Nepotism in Hollywood

In the recent news, the term ‘nepotism’ has gained weird popularity all of a sudden. Well, nepotism is a deep-rooted human tendency and is present in nearly all the sectors, be it professional or personal. Everyone wants to use the power, the capacity earned by his/her position for the benefit of the favored family members. This is a common tendency which can at times do good but sometimes it may ruin the lives of many deserving people who do not have any sort of stronghold or background in any particular sector whatsoever.

The film industry across the globe are some of the most strong warehouses of nepotism. Sometimes it is beneficial but at times, it’s not. There are some notable families in Hollywood, who have managed the limelight well and even strengthened it through generations. But at the same time, there are some annoying examples too. We will just peep into this arena to have a taste of the goings-on in the most celebrated film industry of the world–Hollywood.

1. David O. Selznick and Louis B. Mayer

One of the most notable names of the silent film era was that of producer Lewis Selznick. His son David O.Selznick successfully made his way through the talkies. His biggest step was forging the marriage between himself and the daughter of Louis B. Mayer, Irene. Mayer was technically the king of Hollywood then. Selznick returned to MGM from Paramount with his father-in-law as the vice president and even the chief of Mayer’s own production unit. Later Selznick pioneered his own studio in 1935 and produced films like “A Star is Born”, “Rebecca”, “Gone With the Wind”. His son, Daniel Selznick also became a movie producer in later years.

2. Warner Brothers

Source: Warner bros

Warner Brothers have gained an unforgettable memory in the Hollywood film industry. Harry, Sam, Albert, and Jack Warner created chemistry, unmatchable in Hollywood. Their first major contribution to the industry was establishing the primary major Hollywood studio based on the power of nothing but a dog. They worked with a trained German Shepherd who led them to box office success with the release of the primary talkie “The Jazz Singer” in 1927. Even to this day, Warner Brothers is one of the most noteworthy names in the Hollywood industry.

3. Margaret Qualley, Maya Hawkes, Harley Quinn Smith

These three relatively new faces first appeared in “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” by Quentin Tarantino. Margaret Qualley is the daughter of Andie McDowell while Harley Quinn Smith is the daughter of Kevin Smith. Maya Hawkes is the perfect example of nepotism being the daughter of the famous actor Ethan Hawke while her mother is the famous Uma Thurman. Uma has supposedly influenced a lot of Tarantino’s creation, directly or indirectly.

4. Kim Kardashian West

It is even wondered how and why she earned her name. in respect of the sibling hierarchy, she is second to Kourtney Kardashian and is the wife of the famous rap singer Kayne West. She originally began her career as a stylist of Paris Hilton but soon became famous for her own name. Today she is one of the most popular names across the world and a mistress of a huge empire of fashion, style, makeup.

5. Jaden Smith

One of the sons of one of the most famous Hollywood couples Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The reason even we have heard the name of Jaden Smith is because of his heartthrob father. He is nothing more than an average actor and an average singer and possesses nothing notably extraordinary in his talents.

Nepotism is nothing new and is prevalent everywhere. But Hollywood is considered to be a noted trendsetter of this infamous practice. One of the most prominent drawbacks of nepotism in the lack of diversity and poor exploration of real talent. The practice fo nepotism is so strong that it can influence the choice of the contemporary generation and sets new standards. It is a common belief that it is a single chance to attain fame and name in the film industry. This single chance is very vital and is many times given to people who have a notable family background in the industry. The apparent glitz and glamour of Hollywood shade a lot of sacrifices that get lost in darkness.