On Having Famous Parents

James Cromwell brought attention to an important issue, but here is something we overlook far too often.

Credit: Peta

Props to James Cromwell for gluing his hand to a Starbucks counter in protest of alternative milk charges.

With this single action, he brought a lot of attention to a valid issue, which is that plant-based products are generally healthier, somewhat more sustainable, and produce far less suffering than the heavily subsidized dairy industry. (Plant-based products are not perfect, but that’s a story for another day.)

Not only do I have a lot of respect for Cromwell’s activism, but I also love seeing him in films. He’s got an insane number of credits over a lot of years, and it’s always a sweet surprise to see him show up and steal a scene.

But he’s also got famous parents, and this is a thing we don’t talk about nearly enough.

I’m not here to take away from the hard work, dedication, and skill that Cromwell has brought to his acting career, because again, I love him.

But like so many others in politics, business, and entertainment, he was the recipient of an unfair advantage, and we have to be able to talk about this openly, even for those that we like.

It’s fine to point out that Trump’s daddy was a slum lord, and that Elon’s daddy owned half an emerald mine, but people get tetchy when you point out that Nick Cage and Jason Schwartzman are Francis Ford Coppola’s nephews.

We seem to want our heroes to be pure, but personally, I’d rather they were complex human beings, with positives and negatives, like our man Johnny Depp. Sometimes people make it on luck, looks, and talent, but too often, there are obvious, or buried connections.

It’s like this everywhere there’s power.

It’s stuffed full with the kids of the rich and famous. Across entertainment, politics, and business, every name you hear is likely connected to another name. I encourage you to go look them up. If their parents have a Wikipedia article, it’s fair to say they had a better launching pad than you or I.

This is not sour grapes. I’m the grandson of two semi-senior officers in the US military, and…