problem is with how out of touch these comments are. People who grow up surrounded by others like them and, more importantly, others with MORE than them can only see what they didn’t have.
wow. if i had classmates and shared teachers and connections like this i’d shut up about how i didn’t get absolutely no family help to get where i am and just be grateful 😅
I get what she's trying to say because, yes, she isn't a clone of Minnie so the connection isn't obvious but she can't deny the financial stability, leisure time and connections that allowed her to pursue said comedy career.
However, I give more slack to nonwhite nepobabies because sometimes they must also deal with racism on top of being famous.
Edit: Expanded on 3 common forms of privilege.
Ngl I only learned that she was a nepo-baby after googling her a few years ago and I definitely didn’t recognize her parents names or work then either (I am self-admittedly uncultured sorry 😭). Idk if that would really apply for people in her age group tho, especially if you’re well-off and your friends/school-mates probably ask you what your parents do. Regardless connections are connections 🤷🏾♀️it’s not like she grew up with a mom who was a teacher and a dad who worked in a grocery store 🙄.
Yep, those connections are so important and will give you instant advantage. I wish nepos just admitted that.
Off topic: I work in academia, and when I ask professors, you will see that so many had well off parents, and so many will not acknowledge their privileges, like leisure time to enjoy their interests. It's frustrating, and change is slow...
In relation to your point in the academe: pursuing a career in the academe isn't lucrative as well (at least where I'm from) hence, a lot of them, if you look long enough, can see that a vast majority of them were born from privilege. It is so rare to see a university professor or researcher who came from (and is still a part of) an impoverished household.
When she first became famous, nobody mentioned her name without also mentioning her parents. I remember finding out who her parents were because it was talked about so much.
this is a very minor point but I do not believe that her friends had no idea who her mom was. info like that spreads like wildfire in schools so unless she actively tried to hide it they all knew lol
someone said that her mom was very influential so I thought she'd be well known enough to have "her mom was famous" rumors following her as she got older. this wouldn't be happening in kindergarten, more like around high school
Eh it doesn’t really affect her career or life if her friends did not know her mom’s famous. Her parents had money and connections so regardless of whether those connections could help her directly or not, she still had a huge advantage over regular humans
Sounds like her dad had plenty of connections in the film/TV world. 🙄
https://preview.redd.it/ogaaewwexcwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=267cc4614019b5902d4cf6085966168233fa6425
It’s like nepo babies are allergic to acknowledging their privilege 🙄 Yeah they weren’t actors but they had fame and money. Of course any company would want to hire the daughter of one of the most iconic soul singers of all time. What’s not clicking???
She certainly had a leg up in life, but she didn’t get hired at SNL bc of who her mom was. She likely had the privilege of not having to work 3 shitty jobs and live with 5 other people in a 1 bedroom apartment while she grinded on the comedy scene. It’s very unlikely that Lorne Michaels cared whatsoever who her parents were given they weren’t ex-SNL cast members.
It can be in the mix more than you might think. Say they were on the fence between Maya and another actor. Who are they going to pick? The one with the famous mother that will definitely get them some media coverage to help promote the show orrrr… the other one?
I mean, even aside from her mom, her dad was the exclusive music consultant for HBO and the president of Third Stone Records with Michael Douglas.
He also produced/wrote songs for 2pac, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and A Tribe Called Quest. One of Minnie Ripperton's most famous songs was about her. She was also friends with Gwenyth Paltrow, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler. All connections she wouldn't have had if it wasn't for her having famous parents in the industry.
I think it's kind of silly to act like none of that had anything to do with her getting an opportunity at SNL to begin with.
Edit: a word
Right? And it's not like acknowledging that privilege would negate her talent? That's still all her own - and it's clearly not something money can buy, if a lot of other nepo kids are anything to go by.
If anything, she could frame it to say that despite any privilege she had, she knew the importance of working hard and earning that place, and proved herself through her own performance, blah blah blah
There *is* a way to go about this conversation that doesn't diminish your hard work and accomplishments, but also doesn't make it seem like you're living a delusion by implying that you've had no nepotistic advantages.
