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Hello, today we're going to be talking about nepotism. Now what is nepotism? Nepotism is the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends or associates, especially by giving them jobs. So in simple terms, nepotism is getting a job or getting an opportunity because you know somebody who is in a power position in whatever area the job or opportunity is. Okay. Now nepotism can exist in many different types of places. Obviously it can exist in the workplace but it could also exist in colleges, universities. It can exist in a lot of different ways and in a lot of different places. But right now, the internet has been discussing nepotism in the entertainment industry. And so that's what I'm going to talk about today because I feel like that's the hot topic of right now and I need to like put in my two cents. I need to be a part of the conversation. I have to and that's why I'm here today to talk about it. I feel like the public is becoming more and more aware of how prevalent nepotism is in the entertainment industry and it's pissing a lot of people off. You know, I don't feel like this was a conversation as much a few years ago. I feel like this is sort of a new discovery. The internet has done some sleuthing and has figured out pretty much all of the people in the entertainment industry who are nepotism babies. That's what these people are called who are famous because their family was in the entertainment industry and succeeded before them. And now they're successful too because they decided to pursue a job in entertainment and it worked. Nepotism babies. That's what they're called online. So if I refer to them as nepotism babies, that's what I mean. There are some people out there that you would not know are a nepotism baby, but they are. Usually it's because they've been kind of sneaky or secretive in a way about their connections and it's shocking sometimes to find out, oh my god, wait, this person had a connection in the entertainment industry. They're not a self-made sort of celebrity. What the fuck? This has even happened with me where I found out certain people had some sort of connection and I was like what? Like I had no idea. I think the internet as a whole is alarmed and frightened by how much of the entertainment industry is just nepotism because the internet moves so fast and there's constantly conversation just going on online. There's now more of an ability to research people and talk to others about what you're discovering and I think that that's why we're all kind of having this realization all at once. Whereas back in the day, it wasn't as easy to google somebody's family tree and figure out if they got to where they are in their career because they have connections or something like that wasn't a possibility before or it was but it would have been a lot more challenging. So I think that that's why this whole conversation is happening. But I think it's interesting because nepotism doesn't just exist in the entertainment industry. It can exist in any industry. It can also exist in schools like colleges. If your dad went to a super prestigious college, there's a good chance that now you could get into that super prestigious college because your dad is an alumni and that could help you get into that school. Or let's say your mom had a job at this technology company and now you want to work for that technology company because your mom worked there or works there, you have a better chance of getting a job there because you automatically have somebody involved in that organization that can put in a good word for you and vouch for your character, etc. So it's like this exists everywhere but why is it such a big deal in the entertainment industry? Why is it pissing people off more than any other industry? I think it's because being an actor, being a model, being a musician, being a fashion designer, whatever, being in the entertainment industry, being in sort of the creative sphere of things is desirable. It is many people's dream. It's highly visible. It's very fruitful. You know, there's a lot of money to be made in these industries. And I think that that's why it's pissing people off because a lot of people want to be famous and they want to work in these industries. They're very desirable. So online, I've noticed two different opinions on nepotism babies from the public who is not working in the entertainment industry. On one hand, you see people who just despise nepotism babies, people who just hate them because they feel like these people didn't have to work for their extremely prestigious job. It just gets under people's skin to think that there are people out there that were just born and then they get this incredible job and opportunity and they never had to work a day in their life. You know, some people just can't swallow that pill. And I understand that to a certain extent. I think that that's fair. Do I think that it's fair to hate on these people who were born into this privileged position? Not necessarily because it's not really their fault. Do I think that it's valid to be frustrated by the fact that life is fucking unfair and some people just get spoon fed their whole lives and just get opportunities placed in front of them without having to put effort in? Like, do I think it's valid to be frustrated by