If you have been on Twitter these past few years, you might have been wondering the nepo baby meaning as the term has been popularized on the social media platform lately. Let’s take a look at its origins.
Have you ever been puzzled why an “up-and-coming” actor appears so familiar in a movie or TV show? Have you ever listened to an album and wondered why the performer seemed familiar? Part of this problem may be summed up in a single phrase: “nepo baby.” The word “nepo baby” created a thousand Twitter memes, but the discussion has resurfaced with the December 2022-January 2023 cover revelation of the phenomena in New York Magazine. What is nepo baby meaning? And who is considered a “nepo baby”? Continue reading to learn all you need to know.
What is nepo baby meaning?
The term “nepo baby” was allegedly developed by online fans of Euphoria actress Maude Apatow after they discovered she is the daughter of actress Leslie Mann and filmmaker Judd Apatow. Her character in the program, Lexi, is recognized for her theatrical directing, which Maude appears to be following in her father’s footsteps. Since then, there have been several tweets mentioning celebrities and their famous connections.
So, on with the nepo baby meaning. The term “nepotism baby” refers to an actor, actress, or singer who allegedly got their start in the entertainment industry because of their parents. In 2021, actor Ben Stiller went on a Twitter rant, claiming that despite having two renowned parents, he worked his way into the profession.
Following the publication of the New York Magazine cover and article categorizing “nepo babies” into categories based on their degree of nepotism, a new series of Twitter memes have emerged. The first to mock the ridiculousness of the nepotism categories (such as referring to Phoebe Bridgers as a “nepo baby” for having a set designer parent), and the second to quantify fictional characters into the magazine’s nepo baby categories.
Categories which were stated by the article are as follows: On the Come Up (newly minted nepo babies), Booked and Busy (second-gen stars with big careers already), Almost Famous (have created or starred in one major project), Platinum-Grade (created/starred in multiple works on their own), Nepo-Baby Graduates (extremely famous in their own right/no one cares who their parents are anymore), and the Extended Universe (multiple branches of the family tree are famous).
While memes are generally used for comedy and lighter amusement, a deeper debate over who has earned their place in the entertainment business is taking place. Except for performers and singers who recognize and appreciate their status, being a “nepo baby” has a bad connotation. Jamie Lee Curtis, the daughter of actress Janet Leigh and actor Tony Curtis, told The New Yorker in 2019 that she credits her early success entirely to her good fortune as the offspring of two famous actors. While discussing Halloween, she stated:
“I auditioned many, many, many times … I’m sure the fact that I was Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis’s daughter, and that my mother had been in Psycho — if you’re going to choose between this one and this one, choose the one whose mother was in Psycho. 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.”
Is nepotism acceptable in the entertainment industry? Will the phenomenon’s new attention lead to a decline? Time will only tell. Now that you know nepo baby meaning, we suggest that you also take a look at Avatar 2 box office scores $435 million in its first week, or Idris Elba will be in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty.