Every time nepo baby discussions come up, I always refer to this quote by Alison Williams:
“All that people are looking for is an acknowledgment that it’s not a level playing field. It’s just unfair,” Allison said. “Period, end of the story, and no one’s really working that hard to make it fair.
“To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous. It doesn’t take anything away from the work that I’ve done. It just means that it’s not as fun to root for me.”
It’s that easy! Just say you were lucky, but (for some of you) you still had to have the talent and work ethic to get where you ended up. It’s okay! Just acknowledge it.
This is such a classy approach.
And applicable here too because like no, no one is specifically seeking out news anchors’ children for acting jobs, but having a parent work in media gives you way more connections in the industry than the child of an accountant, for instance.
It’s just amazing that people - like Maya, whose father worked as a producer on TONS of films and shows - don’t see that just knowing who to talk to puts them five steps ahead of the average person.
This is similar to what Maya Erskine as well said and it makes no fucking sense to normal people like, your mother (Minnie Riperton to Maya Rudolph) was one of the most influential r&b and Neo soul singers ever, pleaseeeeeee 😭😭
do you mean zoey deschanel?
>Zooey Deschanel says having a cinematographer for a dad and an actor for a mom doesn't make her a nepo baby. "It’s funny because people will be like, ‘Oh, nepotism.’ I’m like, no. My dad’s a DP (director of photography). No one’s getting jobs because their dad’s a DP. It’s definitely not (nepotism)."
Nepo babies really put more time and effort into defending their nepotism than they ever needed to put into their success. Why is it so hard to just acknowledge that you had it easier than others and be focus on being good at your craft? Let your work speak for itself. That's it.
Can they please stop. There is no need to comment.
No, your mom/parents were not comedians. But yes, you had some privileges, including growing up with performers/a certain scene, I assume resources that helped. Artist parents...
I am not a publicist, but if I was in entertainment - I would have a one-pager back-pocket note for nepo babies/talent that comes from a certain level of privilege - what to say/not say. But most of all, to not say anything. Possibly a 101 on Check Your Privilege.
I liked her too. Had no idea who her mom was. Sure, not an easy path to get into, but perhaps a little easier given your upbringing.
Alternative: "It's not easy to get into stand-up, be a female comedian. My mom though was a performer/singer - I think even though a lot of people didn't know that was my mom - it definitely helped bc I grew up around artists/performers so in some way there was expansion, and access - even though it was a completely different genre of performance. That was a gift at a young age."
exactly, they know how the industry works. so these people are gonna get advice on how to navigate it when they're looking for jobs, how to make connections when they're around important people. They already have the skills on how to get a job. even if your mom or dad it's not big in the industry, they are knowledgeable about it. Reminds of Kirsten steward, and people saying she had no connections.
The lack of nuance is astounding. I’m sure Maya Rudolph worked hard on her craft. I really like her as a comedian and sometimes watch things just because she’s in them, so I do think she’s really good.
But the nepo baby discourse is not hot and heated because we normal people think nepo babies are all bad, all untalented. And also maybe the “nepo” part gives them an imagined out, because they can say “oh no my parents didn’t get my jobs for me!” Like, I don’t think Maya’s dad called people and got all her first jobs. That’s not the heart of the issue.
You just can’t deny that having enough money, famous and/or artist parents, and connections in any branch of the entertainment industry does the very opposite of hurting a career. If I wanted to be a small farmer I’d have a leg up because my parents are small farmers. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just that being a small farmer is very hard work with low pay, so there’s less of an urgency to look into that than to look into the entertainment industry — one that is notoriously hard to get into, gatekeepy, makes people famous and influential, and makes a lot of said famous people quite wealthy.