that truth? Absolutely, though. You know, I do think that that's fair. I think expressing it towards individual celebrities who had an upper hand, I mean, it's not their fault. It's almost like be mad at the industry as a whole. Don't be mad at the individual because it's not their fucking fault. On the other hand, I see people on the internet who are like, eh, you know what? So what? These celebrities had a little bit of help. So what? Their dad was a movie producer and their mom was an actor. Who cares? They were born into that family. Those were the cards that they were dealt. And if I was in their shoes, I would have done the same thing and I would have utilized the opportunity to get jobs easier in Hollywood too, you know? I would have utilized that privilege. And so I can't be mad because they were born into the situation that they were born into. End of story. Now let's discuss what it seems these nepot babies. I don't know if that's like mean to call them nepot babies. I don't think that's mean. It's just easier. It's the only like phrase I have to describe this genre of person. But I hope it's not like rude to them. You know what I mean? Like I hope that no nepot babies are insulted by me calling them a nepot baby. I'm sorry. That's the only word I have. It's the easiest to just spit out. You know what I mean? It's kind of my only option. So if you are listening and you are by chance a nepot baby and it is kind of insulting to call you that. I'm sorry. I just don't know another word to use. And it just slides right off the tongue. I'm doing the best I can. Sorry. So what are nepot babies perspective on themselves being a nepot baby? Like how do they feel about it? I've seen a lot of different reactions. Okay. Some nepot babies are completely in denial of the fact that their connections, their family being in the industry, whatever may have helped them. Some completely cannot swallow that pill. And that tends to piss people off. You know, people do not respond well when nepotism babies are like, well, yeah, my parents are in the entertainment industry, but I still had to go and work my ass off to get to where I am. And the reason why people don't respond well to that is obvious. It's because it's ignoring the truth. I think people feel almost like they're being gaslit by that in a way. And I think that that's why it makes them mad because the truth is nobody really knows for sure what goes on behind the scenes. Nobody knows for sure why somebody was cast in a movie or why somebody was put on a runway to model. In the case of a nepotism baby, it could be that they got chosen or hired because they were just really goddamn good. They were just really good. And they just stood out and they were the best option. And that's why they got hired. Or there could be a bride going on behind the scenes where somebody's powerful parent is like, if you put my kid in your movie or in your TV show or in your modeling campaign, I'll go be in your movie or I'll go be in your TV show whatever there could be bribes going on. There could be money exchanges going on under the table where it's like, I'll pay you this much. Don't tell anyone if you put my kid like who fucking knows what's going on. So I think that when a nepotism baby is completely indenisable and denies the fact that they maybe could have been helped a little bit in getting ahead in the industry, people are like fuck you. Like I feel like you're just lying to my face right now because I don't know for sure what's going on behind the scenes. And maybe you don't even know for sure. So saying that it didn't help or whatever is just off right. Okay. I've also seen some nepotism babies fucking own it and be like, yeah, I had a really weird childhood. I was surrounded by people in the entertainment industry. It was really inspiring to me growing up around it. And I just wanted to be a part of it. And I know that I had an advantage because my parents did it too and whatever. And I know that. And I'm grateful for that. And I'm aware of it. And it is what it is. I'm just grateful for it. And so, you know, you see some nepotism babies talk about it like that. And that tends to be responded to really well. People hear that and they're like, well, fucking how can I be mad at you now? I can't be mad at you because you're just putting it how it is. You're being honest and you're grateful for your opportunity and you're humble about it. I guess like, how can I be mad? And I feel like based on what I've observed, that's the best way to handle it. And then you have nepotism babies who will not speak about it. They just will not speak about it. And I don't think that that's a bad way to handle it either because it's like, you don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about. And if you don't discuss it, then there's nothing to be mad at, I guess. I think that's also a good way to handle it is to just keep it out of the conversation and just leave it be, I guess, and let people talk about it and have their own sort of discourse about it. And you just stay out of it. I think that's another good nepotism baby tactic. But here's the thing, through all of this talk about nepotism, I've been really thinking about what it would be like to be a nebo baby because I don't know, pretty much nobody empathizes with nepotism babies. Nobody has sympathy for