The deeper problem with 'nepo baby' discourse

/ The deeper problem with ‘nepo baby’ discourseAll too often, online critiques of connected artists like Audrey Hobert and Stella Lefty devolve into toxic misogyny instead of engaging the nepotism behind their successShareLink copied ✔️September 22, 2026September 22, 2026Text Bea Isaacson In the middle of August, it seemed like everyone woke up one day and decided to bully Audrey Hobert on the internet. “I’m sorry but she has such an unseasoned boiled chicken pilgrim face. Some people are just not born to be stars,” ran one tweet with over 11k likes. This kind of vicious invective – based on insulting someone‘s appearance rather than their creative output – is apparently OK, you see, because Hobert is seen as privileged and well-connected. In recent years, being branded a ‘nepo baby’ has become the modern-day scarlet letter, with New York Magazine’s 2022 cover story on “Hollywood’s Nepo Baby Boom” both reflecting and shaping culture’s obsession with the privileges afforded to a new generation of well-bred and well-connected young stars. It’s understandable to feel frustrated by the smooth, seemingly manufactured advancement of the offspring of Hollywood’s elite, particularly now, w...