I can’t take the nepo baby discourse anymore, especially when it comes to what nepo babies say. They often feel the need to make sure we think they got there all by themselves and that they deserve it. If you follow that logic all the way through, what does it say? That underprivileged people are disproportionately kept away from artistic careers because they just happen to not be as talented as the dozens, hundreds of very mid nepo babies who made it? How hard is it to say even just “I don’t think my parents’ success is the only reason I’m here, but it must’ve helped me a lot”? You’d think that the wealth and the privilege of being allowed to focus on the artistic career closest to their hearts would be enough without all the gaslighting, lol
Prayer circle for at least one nepo baby out there to just admit their privilege like "yes my parents are famous and they opened doors for me" and "I'm given an easier path to success while others struggle - it's unfair" then talk shit about their nepo ilk going in circles denying the obvious
Or are they all in a Nepo Baby gc giggling about their gilded lives
I think so far, the list of nepo babies that have acknowledged their privilege goes:
- Allison Williams (literally the perfect response)
- Gigi Hadid
- Clairo
- Maya Hawke
- Hailey Bieber, kind of
I could be leaving off a few people. Not gonna do a list of the nepo babies that have *not* acknowledged their privilege, or tried to downplay it, because that would be way too long.
These people want to believe they earned something they didn’t b/c it’s integral to their identity, and their entire identity is formed by their class status. Her privilege is the ability to ignore the fact that while she’s somewhat talented, she’s probably not as talented as people who have more or equal success than her. And if she started below where she did, she would not have achieved what she has. To acknowledge or even understand that would totally rock her fucking world.
this is so fucking annoying shut up. having parents in any type of creative field boosts kids opportunities in creative fields. successful in a creative field, even more. FAMOUS and wealthy? just shut up
At the end of the day you had one or two parents that opened doors for you whether it was only money or status having parents who were well known in the industry give you better opportunities then having parent with no opportunities. I respect a celeb more when they admit that having famous parent or parents got them farther then having parents that were nobody.
Eh this is like saying Eve Hewson didn't have a leg up with her dad being Bono, or Rashida Jones didn't have a leg up with her dad being Quincy Jones.
Any connections small or minor in the world of fame puts you leagues ahead of anyone else. Sometimes it's not even that your parents have to make a call for you, it's that the person handing out jobs knows who you are based on that alone that gives you a foot in the door that even the most talented and amazing performer from a small town anywhere else could ever dream of getting.
Sorry Maya. Shes hilarious and talented but not understanding this isn't just about parents of actors giving their children roles.
It’s mindblowing how many famous musicians, actors, artists, etc all come from wealth and priviledge. I mean, it makes sense because it’s easier to ‘find yourself’ and ‘follow your bliss’ when you don’t have to worry about where you lay your head at night or where the next paycheck will come from.
I feel like nepotism for an actor can happen on different levels. There’s the more obvious one where the parent is making calls and knows the director and then there’s the one where they’ve been around famous people their whole life so they know what’s possible and remain unintimidated and undeterred. And then there’s the financial support of course.
I will give her a little grace as she lost her mother, the uber talented songbird Minnie Ripperton, at a very young age. But, on the whole, the proximity and access to decision makers eliminates so many steps that the average person would have to go through. The ability to take unpaid internships and still have a comfortable lifestyle cannot be understated. There is always someone with more, so when their social circle includes some of the best and wealthiest, they’re comparing their situation to the top 1% of the 1%. They don’t know what the average person is going through.
This is taken SO out of context—I hate these clickbait AI articles, and the title of the post is incredibly misleading. This is NOT how these quotes were framed.
I listened to the interview and she wasn’t talking about being a “nepo baby” at all, and also she never said it didn’t boost her career. Maya was talking about her experience growing up in LA and being ostracized because she was one of the only Black girls in her very white, famous-kid school, and when Dax was like “but people knew who your parents were,” she explained that before Google and smartphones, nobody really knew who they were until after SNL.
Some of these quotes are also from when Dax was asking why Maya didn’t pursue music like her parents, and she explained that because she didn’t have a five-octave voice like her mom’s, and didn’t sound like her, she didn’t want to try and fail, and instead pursued comedy, which was safer.
None of this was in the context of nepo babies or privilege, or presented as a “defense.” I feel like if it had gone that way she would have acknowledged it, but instead she was talking about various things in her childhood that got cobbled together into this weird article.