these people, okay? And I've noticed that. But today I want to try to empathize with them. I want to try to imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes. And I want to discuss what I think the potential pros and cons would be of being a nepotism baby because right now all that's being talked about is the pros, like the positive sides of being a nepotism baby, you know, having this advantage, etc. But nobody's talking about the cons. And I think we need to talk about both right now. Okay, so let's start with the pros of being a nepot baby. It's pretty obvious, okay? I'm not coming up with anything that we haven't all already thought of here. But we have to go through them anyway. We just have to. Number one, in an industry that is so desirable, like the entertainment industry, connections are huge. Why? Because there are so many people, so many people trying to get into the entertainment industry. There are so many people auditioning for movies every day. There are so many people auditioning for TV shows. There are so many people sending their CDs to music labels. There are so many people sending their headshots in to modeling agencies. There's so much. There's so many people. It's so hard to stand out in these industries that I think for the casting directors or the big companies, having a word of recommendation from somebody that they trust is what helps set people apart because it's just so saturated. It's just so hard to stand out. That's why having connections in this industry is so important. I think prior to the age of the internet, connections were even more important because the entertainment industry was so corporate. There was no becoming a YouTuber, becoming a TikToker, becoming an Instagrammer. You know what I mean? You couldn't go and make your own content and post it anywhere prior to the internet. It was like you had to get casted in a movie or in a TV show or in a fashion show or whatever, by a casting director who worked heavily in the industry. Now it's like, oh, I can go and post it on YouTube and blow up. Now it's in our hands. It's more in our hands, as an individual who does not have nepotism connections to have a career in entertainment if we want to. But regardless of the fact that now we have more opportunities to become famous in the entertainment industry without the industry, there are still many career paths within this industry that require to a certain extent connections. And if not connections, such an incredible, almost impossible talent that is impossible to ignore. And that's so rare, you know. I don't know. So I think being an epitome baby, yeah, it's helpful because this industry is incredibly saturated. It's also helpful to be a nepot maybe because if your parents were already successful in the entertainment industry, that means that they have a lot of money. Okay. As we talked about earlier, this industry is very fruitful. You know, there's a lot of money to be made in this industry. And it's so much less scary to take a career risk like to try to break into entertainment if your parents have a lot of money because if you fail or if it doesn't work out, your parents have your back a little bit. Like, for example, if you are somebody who does not have wealthy parents, pursuing a career in entertainment is extremely risky because number one, in the beginning, you don't make any money at all. There is a chance that you won't make money for a long time. There's a chance you could never make money in this career path. It's so rare to succeed in this industry that the risk is extremely high. And it's also a lot of work. It's very time consuming. And it would be exhausting to try to balance going to college or having a job while also trying to pursue a career in entertainment. In some situations, not in all, but in some. And so my point is having famous parents or a famous family means having a wealthy family. And that gives you this sort of cushion so that if everything fails and all goes wrong, it's going to be okay because you can always go back to your parents' house and you probably have a really nice room there. And it's probably really comfortable and clean and safe. And you won't worry about whether or not you have money for food. Like, your parents have your fucking back. And that is a huge advantage as well. The nebages and babies also grow up around the industry. From the time that they're born, they have intimate exposure to this industry. And so there's never a learning curve maybe for them. Like, for me, for example, when I first started getting into this sort of world of entertainment, I guess, I was like a deer in the fucking headlights. I didn't know what the hell was going on. You know, like, oh, wait, I need to get an agent. Oh, wait, do I need to get a lawyer? Oh, wait, do I need to get a, like, wait, how do I, how do I pay my taxes? Wait a minute. Who, wait a minute. Do I need to read my emails? Like, how do I respond to this type of email? Do I need a manager or do I need a PR team or do I need, it's like, there's so much that, you know, you don't know when you didn't grow up around it. Also, you know, being intimidated by the industry can also kind of hold you back because if you didn't grow up around it, you're going to be a lot more intimidated by it. And you might not be as bullish about starting a conversation with