A list of 'nepo babies' in Hollywood is going viral. And it has everyone talking.

This week, everyone is talking about nepo babies thanks to a now-viral article from Vulture.

They decided to publish a list of well-known figures in Hollywood who have very famous parents and let's just say the list was *huge*. 

And it spoke to the fact that so many of them have been reduced to two polarising words: 'nepo baby'. 

"You have no f**king idea how much you have to fight to make people respect you. It takes years. You just get it by free day one. I know it's not your fault, but please, appreciate and know the place you came from."

And this is fundamentally what the world asks of nepo babies. To give those less fortunate than them the decency to graciously acknowledge that they come from a position of power, and that this position provides them more chance for opportunity.

Think of it as a running race of sorts – the nepo babies often getting a head start in the race and the rest of society is running behind, trying somehow to catch up.

As Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and podcast co-host said on The Spill: "Just acknowledge the privilege. We're having the same sort of celebrities, people from the same sort of background - we're not really having those interesting people break through as much. The industry needs to be more inclusive, more vibrant and that's not going to happen if we're only seeing people become models and actors if they all grew up together in one suburb in Malibu."

Depp certainly isn't the only star to try and push away from the nepo baby title. But then there are other celebrities who do the complete opposite. One example in action is The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. 

It's a show that documents two socialites doing an honest day's work in middle America – sometimes reflecting on the bigger picture but mostly depicting Hilton and Richie complaining about 'normal life' along the way. But there's an underlying message that permeates the entire show: That these nepo babies – and perhaps those cut from the same cloth – are beneath the grind of the working class.

Now of course, Hilton and Richie have gone on to do incredible things in their careers, build brands and multiple businesses – and that should be congratulated. But it should also be acknowledged that they did it all on the back of their parent's wealth, and a massive class division in America. The class system that time and time again proves how status and privilege can dictate opportunity.

Watch Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie on The Simple Life. Post continues below.

Just last month, Ronan Keating's daughter Missy was in the news after it was revealed that she is now working at a local cafe in Sydney's eastern suburbs after relocating to Australia to build a career for herself in acting and modelling.

One thing for certain is that Missy doesn't need that cafe salary for financial survival. Her father is worth a significant amount of money, and that wealth and privilege no doubt extends to his family as well. 

But in a day and age when nepo babies keep trying to start new hobbies and suggest that's their major source of income (I'm looking at you chef/photographer Brooklyn Beckham), it's refreshing to see that hospitality work isn't 'beneath' a celebrity's offspring. 

As Keating explained on the Kyle and Jackie O Show: "We keep it real in the Keating household. People don't go straight into stardom, they've got to work and got to graft.

"We're so proud of her. She's gone off her own back for a year in Australia and she's working hard. She's straight in there, and she wants to earn a few quid and find her feet. We back her big time."

As conversations on nepotism continue to push their way into the mainstream, the pressure on Hollywood's generational elite to acknowledge their privilege will remain the same. Whether or not they actually do so, we'll have to wait and see.

Feature Image: Vulture.

This article was originally published on November 24 2022, and was updated on December 20, 2022 with new information.