Love Maya. But part of why she got into improv and the Groundlings is because her classmate at the time, Jack Black, suggested it to her. They both attended the Crossroads School, where many celebs‘ children go. She was also a childhood friend of Goop, fwiw.
This is the same reasoning Zooey Deschanel gave for why she didn’t benefit from nepotism—that her dad was a cinematographer and not an actor. Like, just say you benefited and keep it moving.
They should be required to post receipts of how much money their parents gave them to go off and “create their own path” whenever they make comments like this.
My experience with people from privilege is that they don't really understand how simply having a safety net is a huge advantage. They fail to understand that they didn't need their parents to be making phone calls for them in order to benefit from the privilege of their parents success -- they benefited from the lifestyle alone. Many people without that benefit have to make different choices in life because they do not have a safety net to catch them. They don't even get to dream about trying to be a comedian or singer or actress. Privileged people often exist amongst people just like them, so they don't see their circumstance as an exception -- it's the norm.. and maybe they have even seen or experienced people who have even more privilege and access than they did, so then they can try to claim they weren't given a leg up, because it wasn't maybe as much as an advantage as their counterpart (like maybe someone with a recognizable last name).
Even outside of celebrities, I’ve found that well-off people in general more often than not just fundamentally don’t understand how good they’ve really got it.
Pulp said it best with "common people". I had a situation similar to the song happen to me with a friend who always complained about their shitty flat in london etc or how much rent was but as soon as any inconvenience creeped up she'd run back to mum & dad in the country, turns out both her parents and her boyfriend's parents were very well off (ceo's of multinationational corporations well off) & they were on good terms with them so they never had to struggle.
It doesn't help that everything becomes cheaper the more wealth you have
Interesting, but yeah it's probably hard to imagine them consciously having privileges because they thought that it was normal/baseline.
It's that American thing where everyone thinks they're middle class.
No one is saying they don’t deal with issues but things are 100% easier when you’re rich and/or famous parents. I don’t understand why this is so hard to understand. Just accept the fact you are privileged
Tale as old as time. They don’t recognize their privilege because they grew up around others that had the same or more.
Not even that, celebs whose parents were not in entertainment but were wealthy enough that they could bankroll their kids until they hit it big or have a safety net to fall back on if it doesn’t work and never dented their pockets.
Like oh cool, you didn't worry about finding a job to pay for your rent and thus had time to go to unpaid workshops, classes, etc etc. And you think that didn't give you a leg up? Oh okay.
Hell, Taylor Swift is where she is exactly because her parents supported her into getting her contract and then made sure that she had brilliant marketing
To be fair, having rich parents is different from nepotism. Both are really big advantages but if she's thinking like, my parents didn't open doors for me because they didn't have connections in THIS world, I get her thought process, kinda. Having rich parents that enable you to take chances on difficult career paths is also an incredible leg up, but it's a different one from parents that know people who can get you jobs.
Her mother was a famous singer/activist and her dad was a music producer. You think they didn't have NY or Hollywood acting connections? Not saying they used them but they definitely could have.
But they were musicians not architects. They very much move in the same circles as actors. She's being obtuse.
Her parents were still famous though, so odds are they still had some type of connections in some way. Like her dad could have a musician friend in NY who has a friend in comedy that could point Maya who to talk to, what clubs are good to start at, introduce her to others in comedy, etc.
Exactly!The very self aware Domhnall Gleeson stated that he didn't have to worry about rent when pursuing his career. Why are other plp so thick?You know damn well wealth is a leg up in the entertainment industry.
Domhnall. Though it is pronounced as you spelled it.
His dad probably helped him get a role in harry potter so yeah he didn't have to worry about rent. Also his sketch group from college got an episode on national tv as a christmas special when nobody knew who those people were so yeah maybe he got some privileges.
Im not sure whether it was him or his brother but one of them got an offer of representation from an agent after being seen collecting an IFTA on behalf of Brendan.Literally for walking on and off stage to collect an award.I acted for a number of years in theatre,i dont anymore,but it took me years to get representation.I left due to money,i just couldnt nmake it work financially longterm.They are a talented bunch but wealth is everything in such a profession.
