Several years ago, when I was still a teenager, a History teacher told us that her father had been an officer in the Cuban State Security. Among many stories, she said that thanks to that job she was able to enjoy a very nice childhood, since she had access to certain privileges granted to those officers. All this despite not always being able to have her father nearby.
We, her students, would always ask her if she too was part of State Security—joking, of course. She would reply that it was impossible, since one of the requirements to belong to that military body was precisely not being the child of such an officer. This was because, in undercover missions, suspicion would immediately arise if you were the son or daughter of a military officer.
In short, it seems nepotism cannot always be applied, even though it is a practice carried out blatantly. It happens often with public positions and, why not, in the world of art.
In fact, there is a movie currently being boycotted because its director or producer is a “nepobaby.” It’s clear that when you are the child or close relative of someone in power—or at least someone with great influence—things become much easier to obtain. Stepping over others is fairly easy, since you will almost always be given priority.
Now, going back to the case of that movie, I didn’t understand why people encourage this kind of action. My wife always tells me that one must know how to separate the artist from their work. The truth is, it’s not always easy for me to do that, but I admit that any artistic material should always be given the chance to be consumed.
If it’s good, hey, enjoy it. If the creator or director is a son of a bitch, well, that’s another conversation. There is a group of people behind every project who contribute far more than the manager or owner of the production. Those people also deserve recognition, especially. That recognition begins the moment we dedicate time to consuming the work first and judging it afterward.
Social media, as always, becomes a battlefield between detractors and supporters of any cause. When in doubt about which side to take, get well informed before missing out on what could be either a masterpiece or an abysmal piece of trash. Or simply go to the cinema, the theater, or a concert. Give it a chance.
English my native language. Text translated with DeepL