Hollywood Nepotism: Prologue

Nepotism: the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

My friends and I had a very long debate on nepotism because a rich, well-known person’s kid was recently given a position in Hollywood that, let’s face it, the average person would have to work for years and years to secure, and even then, they may not get their shot. But Hollywood is no different than corporate or other industries where this type of “hiring” occurs, only Hollywood appears to be more in your face.

Some of my friends flat-out said it’s wrong, it needs to be called out and stopped. Period. I looked at it from a different angle, though I do agree that it needs to be addressed. A lot of kids who come from poor or average working class backgrounds, can’t afford internships in some of the most expensive cities in this country. Neither can they go to other countries for these “year abroad” programs. It’s just not going to happen for them. They can’t pay for food, transportation and housing to do an internship at an agency, network, film or TV set and that’s simply a sad but true fact. Those types of jobs are where rich affluent kids make connections or coast on their parent’s connections. Then the next thing you know they have secured a position that poor kids could only dream of. I could rattle off 25 names just off the top of my head of people who’ve benefitted from nepotism. You see them on TV, in films, anchoring news shows, directing, producing, becoming “journalists”, in writer’s rooms…you name it, they’re there.

It’s not the kid’s fault they’re well-heeled and connected, but it does open up a dialogue about how we have ended up with wider wealth disparities in this country. A rich kid doesn’t need a leg-up, they came out of the womb with their pathway paved in platinum, poor kids are the ones who need to get their foot in the door in order to have their chance to shine…in every industry.

An acclaimed director, who talks ad nauseum about being proactive in giving newbies an opportunity, created a program that will supposedly help them break into Hollywood. But once again, the deck is stacked because those applying need to have at least one (1) professional credit, and therein lies the problem. How can they get the “one” professional credit if they can’t get hired? I’ll wait. So one of their friends or family member’s kid gets the slot. And everyone else is caught in a Catch-22.

Then when this issue is brought up in a conversation, you have some people just shrugging their shoulders and admitting that nepotism is rampant in Hollywood…but what are you going to do? Being apathetic and indifferent about something you know is wrong, is basically keeping the beast alive.

I was always taught that you make your way on your own juice, or it means nothing. Success should be earned and not given. And the excuse that some parent’s use by saying that they will do whatever they must in order to make sure their kids succeed, (ask Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin how that worked out for them), is only making these kids dependent, smug and arrogant because they know their parent’s will gift-wrap success for them like a blue Tiffany’s box.

I know that nepotism is a pervasive problem that will not go away anytime soon, if ever. But we can’t continue to accept the ways in which the rich and well-connected flaunt their privilege, while everyone else has to play by the rules. We’re expected to work hard, while the rich and well-connected hardly work.

Trying to break into Hollywood as an unknown is like repeatedly getting tasered, or running into a concrete wall, breaking your nose, ending up bloody and bruised, while lying on the ground watching rich kids drive right by you in their Lamborghinis, then to no one’s surprise, the gate automatically opens, the guards wave them through, and instead of the guards calling an ambulance to help you, they shoot you the middle finger.

We can’t continue to accept the status quo because if we do, the rich and well-connected will only become more emboldened and the wealth disparities will continue to widen. First up: the financial fallout of nepotism on those not fortunate enough to be swimming in Big Daddy’s and Big Mama’s money and connections. See you soon.

SYDNEY CHANDLER is a Los Angeles based freelance journalist, essayist, screenwriter and producer. Sydney has written and produced documentaries, features, shorts, TV dramas and comedies. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.