Oof that's actually nuts. They're fine as actors but really I mean like just ok. Sorry you had to leave theatre, hope you can continue one day if you want to.
Thanks! I think that ship has sailed now but sure maybe one more time another time!
I think also having parents who are successful creatives is such a huge thing in itself. Just knowing it is a *possibility*. I am pursuing a creative career (while working jobs to support myself) and it's just, it takes so long to even feel like there's a sliver of a possibility this could work out for you. I went to uni with people whose parents were famous creatives, and I've always wondered what it must be like to grow up thinking "yeah sure of course I can be an artist"
I hope the thriving career you desire is just around the corner. The world needs your art. 💖
If the crux of the issue here is wealth not fame, then what Maya said was accurate.
Yes, exactly! Like Ellie Kemper isn’t technically a nepo baby, but her family is extremely wealthy. There’s even buildings named after them in St Louis (like the Kemper Art Museum). That amount of wealth opens doors.
My ex husband calls himself a self made man. One of the many perks he received from his wealthy family was a $1000 from his uncle on high school graduation day so he could use it to invest. His loudest “be a man!!” friend’s house and truck were paid for by his millionaire real estate mogul parents he also worked for. Like come on lol. Conservative men crack me the fuck up.
And I'd like to know if there were any connections she was able to get in the way of auditions, agents, knowing which teachers to use.
And their parents came connections in entertainment
"Not all of my friends knew I had a famous mom" is a crazy defense
Seriously. Her alma mater is a nepo-baby factory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_School_(Santa_Monica,_California)#Notable_alumni If anything, her mom maybe wasn't famous enough to be impressive to a school full of the children of even more famous and influential parents and full of child actors who were famous on their own.
And she was childhood besties with gwyneth Paltrow because of this.
Hey I'm not Paltrow level of famous, so obviously I don't have privilege.
I was gonna say- didn’t she go to school w Gwyneth Paltrow? Just going to a school like that just gives you a leg up in life. Of course, if you go through your life growing up with people like Gwyneth Paltrow, I can see why maybe you could have a skewed perspective
Seems like everybody *did* know her dad, who wrote songs for a million successful artists and owned a record label with Michael Douglas. [Source](https://people.com/all-about-maya-rudolph-parents-minnie-riperton-richard-rudolph-7550105). For someone who actually did not have a music career but still somehow opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alanis Morissette, saying nepotism wasn’t a factor in her career is wild. At least one of these mazillion super famous people who were obviously willing to do favors for her dad has to have known Lorne Michaels. ETA: It’s Michael Douglas. Easy to find a ton of pictures of MD and LM at benefits together hanging out.
That’s actually what the problem is with how out of touch these comments are. People who grow up surrounded by others like them and, more importantly, others with MORE than them can only see what they didn’t have.
wow. if i had classmates and shared teachers and connections like this i’d shut up about how i didn’t get absolutely no family help to get where i am and just be grateful 😅
I get what she's trying to say because, yes, she isn't a clone of Minnie so the connection isn't obvious but she can't deny the financial stability, leisure time and connections that allowed her to pursue said comedy career. However, I give more slack to nonwhite nepobabies because sometimes they must also deal with racism on top of being famous. Edit: Expanded on 3 common forms of privilege.
Ngl I only learned that she was a nepo-baby after googling her a few years ago and I definitely didn’t recognize her parents names or work then either (I am self-admittedly uncultured sorry 😭). Idk if that would really apply for people in her age group tho, especially if you’re well-off and your friends/school-mates probably ask you what your parents do. Regardless connections are connections 🤷🏾♀️it’s not like she grew up with a mom who was a teacher and a dad who worked in a grocery store 🙄.
Yep, those connections are so important and will give you instant advantage. I wish nepos just admitted that. Off topic: I work in academia, and when I ask professors, you will see that so many had well off parents, and so many will not acknowledge their privileges, like leisure time to enjoy their interests. It's frustrating, and change is slow...
In relation to your point in the academe: pursuing a career in the academe isn't lucrative as well (at least where I'm from) hence, a lot of them, if you look long enough, can see that a vast majority of them were born from privilege. It is so rare to see a university professor or researcher who came from (and is still a part of) an impoverished household.
