Editor’s Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio’s daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show.” Follow him @DeanObeidallah@masto.ai. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.
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Looks like Merriam-Webster got it wrong with its recent choice for 2022’s “word of the year.” Instead of picking the word “gaslighting,” it should’ve chosen “nepo babies” – at least based on the passionate debate that term has triggered in the past week.
What is a “nepo baby,” some of you are undoubtedly asking? “Nepo” is short for nepotism, and hence, a “nepo baby” refers to a child of famous parents who benefits from family connections in entertainment or other adjacent fields.
While nepotism in showbiz is hardly breaking news, a New York Magazine cover story this week declared 2022 the “Year of the Nepo Baby.” The magazine documented what appears to be an endless list of the offspring of famous parents, including “Stranger Things” co-star Maya Hawke, the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet – and many more.
This article led to discussions about the privilege that comes with having connections in showbiz – and what that says about talent, and the supposedly meritocratic society we live in. Some have taken to defending “nepo babies,” while others slammed them for their privilege.
While plenty of celebrities have weighed in on their experiences, it was the response of actress Jamie Lee Curtis on Instagram Friday that summed up what it means to be a “nepo baby” – at least based on what I’ve seen working in the entertainment industry as a producer, a comedian and on the staff of “Saturday Night Live” for eight seasons.
Curtis first described herself in her post as the “OG Nepo Baby,” given she’s the daughter of Hollywood royalty Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. The award-winning actress then candidly admitted that there were indeed benefits to being the daughter of two movie stars when she was first beginning her acting career at the age of 19, writing, “I don’t pretend there aren’t any” advantages to being “associated” with fame.
In an interview with the…
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