somebody who could be an important connection to have, et cetera. So the sort of comfort that nepotism babies have with the industry is very beneficial for them. Also, they might have a powerful last name, which we all know that a powerful last name is a moneymaker, right? If you see a poster for a movie and you see a famous name on the movie poster, you're so much more likely to be like, oh, fuck, that's going to be a cool movie because you recognize an actor that's in that movie. Or let's say you're looking at the Coachella lineup and you see, you know, someone's famous name on the Coachella lineup, you're like, oh, they're going. Okay, cool. This festival's legit, you know, a famous last name adds credibility to anything, right? And so it's beneficial to use powerful names that are famous and well known in different types of projects because it sells, you know, it makes money. People are more likely to trust something if they see a legitimate name attached to it. They're more likely to buy into something if they see a legitimate name attached to it. So, you know, if somebody has a famous last name, they are more likely to get hired for a project because that name is worth money in the eyes of the industry. And for a rational reason, because it's true. Like, I as a consumer of TV movies, music, clothes, whatever, I feel more comfortable spending my money on something. If I see credible names attached to it, it's just how our brains work. So, you know, it makes sense. And if you're born with a powerful last name, it's like, well, there you go. You know what I mean? And then the last positive of being a nepot maybe is that you were already born in the public eye. You know what I'm saying? You're already born in the public eye. There were already eyes on you already, whether you wanted there to be or not. And that can also be a con in a lot of ways. But it's a pro because you might as well make a career out of it. You know what I'm saying? You're already in the public eye. Why not make some cash off of it? Why not get involved? You already had to be anyway. You know, now let's talk about the cons of being a nepotism baby. Why would it suck? Number one, and most obviously, the pressure to live up to your family's name would be really challenging to deal with. Because the thing is, you know, if you're somebody who grew up with a normal family, parents had normal jobs, whatever. And you have this passion for acting, for example. And you're like, I'm going to become an actor and you start sending in audition tapes. And let's say your audition tapes suck. Okay, they're awful. The casting director is just going to be like, oh, this one sucks. Okay, whatever. And it's like no big deal. If you are a nepotism baby and your audition tapes sucks, it's going to become a conversation within the industry like, ooh, their parents are so and so and they still suck. You know, ooh, there's just this hyper fixation on your talent. Not only that, but also in the public eye. Let's say someone who's never been in the industry before pops up in a movie for the first time. And they're not very good, but they're like, fine, whatever. People are going to be like, okay, it's not going to become this huge conversation. But if it's a nepotism baby and there's all these expectations for this person to be the best nepot maybe there ever was the most talented prodigy that there ever was, it's going to be a fucking conversation. It's going to be all over the media. Everyone's going to be talking about it. It's going to be a big deal. And that kind of sucks. This laser focus that would be on you would be so uncomfortable and exhausting. And as a nepot baby, you would feel like, God, I have no room to learn or get better or whatever because the expectation on me is already so high. And there would also be pressure to sort of represent your parents or your family who was in this industry. And there would probably be a lot of guilt if you're a nepot baby and you got a job and then you didn't maybe do the best job. And people start giving you shit about it either on the internet or just within the industry. And then your families disappointed because they're like, you're ruining my legacy in a way. And that would be a terrible feeling. So I think that there'd be a lot of psychological turmoil within a nepotism baby about trying to live up to their family's name. And I think that that pressure would be really awful to experience. And I think it would kind of ruin the experience a little bit, which is disappointing because in theory, you know, being in the entertainment industry is supposed to be one of the most fun and sought after career paths, which I don't think is always true. I think it can be true, but I don't think it's always true or I don't think it's as often true as people assume it to be. But that would just automatically be really shitty, you know, it would just be shitty. Another kind of being a nepotism baby is that your family has been in the public eye. If we're talking about nepotism in the entertainment industry specifically, like if your parents were in entertainment, there's a good chance that they were in the public eye. And you know what it's, you know, we all by now can imagine what it's like to be in the public eye. There is this constant lust for drama. Okay. People love celebrity drama. And so if you are