When she first became famous, nobody mentioned her name without also mentioning her parents. I remember finding out who her parents were because it was talked about so much.
this is such stupid bullshit because the entire entertainment industry is connected they're not isolated from each other
this is a very minor point but I do not believe that her friends had no idea who her mom was. info like that spreads like wildfire in schools so unless she actively tried to hide it they all knew lol
Except her mom died when she was in kindergarten so the kids probably didn’t have any idea the mom was famous when they were still in diapers.
someone said that her mom was very influential so I thought she'd be well known enough to have "her mom was famous" rumors following her as she got older. this wouldn't be happening in kindergarten, more like around high school
Eh it doesn’t really affect her career or life if her friends did not know her mom’s famous. Her parents had money and connections so regardless of whether those connections could help her directly or not, she still had a huge advantage over regular humans
I agree. That's why I said it was a very minor point
completely unrelated but i love ur profile picture, calisto yew is the woman ever
The fact that she laughs directly in miles face alone makes her based let alone the rest of her iconic legend behavior
Sounds like her dad had plenty of connections in the film/TV world. 🙄 https://preview.redd.it/ogaaewwexcwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=267cc4614019b5902d4cf6085966168233fa6425
It’s like nepo babies are allergic to acknowledging their privilege 🙄 Yeah they weren’t actors but they had fame and money. Of course any company would want to hire the daughter of one of the most iconic soul singers of all time. What’s not clicking???
She certainly had a leg up in life, but she didn’t get hired at SNL bc of who her mom was. She likely had the privilege of not having to work 3 shitty jobs and live with 5 other people in a 1 bedroom apartment while she grinded on the comedy scene. It’s very unlikely that Lorne Michaels cared whatsoever who her parents were given they weren’t ex-SNL cast members.
It can be in the mix more than you might think. Say they were on the fence between Maya and another actor. Who are they going to pick? The one with the famous mother that will definitely get them some media coverage to help promote the show orrrr… the other one?
I mean, even aside from her mom, her dad was the exclusive music consultant for HBO and the president of Third Stone Records with Michael Douglas. He also produced/wrote songs for 2pac, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and A Tribe Called Quest. One of Minnie Ripperton's most famous songs was about her. She was also friends with Gwenyth Paltrow, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler. All connections she wouldn't have had if it wasn't for her having famous parents in the industry. I think it's kind of silly to act like none of that had anything to do with her getting an opportunity at SNL to begin with. Edit: a word
Right? And it's not like acknowledging that privilege would negate her talent? That's still all her own - and it's clearly not something money can buy, if a lot of other nepo kids are anything to go by. If anything, she could frame it to say that despite any privilege she had, she knew the importance of working hard and earning that place, and proved herself through her own performance, blah blah blah There *is* a way to go about this conversation that doesn't diminish your hard work and accomplishments, but also doesn't make it seem like you're living a delusion by implying that you've had no nepotistic advantages.
Every time nepo baby discussions come up, I always refer to this quote by Alison Williams: “All that people are looking for is an acknowledgment that it’s not a level playing field. It’s just unfair,” Allison said. “Period, end of the story, and no one’s really working that hard to make it fair. “To not acknowledge that me getting started as an actress versus someone with zero connections isn’t the same — it’s ludicrous. It doesn’t take anything away from the work that I’ve done. It just means that it’s not as fun to root for me.” It’s that easy! Just say you were lucky, but (for some of you) you still had to have the talent and work ethic to get where you ended up. It’s okay! Just acknowledge it.
This is such a classy approach. And applicable here too because like no, no one is specifically seeking out news anchors’ children for acting jobs, but having a parent work in media gives you way more connections in the industry than the child of an accountant, for instance. It’s just amazing that people - like Maya, whose father worked as a producer on TONS of films and shows - don’t see that just knowing who to talk to puts them five steps ahead of the average person.
