The Legend of NepoBabies and the Mythof Meritocracy

Written by Nell Wedgwood

Artwork by Beca Summers

We all saw that nepo baby New York Magazine cover. Upon its release, it quickly spread everywhere, and countless people began speaking out against nepotism amongst Hollywood’s elite. But nepotism is nothing new and it’s not news. It’s been around and well documented for like ever - just look at Jesus. People expressed outrage at the prevalence of nepotism in popular media, but surely much more sinister is the nepotism prevalent in places out of the spotlight. In the shadows of the law and finance industries, for example, lurks an abundance of privilege and parents’ feet in doors.

The bigger story here is Gen X’s confrontation with their shattered ideals of meritocracy. It’s probably not fair that the people highlighted by New York Magazine had an easier path to success than most. But we need to reframe the discussion around equality and merit.

Michael Young coined the term ‘meritocracy’ as a satire in 1958. His description of a meritocratic future encompassed a dystopian society. ‘Meritocracy’ as a word spread through common language use with none of its intended negative connotations. In 2001, Young expressed his dismay at New Labour’s embracing of the term:

It is impossible (or at least immoral) to identify a finite set of ‘merits’ by which to judge every member of a society. It is also not desirable. A symbiotic society requires different people to partake in different jobs and activities, therefore individuals should have different merits, skills, talents and interests by necessity.