PicoBlog

Fundamentally, there’s nothing wrong with being a “nepotism baby.” You simply do not get to choose the situation you’re born into. 

And anyone who says they wouldn’t leverage their famous parents’ names and connections in order to have a career that consists of simply walking onto movie sets and/or cover shoots, or posting a branded carousel on Instagram—often for hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time—is lying. I promise you wouldn’t be choosing, say, a career as a cardiologist if you could just be an automatically successful mactor instead. 

I truly can’t blame them! 

What I can blame them for, however, is the inability to acknowledge the whole born-on-third-base of it all. 

Now, joining a list of nepo babies who’ve recently (and historically AHEM Kendall Jenner) insisted they’ve actually, in fact, have had to work twice as hard as the average person—ie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Maude Apatow, and Kendall because it’s always f*cking Kendall—is none other than Lily-Rose Depp. 

From her November 18th interview feature in Elle Magazine:

Speaking of internet opinions, has she heard about the whole “nepo baby” conversation? She laughs dryly: “I’m familiar.” Depp sounds resigned to it, which is maybe all one can be in her situation. “The internet seems to care a lot about that kind of stuff. People are going to have preconceived ideas about you or how you got there, and I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part,” she says. “The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.”

But here’s the kicker!

“It’s weird to me to reduce somebody to the idea that they’re only there because it’s a generational thing. It just doesn’t make any sense. If somebody’s mom or dad is a doctor, and then the kid becomes a doctor, you’re not going to be like, ‘Well, you’re only a doctor because your parent is a doctor.’ It’s like, ‘No, I went to medical school and trained.’ ”

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She insists she’s not comparing herself to those in the medical field, and makes it seem like some… feminist platitude?:

Ever careful, she’s quick to add that she is by no means comparing her own work to that of someone in the medical field. “I just hear it a lot more about women, and I don’t think that it’s a coincidence.”

Oy vey!

Here’s the thing: It shouldn’t be that hard to realize—and subsequently admit—that you’ve had it much, much easier than the average nobody Midwesterner with zero connections to anything other than a bomb-ass dentistry in Cincinnati that you should definitely go to. It demonstrates a tangible ignorance, a complete lack of awareness surrounding the everyday realities of the majority of the population whose relatives aren’t some of the most famous actors on the planet. 

Unsurprisingly, she got flamed on Twitter. 

But those that have flamed her the most are her peers in the modeling industry. 

Model Vittoria Ceretti was the first big name to speak out against Depp’s comments.

“Just want to share a thought here because I can. I bumped into an interview of a so-called ‘nepo baby,’ whatever y’all call it… Yes, I get the whole ‘I’m here and I work hard for it,’ but I would really love to see if you would have lasted thru the first five years of my career. Not only being rejected, because I know you have an experience with it and you can tell me your sad little story about it (even if at the end of the day you can still always go cry on your dad’s couch in your villa in Malibu).

But how about not being able to pay for your flight back home to your family? Waiting hours to do a fitting/casting just to see a nepo baby walk past you, from the warm seat of her/his Mercedes with her/his driver and her/his friend/assistant/agent taking care of her/his MENTAL HEALTH??? You have no f-cking idea how much you have to fight to make people respect you. TAKES YEARS. You just get it free by day one.

I have many nepo friends whom I respect, but I can’t stand listening to you compare yourself to me. I was not born on a comfy sexy pillow with a view. I know it’s not your fault, but please, appreciate and know the place you come from.”

Then, model Anok Yai did, too. 

“I will see some of you privileged kids stress about not booking a job because of the impact on your career while there are those of us who stress about not booking a job because we don't know if we'll be able to take care of our parents this month or put our siblings through school I am proud to say that I've fought for every ounce of respect or acknowledgment that I have. Seeing people benefit from nepotism doesn't bother me at all—I know my talent, and work ethic will get me into any room I want. What does bother me is when power players in the industry (brands, directors, editors etc) pretend to act ignorant to the fact. And to the privileged, I am not saying that having privilege is a bad thing—it's a blessing, more power to you. And I know you work hard and have your struggles just like the rest of us. But goddamn if you only knew the hell we go through just to be able to stand in the same room that you were born in.”

Next was model Nyagua Ruea.

“We’ve all had to watch a nepo/white model walk into a casting/fitting you’ve been at for HOURS with their bodyguard/assistant etc… and be in and out of that room in 30 minutes when you’ve been there for hours.”

Aweng Chuol:

“Refugee background, first generation this and that. [Parents] running from war. Working ten times as hard to get in the same room. Then the turmoil of [survivor’s] guilt, and savior complex to get your family out of the ruthless cycle of poverty. I always say this, gratitude is a must. We don’t get to choose to have a cushioned background or not, but for a second—realize your experience.”

Akon Changkou:

 And more:

 And more:

 And more:

Future fashion weeks just got a whole lot more awkward for Miss Depp!

The consensus, again, seems to be that being a nepo baby is not inherently a bad or wrong thing! You cannot help who you’re born to! But just f*cking acknowledge how objectively easy you’ve had it compared to so many that have been far, far, far less fortunate than you in every single arena of life.

Or don’t, and have every last peer in your industry eviscerate you on social media with biting black-and-white statements. 

If you’re wondering what the correct way for a nepo baby to acknowledge their privilege is, let’s look to Jamie Lee Curtis. 

Very thrilling and completely shocking news: Emily Ratajkowski and Pete Davidson are dating!

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