Nepotism is the act of offering opportunities to relatives in a workplace, and is a constant in online and even face-to-face discourse. The practice became a hot topic when a writer at Vulture–an entertainment magazine–by the name of Nate Jones published an article naming 2022 the “Year of the Nepo Baby”, alongside a graphic featuring many of Hollywood’s most well-known children of celebrities that quickly grew to notoriety. Two years later, the discussion has regained traction–sparking interest in entertainment-based discussions once again.
Maude Apatow, the eldest daughter of director Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann, recently founded Jewelbox Pictures alongside Olivia Rosenbloom. Though Apatow is currently best known for her role as Lexi Howard in Euphoria, much of her earlier credits were cameos in her father’s films or television programs. Even so, she is far from being the only “nepo baby” who is currently in the limelight. Wildcat is a drama based on Flannery O’Connor that is set to be released in theaters on May 3. It stars Maya Hawke as O’Connor, and was directed by the Academy Award winning Ethan Hawke, who is also married to the Golden Globe winning Uma Thurman. With nepotism, the outrage often stems from a stripping of opportunities from more qualified candidates.
“I was part of the theatre group since the age of 9 in my hometown of Pennsylvania and it was apparent that children whose parents complained, or were more ‘helpful’ with paying for things and doing things, they got better parts,” said Madison Washer, a long time participant in performing arts.
While the entertainment industry tends to evoke the most discourse surrounding nepotism, it is a constant throughout many lines of work. Succession was not only a product of artistry, but it also represented the works of nepotism in a less “regal” field. There was an aspect of benefits for those who had any sort of relation to the Roy family, such as Kendall Roy, the hopeful successor of his father Logan Roy, and even Greg Hirsch, who easily obtained a job from Roman Roy due to being Logan Roy’s nephew. Even historically, Andrew Jackson was notorious for giving handouts to his affiliates via the Spoils system.
Cameron Arabi, owner of information technology startup Intrep Solutions, said, “Some family members may not want that job or work in that field, yet the job is handed to them. That’s when the business fails. The main stress is toward the person who started the business.”
Though nepotism might be considered unfair in nature, there is a sense of moral obligation to it. In an essay, a professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law by the name of Thomas D. Eisele explained that in a basic Legal Ethics course, students are taught to simultaneously treat law as an impersonal task while striving to not deplete their personalities. Connecting personal activities to work is rather stigmatized, but there is a fine line between sensitivity and professionalism. Humans often feel an innate need to serve those who have served them–which easily equates to a profitable market in business. So long as there is a loophole in the workplace, the practice will be planted into the likes of the average employer.
