In the final weeks of December 2022, Vulture dropped an article calling out the nepo baby pipeline in Hollywood.
Some were angry at nepo babies who didn’t acknowledge their privilege.
Some were angry at the system. Under capitalism, it’s not about how many opportunities someone has to succeed – it’s about how many opportunities someone has to fail.
For some, there’s a Jungian shadow lurking. Are you angry because you want to be where they are?
So what’s this have to do with my ongoing stream-of-consciousness about my relationship with money/career?1
Belief and proof
I have not seen creative success first-hand. The creative people I’ve met are not crushing it.
I talked with a director of photography last year who has been freelancing since the 90s. Three decades in the film industry, and he told me he never had much in terms of savings. He has kids and still rents his home.
In contrast, I know plenty of friends and family who are killing it in tech and more traditional lines of business. I know people my age who have bought homes in expensive coastal cities.
Sure, nepo babies had parents that supported them financially. But there’s an important aspect that’s more subtle:
Their parents normalized the concept of working in a creative industry.
Growing up around creative adults has an effect on your beliefs of what could be a viable career. The people around you don’t even necessarily have to be rock stars. They just need to be around to show you what’s possible.
It helps to have proof that it isn’t crazy to try a creative career. That in fact, it’s normal!
I realized this about myself as I was grappling with working on creative stuff vs figuring out how to make money:
I subconsciously did not believe I could do work that was both creative and financially viable.
I didn’t have any proof from friends or family. I could see the fear in my mom’s eyes when I talked about possibly striking out on my own after college. There wasn’t belief.
This is a tension I’m still grappling with. On one hand, I recognize the frame of decoupling “passion” from making money.
…one of the things I want to do is celebrate the job that just pays the rent. I feel like that is so maligned in our present culture.2
Cal Newport was a big influence growing up, and I buy his thesis around building career capital and not fretting about “doing what you love”.
There is also the survivorship bias among the online creators I hope to emulate:
the [creator economy] industry is smaller than many hoped for and that 99% of the value still goes to the top .1% of creators3
On the other hand…
I understand the value of hard work in unsexy jobs. My immigrant parents and relatives raised my generation by showing up and doing the work. “Passion” wasn’t even in their vocabulary.
Yet shouldn’t there also be hope?
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy…
in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.
- John Adams
When I came across the nepo baby article, I thought about it from another angle: I put myself in the shoes of their parents.
Why wouldn’t I do everything I possibly could to support my child?
It’s a compliment to the parent, isn’t it? That you’ve done so well that you can ensure your children thrive?
It obviously happens in all industries, not just Hollywood.
Surely in this way, every parent strives to be a nepo parent.
I certainly hope I’ll get there one day.