a nepotism baby, there's a really good chance that your famous parents have some unsavory articles about them. You know, there's a chance that your family members have haters. When your parents are famous, you're closely attached to their identity. So like if there's somebody who hates your parents for whatever reason, now they hate you too. There's a lot of baggage that comes with having famous parents in the media, you know, reading nasty articles about your parents, nasty articles about the way that your parents are raising you, possibly even nasty articles about you because somebody just doesn't like your parents. Like there's a lot of baggage that can come with that. And that fucking sucks. Another challenge would be that I don't think you could ever properly feel like you earned your place in the industry if you're a nepotism baby. I think in the back of your head, you would always wonder whether or not you would be where you are in your career if your parents weren't who they are. Even if you as a nepotism baby truly have a passion for the industry that you're in and would be doing it whether or not your parents were in the industry as well, even if you're the best at your craft, whether that's music, acting, fashion, modeling, whatever, even if you're incredibly good at it and you're the best and you truly are the best. And even if you'd be doing it no matter what, whether you had in advantage or not, you still would never know for sure if you'd be there without your family. And that sucks because imagine you succeed and you make your dream come true in the industry that you've always wanted to work in. But you can't feel proud of yourself fully because you don't really know for sure if you properly earned it. Imagine how fucking terrible that would be. It just destroys any feeling of accomplishment. The complicated thing is that that's in some ways like a valid feeling of illegitimacy. That's not necessarily an irrational thought to have. Either it sucks that they have to deal with that and it's terrible. But at the same time maybe that's how the universe balances itself out in a way. It's like okay we're going to give some people in life advantages but we're never going to let them feel like they properly earned it. You know because maybe that's just how the universe balances itself out. But that sucks. I mean I do think that it's not the most positive way to think. If I was an optimism maybe I'd be like yeah you know what I did have an advantage but at the same time I know I worked hard regardless and I'm happy with that. I'm satisfied with that and that's an accomplishment to me. And so even though I'm aware of the fact that I did have an advantage I'm still also proud of myself for what I did do regardless because the cards I was dealt is the cards I was dealt. Like that's how I would look at it but I can imagine that there are a lot of nepotism babies who don't look at it like that and they just look at it like they're almost fraudulent even though they may have put their blood sweat and tears into getting to where they are. Another con of being a nepotism baby is that there's a chance that you have been in the industry for a long time and you've been in the public eye for a long time. That could mean starting your career at a really young age because your parents have all these connections and they're like well we could put you in a children's movie or we could put you in a children's band you know what I mean we could put you in the all you whatever and working as a child would ruin your childhood. I mean I've never heard a child actor talk about it in a positive way almost never and so sometimes you know parents sort of push their kids into the industry at a young age because they're like well I'm gonna get them started now before the child can even decide whether or not they want to be in the industry but also a lot of nepotism kids grow up online you know from the time that they're fucking born they're getting paparazzi pictures taken of them they're being followed around by paparazzi they're already losing their sense of privacy before they're even making money from being in the industry and that would be also fucking terrible. Obviously I mentioned this whole sort of thing as a pro earlier but I would say that this whole situation is a pro and a con being in the public eye at a young age and getting your name out there at a young age can be a good thing if your goal is to work in the entertainment industry but it can also be a terrible thing if yeah you did want to get into the entertainment industry but also you kind of got forced into it at a young age and you had to grow up with the shitty elements of it before you were even ready to like make money from being in the public eye if that makes sense so it can be a pro and a con I don't know here's my advice for nepotism babies okay if I could speak to them right now I would say this either own that shit or don't ever discuss it I said that earlier I'm saying it again those are the two best options if you own it and you accept it as a part of your story and as a part of your career I think there's peace in that you know even though you might still sometimes feel like you didn't properly earn it or blah blah blah blah owning it and owning your reality and your truth and your experience is really empowering and I think for