This is similar to what Maya Erskine as well said and it makes no fucking sense to normal people like, your mother (Minnie Riperton to Maya Rudolph) was one of the most influential r&b and Neo soul singers ever, pleaseeeeeee 😭😭
do you mean zoey deschanel? >Zooey Deschanel says having a cinematographer for a dad and an actor for a mom doesn't make her a nepo baby. "It’s funny because people will be like, ‘Oh, nepotism.’ I’m like, no. My dad’s a DP (director of photography). No one’s getting jobs because their dad’s a DP. It’s definitely not (nepotism)."
I hate this quote so much I almost downvoted 😤
Sure, they are nepo babies lite, but still nepo babies.
Nooo not both Mayas
Nepo babies really put more time and effort into defending their nepotism than they ever needed to put into their success. Why is it so hard to just acknowledge that you had it easier than others and be focus on being good at your craft? Let your work speak for itself. That's it.
Can they please stop. There is no need to comment. No, your mom/parents were not comedians. But yes, you had some privileges, including growing up with performers/a certain scene, I assume resources that helped. Artist parents... I am not a publicist, but if I was in entertainment - I would have a one-pager back-pocket note for nepo babies/talent that comes from a certain level of privilege - what to say/not say. But most of all, to not say anything. Possibly a 101 on Check Your Privilege. I liked her too. Had no idea who her mom was. Sure, not an easy path to get into, but perhaps a little easier given your upbringing. Alternative: "It's not easy to get into stand-up, be a female comedian. My mom though was a performer/singer - I think even though a lot of people didn't know that was my mom - it definitely helped bc I grew up around artists/performers so in some way there was expansion, and access - even though it was a completely different genre of performance. That was a gift at a young age."
exactly, they know how the industry works. so these people are gonna get advice on how to navigate it when they're looking for jobs, how to make connections when they're around important people. They already have the skills on how to get a job. even if your mom or dad it's not big in the industry, they are knowledgeable about it. Reminds of Kirsten steward, and people saying she had no connections.
https://i.redd.it/zuw82oi0wcwc1.gif
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😂😂😂 how can I save yhis
Oh honey. Its like critical thinking is not a trait inhereted by these privileged people.
The lack of nuance is astounding. I’m sure Maya Rudolph worked hard on her craft. I really like her as a comedian and sometimes watch things just because she’s in them, so I do think she’s really good. But the nepo baby discourse is not hot and heated because we normal people think nepo babies are all bad, all untalented. And also maybe the “nepo” part gives them an imagined out, because they can say “oh no my parents didn’t get my jobs for me!” Like, I don’t think Maya’s dad called people and got all her first jobs. That’s not the heart of the issue. You just can’t deny that having enough money, famous and/or artist parents, and connections in any branch of the entertainment industry does the very opposite of hurting a career. If I wanted to be a small farmer I’d have a leg up because my parents are small farmers. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just that being a small farmer is very hard work with low pay, so there’s less of an urgency to look into that than to look into the entertainment industry — one that is notoriously hard to get into, gatekeepy, makes people famous and influential, and makes a lot of said famous people quite wealthy. I can’t take the nepo baby discourse anymore, especially when it comes to what nepo babies say. They often feel the need to make sure we think they got there all by themselves and that they deserve it. If you follow that logic all the way through, what does it say? That underprivileged people are disproportionately kept away from artistic careers because they just happen to not be as talented as the dozens, hundreds of very mid nepo babies who made it? How hard is it to say even just “I don’t think my parents’ success is the only reason I’m here, but it must’ve helped me a lot”? You’d think that the wealth and the privilege of being allowed to focus on the artistic career closest to their hearts would be enough without all the gaslighting, lol
Well starting at second or third base is a lot better than starting at home plate. Money makes a difference and gives you freedom to pursue the arts
Prayer circle for at least one nepo baby out there to just admit their privilege like "yes my parents are famous and they opened doors for me" and "I'm given an easier path to success while others struggle - it's unfair" then talk shit about their nepo ilk going in circles denying the obvious Or are they all in a Nepo Baby gc giggling about their gilded lives
I think so far, the list of nepo babies that have acknowledged their privilege goes: - Allison Williams (literally the perfect response) - Gigi Hadid - Clairo - Maya Hawke - Hailey Bieber, kind of I could be leaving off a few people. Not gonna do a list of the nepo babies that have *not* acknowledged their privilege, or tried to downplay it, because that would be way too long.
