The Explanation for the Nepo Baby Boom: What Happens When You’re Born on a Sufficient Pillow, But What Do You Don’t Know?

Vulture’s spread made clear that the universe of nepo babies is vast and potentially endless. There are young people. Maya Hawke is the progeny of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and indie darling Riley Keough is Elvis’ granddaughter. There are also long-established nepo babies, like Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lisa Bonet.

And then there are those who are so talented and/or established that their nepo-baby reputation doesn’t really matter anymore. The daughter of Janet, Tony and Jamie Lee is named Jamie Lee. Dakota Johnson’s bonafides go back generations: She’s the granddaughter of “The Birds” icon Tippi Hedren and daughter of “Working Girl” Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson of “Miami Vice.” And Oscar winner/gay icon Laura Dern is the daughter of two Oscar nominees, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern.

Nepo babies lead beloved streaming series and earn awards notice. They starred on Broadway, and fronted fashion campaigns. Some are widely beloved. Some are from the movie “Angels in America.”

The issue was so crazy that readers were shocked, including a surprise nepo baby or two. Some fans defended their idols; others applauded the magazine for its audacity to potentially alienate countless celebrities. A few of those celebs mentioned chimed in.

The nepo baby buzz this year kicked off after HBO’s controversial smash “Euphoria” aired its second season. Some young viewers were shocked to learn that cast member Maude Apatow is the daughter of director Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “This is 40”) and actress Leslie Mann (also “Knocked Up,” “This is 40”). Sam Levinson is the son of a successful director named Barry, and he co- wrote a film with him.

Critics pounced, including rising supermodel Vittoria Ceretti, who’s worked for fashion houses like Chanel (and for whom Depp has modeled since her teens). There are many nepo baby friends that I respect, but I don’t want you to 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 came from.”

A few entries on the list were surprising: Two of the three members of “Please Don’t Destroy,” NYU alums who create digital shorts for “Saturday Night Live,” are the sons of “SNL” producers. Sisters Rooney and Kate Mara are members of two NFL founding families. And “Fantastic Beasts” actress Katherine Waterston is the British-accented daughter of Sam Waterston, recently of “Grace and Frankie.”

Unsurprisingly, the “stans” of the stars who were highlighted came out to support them, defending them and pointing out their family history as the magazine pointed out. (Note: “Stan” is another term for “diehard fan” popularized by Eminem, whose daughter Hailie is also included in Vulture’s list; she hosts a podcast.)

Some of the responses of the nepo babies to questions about their privilege were reminded by the article. Maya Hawke told Rolling Stone earlier this year that when it comes to the “nepotism thing,” she recognized that her lineage “definitely gives you massive advantages in this life” and while “you will get chances for free … the chances will not be infinite.” Maude Apatow, meanwhile, said the label made her “sad” but that she tries not to “let it get to (her) because (she) obviously understand(s) that (she’s) in such a lucky position.”

The inclusion of the daughter of a set builder and a young Oscar nominee in a list of “industry babies” was a stretch, argued some critics. It’s inexplicable to compare the two stars’ industry connections.

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 said that she wasn’t pretending there weren’t any advantages to being associated with fame when she started her acting career at the age of 19.

Curtis reflected on her 44-year career and said she’s navigated show business “with the advantages my associated and reflected fame brought me,” adding that she doesn’t “pretend there aren’t any.”

She wrote that it was odd how we would assume someone with no talent in their field would be related to someone famous in their field. “I have come to learn that is simply not true.”

Over the course of her career, the “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star said she’s shown up to work with “thousands of thousands of people and every day I’ve tried to bring integrity and professionalism and love and community and art to my work.”

O’Shea Jackson Jr. In the Making of The Hollywood Movie: A Conversation with Dean Obeidallah at the Los Angeles Radio Station

O’Shea Jackson Jr., who portrayed his father in the film, wrote that he was studying at The University of Southern California when his father broached the idea of him acting in the film.

“I accepted the challenge. He tried out for two years before he got the role. He could not hold my hand through my career after that.

Dean Obeidallah is a former lawyer and is currently the host of a radio show. Follow him @[email protected]. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

Working with Famous Parents at SNL – A Conversation with Lorentzian Amy Curtis and Daneene Irwin-Littlewood

She talked about her advantage in auditioning for “Halloween” in an interview with the New Yorker. She said, “I’m never going to pretend that I just got that on my own, like I’m just a little girl from nowhere getting it. Clearly, I had a leg up.”

Curtis is 100% right on both counts. No one can deny that if your parents are famous actors and you want to work in that field, they have the contacts and the clout to help. And, yes, there’s some truth to what Fran Leibowitz wrote in a 1997 issue of Vanity Fair about nepotism in the entertainment business, which was quoted in the New York Magazine article: “Getting in the door is pretty much the entire game.”

I’ve been involved in producing projects that involved casting actors, and you would be astounded at how many very talented, unknown actors are out there. Since a producer has a lot of good actors to choose from, they might lean towards casting the child of a famous parent rather than the other way around.

But from what I’ve seen, you still need to be very talented in your own right. New York Magazine states that two of the three people creating digital shorts for SNL are sons of the show’s producers. I worked with two of the parents of the two young people. I can assure you that if the kids weren’t talented and funny, they wouldn’t be with you. That’s the cutthroat world of “SNL” and most TV comedy shows – especially late-night talk shows.

I worked alongside the children of famous parents at SNL. All of them – without exception – worked diligently at their jobs, perhaps understanding that if they slacked off, it would tarnish their family name or because they wanted to prove they earned the job on their own – or a combination of both.