nepotism babies that's the best route but if that doesn't work then just don't talk about it because you don't need to the truth is celebrities don't owe anything to anyone and that's kind of a misconception I see sometimes in the general discourse online is like oh this celebrity owes me this no nobody owes anyone anything ever I mean listen are people who are fans of celebrities in a sense responsible for celebrities success absolutely but at the same time that doesn't mean that celebrities owe any type of explanation or anything to anyone because that's just not really fair you know it's up to you whether or not you want to follow somebody online or watch the movies that they're in or do this or do that keep up with them it's up to you as a consumer of that person that celebrity so if you don't like the way that they're behaving or you feel like they aren't being transparent enough about a certain topic or you feel like they're being a bad role model whatever it may be they don't owe you anything they don't owe you an explanation about any part about their life they don't owe you being a good role model they don't owe you anything it's up to you to decide whether or not you kind of stand by them but also you don't owe them anything you don't owe being a fan to them you could stop being a fan of them any day so obviously I think it's really great when celebrities are able to be open and transparent and good role models and honest and all of this stuff but that's not realistic you know it's not to expect that out of celebrities I just don't think it's realistic but that's the end of it you know if it upsets you that a nepotism baby ignores the fact that they're a nepotism baby and that they don't discuss it and you think that that's a moral in some way or wrong in some way then unfollow that person stop being a fan of that person don't expect them or be mad at them for not talking about it like leave them alone and that's the case with everything it's like just then fucking stop caring about them you know if you don't like what they're doing I think it's just better to take initiative in your own life me like well I'm just not a fan of this person anymore period so yeah for nepot babies own it or just don't discuss it being in denial about something or lying about something doesn't tend to end well so won't there it is to finish off this episode I'm going to sort of share my perspective on nepotism babies as somebody who is not one but as somebody who is in this industry because I'm in this weird spot right where I'm in the industry but I'm not a nepotism baby so I don't know I have a unique perspective maybe maybe not but listen at the end of the day I don't think that being a nepotism baby would be as fun as it sounds I also don't think it would necessarily be as easy all the time as it sounds I think that it comes with its own slew of problems that I personally don't envy at all and I think that as a whole we don't need to envy these people I don't think it's as perfect of a situation as it seems from the outside anyway at the end of the day this is a really interesting kind of conversation and listen do I think that nepotism is a problem in this industry I don't know if I'd call it a problem because it just is what it is I mean listen is it unfair in a lot of ways that succeeding in the entertainment industry is 95% easier when you're an nepotism baby yeah it is kind of unfair but at the same time so many things are unfair you know what I mean there are so many things that are unfair and that's just part of life you know what I mean there are so many things that are unfair and I don't know if the entertainment industry will ever get out of its routine of nepotism because why would they it's a lot easier to hire people in this industry based on nepotism rather than pure talent it's hard to sift through the thousands and millions of people who are trying to break into the industry it's so much easier to just go based on nepotism so it makes sense to me why they do that I don't know I don't know and I think that there are a lot of really talented nepotism babies who are just incredible at what they do and who deserve praise and credit for their talent I think it's a very complicated topic I don't know if it's ever going to stop I don't really know if I'd call it a problem and I think we just have to accept it for what it is and I think nepotism babies themselves need to accept it for what it is and just be grateful for their advantage that they had and move on you know and just keep working hard and trying to be good at what they do you know that's all I got that's all I got you guys that's all I got for today thank you for listening I hope you had fun I had so much fun this was a really fun topic for me and it might be because I'm not a nepotism baby like I think if I was this would not be a fun conversation do you know what no if I was a nepotism baby I would fully like own it I'd be like no I am like I am so actually I don't think you would be uncomfortable for me I don't know though I'll never know for sure I loved hanging out today thank you for hanging out with me I appreciate all of you so much just keeping awesome and keep tuning in to anything goes if you like the podcast and you like hanging out with me I'll talk to you next week all right love you talk later love you okay bye