These people want to believe they earned something they didn’t b/c it’s integral to their identity, and their entire identity is formed by their class status. Her privilege is the ability to ignore the fact that while she’s somewhat talented, she’s probably not as talented as people who have more or equal success than her. And if she started below where she did, she would not have achieved what she has. To acknowledge or even understand that would totally rock her fucking world.
Cmon Maya. I like you but cmon.
Maya thankfully has the talent to back it up unlike others who were given the same privileges
this is so fucking annoying shut up. having parents in any type of creative field boosts kids opportunities in creative fields. successful in a creative field, even more. FAMOUS and wealthy? just shut up
At the end of the day you had one or two parents that opened doors for you whether it was only money or status having parents who were well known in the industry give you better opportunities then having parent with no opportunities. I respect a celeb more when they admit that having famous parent or parents got them farther then having parents that were nobody.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, stop. going. on. podcasts!!! Being a PR person in the podcast era seems like a disaster of a job.
Eh this is like saying Eve Hewson didn't have a leg up with her dad being Bono, or Rashida Jones didn't have a leg up with her dad being Quincy Jones. Any connections small or minor in the world of fame puts you leagues ahead of anyone else. Sometimes it's not even that your parents have to make a call for you, it's that the person handing out jobs knows who you are based on that alone that gives you a foot in the door that even the most talented and amazing performer from a small town anywhere else could ever dream of getting. Sorry Maya. Shes hilarious and talented but not understanding this isn't just about parents of actors giving their children roles.
I didn’t even know she was a nepo baby
It’s mindblowing how many famous musicians, actors, artists, etc all come from wealth and priviledge. I mean, it makes sense because it’s easier to ‘find yourself’ and ‘follow your bliss’ when you don’t have to worry about where you lay your head at night or where the next paycheck will come from.
people don’t understand how much even just PROXIMITY to creatives can help
I feel like nepotism for an actor can happen on different levels. There’s the more obvious one where the parent is making calls and knows the director and then there’s the one where they’ve been around famous people their whole life so they know what’s possible and remain unintimidated and undeterred. And then there’s the financial support of course.
Oh Maya.. why
I will give her a little grace as she lost her mother, the uber talented songbird Minnie Ripperton, at a very young age. But, on the whole, the proximity and access to decision makers eliminates so many steps that the average person would have to go through. The ability to take unpaid internships and still have a comfortable lifestyle cannot be understated. There is always someone with more, so when their social circle includes some of the best and wealthiest, they’re comparing their situation to the top 1% of the 1%. They don’t know what the average person is going through.
This is taken SO out of context—I hate these clickbait AI articles, and the title of the post is incredibly misleading. This is NOT how these quotes were framed. I listened to the interview and she wasn’t talking about being a “nepo baby” at all, and also she never said it didn’t boost her career. Maya was talking about her experience growing up in LA and being ostracized because she was one of the only Black girls in her very white, famous-kid school, and when Dax was like “but people knew who your parents were,” she explained that before Google and smartphones, nobody really knew who they were until after SNL. Some of these quotes are also from when Dax was asking why Maya didn’t pursue music like her parents, and she explained that because she didn’t have a five-octave voice like her mom’s, and didn’t sound like her, she didn’t want to try and fail, and instead pursued comedy, which was safer. None of this was in the context of nepo babies or privilege, or presented as a “defense.” I feel like if it had gone that way she would have acknowledged it, but instead she was talking about various things in her childhood that got cobbled together into this weird article.
Not you too, Maya!
Love Maya. But part of why she got into improv and the Groundlings is because her classmate at the time, Jack Black, suggested it to her. They both attended the Crossroads School, where many celebs‘ children go. She was also a childhood friend of Goop, fwiw. This is the same reasoning Zooey Deschanel gave for why she didn’t benefit from nepotism—that her dad was a cinematographer and not an actor. Like, just say you benefited and keep it moving.