‘The once frowned-upon practice is no longer the exception but the rule,’ , argues Saul Bellow’s son, a writer himself. His upcoming book, In Praise of Nepotism: A Natural History argues that the US is undergoing a revival of the ‘hereditary principle’ — to put it more bluntly, nepotism — in areas as diverse as business, sports, entertainment, the arts, and politics.
Sean Lennon and Jakob Dylan have record contracts. Laila Ali is a boxer. Sofia and Roman Coppola make movies. Their cousin Nicolas Cage is an Oscar-winning leading man. Michael Douglas, the scion of another Hollywood acting clan, appears in his latest film, It Runs in the Family, alongside his father, mother and son. Susan and Ben Cheever write fiction.
For the first time in 20 years, a Ford – William Clay Ford Jr. – is in charge of Ford Motor Co. And presiding at the White House is a man whose father once held the position, too. (At The New York Times, the job of publisher has been reserved forthe job of publisher has been reserved for family members for more than a century.) International Herald Tribune
Does someone succeed in the profession of their accomplished forebears because their name brings added value in that field; because they are assumed in some sort of genetic paradigm to have more of the “right stuff” and thus given an ‘in’; or because they do in fact have some heritable endowment in areas pertinent to success in that field? Bellow feels the ‘new nepotism’ is only partially the social fiction it was in days of old, instead tempered by meritocratic factors, and that this paradigm should be considered a ‘great achievement’ of our society.
This is Bellow’s provocatively contrarian claim: Today’s nepotism is good because it combines an admirable devotion to family with a principled commitment to merit. Having the right blood ties might win you entrée in your chosen field, but if you fail to perform, you’re unlikely to last. Or as Bellow serenely put it: “A famous name gets your foot in the door, but if the door slams on your face, it’s you who says ouch.”
Others noting the dynastic trend have been less sanguine about it. Even, lo and behold, Andrew Sullivan, pondering the Bush succession, worried that the only other nations that have recently passed power from father to son have been North Korea, Syria and Jordan.
[Let us hope Michael Powell does not have a future in the Dept. of State…]
Related:
At least 17 senators and 11 members of the House have children, spouses or other close relatives who lobby or work as consultants, most in Washington, according to lobbyist reports, financial-disclosure forms and other state and federal records. Many are paid by clients who count on the related lawmaker for support. LA Times
