Billie Eilish's Mom Maggie Baird Shuts Down 'Nepo Baby' Comments

[hewontgo]

Billie Eilish's Mom Maggie Baird Shuts Down 'Nepo Baby' Comments: 'People Don’t Really Understand' https://t.co/57OOPs6tGP
- People (@people) October 3, 2024
Some people think Billie Eilish is a 'nepo baby'. Her mom, Maggie Baird, disagrees

Comments

[hellcatshalala]

the strike last year made me realize how much regular people depend on the industry as regular jobs or even to gain a few more bucks to survive

[qaladriel]

Again the 'nepo baby' discourse feels shallow. Did Billie get her talent and career from her mum being an actress? No. But living in LA, having closer understanding of the commercial music world, probably knowing someone who could talk to someone, and the industry in general is of course an advantage to having any career in entertainment. Is that 'nepo'? It's interesting to talk about.

The nepo baby discourse is really just a discussion on class and who is afforded opportunity based on their background and identity. There are many, many people out there who have outstanding talent and skill and no way of exhibiting it. It's not wrong to talk about that, nor do I think it discredits anyone other than obviously not particularly talented nepo kids who coast on their parents careers. This isn't the case here.

[hellcatshalala]

well said! I think it's important to acknowledge the privilege inside the industry but it became this shallow game of pointing out who's nepo and who's not, erasing the context that is necessary to understand how said privilege might play out. Billie is indeed privileged in some ways but it's not like her mother was texting music execs whenever she wanted.

[firstknivesclub]

it's nepo-adjacent.

[arellaj]

step-nepo

[rihaty]

Her mom was one of the opening deaths in an episode of six feet under, it was a super impactful annd emotional one and she was great in it.

I do think people overuse the word nepo baby to encapsulate too many things. There’s a huge difference between Billie’s parents and Dakota Johnson’s.

[luvthatdrtywata]

I don’t think it’s overuse, both are nepo babies, people just discuss the wrong aspects of being a nepo baby. There are people like Dakota whose lineage really gets her foot in the door but there are layers to it. Being from LA, knowing the right people, have parents who can teach you / support the arts, having access to art education. It is infinitely easier for someone who lives in LA with actor parents to become an actor than for someone who grew up in like a hyper Christian family in a trailer park in Alabama who has to move across the country, didn’t have access to acting classes young, don’t have support, don’t have connections. It’s access, plain and simple.

[rihaty]

It’s not overuse, it’s misuse. What you’re talking about with Billie is privilege and access, that’s not nepotism. Nepotism is dakotas dad using connections to get her in a movie.

[callonme_84]

Ooh the one at the table lol ?

[slaughtermatic]

its not about being rich. rich people biying careers is a parallel but separate issue. its about knowing someone who knows someone. but idk their situation.

[blackstarnebula]

By that definition, a lot of people are nepobaby. Anyone who’s gotten a referral for work is a nepobaby. The whole “it isn’t what you know but who you know” networking thing is just nepotism by another word.

Idk, seems too broad of a definition. To me nepotism and being a nepobaby is a form of networking but not all networking is nepotism.

Being familiar with an industry, having family working in the same industry does give a person a leg up compared to someone blind but I wouldn’t call it nepotism unless that family member has enough pull to just get you a roll or through a door, qualification unnecessary.

[purrple_267]

I have to agree. My workplace gives you a small bonus if you recommended someone who passes the probation period, not applicable to HR, managers and the like, so I was recced and have recced people and I don't think that qualifies as nepotism.

[mabsoluta]

I would say that that's just called being well-connected in the specific industry your work in, and there's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, assigning jobs and privileged positions to relatives or friends, especially when they're underqualified for it, would be the definition of nepotism.

[littlehayzay]

She is Samara from Mass Effect, too lol

[firstknivesclub]

omgg I hope Billie is in whatever sequel or prequel they end up doing lmaooooo

[siaht]

Is that ME1? I'm currently playing it (almost finishing) and have no idea who Samara is...

[littlehayzay]

No, she’s in 2 and 3